Elimination Exit

[Karl Jak]

When you are slain on the island, you will revive in the Lobby of the preshow facility. You may say goodbye to the people still here and do as you please before leaving the gate and heading to a verse of your choice (obviously not the Void or the Oververse)

[Chloe Price]

I reappeared after my death. I was surprised, feeling around my face to make sure I was alive. "...That...That was better than I expected..." I said to no one in particular. "Dude, you lost in the first fight." Snart said, having apparently waited for me in the lobby. "I know, I know..." I said. "Honestly, it went better than I expected, though. I held the cool weapon for at least a little while. Twice! And, the dying part, it felt gruesome and horrible for about 3 minutes, but then, it was actually calm and serene." I then remembered that I had my duffel bag, and that green alien freak probably has my weapon now. "...That green alien freak who killed me will have it coming next year, though..." I then said, kind of angry. "I think the Omniverse is starting to get to you..." Snart said. "Yeah, I guess..." I said, holding my arm in embarrassment. "Well, I guess we're done working together until next year." Snart said. "...Wanna head back to Coruscant...?" I asked. "Sure." Snart replied. We then walked over towards the portal. "Oh, one last thing..." I said, halting. "Karl Jak's brilliant, really...I mean, abusing the ability to go through Prime incarnations like it's nothing, for the sake of getting rich from a TV show? I couldn't have done better if I ran a show in this scrapheap."

We then walked over in front of the portal, eager of what's to come. "I just remembered...Darkseid..." I said. "Oh well...I can head over there later." Snart and I then re-entered Coruscant, the watery portal washing over us.

[Lubbock]

"Lubbock, wake up," he could hear Najenda telling him to get up. He felt too fatigued, but he wouldn't miss a chance to see her face, "Come on, Akame and Tatsumi have base breakfast,

The green-haired boy shuffled tiredly and tried to prise open his eyes, but they wouldn't budge. He felt a shaking on his shoulders, bringing him to consciousness once again.

"Hey, kid, get your ass up,"

"Lubbock, wake up!"

He heard many voices, and his eyes flew open, his green irises flicking around as his vision refocused, his breathing heavy. Once his sight stopped being a dick, he noticed the face of the man from before - the guy who smelled of booze and grease and never told him his name.

"Jesus Christ, you got fucked up out there. Running into Eighteen and then Alain wasn't good for you," he explained the obvious, helping the bit sit up. He may have looked somewhat ungroomed, but ironically his smile was comforting and slightly kind.

"Yeah, today wasn't a good day..." he sighed, shaking the hair out of his eyes and fixing his goggles. He then flashed a large grin, "But next time, I ain't going to go down so easily!"

"That's the spirit, kid. Now get your ass up and out. Before long the body count's going to increase and a shitload of Primes gonna come through," he explained. Lubbock's eyes widened a little with interest.

"Wait, speaking of deaths, was I the first?"

"Nah, that super-fast guy got his eyes impaled by the green guy in the cloak," he assured him, and he breathed a sigh of small relief. He picked himself up and the man placed a hand on his shoulder, "Bit of advice, get yourself a Dataverse device. It'll be real helpful," and with that he turned to leave.

"Rather lively man, I must say," Syura mentioned, causing Lubbock to snap.

Where the hell were you, you prick?! he asked in his head, so as not to seem crazy.

"It seems not only did the collar inhibit your abilities, it suppressed me too," he explained, almost sounding a little nervous. The assassin placed his hands on the back of his neck.

Right... Makes sense, I guess... he finished as he turned and stepped through the gate to the Nexus. However, he stopped, turned his head a bit, before turning back and making a pained expression.

"Ack! It's times like these I hate my job!" and with that he stepped his leg through the gate into the white world.

[Alain the Carnedge]

The mercenary awoke shortly after that encounter with Jak Mar. Had he died? Alain was too stunned to answer his own question. He could breathe again. Move his right arm. He opened his eyes to find that his clothing had completely reformed, he had no injuries, and the collar was gone. You'd have thought that he'd be relieved that it was finally over but he could only think of one thing: He'd lost.

And so early, too...he frowned. Seemed karma did exist here. He did feel kinda bad about breaking the green guy's limbs, but not enough to seek him out to apologize. On that note, he hoped said green guy wasn't out for his blood now. He sighed. Oh well, he couldn't do anything about it now. The mercenary pulled his hood up. "Now, then..." Alain muttered, taking a look around the Lobby. It was significantly less crowded than before. It seemed most of the reporters got kicked out so the contestants could leave without being hassled. Or they were on their lunch break.

Other than that, there was a simple white gate standing in the middle of the lobby. Judging from how bland it was, he assumed it just led to the white hell. He stifled a yawn and headed on through. Maybe somewhere else had some business. As long as it wasn't the Pale Moors, anything would do.

[Gin Yatreg]

"There's too many! Fall back to the safe zone! Gin! Give us cover with your shields!"

"On it!" Gin materializes a shield wall in front of him, moving backwards with it while his squad retreats.

"Gin! Watch where your stepping!"

"Wha-FUCK" Before he could react, Gin steps into a large hole in the ground. He catches himself on the edge of the hole, but just barely. A squadmate sprints over to Gin, intending to pull him up. As he squats down and reach a hand out, he is tackled by a Monsus Warrior.

"NO! JOHNNY!" Gin yelled. Gin tries to pull himself back up, but instead loses his grip, falling to the blackness below.

_____________

He hits the ground with a thud, his entire body sore from the fall. Gin staggers to his feet and looks around, "...Oh...Hell..." He had landed smack dab in the middle of a Monsus nest. And just like clockwork, the bug-like creatures began pouring out of the walls en masse. Gin began fighting with all his remaining strength, smashing giant bugs left and right with his shield fists.

But they just kept coming, and it seemed nobody was gonna come back for him now.

He was on his own.

Despite this, he kept fighting. If he was going to die here, then he was gonna take as many of these home stealing bastards as he could with him. The only good bug was a dead bug after all. He fought as hard as he could, but eventually was thrown to the ground. A Monsus Guard stood over him, and went in for the kill.

Everything had gone black.

But Gin didn't feel dead. Was he still alive? It was then that a white figured soon appeared in front of him, and a large grin grew on its blank face.

****

"WARK" Tonic shouted before pecking Gin on the head.

"OW!" He shouted as he woke up. "Tonic that hurts!" he shouted at the bird.

"Wait, hurts? I'm alive?" He said confused. Gin looked himself over, not a single wound in sight. "I'M ALIIIVE!" He shouted.

"Yes, you're alive. And you also lost the event my boy." A man said. Gin looked over and saw a person sitting next to him, he was holding a device of some kind. "But that's fine, you can't win them all can you? Now come, I'll show you to the exit so you can continue your journey wherever you please." the man finished. The man turned around and began to walk away. Gin got up and followed behind him along with Tonic.

"Man I'm having some vivid dreams lately. First that one I can't remember, and now a dream about when I came to the Omniverse. What am I gonna dream about next? That time my dad got a clown for my 8th birthday?" Gin thought, shivering at the memory of the clown. "Ah well, I'm sure it's nothing. Besides, it's time for another adventure!" he thought.

The man showed Gin the exit and left him with Tonic. Gin turned and looked back at the lobby one last time, a smile appearing on his face. "I may have lost this time around, but I'm not gonna give up just yet! Next time I'm gonna go all the way to the top, that's a promise!" He said out loud. They then stepped through the portal back to the Nexus.

[Galel Baraz]

"Arise, my Champion... The voices echoed in his mind, a thousand thousand souls all speaking in unison. It was deafeningly loud, blotting out all conscious thought and reducing the proud marine to a reeling husk. He fell to his knees, his bolter disintegrating in his hands as he fell forward. Just barely he stopped his descent, cringing as the psychic onslaught bombarded his unshielded mind. Nothing could have prepared him for such a sensation.

His mouth opened, but no sound issued forth. His silent screams of pain fell upon the deaf ears of countless daemons as they writhed and shifted with mischievous glee. "No longer do you serve the Anathema. No longer will you admire your gene-father. For now and all time, you shall be beholden only to my splendour, my glory, my infinite plots." Galel pushed with all of his will, his hand raising and reaching out, grasping at the iridescent energy that was the warp.

His willpower was eroding under the relentless power of change. He felt his body shifting and being corrupted. His armour, once immaculate, was battlescarred by bolter and las shots. It too, began to shift. The adamantium aquilla on his breastplate shifted, becoming a motif of flames. The proud red of the Thousand Sons bled away to reveal a deep azure, forever marking it as dedicated to tzeentch. He felt his skull rend in two, the forehead splitting open to make way for a third eye.

_____________

Galel's third eye shot open, darting about in an effort to figure out where he was. Slowly, his mortal eyes opened as consciousness returned to him. He sat up, rubbing his head. The lobby? He thought, then looked down at himself. Where there used to be a metal spike sticking down out of a bloody stump, was now a fully intact left leg. His armour was untarnished, with no scratches on it, and no hole above his heart. Galel reached out, tapping on the bonded Ceramite plating to ensure he wasn't hallucinating. Real enough. He placed his hand over his heart, probing for any patched holes. Intact. He considered what had happened.

_____________

Several minutes before Galel's death

Galel winced as Okor drove the metal spike into his stump. The fourth one was always the most painful. Each time it was pushed deeper into his flesh it jostled the other three spikes, causing a surge of pain. It had to be done, however, in order to secure the wooden stake that was to serve as his crude prosthetic leg. The Sorcerer nodded to the Plague Marine, hoping off of the gurney and testing out his new 'leg'. It hurt every step he took, but it was better than using a branch as a crutch. The Sorcerer tested it, then nodded in satisfaction. "It will suffice." He said.

Turning to Okor, he began to speak. "I scouted out a structure before I journeyed here. It is secure. A single entrance, and solid enough walls. A few places to set up an ambush. It would be ideal to defend." He glanced around. "This place seems too central. With the medicine here, enemies will be drawn to us, even those who are uninjured. I say we go there and wait for the others to tire themselves out. There is a large beacon we could use to illuminate the path to the structure, and the tower provides a vantage point for ranged combat." He glanced over to Tartaros, who was busying himself watching for people on the main road.

Galel leaned in close to Okor, gesturing to his bag. "The helmet in there is for you. I have no doubt that you will be the last of us standing. If that happens before the end, then wear it. It is possessed by some bound warpspawn. The being within will strengthen you, but does not tolerate cooperation. If you are depserate, wear that helmet. Otherwise, leave it be." He said, glancing over to Tartaros. "And do not trust him... he is not loyal to the same cause that we are..."

_____________

Galel was roused from his thought by a Syntek employee shaking his arm. "Sir? Sir?" The sycophant asked. Galel scowled, swatting the man's arm away from his armour. "Touch me again, and it'll be the last thing you ever do." He growled angrily, standing up and drawing himself to his full height. He reached for the back of his neck, intent on tearing the damnable collar off, only to find that it was missing. He grinned, reaching down to his belt. Finding the familiar grip of his blade, he drew it and impaled the employee through the ribcage. "I'm sorry about that." He said, laughing gleefully.

Galel drew his blade out of the dying man, turning to walk towards a shimmering portal. "REJOICE, ALL YE WHO DWELL HERE. CHANGE IS NEAR, AND I AM IT'S HARBINGER!" He bellowed, stepping into the shimmering rift in the skin of the verse. Where he was going, nobody could tell but him. Even as the Sorcerer vanished, the Syntek employee slumped to the floor, clutching his chest and coughing up blood as he gasped for air. Soon the man would be dead, the first of many deaths that Galel would ultimately be responsible for.

[Okor]

Okor saw nothing. It was not the familiar darkness, something that would have been a familiar sign of his failing eye, unable to cope with the damage dealt. Instead, he was swallowed up in the empty void that had characterized his existence in the Omniverse so far. He drifted through Oblivion, feeling nothing. Of course, that was hardly out of place. Nurgle had given him freedom from his mortal worries, ascending him to a prime position in regards to the endless cycle of life and death. But this was unnatural. He would at least have the sensation of movement, pressure, something! He looked down at his limbs, expecting to see shattered ceramite, broken skin, and a severed appendage. Instead, what he saw was far more unsettling.

Instead of the jaundiced skin overlaid atop reinforced, overgrown bone, his hide was pale and white, free of marine augmentation and Nurgle's touch. It was devoid of follicles, the chest of a youth, barely into adolescence. He barely remembered it. Hairless, lean arms flailed in the void, seeking some form of sanity in this realm of sensory deprivation. As his previously severed arm scythed through the darkness, this time, it met substance. Looking up through two pale brown eyes, he gazed upon the rusted cuirass in front of him. Scars from a thousand battles marred its ancient surface, rot and rust ever-pervasive. It tilted down a cyclopean helmet, gazing down at the whelp in front of it. A massive, corroded arm reached down, lifting the child up to its empty eye. A voice, a deep bass rumbling, his own voice, echoed throughout oblivion.

"You have not earned me, recruit. You fell in battle against mere mortals, failing to claim one lone life. You are a disgrace, a failure to the Legion, to Nurgle, and to Mortation." The fingers, kilometers long, began to close, threatening to crush the child. "I would do our king a great service by ridding his ranks of a maggot like yourself." Okor began to run along the arm of the suit, fear filling his mind, stumbling along organic protrusions, encroaching on the helm. He was almost lost to the void, popping pustules and sprouting spirals of bone threatening to throw him free. The armour seemed to shrink, his strides taking him great distances along the expanse of infinite steel. Finally, he clambered over the gorget of the antique armour, slicing his hands on cracked and rusted ceramite, watching the helm shift to focus in on his pitifully small figure. "Why do you think yourself worthy of life, waste? Your story is over. Perhaps it will be sung in some excuse for a tavern, as they mock your very being. You are nothing. Is there one Gods-Forsaken reason you should continue? One reason why you should not go gently into that good night?" He snarled, his youthful face contorting with determination. Bulges began to form beneath his skin, as ceramite began to burst through his skin, necrosis almost immediately setting in. A horn broke his once-handsome face, as his eyes began to merge, running into a single eye. Bones warped and twisted, contorting themselves underneath his flesh. He took a single step forward, his foot merging with the substance of the titanic armour.

"My name... Is Okor. And I am. Not. Finished." He spoke, challenging the figure to deny him. It laughed, as Okor felt an irresistible pull, flinging him from its surface, into a growing blackness, dragging the marine back into reality.

Okor gasped, pulling in a breath of air through his rusted rebreather. He pushed himself up, his two arms allowing him to rise to his imposing height. He began to shamble, seeking out his brothers, shame and failure still fresh in his mind. As was Vengeance.

[Tartaros]

Tartaros held a wide grin across his face, even as the Gerudo King plunged his fist through the marine's helmet, shattering it almost completely, he held his posture. No matter what the hulking brute did, he was finished... none could survive such a burst of shells for long... Before Tartaros bled out, he saw two final figures approach the clinic, one clad in gold, the other in simple plate... Either way, the Gerudo was done, and with a final chuckle, the bloodied Luna Wolf let his eyes finally close.

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The marine awoke some time later, to the crashing of an artillery shell upon a nearby bunker. Staring down onto his pale green and black armour, he grumbled and scrambled back onto his feet, bringing his chainsword to bear and began stumbling through the trench.

Bodies, bodies everywhere... pieces of rusted armour, traitor and loyalist... spent bolt shells... bullets... lascannon chargers... All in twelve days. Twelve Emperor-damned days since the bombs hit, and these remnants of what once was had been were left along the scarred earth... Tartaros looked up towards the darkened sky, there was still fire visible through the barbed wire and gore, who knows what atrocities had been inflicted in the skies... that bastard of a "warmaster" had certainly inflicted something awful enough on the ground.

The marine sighed, and pulled himself up onto the ashen earth outside of the rubble-filled foxhole he was in, staring backwards towards his fellow marines, watching the right flank like hawks, and then back towards the no-mans-land around the edge of the smoke-covered hive city.

Despite staring into the horizon for a few minutes, it seemed like hours... there was nothing out there but dust and bodies right? Right?... For one of the first times since Ullanor, Tartaros felt true fear... the horde was coming, but noone knew when... For all anyone knew they could simply begin a second bombing wa- the marine paused his thoughts, there was marching on the horizon. As he stared at the site in terror, it became clearer. Hundreds upon hundreds of blood-red soldiers charging, ranting and raving, their legion's colours hidden beneath the crimson. With a final, terrified glare, Tartaros went sprinting back towards the line.

"They're coming! They're coming!"

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*THWACK*

Tartaros was suddenly disturbed by a rather impolite boot heading towards his leg plate, one of a rather irritated Syntex employee.

"You lot are more trouble than you're worth, you know...", the woman grumbled.

Still dazed, the marine looked around, he was back in the lobby... Picking himself up and nodding towards the employee, Tartaros slowly made his was towards one of the doors lining the corridor. One labeled "Spectating Area".

[Mami Tomoe]

A swift sloshing sound filled Mami's ears as a thin but sharp piece of metal made contact flew through her neck. What a sickening sound... Though Mami didn't even flinch.

...

Mami awoke, feeling groggy but definitely in better condition than ever before. She stumbled to her feet and rubbed the sleep from her eyes - Her thighs were cold from prolonged direct contact with metal, or that was at least what it felt like. It appeared she was wearing her Magical Girl outfit again, rather than the school uniform she had been wearing since the fight with Harry. But what had happened not long ago? It was odd she had trouble remembering. An image of a mangled man in a hockey mask flashed in her mind, stained red with someone else's blood... A forest in a storm... Running so fast, for so long, that air passing in her lungs felt like fire... And then pounding her fists against glass. Sasuke's face, and then--

Oh, God. What had happened?

Thoughts raced through Mami's mind. This whole competition was way over her head. Why had she even bothered? For a purpose? How silly had she been? Why had she even considered this? Just because some words on a screen of a device she knew so little about included her name? She could have died, and using the excuse of Omni being able to revive her wasn't even something that should be thought of. Just because death didn't mean a permanent end wasn't any reason to think of it any less lightly. And it seemed she had been so down on her luck since she first set foot in the Omniverse...

And then it hit her. The labyrinth. Defending Madoka and Sayaka within Charlotte's barrier. Showing them just how strong she was. Fighting the Witch she had fought so hard to get to and finishing it off with a point-blank shot to the head. Staring at that giant creature that emerged from it after using everything she had to finish it off. A mouth with countless razor-sharp teeth, opened but quickly closing around--

Mami gripped her neck with both hands. "My head... My head..." she muttered to herself. "My head... MY HEAD!" her voice rose to a scream as she fell to the ground again and huddled herself into a ball. "Not again! Not again!" she cried out with tears streaming down her face. It had happened before. She had handled it before, but this time it all felt so much worse. On the cold metal floor tears dribbled from her left eye across her nose to her left eye, then to the ground into a tiny puddle. This was what she got for trying to stay strong for so long, for staying so confident for so long, for never letting up. The star that shone the brightest burned the shortest - She was lucky she had lasted so long doing what she did.

Hands wrapped around her arms and pulled her up from her fetal position. Her legs dragged along the ground behind her as she was brought along to a portal of some sort. All the confusion and fury she had felt a moment ago had passed, and now she felt just like it wasn't worth struggling over any longer. "Yeah, yeah, you died," said a voice over her shoulder. "Suck it up. You're a Prime. You're not dead forever." It was scarcely consolation for the Magical Girl, as it was not her death in the Abyss that was giving her so much trouble. It was her death before all this business with the Omniverse, this place that had pulled her good fortune down to near nonexistence.

And who was responsible for that? Omni. The one who brought her here. I'll find you, Omni, I promise... And I'll take my life back from you!
She broke into a sprint from being dragged. As she leaped through a portal, her expression gained new determination. But where to start...?

[Jack Frost]

---Before Death During Orgosynth Takeover---

Rage.

Blood.

Death.

The tennis-ball black mass on Jack's body made him view the World in a sanguine shade. Jack had no control over his body anymore. The orgosnyth had taken over.

He saw fear in Retane's eyes. Actual fear.. The first trace Jack had ever seen in the emerald warrior. It was also the last thing he saw as his new crimson vision slipped..

Jack neither felt his body or any pain whatsoever as he slipped Into his own world of black unconsciousness. He screamed inaudibly for help, wishing, pleading for someone to help.

"RETANE! WHAT'S HAPPENING! RETANE!? ANSWER ME! Please.... I can't lose anybody else.. I can't lose my you.. I've lost so much already.." The Guardian shouted with no prevail, all the while curling into a ball in the new world of shadows.

Jack heard an unmasculine voice through his balled fists covering his ears.

"Jack! Stop Messing around! The table is already set! I don't need you messing it up like last week!" A woman shouted

Jack knew the voice. As quick as lightning Jack stood on his now seemingly unhurt leg In a now small cabin-like room. The room had a table in the middle set with a variety of foods.

He faced the Voice, a woman clad in a brown tarnished dress with a white as snow apron tied around her torso as well. She had dark brown hair constricted in a loose intricate braid. She looked middle aged, in her thirties perhaps. She directed her voice in the direction of another boy, likewise looking as himself.

No.. It was him. He was a mirror image of the boy, Although jack himself had White hair and piercing blue eyes while this one had sandy brown hair with a Brown toned eye color.

"Jack! I mean it! Stop playing around" The woman Yelled, scorning the boy who was standing in his chair amusing various children seated at the table with a wooden spoon and fork wedged his nose.

The Icer stepped closer and was seemingly unnoticed. He glared at the woman while she ladeled food into the many children's plates. She had aging lines on her face, showing her face at an age much older than her real one.

"Mother..?" Jack said as everything suddenly turned neon purple and he was whisked away.

"Welcome back Mr.Frost!" A practiced reporter voice greeted him.

[Dr. McNinja]

Dr. McNinja woke up in a chair in the lobby. He blinked for a bit, rubbed his eyes, then stood up.

"Alright, maybe it was too hard," he mumbled.

"You're finally awake!"

That was a voice a little too familiar. That raspy whine that ground up against your eardrums just the wrong way. It was one he only heard a few times, but frankly, the annoyance was unforgettable.

"Hey, Dax." Doc's voice leaked of enthusiasm.

"What, still a little sleepy from those wittle boo-boos?" the aggravating rodent shouted. He jumped up onto a nearby chair and punched Doc as hard as he can in the shoulder.

McNinja glared at Dax. "I was smashed in the face with Captain America's shield, hit by lightning, tossed at a car, stabbed twice, and filled with flak. It was a tiny bit more serious than 'wittle boo-boos'."

Dax snorted. "Get over yourself, you soft nurse."

"Oy!" Doc grumbled, "Doctors prescribe, nurses provide! Respect the title! What if I were to call you an otter?"

"I am an otter," Daxter snapped.

"You're supposed to be an otter?" Doc exclaimed.

"Well, an ottsel. An otter-weasel - hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Dax yelled.

Doc winced. "Oww. Quiet down. I think I have a death-hangover."

Dax scoffed, then sat down. "Fat load of good you were, protecting Jak."

"Excuse me. I was the one who helped with his broken arm!"

"You didn't fix it!"

"I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker!" Doc yelled, then winced again. "Although, I have been on occasion."

"Whatever." Dax sat down with a huff, crossing his arms. Doc sighed.

"Listen, I get it," he said quietly, "You really care for Jak. And that's very sweet. I'm sorry I wasn't more help to him, okay? 'Cause I cared for him, too, and if there was any way I could help him again, I would've."

Dax scowled. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Doc scoffed then started walking away. "You're welcome!"

He was already sick of this whole damn charade. He wanted to get to Ereve as soon as he could, just to get out of there. The doorman of the lobby smiled and held out a Mott's juice box.

"Apple juice?" Doc said in disbelief, "I compete to the death and my consolation prize is apple juice?"

"It's been an honor hosting you here, Mr. Rowe. What is your destination?"

McNinja scowled. "I'm not Delsi- okay, how hard is it to guess which one I am? I'm a ninja wearing a doctor's outfit!"

The doorman did not respond in any way. He continued to hold the apple juice. Doc sighed, snatched it from the doorman's hand and irritably started sipping from it.

"Tangled Green," Doc replied, then muttered, "It's not even chilled," when he heard Dax from behind him.

"Hey, Doc!"

McNinja turned around and glared at the 'ottsel', and snapped, "What?"

Dax looked down. "Thanks."

He wanted to yell some more at the little rat, but McNinja couldn't help but smile. "Hey, when you meet up with Jak again, tell him don't be a stranger."

"How can we get in touch with you?"

"There's a place called Ereve in Tangled Green," Doc yelled out, "Ask around for me."

"Okay!" Daxter cheered, "See ya!...you soft nurse."

"Noisy little raccoon," Doc muttered under his breath.

He entered the portal to his temporary forest home. After all, he had to report to the Cygnus Knights what had happened... and the information he was able to acquire.

[Illidan Stormrage]

Alive. It was more than Link was expecting.

Turns out Ganondorf wasn't a liar after all.

Not surprising now, he reflected, as it would have been before Dante's Abyss. Through necessity, Link and Ganondorf had forged a nigh unstoppable force, trouncing almost everyone who was unfortunate enough to get in their way. Even lacking the Triforce of Courage and Master Sword, Link managed to become a powerful combatant in his own right. Sure, his bomb thrower helped a lot in that regard, but the waning confidence the Hero of Time had in him before the tournament had shriveled before the truth. If anything good came out of that death competition, it was that Link knew in himself that he was a hero.

Yet the term 'hero' may have meant something different to what Link thought all along.

And Ganondorf! How was he supposed to view his mortal enemy now? Once a heartless tyrant, he showed Link that a man lay beneath that. The dark lord may have been manipulating the Hylian soldier all that time, but Link wasn't stupid. Even if the majority of their harrowing time together was fake, there were moments, slivers of time where Ganondorf's facade cracked, and Link witnessed the vulnerable Gerudo beneath. Link couldn't be certain it would stay that way; after all, life and death situations drive people to acts they would never even consider in safety.

Yet the next time the two clashed, Link promised to at least keep his mind open to the possibility that Ganondorf was more than the dictator from Hyrule.

Free of Dante's Abyss, Link was handed back his equipment. With great satisfaction he clipped his hookshots on either side of his belt where that familiar weight hung again. The Phantom Sword and Master Sword wrapped about his chest like a lover's embrace, Link sighing in relaxation as he clasped them together. The quiver slipped over his shoulders and hovered there as if it weighed nothing at all, and his bow slung comfortably over his shoulders. Last of all, the Hylian Shield covered his back like a tortoise shell, and Link felt complete again.

Now that he was fully equipped again, it was time to hunt Syla again. Having resurrected, he knew he couldn't let this chance go. But where to begin? Perhaps the verdant forests of Camelot, where he last saw her, was the logical place to start.

But as he took his first step, a strange figure caught his eye, staring at him intently ...

[Karl Jak]

Starting with Delsin Rowe, all contestants will wake up in a medical lab, rather than just being dumped into the Lobby. They'll be greeted by Syntex employees and escorted to teleportation facilities.

IC, the reason for this is that the facility is preparing to close down, and while spectators are still permitted (they may spot janitor crews cleaning up the place), they don't want to deal with any potential prime-based shenanigans.

[Jak Mar]

Jak?!....

Daxter worried for the man as he looked at the Sentex employees around Jak... "Come on buddy, say somethin'"

Torn crossed his arms and stood against the medical bay's bed near Jak and frowned ".... Jak.. wake up.. You're alive..."

A voice spoke in Jak's dream.. or was it a dream?


"Wake..up Mar.. it's time to get up now..."

Jak's head shot up and blinked as he felt his arms and everything else... They were there...

Where was the island... ?!... He sat up and sighed feeling his arms and legs, this whole revival thing felt odd, but it felt good to be back.. No more bleeding, no more blood, no more starvation at least for a long time off.

Dax? was the first words out of Jak's mouth and he turned, Jak's weapons were all in place along with the Seal of Mar around his neck...

He'd lost... but he had made some new friends and enemies on the island that would last for a long time.

He sat up, and pushed himself off the bed looking over at Torn "... I lost, Torn..."

The Commander looked over at him and gave him a relieved look as he was glad Jak was back. "I was damn worried there for a while Jak, you scared me and the ottsel.."

The small ottsel had been crying for a short time, really thinking he had lost his best friend.

Jak placed his hand on Daxter to give him some sort of relief "Dax...I'm fine now.. But... I think we should keep moving now guys... Jak stretched and picked up the guns and his other things, strapping it on his back again. He didn't feel so naked now.

Torn frowned "What about you, Jak? How are your injuries?"

Jak shook his head "They are gone, Torn."

Jak looked over at Daxter and Torn as Daxter jumped on his shoulder and Torn followed him to the preshow lounge, Guys, I met two new allies. Doc Mcninja, and Delsin. Both had their quirks and things but we sure made a damn good group.

Something on the television made him watch and it showed Gildarts "I'm going to watch this guy..."

The tv showed the man who had killed him, a red spandex suit man. He had hardly remembered much except for the Pokeball falling down and attacking him and then a wack on his head.

"Who was this guy anyways?"

[Victor Wolfe]

Victor could not remember much from his death, the concussion that the Rubber man's fist left him with made sure to that, all he could remember was how painful it became to breath, and then how relaxing it was to have it all over, no voices in his head, no people trying to kill him, just serenity.

And then his eyes opened up , he took a deep breath the air finally reaching his lungs, never would he look down upon oxygen, it was a cruel mistress. He stretched out his limbs making sure everything was in working order, he had not felt this good in a long time, every ache and pain he had suffered since coming to this land was now recovered.

" Nice to see the wounds from Blinks weapon have healed, although I doubt death is this forgiving elsewhere, I imagine that for this event the resurrection process was speed up, to what degree I do not know but it makes me wonder, Just how powerful is Karl Jak?" Victor pondered to himself.

He noticed signs one pointing to a teleporter room, whilst it may have been a good idea to leave quickly but he decided he would follow the other, conveniently labeled spectator zone, he had been involved in some big plays on that island and he wanted to see how it was all going to end.

[Morene Fellon]

Delsin had once again been abruptly awoken from what seemed to be a deep sleep. It was almost like a man could never get a decent nap around these places.

He shot upwards immediately upon realizing he had just died seconds ago. Delsin slapped at his face, letting the weight of what had happened sink into his head. Killed.

Revived. That Omni guy was apparently right about his promises of rebirth. He had to imagine, how many other Primes, with such different backstories, would believe that this was some sort of hell for them? Delsin was surprised to even think such a thing, but he had assumed he was a little bit biased to be thankful for not being dead forever, whereas others didn't get such a happy ending before being pulled into the Omniverse.

If they could call it an 'ending,' that is.

Delsin was so deep in thought, he couldn't even tell he was on his bed again. The Lobby.

Sighing, Delsin sat upwards on the edge of his bed. Standing up, Delsin walked out of his room in the pre-show facility, hoping he'd find somebody that didn't want his head on a platter.

Delsin chuckled at how his mind had been turned from pseudo-superhero to a cold and tired survivor in only a few days.

"Man, Del... You gotta loosen up..." Delsin said to himself as he ran his hand down his face, before walking to watch how the Abyss was following after his supposed 'death.'

What a world he now lived in, indeed.

[Jak Mar]

Jak's head immediately turned after seeing a familiar glimpse of a ally and one of his new friends..

...HEY!... Wait... Delsin?!"

Daxter looked in confusion at Jak when he called out the man's name... Just who was this Delsin anyways that made him so interesting?"

Sort of ignoring Daxter's messages, he got closer and nodded "Delsin... I'm... sorry i couldn't get to you in time.." "But.. yes.. it's... good to see you again...

Daxter looked Delsin up and down and blinked at Jak "So this is your friend, Jak? You sure he doesn't want ya head on a platter like the rest of those guys on that island of death.."

Jak muttered "Dax, don't remind me..."

The dreadlocked and tattooed Commander with brown hair nodded and shook his head "So you're Delsin... right?" "You... did a lot for Jak... I appreciate what you did out there.."

Jak blinked "Guys, stop embarrassing me in front of my new friend.."

[Carn_Val]

On my way to the lighthouse from a sudden teleportation scheme I had no idea of, I stumbled upon a pink[?] girl[?] insde my lovely home[?]. Out of sheer obligatory reasons, I bit her with my PERFECT WHITE TEETH( sarcasm) which immediately got responded with a knock on my cranium, causing my limped leg to lose control and ultimately loosing balance. Heck, it didn't really hurt, if only I didn't fall down the damned stairwell and cracked my skull open like nut. "Awwtsuu..." was all I can say from the experience and the roughly patched teeth. I had no choice but to retreat, taking my makeshift rotorblade sword leaningmon the wall with me. Pressing a hand at the little gash on my head, black anomaly mist kept leaking out like a broken faucet. I felt dizzy just trying to ignore the warm feeling surging inside me as more of the cold mist escaped from my form.

-timeskip to the afternoon since my writer doesn't have much time and tells me to do this quick before he goes to sleep-

I arrive in a steady incline, a concrete road just beside me. Somehow, the bracing I made for my arm and leg held out after an arduous walk from the lighthouse. Just as I was about to take another labored step, I stumble and fall, rolling down a gentle slope and gathering mud and leaves in the process as I stop with an "Oomph!" Recovering from the spiral daze, I walk forward, seeking some sort of foothold as I grab on to a tree trunk, hugging it like a favorite pillow. Well, I hugged it too much and the rather thick trunk snapped in half, the rest of the tree falling down on the forest floor. With a little fidgety motion, I walk beside the fallen trunk, leaning a hand along its side.

A few minutes of aimless wandering, I meet a familiar figure, the kid with a nice hat I met at the barrack's halls. There's something different about him though, he feels like..."an anomaly?" Confused, I approach him cautiously, he might try to jump on me and my hapless form. Once I confirmed he wasn't going to attack, I release a sigh of relief. "Hi! I'm Carn. Carn is hurt, bad." I point out my wounds and the new gash on my head. "I seem to have stumbled on something wrong a few times, overall, I am enjoying the-uuuh....gammuuh," I wonder why everything seems to be a meshed hue of things? I shake my head, hoping to knock out the daze. It proves effective, too effective as it knocked me out as well. The only thing I managed to say was "Who are you?"

Somehow, all of that was just inside my head as something else literally went inside my head as well. A nail.





"This is the narrator speaking, Carn is temporarily Out-Of-Order as we try to troubleshoot any problem inside the Anomaly, please standby. If you want to make use of Carn, please do so, talk to the anomaly in the exit and you'll be rewarded accordingly. Also, our writer seems to be in a hurry so Narrator out."

A few seconds in, the remnants of what was once Carn, me, starts to release more of the black anomaly mist in an air burst explosion. Inhaling it would prove unhealthly to organic life as the black mist envelopes a large area of the grid, deforming trees into twisted shapes of corrupted life.

[Morene Fellon]

Seeing the browned haired man next to both Daxter and Jak at once were surprising, and the slightest bit confusing, but the strange man's words were reassuring at the very least.

Delsin replied to the man in dreads, "Yeah, I do what I can, y'know? 'Sides, I wouldn't have made it a single second out there without him or McNinja..."

Blinking at his reminder of Dr. McNinja, Delsin pondered for a slight moment on where ever the Doc could be in the first place. Delsin assumed he left the Abyss' pre-show lobby after his death, which was surprisingly earlier than Delsin's.

Raising his hand, Delsin started to speak again, "Where is the Doc, anyways? Did any of ya hear from him after he left the Abyss?"

Jak turned his head, before his expression turned into something resembling boredom. "I think he's in the Tangled Green, although I'm certain neither of us have been there, and I have no idea where exactly in that Verse he's located," Jak responded, scratching at his arm as he did so.

Delsin puffed out a breath of hot air, before putting on a carefree smile, stretching his arms outwards. Delsin spoke back, "Hey, it's something. Should we head there now?"

Daxter suddenly announced to Delsin, in a more respectful tone than last time, "Not without us, you aren't!"

Torn, to which Delsin assumed was the one in the tattoos, nodded back. Delsin stopped stretching, looking for Jak's approval.

"Well? What are we waiting for then?" Jak declared, turning to both Torn and Daxter, the latter on his shoulder. Delsin chuckled a bit at how happy the scene in front of him was, despite only moments ago being stuck in a death tournament.

Yawning, Delsin walked towards the gates placed into the lobby, before pulling out his phone again whilst Jak, Torn, and Daxter followed short behind him.

Delsin couldn't help but wonder what McNinja was doing to have to leave so abruptly as he and his newly acquired comrades entered into the gates of the Tangled.

[Harry Dresden]

Harry sat up in the hospital bed he found himself in, his hand immediately going to his neck to look for the collar. His breathing was rapid, a remnant of the panic from before he'd died, and just as he processed the collar's absence, the monitoring equipment next to his bed shorted out in a burst of sparks. The wizard took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He needed to process what had happened. The diner, the package. That green... thing. The man who killed Desco. Then... that purple girl, and Ganondorf.

A fist hit Harry in the head as Ganondorf once again slipped his arm around his neck and started to squeeze. The wizard’s eyes went wide as he tried to angle the heavy weapon to fire at the prime behind him. When it seemed as if he might actually manage to fire the plasma gun, Ganondorf lifted the man up off the ground and smashed him against another tree. Dazed and still losing blood from the head injuries, Harry Dresden took longer to rise to his feet than he should have, and when he rose, he found himself staring into the giant barrel of his own weapon.

“It’s nothing personal,” Ganondorf replied as he fired the energy gun into the chest of Harry Dresden. The blast found its mark, blowing apart the man’s chest and throwing him like a rag doll back into the wide clearing that surrounded the diner.

Harry shook his head, a growl tearing through his throat at the memory. Nothing personal, my ass. He was halfway out of the bed and ripping off the electrodes on his chest. He shivered a bit; the air in the medical ward was a bit cold, like hospitals typically were. He needed to get out of here. He didn't know if anyone was on life-support, but there was a reason he hated being in hospitals. Technology would be erratic around him again, now that he didn't have that collar. Not that he was complaining. He got halfway from the bed to the door before a woman in a Syntex uniform stopped him.

"Mister Dresden!"

The wizard looked down at the woman. The distraction was all he needed to realize how angry he still was and start reciting multiplication tables in his head to calm down. He held up a hand to indicate that he was thinking about something, and the nurse with her duffel bag waited for him to finish. Five fives is twenty-five. Six sixes is thirty-six. Seven sevens is fourty-nine. He lowered his hand and, in a much calmer tone than he would've responded had she not given him time to cool off, asked "Yes?"

She handed him the bag, which he took with an apparent disdain, before saying "I'll escort you to the teleportation equipment, where you'll be able to enter any 'verse of your choice. Or, if you like, you can go spectate the rest of the event before you leave."

The wizard opened the bag and withdrew some items he'd been missing. His pentacle necklace, the glistening ruby in the center that contained his mother's psychic travelogue still intact. His gun and bullets, which went into his pocket, along with his blasting rod. His shield bracelet, which he gladly put back on his wrist. Finally, his wooden staff, carved from a branch of the lightning-struck tree on the McCoy farm. With all of his gear back, he felt a lot less stressed. Partly because he didn't feel vulnerable anymore, but mainly because of the sobering weight of being able to call fire and ice at will. It was a weight he'd come to terms with, and the reason he didn't normally let his temper get the best of him like it had on the island. "Take me to the viewing area, please."

The Syntex employee nodded, showing him out of the medical wing and directing him down the proper hallways to his destination. He needed to see what was going on, and who was still alive. That had turned into a fiasco, and fast. Dammit. If I'd had my gun ready... why was I being so stupid?