Traitor Game 26: Traitors Just Wanna Have Fun!

[OverMaster]

Prologue: One Year Ago...

She plunged into the icy cold waters of the Atlantic, as the flaming remains of the plane she had been in engulfed her in their fall. She was dying, and she knew it all too well. As she felt her flesh beginning to give away to the fire, and her lungs filled with gas taking her consciousness away, she was almost numb, emotionally speaking, to everything.

Diana and Hippolyta's perceived betrayals barely meant anything anymore. Aresia did not feel anger anymore. Nor pain. Nor frustration. Not even fear.

She just was ready to embrace nothingness, or the dark depths of Hades.

But then, right before the blackness claimed her, there was something floating above her. Someone.

"Who... who are you...?".

She didn't even know if she had managed to voice it, or only to think it.

It was a man, floating like a ghost bewteen the waves.

"Do you wish to live?" he asked.

"No... I'll never accept help from a man... any man... ever again!".

"I can see the spirit of survival in you" the man spoke softly, yet firmly. "It would be such a shame to let that go to waste. Take my hand".

Without really knowing why, she complied.


Prologue: Now...



Toma Island, amidst the tropical South Pacific. A paradisiac retreat away from civilization, or at least, it would be that for the casual observer. For the island's only and undisputed ruler, however, it had just become its own brand of prison.



Prince Toma stood with his arms slumped down, looking at Tatewaki Kuno's luxury yatch as it sailed away towards the North. The young, tanned man, barely more than a pre-teenager, sighed before turning around and walking across the beach back to his palace.

He never would forget Akane. How could he? His soul, lonely and distant for so long, had just been touched for the first time, by her and only her. Still, now he knew she loved another. A brave young man, barely two or three years older than himself, named Ranma Saotome, who had defeated him in fair combat, both physically and romantically. At any other point of his life, that would have left Toma as embittered as crushed, but now, somehow, despite the pain over losing his beloved, he only felt, in a way, like a huge weight had been lifted from his spirit.

"Follow me, Sarutoru" he commanded. The simian-looking guard near him complied easily, almost hopping after him with apelike agility.



"What now, Sire?" the servant asked with piqued interest. "How will you get yourself a bride now?".

"The time for brides can wait, Sarutoru. At least for now. I'm sure my father would understand".

Then they tensed. There were intense noises... the sounds of heavy, brutal fighting... coming from inside the palace. The screams of Toma's soldiers mixed with strong, female laughter and the earth-quaking thunders of explosions.

Angered, the young ruler instinctively drew his sword out and ran ahead, storming into his own fortress despite Sarutoru's best attempts to hold him.



"Young master, wait! I beg you! It may be a trap from revengeful--".

He was unheard as Toma charged inside, only to screech to a halt in shock. His elite guard was spreaded all over the palace's main hall, every single last one of them bruised and utterly defeated.

A tall, strong blond woman stood over the Captain of the Guards himself. Looking straight at the Prince with sharp blue eyes devoid of any regret.

[OverMaster]

Behind her, standing triumphantly over Toma's private army, there were several other strange women, the likes of which he never had seen before.

There was a woman who seemed to be made of living electricity, hovering anxiously over the unconscious guards as if eyeing her next prey.



"Ohhh, he's a really cute one! Saaaaaay, maybe we can keep him as a pet after this is over, Ari? One exception or two won't hurt!".

Another one, who looked like she was made of ice with short hair and piercing eyes full of jaded evil, scoffed softly.



"I've seen better, Livewire. This little punk's not worth the time of anyone's night, believe me. You sure I can't just freeze him so we can take the place, Aresia?".



"Stick to the plan, Frost" a huge redheaded woman scolded her, towering over eveyone, and talking rather calmly. "No one likes a loose cannon".

"Shut up, Giganta. No one was asking you".

[OverMaster]

"I am Aresia of the Themysciran Amazons, boy" the blond woman in white replied glacially as she fearlessly advanced towards him, closely followed by another woman with black hair in strange, skimpy purplish and black garments. "And I advise you to lower your sword and listen before I use it to cut your own empty head".

"How dare you--!" he spat madly, lunging forward with his blade, only to be instantly struck down by a blast from the other woman's forehead.



He fell down clutching his bleeding wound and gasping to himself, cursing between clenched teeth.

"This is your first and final warning" the woman named Aresia said tensely, aiming a sword of her own down at Toma's neck. "My forces surpass yours by far, and you have no fighting chance. Obey me, however, and there is a solid chance your worthless, sexist life is spared. All I ask for is assistance with staging a Traitor Game".

"Traitor Game?" the Prince asked, curiously, while Sarutoru rushed to attend the wound on his chest.

She nodded only once.

"There have been twenty five recorded Traitor Games before this, and there might have been more in other planes of reality. Those are contests of wit and instincts between a few chosen, both from the pure and from the wicked. A group enters a closed space as prisoners. Only a few get out alive. And I need your closed space to keep my players from escaping".

She took him by a hand and helped him back to his feet, her blue eyes shining with resoluted energy.

"But we can discuss the specifics later, after your men fix your wound. We are in no hurry. As a matter of fact, we have all the time in this world to plan and prepare...".







Several Hours Later...

"I understand" Toma nodded solemnly, sitting at the head of his best and biggest banquet table, with his newfound enemy sitting at the other end of it. Sarutoru the monkey-man stood right behind him, sulking in silent concern. "It is... disgusting. And yet, it's also quite intriguing in a way. It has some morbid appeal to it. Survival of the strongest at its best".

"So, will you do it?" the woman asked, rather flatly.

"It's not like I have a choice on the matter, do I?" the prince asked, with a bitter scoff, turning his eyes to the nearest window, smelling the salty breeze that blew from the sea.

"No. Not really" the blonde admitted.

"Very well" Toma stood up, crossing both his arms behind his back. "However, if I do win, I expect to be rewarded accordingly".

"You have the word of my benefactor on it" Aresia promised.

"That fails to ease my reservations..." the young man hissed narrowing his eyes, "But I'll still do it. It should prove to be an... amusing challenge".

"Good" the amazon smiled at last. "You, of course, can have your choice in the matters of Inquisitor and the first designated victim, as well as the Vigilante and your Agents. That is, if you were able to understand the rules correctly...".

"Don't understimate my intelligence, woman" Toma growled. "The matter of the first victim troubles me, though. It doesn't seem fair, to subject anyone to what basically is a death sentence without the slightest chance to defend themselves".

Aresia shrugged. "That's why most of the Hosts choose a worthless, expendable waste of life for that role" she explained. "Someone no one will miss. Someone the world would definitely be better without. Someone, in sum, who should, by all rights and notions, be already dead by now".

"Yes, but where can we find such a person around here--" the Prince rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

[OverMaster]

Then there was a rustling and a burp from below the table. Both of the rulers tensed in alert, looking down to see a diminutive, gnomish old man under the table, waking up groggily, clutching a liquor bottle in one of his hands.



The young sovereign recognized him. He was Happosai, perverted master of the Anything Goes Martial Arts style and an eternal thorn in Ranma Saotome's side. No doubt Saotome and his friends had taken the chance to leave him behind when they left. Not like Toma could blame them, of course, but still, just having them made him angry at them, as well.

"Ohhhhhh..." the old man gurgled in a drunk haze, rubbing the sleep of his eyes with his free hand. "Eh, 'morning, Tenma... Duke Tenma, weren'tcha? Hey, where's Akane an' the others? I'm hungry, an' I need some of Kasumi's breakfast...".

"Hm, they already left. Hours ago" Toma informed with a frown.

"Almost a whole day, as a matter of fact" Sarutoru asked respectfully.

"Yes, well, almost one day ago" Toma mumbled, resenting being corrected.



"WHAT?!?!" Happosai yelled, springing back upright, throwing the bottle aside. "Those heartless, ungrateful youngsters! How could they do this to their poor, sickly grandmaster?! I've been like a grandfather to them! Especially to Ranma!!".



He buried his face into one of his sleeves to feign weeping melodramatically, but then he actually noticed Aresia was there as well.

"Onee-channnnn!!!" the tiny old man cackled, jumping like a rabbit straight into the surprised Amazon's body, tackling her and burying his wrinkled face into her ample bust. "Oh, the Heavens just sent an angel to sooth my poor, broken heart!".



"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING, YOU DISGUSTING DEFORMED PIG!!!" With extreme fury running through her whole being, Aresia punched Happosai through the whole room and into a stone wall, leaving him embedded there with a few teeth dangling out. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! I'M GOING TO--" she spat, bringing a fist up to strike again, right before Toma stopped her by grabbing her arm from behind. "UNHAND ME, INSECT! OR I'LL KILL YOU TOO AND TAKE YOUR ISLAND BY FOR--".

Toma waved a finger at her, calmly. "No, no, no. If you kill him now, we can't use him for what he obviously was sent to us by the Gods, can we?".

She catched on instantly, calming down with a knowing smile. "I see. For a man, you do have some insight...".

"Heh. I shall take that as a praise".

Happosai curiously looked back and forth between both of them, then ripped himself out of the hole in the wall, dusted himself off, and chuckled softly. "A challenge, huh? I like challenging ladies! They make the final reward all the much sweeter!".

And the threw himself back to Aresia. "BLONDIE-CHANNN!!! BE MY FINAL PASSIONATE SUMMER MEMORY BEFORE I DIE!!!".

"YOU'LL DIE RIGHT NOW, OLD SATYR!!!".

"ARESIA, NO! WE NEED HIM! JUST WAIT A LITTLE LONGER!!!".

The screams echoed through the halls of the palace for the hours to come...

[OverMaster]

A few hours later, two women stood at a balcony of Toma's palace. The first one was tall and thin, curvy and elegant, with black hair and dark eyes, wearing a tight red Chinese dress.



The other one was, as mentioned before, electricty made flesh. Wearing a black one piece bodysuit, her hair stood spiky, and her skin was abnormally pale.

The taller woman lifted her arms up, throwing two dozens of small, compact flying devices shaped like glowing golden spheres up into the air. They instantly flew up and away at dizzying speeds, then to vanish into thin air.

"It's done" she said. "Livewire, tell Aresia to start making those preparations. All of them should be here in under... six to ten hours" she estimated.

"Gotcha" Livewire nodded, stiffling a yawn. "Hey, Roulette? Do you really, really think this harebrained scheme is gonna work after all?".

"For Aresia? I doubt it. For us? Why, yes, I think it'll do. That's more than enough for me". She smiled maliciously, her perfect white teeth flashing for a moment under the tropical sunlight.

"I guess you're right. Well, see ya!" the electrical woman stretched, before bolting away inside of the palace in a stream of lightning.

Roulette smirked to herself.

That would be definitely fun AND profit.

[OverMaster]

WELCOME TO THE 26TH COMIC BOOK UNIVERSE TRAITOR GAME!!

This already was mentioned at the Sign Up Thread, but I think it merits repeating it:

What is a Traitor Game? All TG veterans know this by heart by now, but for those who are new to the Game, here is a handy reminder taken from our own wonderful 'Traitorpedia':

What do you get when you cross 'Mafia/Werewolf' with a pop culture inspired multi-universe crossover RPG? You get something that might be a bit similiar to the Traitor Games, I suspect. Characters from all sorts of different worlds, each from different genres, are all put together in one place to discover the identity of the 'Traitors'. This results in the strangest gatherings one is ever likely to see.

The majority of players in the game have no particular role, but there are a few special roles that impact game play. Roles are assigned by the host after the Sign-Up Thread is closed, but before the first kill.

Main roles

Traitor- A character working to kill off members of the larger group. When more than one Traitor is included, each one works with the other to determine who dies and by what means.
Agent- A person in this role is allowed one guess per round to determine who is a Traitor. This is done by PMing the host of the current game. The results of their guess (whether they guessed correctly or not) are revealed in-thread. If a game has more than one Agent, the Agents act as a team. They confer on the guess and submit that guess to the host.
Vigilante- A force for the side of Good, the person in this role works to kill who they think is a Traitor. Every few rounds, the person in this role kills instead of the Traitor(s).
Breaker- Sometimes, this role is assigned so that if there is a tie during the voting rounds, this person will get an extra vote to break the tie.
Inquisitor- This role has existed since the third game. A non-player appears and has the players he or she suspects plead their innocence.

NPCs are "non-playable characters". In terms of the Traitor Game, they could more adequately described as "non-player characters". Essentially, these are characters that are brought into the game by a participant for some purpose, whether it be to provide some humor, do a brief aside with their character, provide someone new with which others can interact, etc. Some are there from the start, as supporting characters. Examples in the past have included Bluto (supporting Popeye--XIV), Nightmare (supporting Warduke--XII), and Sif (supporting Thorpool--X).

NPCs are not involved with the game itself, at least not in the same sense as the other characters gathered. They cannot vote. They can not have a role.* If associated with someone who has a role (say Robin being the partner to Batman), they can not aid in the function of that role. Therefore, NPCs are not allowed to kill, assist in killing, or reveal any inside information an Agent might possess.

This time, the Game is having a female theme. Any character you choose has to be some sort of female, human or not. There will be only one exception: one player, the first one who asked for it, will be allowed to have a male character who must enter the game while crossdressed as a female, for some reason or another.

For the duration of this game, the Traitors will be called 'Furies' and the Agents will be 'Muses'. The Vigilante will be called 'The Renegade'.

A few tips from your friend OM, especially to the newcomers:

1. The Traitor Game is, above all, meant to be fun for all those involved. It's not a competition to see who's smarter than who, and it shouldn't be grounds for any petty infighting bewteen gamers. While In Character conflict between those you play is an unavoidable and even welcomed when needed factor, your spats shouldn't carry to the real world and cause OOC flamewars. Let's all get along nicely, mmmkay?

2. The Traitor Game 26 is all about fair play! While both Traitors and Agents are encouraged to try their best to defend their respective roles, it's important to do it always in a non-Godmoding way that is fair to all other players. No double-agents or controversy-spawning OOC double crossings this time, please. It's my first time hosting, so please take pity on this poor soul!

3. Don't pressure yourself too much beyond the basic guidelines, however. No one is expecting masterpieces of narrative or characterization from anyone else, although you should attempt the best you can without straining yourself beyond your possibilities. In other words, you don't have to be a master writer, but please try to stay In Character as much as you can. No pressure, just try having fun while staying loyal to what you like about your pick!

[OverMaster]

This Game, to avoid character cluttering, there is a restriction on NPCs. Only four players who have already contacted me were allowed NPCs. However, you still can play duos and even trios, but all members of those groups will be counted as a single PC, with everything that implies. Also, all members of a duo or trio must be female (that restriction isn't applied to NPCs).

No one should be expecting a 'pink' game. Other than the fact all contestants are female, there won't be any 'Chickification' of the game's content or standard features. I also want to step away from female image explotation as a host, or sexualizing the setup to some point. I'll leave to all of you how much do you want to play your respective characters' feminities, but don't expect either anything like homemaking side events or any sort of swimsuit/wet shirt competitions. Heartbreaking to some of you, I'm sure, but I'm confident we'll live through it.

Oh, and also, if you fail to vote for three straight rounds, the lovely ladies of Aresia's Injustice League will kill your character. Such is the price of inactivity, so try to best to stay in the game!

If you have any question about the Game's content, feel free to ask here!

Now, the role call! (To be regularly updated as new and veteran players alike do register):



OVERMASTER as Happosai (Ranma 1/2)- NPC who will be the... uhhh... I don't think I'm actually spoiling anything, am I?
SUPERHEROIC as Panda (Body Bags) with Clownface as a NPC.
DEADPOOLIGAN as Atom Eve (Invincible).
SCHORNFORCE as Ursula the Sea Witch (Disney's The Little Mermaid).
INDIGO AL as Valkyrie (Defenders).
RADIOACTIVE ZOMBIE as Konata Izumi (Lucky Star).
JEREMI as Namora (Marvel Comics).
TANGENTMAN as Storm (X-Men).
JOSH M. and JOE ACRO as Cyclone and Stargirl (JSA).
BEN MORGAN as Emma Leroy (Corner Gas) with Oscar Leroy as a NPC.
BO BO as Cinderella (Fables).
THE PURPLE SKULL as Elsa Bloodstone (Next Wave) with Tabitha Smith as a NPC.
YUN LAO as Chiri Kitsu and Fuura Kafuka (Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei).
SKULLBOY001 as Lucy/Nyuu (Elfen Lied) with a Mystery NPC.
TOMMY as Frau Totenkinder (Fables).
FEMININE MYSTIQUE as Black Canary (Birds of Prey).
KNIGHT LANCER as Bridget (Guilty Gear).
THE DRIFTER as Harley Quinn (Batman).
WOLVIE616 as Mandy (The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy).
MOONKNIGHT11 as Jessica Albert (Dragon Quest).
JAE NAMKYOUNG as Oracle (Batman)- 'Guest of Honor' character.
RYERYE17 as Zatanna Zatara (Justice League).
CHRIS LANG as The Flash (Tangent Comics).
DOCTOR DOOM as Batgirl/Cassandra Cain (Batman).
CTHULHUDREW as Mystery Surprise Character.

You can start posting your prologues now! Good luck, everyone!

[OverMaster]

OOC:

One word or two about Prologues- while you can write them any way you want, I'd be grateful if you can have the characters being taken away by Roulette's flying spheres in a flash of golden light, and if the characters are dumped into the beaches of Toma Island, where Toma and Aresia will meet you.

Thank you very much.

[Knight Lancer]

"And this one is 'Shoot to the Moon!'"

A few small pockets of half-hearted applause broke out among the patrons of Jam's restaurant as Bridget took a bow, the rest continued on with their meals. Busy waitresses scurried about taking orders and delivering food as steaming trays of dumplings and hot bowls of noodles came out of the kitchen at a furious pace.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

As he stepped off the small raised platform on which he performed, Bridget brushed away a few loose strands of hair from his eyes. He turned his head to make sure the crowd wasn't looking and let out a small sigh.

"Being an entertainer isn't what I imagined..."



"Hey Bridget! You're not off the clock yet!"

Bridget was suddenly broken out of his thoughts by Jam, martial artist, chef extraordinaire, and his employer.

"Wah--!! Jam! Sorry, I'll get back to work right away--"

He was interrupted in his rush by Jam's hand on his shoulder.

"Huh?"

"Settle down kid," she said. "I've been keeping a close eye on you, and something isn't right."

Bridget looked down at his feet as Jam spoke.

"You don't seem happy like you used to be. Come on Bridget, what's wrong? I thought you liked it here. I treat you well don't I?"

Bridget picked up immediately at Jam's question.

"No, no! That's not it at all! I like it here, honest! It's...it's just that, well--"

"Well?"

Jam shifted closer to the young boy, her face full of concern like that of a sister to a younger brother.

"I didn't see myself...like...this."

"Hm?"

"I mean, at first I wanted to be a great bounty hunter, and that worked out for a while, but then all the contracts dried up... So then I wanted to be a great entertainer! I went all over and then I met you and-"

"Woah! Slow down!"

"Ah, sorry. And...then I met you...and things were good but..."

Bridget's eyes dropped down again.

"But now they're not, is that it?"

"I'm sorry..."

Jam thought back to her encounter with the young boy several months ago. It started out as a business move, with Jam hoping her new, attractive waiter would bring in more customers, and with Bridget accepting a modest raise in his income and a ready-made audience. However, as they spent more time together Jam found herself more in the role of a big sister than as an employer and found herself growing more and more attached to Bridget.

"Don't apologize, it's alright! I know how you feel."

"You-you do?"

"Of course! When I was only a new chef I dreamed of having my own famous restaurant! So I went to work for two of the most famous restaurants there were! Learning from the best, right? But then I realized both of them were going about it completely the wrong way! I vowed to not only have a famous restaurant, but the best too! Somewhere I could express myself any way I wanted to!"

"Wow, it must have been really tough!"

"It was, and even though I still haven't fulfilled my dream just yet I work everyday to make it happen! The point is Bridget... you need to follow your own dreams if you want to be happy."

"But what about your restaurant? Who'll entertain the customers?"



"Don't worry about it, I always have a trick up my sleeves!"

"Jam..."

"Hm? What is it?"

"Thanks for everything. I'll come back to visit, promise!"

"You'd better! And bring your friends! Once they've had a taste of my cooking, they'll be hooked!"

Bridget giggled at Jam's enthusiastic request.

"No problem! Goodbye!"

As he left the restaurant Bridget already knew his first destination.

[Yun Lao]

Previously on Traitor Game XXV: Crisis~!

Originally Posted by Kenshin's Epilogue

"It's a slaughter! Some woman starting attacking random people...no, she's not a woman, she's a monster!"

"We need your help!"

Kenshin nodded, not sure what to expect, but he had no choice, "This one shall help, that he will."

Even for he who was once known as Hitokiri Battousai, the horror was too great. This young, strange girl slaughtered whomever she came across.

"MWUHAHAHAHAHA!!"

...Strangely however, the ones she had killed were wearing armor long out of use in this day and age. Even more stranger was the emergence of another girl from a flash of light.


"Chiri-chan, we've been picked for a game!!"

Kenshin Himura could only stand there, bewildered upon the nature of this bizarre scene.

"...perhaps this one should have never left, that he shouldn't have..."

[Yun Lao]

"Chiri-chan?"

Unfortunately, Kitsu Chiri was a bit into her current 'work,' slaughtering the out of date samurai. Crawling to Kafuka, one samurai croaked, "Tell my children...I love--?! BLARFGH!!" From his back a katana impaled him, "You'll be seeing them soon...it can't be proper unless I get them all."

Raising her blade into the air, she shouted out,

"I shall rule this country! "

"...but Chiri-chan, you're in the wrong period now."

A grinding halt was made as Chiri seemed to come to her senses again. An awkward silence followed as she dropped her swords. Turning to the screen, she asked rather quietly. "Yun Lao...what is the meaning of this?"

Oh crap. Umm....well, I thought it would be funny if I could connect the two together since...well...I never got the chance to do it last game...

"You didn't do it properly...I'll have to teach you..."

"Properly."

Oh god, please forgive me, I didn't mean to!

[Tommy]

Prologue: Frau Totenkinder



The Farm overflowed with residents of the former Fabletown. A field of tents were pitched to house the population of refugees. However everyone was dressed in their best clothes, or at least the best that they managed to carry out of their homes before they were ruined. After all a war hero’s funeral was today.

In the midst of the chaos of people leaving the burial, Frau Totenkinder walked easily through the crowd. Most Fables were a little scared of the old witch, leader of the former 13th floor of the Woodland, and those that knew her were a lot scared of her. They almost unconsciously parted to allow her passage. She walked to the sheriff, an attractive and earnest man.

“Frau Totenkinder,” he said somberly, “have you discovered anything about what attacked Fabletown?”

“My dear Beast,” she said, “Whatever he is, I feel him searching, looking for us, coming for us with every heartbeat. It frightens me.”

The idea of the old woman, someone Beast know was ruthless, scheming, and knowledgeable beyond anyone he had ever met, was scared filled him with dread. “What could possibly frighten you?” he asked.

“I suppose,” she replied thinking it over, “I fear what I can’t understand or comprehend. And there’s precious little that I can’t comprehend. But this thing—it’s a darkness to me. I can sense some aspects of it, but only in a vague and undefined way. I do fell its power, and I know it desires our harm.”

“What, can we do?” asked Beast.

“That I cannot tell, at least not yet. We will be working on it, my circle of friends and I,” she said, almost smiling. “But I do have some more bad news.”

“Oh, no,” Beast said, sighing. “What now?”

“It appears I am about to be called away.”

“WHAT?” asked Beast, “No, you can’t!”

“I don’t particularly have a choice in the matter. Believe me, I do not wish to leave.”

“What if we are attacked by…” he struggled for a word, “IT? And what about…” he let his sentence trail off.

“The 13th floor might no longer exist, but its residents still do. And some of them are nearly as capable in a crisis as I am. And as for him, well he will not be a bother.”

Beast opened his mouth to respond, but the old woman turned away. She walked silently, back to the pumpkin patch. While most of the new residents of the Farm lived, more hovelled in tents, the Witches had furnished their own apartments. A pumpkin, grown large and hollowed out served as the living quarters for the leadership of their little group. Frau Totenkender entered, followed by a slight blonde girl who looked about ten. Already in the pumpkin sat the (formerly) Great Fairy Witch.



“Well,” Frau Totenkinder said.

“You’re leaving,” the girl said, “I already know.”

“Perceptive as ever little Ozma,” Frau said smiling. “Which leaves only the little detail of who should be left in charge in my absence. The Farm requires protection.”

“I think the pudding is ready for the bread now,” the Fairy Witch said.



“I don’t understand why you must be so theatrical,” Ozma said, sitting on a bench. “We both know who is going to take up the rains of leadership. Mrs. Someone is gone, and will not be back for a very long time. And obviously you can’t leave her,” she said pointing to the Fairy Witch, “in charge.”

“The browns and the yellows have gotten little again. Didn’t you notice?” replied the witch.

“Yes, Ozma, take care of things, until I return.”

“It will be excellent practice,” Ozma said, sounding almost excited.

A small golden sphere, barely larger than a man’s fist, flitted through the window. “Right on time,” Frau Totenkinder said, giving a small nod to the perpetually young, but millennia old girl and the mindless woman. She vanished in a burst of golden light, only to appear on a desolate beach.

“Excellent,” Frau Totenkinder said, spying a rocking chair sitting ridiculously alone in the middle of the sand. She sat down and took out a pair of knitting needles and yarn. She waited for others to arrive, with only the clicking of the needles as company.

[Superheroic]

Prologue: Panda and Clownface



"DA BOSS" thundered down the streets of Terminus, its tires screeched as it weaved in an out of traffic. The engine roared like some primordial beast shaking storefront windows as it tore past. A cadre of vehicles frantically pursued "DA BOSS." From inside, the driver and passenger calmly discussed the situation.

"Goddammit, Panda!" Clownface yelled as he cut the wheel to swerve around a corner. "I told you to stay in the fuckin' car!"



"An' I told you dat I saw somebody tailin' your fat ass!" Panda yelled back as she reloaded her gun. "Next time I'll just let them kill so I don' hafta listen to your shit no more, Daddy! Now hold this bitch steady," she said as she climbed out of the window. "I'm gonna show these bastards who da baddest Muthafucka around is!" Panda flopped down, her back pressed against the passenger door, and fired at one of the chase cars. Its front tires exploded and sent it careening into one of the other pursuing cars. A third smashed into the pile-up. "Woo Hoo! Did'ja see that shit, Daddy? Angelina's got nuthin' on me!"

"Great!" Clownface called back. "Now get your ass back inside!"

As she hung over the side of "DA BOSS" Panda's delight was cut short as she spotted something strange. She quickly hauled herself back inside the car. "Uh, Daddy. What the fuck are those?"



"What?" Clownface turned around to see three golden globes flying towards and gaining on the car. "Shit! Hold on!"

But it was too late, the globes descending on "Da Boss" and with a FWAAASSSH! they were gone...

[The Purple Skull]

[Yun Lao]

"*Ahem* Since you did pick us, I'll let you off slightly. I expect a proper job from you from now on."

...y-yes....proper...proper is good...

"Now, Kafuka-chan, please properly explain what you meant by us being picked for a game?"


"...It's a game!"

"Argh! Don't be so vague! Either tell me or not!"

"Oh look! It's here!"

Before Chiri could ask what Kafuka meant, a small golden orb gently tapped her and thus, the two were gone.

------
Himura Kenshin looked around; the surroundings had returned to their previous look before the girl's slaughter. "Oro?"