ng_murderworld (ng_murderworld) wrote in marvel_nextgen,
@ 2010-01-25 18:42:00

Current location:	New Orleans, LA
Current mood:	amused
Entry tags:	antaeus, argo, inactive - alisa lebeau, inactive - entienne lebeau, inactive - lyta braddock-worthington, lady devil, nicholas salem, perenawska, plot-"welcome to murderworld", team - champions

It's the Greatest Show on Earth!
The van that turned down the street in front of the Champion's home looked like any other brown delivery truck. Black and gold letters painting it's side and a man in a uniform consisting of a hat, button-up shirt and shorts the same drab color of his van looking as bored as one could with his job. The van stopped just short of the former night club's entrance. The delivery driver turned around in his seat and rummaged around for the small package he had for the inhabitants.

Hopping out of his van, 10x10 box tucked under his arm, he headed to the door and rapped on it three times. Not waiting for an answer - there was no signature confirmation requested - he set it on the top step and went back to his van, signed off on his clipboard and started the vehicle up.

By the time the door to the old club opened, he was already driving away to carry on with the rest of his deliveries.

The brown cardboard box, ten inches by exactly ten inches was addressed to The Most Worthy 'Champion' and weighed perhaps three pounds at the most. There was no return address.

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	ng_murderworld 2010-01-30 12:41 am UTC (link)
	The skeletal man continued to slowly guide the boat as they entered the tunnel. He remained quiet, only taking the time to point forward into the darkness illuminated by what seemed to be the swirling of souls within the very river upon which they traveled. A silence around them broken by the lapping of water against the sides of the boat. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	son_of_hercules 2010-01-30 01:18 am UTC (link)
	"This be impossible!" Argo boomed. "Answer me this, ferryman! How didst Argo die?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

ng_murderworld
2010-01-30 01:40 am UTC (link)

Charon chuckled and pointed to one side where a ghostly image of Argo and a beautiful woman clad in little more than her own hair sat upon the rocks of a trecherous shore line. Though the vision was silent, it was obvious the woman was singing while Argo brushed her hair. Rapt enchantment upon his features.

"The great Son of Hercules was drawn away from his companions by the voice of a wicked woman. His lust for the earthly pleasure found between her legs more important to his soul than that of his fellows. And now Pluto calls your soul to his kingdom. Don not worry for the fee, it has already been paid."

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	son_of_hercules 2010-01-30 01:49 am UTC (link)
	That was... That was impos... That was... That was surprisingly likely is what it was. This was not quite a situation he could fight his way out of. Argo shuddered. He was going to have to think his way out of this. For now, he would wait. To brave the waters of the Styx would try even the Son of Hercules. He would have to wait for the gates of Hades. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

ng_murderworld
2010-01-30 02:32 am UTC (link)

The boat follows its long and winding path down the river, with the ever silent boatman guiding them along. They pass Cerberus and the gates, and the boat docks.

A gout of flames rises up, and from it comes the booming voice of Hades.

"The Olympians are immortal, so I know I can't keep you here forever, lest I make your daddy mad. /But/ because you've entered into my realm of your own volition... and your own sins, you have to do a few little things for me before you can go."

Screens drop from the ceiling, displaying the torments of the other Champions.
"The only question is, can you do it... in time to save them? Or will you be like your father, and leave your mortal companions to die on the Argo when you lose your temper, hmmm? The first task... over there in the far corner, we have a little rat problem. Deal with it, and you'll find a coin. Get enough coins, and Charon will take you back. Try to go any other way, and Cerberus will bar the gate."

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	son_of_hercules 2010-01-30 03:06 am UTC (link)
	Argo nearly went into a rage at the sight of his teammates in trouble. But he kept himself in check. Rage would not serve him now. Though he did wonder when his great uncle had installed such elements of mortal technology... "I shalt play thine game," he said aloud. "And best thine challenges! This, doth Argo swear!" He headed toward the far corner. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

ng_murderworld
2010-01-30 03:16 am UTC (link)

When he gets there, he'll find a person strapped to a minute hand on a giant clock face. The clock itself is obviously delicate, but also full of breakables and sharp objects, any attempt to smash it would probably kill the person inside, as might even trying to get to it through the protective casing.
A series of mouseholes run into the bottom of the clock, and every ten seconds, a piece of food drops up near the clock face. Each time, a mouse goes scurrying from the surrounding walls into the clock. Each time one does, it turns some kind of mechanism, turning the clock a little more towards dropping the person into who knows what.
Sure, Argo could step on mice and block them off one by one, but who knows how long that could take? And how much time do the Champions have?
He can't smash things apart, or the child on the clock arm will probably fall to her death anyway.

"So what now, Olympian?"

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	son_of_hercules 2010-01-30 03:45 am UTC (link)
	Argo would be the first to admit that he was not the smartest of gods. On the other hand, he would also point out that he was clever, if sometimes unconventional. Clipped to his belt was his lyre. He removed it and started to play. Like Orpheus before him, it was a song with just a little bit of... something in it, music to charm the savage beasts. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

ng_murderworld
2010-01-30 04:12 am UTC (link)

Argo is not a god of music... but the powers of the gods work in mysterious ways sometimes.

The mice stop their procession into the clock and circle around Argo instead, and within a few minutes, they're all asleep.

Arcade pauses. Somewhere, he glares. That was /not/ supposed to happen.

He pushes a button... from the ceiling, streamers rain down, buzzers sound, and on a screen, there's an image of Alisa's death by electrocution when reaching for an Argo image's hand.

"Congratuations! By figuring that out so fast, only one person died, the frailest of the sheep! I was hoping for two. Now if you'll look to your left..."

In the distance, there's four people suspended over a pit of fire. They're set up on a suspension network so that whenever one of them climbs, it lowers the others, and if one got removed or saved, the others would drop a lot of the way towards the fire. Every thirty seconds, the whole thing lowers an inch. Being a pit, there's no pot to dump, and the people are spread out too far to grab them all.

"So, what'll it be, Olympian? The woman... she's a pretty one? How about the kids? Adorable twins, don't you think? Poor guy on the end there. Any way you look at it, he loses, don't you think?"

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son_of_hercules
2010-01-30 06:56 pm UTC (link)

Argo could not hide his shock, nor his grief, at the loss of Alisa. He had already been too slow, and he could not allow the others to perish. He was also more convinced than ever that this was not truly Pluto's realm. The taunts, the death traps, this was not the Lord of Hades way. True, he did love his tricks and strange ways, but this, this was simply madness and chaos.

"You wish to know what the Son of Hercules thinks?" Argo growled. "Then he shalt tell thee what he thinks."

He was moving now, closer to the captured people. "He thinks he shalt not play the game by thine rules."

The nice thing about Hades, if such words could be applied, was that one of its primary features was rocks, stalagmites, stalactites, and the like. There was one stalactite hanging down from the cavernous ceiling above that looked to be nearly the right size. He broke it off easily and swung it around, spanning under the captives and the two sides of the pit.

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ng_murderworld
2010-02-01 08:51 pm UTC (link)

The bridge works nicely, and freeing the hostages this way doesn't give them anywhere truly safe to go, but they're out of immediate danger.

"Ooohhh, nicely done, Olympian. So maybe you do have some brains after all. And so quickly too... time is running short, though."
The screens show Ennie seeming to give up, resigning himself to drowning in hot tea, and Lyta's head going under the sand.

"One more game for all the marbles... complete this challenge, and you and the hostages can go free, and save whoever's left." Arcade taunts, as a rock wall labeled 'Door #3' opens up.

Behind it, there's a very steep hill, almost a vertical climb. There's a large boulder at the bottom, with the precision needed to get the rock to the top and keep it there meaning throwing it would be difficult, even if he could get a good grip, since its mostly smooth and round, and too big to easily get his arms around.

"Push this rock to the top of the hill and keep it there, and you can all god home. Maybe you'll even save one or two of your friends."

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	son_of_hercules 2010-02-01 11:49 pm UTC (link)
	A Sisyphean challenge if ever there was one! (What? He can't know things?) Argo took a look at the boulder and put all his weight and strength into pushing it. "I shalt not falter... I shalt not fail! For I be Argo of Olympus! Son of Hercules!" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

ng_murderworld
2010-02-02 09:32 pm UTC (link)

The boulder moves readily enough, though with the steep incline, its a challenge for even Argo, especially because, being so perfectly round and massive, it threatens constantly to roll off to one side and back down every time he slips even slightly.

When he gets it to the top, however, the rounded rock hits a neat divot designed for just this purpose, rolling it off to one side, and swiftly back down the hill.

"OH! Oh! I think another one is dying... we're close... so close..."

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	son_of_hercules 2010-02-02 11:11 pm UTC (link)
	Argo considered his options, then nodded to himself. He took a deep breath and drew back his fists. Putting all his strength into the blow, he shattered the hill, leaving only a small and more manageable portion behind. With ease, he pushed the boulder onto it and kept it there. "The problem be solved." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ng_murderworld 2010-02-03 07:44 pm UTC (link)
	"Well, well... you're smarter than I gave you credit for." Arcade is many things - but the game is the game. A button is pressed, and Cerberus stands down. "Welcome back to the world of the living. If you hurry, you might be able to catch some last words." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	son_of_hercules 2010-02-04 12:25 am UTC (link)
	Argo sped forward. He would save someone today. This he vowed. And then there would be a reckoning. (Reply to this)(Parent)

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