Survior: the Initiative Episode 7

Survivor: the Initiative Episode 7
The Merge
Day 19
Jasper Sitwell stood before the motley assemblage of contestants that remained in the game and smiled menacingly. He’d had practice with giving off an aura of menace as an agent of SHIELD, frequently undercover, but this time he used it simply to keep the players on their toes. He’d practiced the look in the mirror and found it rather effective, if he did say so himself. Six men and three women remained in the game; the odds appeared to be stacked against the women, but Jasper knew that there were fractured alliances among the men, so he was very interested to see how things would go next.
After announcing that Number Nine had been the one to leave (and noting that no one seemed more shocked than MAULER, who seemed to still be reeling from last night’s tribal council), Jasper told the teams that from here forward, they would be competing as individuals on one tribe. Jasper watched them carefully for reactions. Battle Star appeared relieved, and he tried making eye contact with Sandstorm, who was busy exchanging a glance with MAULER, a secret knowing look. Steel Spider looked panicked as he eyed the others nervously, and Jasper worried, not for the first time, about his sanity. Biohazard didn’t look up at the group at all, hovering a bit behind Ion, whose expression, as always, was unreadable as she focused her gaze strictly on Jasper. Valkyrie seemed to puff out her chest at this news while Nocturne flitted back, away from the others, looking as though she might be sick.
Not for the first time, Jasper wondered about the very idea and concept of this competition. When the Super Human Registration Act had first been passed, all those across the country with super powers were required to register with the Initiative, the country’s new super hero military. Many had registered right away, while many others refused and had either fled the country, stayed in hiding, or been sent to jail. Each of these contestants were late comers to the Initiative; either former villains who were seeking a way out of jail (like MAULER and Ion), some of those early heroes who’d been in hiding or in jail and who had now had a change of heart (like Battle Star or Steel Spider), or super-powered individuals who’d shown up out of the blue from off the grid (like Nocturne and Derwyddon). In Jasper’s mind, the entire Initiative concept was like the draft of American soldiers into the military, forcibly recruiting uninterested individuals into service. Would the Initiative truly make a difference in the lives of these individuals, or would they prove to be failures and military rejects?
Jasper looked over the group again. What would they be without the Initiative? He figured that was a question they could pose as the game advanced. The contestants, most of them at least, had forgotten the entire purpose of this competition. Was it for ratings? Yes. Was there a lot of money and reputation at stake? Yes. But these people were here to be heroes. When they left the game, they entered military training. Their merits were to be tested, their skills honed and perfected. And Jasper well knew that not all of them would make it to deployment; many of them would be returned to jail or wherever life would take them. But only a few of them would actually make it. Being a hero was a very difficult career, or calling in life. And most of them wouldn’t have what it takes.
Pushing the thoughts out of his brain, Jasper focused back on the contestants. He explained to them that they’d all be moving into the men’s camp, but that the team would now be called Team Rogers, after the world famous hero, Captain America. He promised to see them in two more days at the immunity challenge.

Day 20
Dr. Voletta Todd, Ion, didn’t often allow herself this freedom. She just… loathed her energy form so much, that she often refused to allow herself to see the merits of it. She now existed as a sentient cloud of ionized gas. She was a scientific miracle! And yet she continued fighting to return to her human form. Some of her former professional colleagues would think her a fool, but they didn’t know what it was like to not have hands, to not be able to feel the chill of water in your mouth, to no longer be able to settle into a pillow or to feel the warmth of sun on your skin, to not even know the pleasure of a human touch. In theory, scientists could come up with piles of hypotheses about what life as sentient gas would be, yet they could never know what it was truly like. Voletta didn’t know how to think of it herself, sometimes.
The truth was, when she allowed herself to move past the hatred, she found her new form freeing. And she hated herself for even thinking that way. Her very form could exist in a body the size of an acorn, or in an energy field the size of a sky-scraper. She could dispel and gather energy as needed. She could destroy things with massive explosions of energy, or allow herself to be carried lightly by the smallest of breezes. But what was life with no one to share it with?
Though Voletta generally kept her form contained in a humanoid suit, which at least gave her the semblance of humanity (or, more correctly, allowed those around her to at least perceive her as something human), she was currently floating in her smallest form among the camp. No one could possibly even notice her. And that was what she wanted. To be left alone. She was just an invisible speck of floating energy, and no one could bother her. Here, she could pretend she didn’t exist, for at least a few minutes.
When Voletta looked down, she noticed MAULER, out of his armor, and Sandstorm, his dark ebony skin seemingly absorbing the sunlight around him, whispering in the deepest part of the woods. Voletta floated down toward them, her curiosity getting the better of her, and allowing her to set her self-pity aside for now.
“Well, laddie, we may have been separated into separate tribes, but we both made it tae the merge. Now how do we best put our plan into place?” MAULER was saying.
Sandstorm looked more menacing than Voletta had ever seen him. It was a bit jarring to see the hatred in his face as he spoke. “This is a long term plan, Brendan, and it’s something we’ll have to adapt to as we go. We make the best decision for us day by day, but we do whatever it takes to get us to the end. You, so you can claim victory and make your kid proud. Me, so I can see the Initiative pay once and for all for trying to make weapons out of human beings.”
MAULER clicked his tongue. “So where do we start? If we’re goin’ fer the weakest link, we have to push Biohazard. He’s practically unstable anyway.”
Sandstorm smiled now. “Yes, Biohazard ought to do just fine. But I’m betting he’ll make a target of himself. We need to be prepared to whittle our way in from the fringes.”
And as Voletta watched the men walk their separate ways, she wondered what that had been all about, and what terrible fate they were planning for that poor boy.

“I wanted to give you both equal opportunity. I don’t really care about the results of this competition. I’m here to be a hero, and because I was sick of being in jail, but I want us all to have that chance to succeed here. I don’t want anyone to have to be pushed out because they didn’t fit in well, and that definitely applies to the two of you more than any others.”
Lemar Hoskins, Battle Star, flexed his arms over his head as he talked to Nocturne and Biohazard. Nocturne always seemed a bit skittish and frightened, but today she had an aura of calm around her. Lemar could feel the calm radiating off of her, washing over him and putting his nerves and worries aside. It was clear to him that the same calm effect was working on Biohazard, too. He’d never seen that kid so relaxed.
“Y-you can’t tell me what to do,” Biohazard was stammering. “Just cause you’re older and w-worked for the government, you can’t boss the tribe around.”
Lemar sighed. “I’m offering a white flag here, Fletcher. I’d like to have peace between us.”
As Biohazard reacted angrily, Lemar noticed Nocturne sit up a bit straighter, seeming to focus her powers a bit more sharply. “Peace? You want p-peace? You, the leader of the men’s tribe, allowed me to b-be kicked out of camp by a bully! I ain’t forgetting that, Lemar!” As Lemar watched, Biohazard’s flesh started to roll just a bit, like it did when he was losing control of his powers, but then he settled down into relaxation again. Nocturne’s powers were incredible. Much more complicated than his own super strength and endurance.
“Again, I’m ready to have peace between us. I made a bad call back then, and I would like to make amends.”
Biohazard sneered at him and rolled his eyes. “I don’t have to listen to this,” he muttered as he stormed off. Lemar wondered if the kid even noticed that Nocturne had stopped him from losing control this time.
When Biohazard was out of sight, Lemar smiled at Nocturne. “Thank you for keeping him under control. You were wonderful.” Battle Star laughed out loud when he saw Nocturne grin slightly. “We haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Lemar. What is your name?”
Nocturne’s eyes grew wide and then she closed them tightly as she figured something out within herself. Finally, she opened them again and the smile returned. She spoke softly, in a rather melodic trill. “Angela.”

As Samantha Parrington, Valkyrie, watched, Derwyddon, his robe heavy and baggy on his ancient form, spread his hands in front of him and the air seemed to solidify. It didn’t give off a particularly different color. It just didn’t… move as the rest of the air did. Samantha wouldn’t ever notice air moving, she supposed, but seeing the air not moving somehow made a difference.
“There. Now try it.” Derwyddon wasn’t smiling, but he was definitely smug, as he stepped away from his block of solidified air. Samantha definitely believed in magic. It was the magic of the Asgardian Enchantress that had first granted her super powers, and the magic’s of Pluto and Lorelei which had combined her into this form. Besides, she’d worked with Dr. Strange extensively, back when he’d been the Sorcerer Supreme and had been working with the Defenders. But Derwyddon somehow lacked that quality she’d come to expect from magic wielders. So she’d asked him to prove his powers. She wanted to see him in action, and to test his mettle as an opponent or as an ally.
With a fluid movement, Samantha unsheathed her sword, pushing away the unpleasant memory of a few days before when she’d unwillingly transformed into her human self. Samantha’s sword was a magic relic in itself. Not only did it carry the enchantment that allowed her to switch to her godly form (and into normal clothes, negating her need to wash as well), it was indestructible and could cut through most anything. Samantha gave the sword a mighty thrust and watched with disbelief as the sword slid off the edge of the solid air block, making a loud metallic sound, rather like a butter knife scraping granite.
“Unbelievable!” Samantha found herself smiling. “I never would have believed that solid air could be more impervious than my enchanted blade.” Derwyddon was smiling, too. When the voice came from above them, they both looked up in shock.
“Let’s see if a real weapon can hurt it!” Steel Spider was holding himself tightly to a tree far above them. He had his four metallic legs spreading outward from him and Samantha could hear the click of offensive weaponry coming into play. She and Derwyddon both stepped quickly to the side as series of laser bursts escaped the tips of Steel Spider’s legs and blasted against the block of solid air, shattering it in a puff of smoke. Samantha and Derwyddon had been close enough to feel the heat off the blasts. “Ha-ha! Looks like science wins over sorcery this time, old man!”
Samantha forced herself to put her sword back in its sheath. She would not grant that child the true reaction he deserved; to be put over her knee and soundly spanked. She would let Derwyddon fight his own battles.

Day 21
The Immunity Challenge
As the nine assembled contestants stood before him, Jasper Sitwell explained that the immunity challenges from here forward in the game would be much more difficult, and that they would be challenging each contestant’s motivations and individual abilities to be a hero. Each of them would compete individually. Today’s challenge would cause each guest to experience one of their greatest fears, to relive a past trauma that was very difficult for them. After said exposure, each contestant would be expected to complete a challenging puzzle. The contestant with the fastest time would win individual immunity.
Jasper then announced that the upcoming challenges would feature various hosts, prepared by the Initiative to lead each challenge. Jasper introduced Trauma, young Terrence Ward, whose powers allowed him to see the greatest fear in a person’s mind, allowing him to then transform into that fear and confront the person with it. Jasper announced that the order of the contestants would be determined randomly.

Steel Spider sat before Trauma first, not knowing what to expect. His greatest fear. He figured it would be the day his old girlfriend, Jane Lane, had been shot and paralyzed. But Trauma surprised him, and made him face up to the very memory Steel Spider had been seeking to hide away from above all others. Before his eyes, Trauma transformed into the slobbering monster Venom. Steel Spider’s heart quickened and he felt cold panic seized him as the monster promised to eat not just his arm, but the rest of his limbs as well. Steel Spider didn’t know whether to fight the creature or run for it. As he stammered a weak-willed protest, he tried willing his metallic legs to raise behind him and fire offensive weaponry at the beast, but Steel Spider collapsed instead. He fainted dead away. It took the doctors over a minute to revive him. Steel Spider refused to even try the puzzle at that point, and opted out of the challenge, walking away from the cameras with hot tears in his eyes.

Valkyrie folded her arms under her breasts as she prepared to face her “greatest fear.” She laughed at the prospect. Her mortal self had many fears, but Valkyrie had none, and she felt safe and secure so long as she didn’t transform. When Trauma transformed into Malicia Parrington, the mother of Samantha, Valkyrie grew confused. Malicia was yelling at Samantha, telling her what a disgrace she was to her family and her heritage, wasting her talents, riches, and good-looks on inane habits and pursuits. When Malicia spouted promises that Samantha would waste away, poor and alone, Valkyrie felt herself growing angry rather than frightened. She told the apparition to silence itself, then strode to the challenge, completing it in just over five minutes.

Derwyddon thought he knew his greatest fear, one that he’d known intently at least twice before in his life, and that was the rejection of his gods, who had deemed him unworthy. So when Trauma took on the form of a much younger Derwyddon, floating in a dreamless sleep beneath the waves, where he’d remained for centuries, Derwyddon was not prepared for the intensity of the fear the gripped him. All those years, wasted! All his potential, washed away! Why had this happened to him, why? Derwyddon was too distracted by thoughts of th e shame his gods must have felt for him to even complete the immunity challenge, which he slowly walked away from.

Battle Star couldn’t recount any great fears from his past. He considered himself very brave, actually, facing down dangerous opponents and taking necessary risks without the slightest hesitation. So he was caught completely off-guard when he saw himself hanging from a noose from a tree by the militant Watchdogs. Battle Star panicked as he remembered that frightening day when, despite his super strength, he’d been strung up and left for dead, because of his race. He felt the shame and the fear of generations of African Americans before him, and felt almost ashamed that he’d lived while they had died. As this terrible vision wore off, Battle Star was shown into the challenge; he worked swiftly to focus his thoughts and was able to finish the challenge in eight minutes.

As Ion watched, Trauma took on the form of her human self, Dr. Voletta Todd, as she looked directly before her transformation. Then she watched as Trauma, as her, melted into her ionic form, as she had during the lab accident so many years ago now. Ion found herself merely bitter, and a bit angry, but not at all shocked or scared. She lived with her greatest fear every day; this was nothing new. But then, the worst came. Trauma, as Ion, began shifting rapidly between the two forms, erratic and painful to watch. As Ion watched, her other self cried out about how she would never return to human, it hurt too much, she would be trapped like this forever. When Ion finally entered the challenge, she found herself distracted by a bitter despair and took nearly ten minutes to complete it.

MAULER had had lots of moments in his life when he’d been afraid, but he didn’t remember one particular time when his fear had been the greatest. He watched Trauma with casual interest, transforming into a much younger Brendan Doyle, before the panicked memories washed over him. He’d been a soldier of fortune, paid handsomely to carry out various missions, including assassinations, on foreign soil. He’d worked closely with James Rhodes, the future War Machine, but this mission had left him stranded in the desert for weeks with no prospect of escape. He’d nearly died out there. MAULER, the image of his nearly dead self in his mind, focused on the difficult challenge and had it finished in 15 minutes.

As Trauma took on the form of a young Tony Trainer, Sandstorm remembered easily what had happened the day he’d received his powers. The mutated sandy specimens of Sandman and Quicksand had melded in the machine, which had then exploded. In that one instant, Sandstorm, who’d been only 19 at the time, had thought for sure he’d be dead. But he got lucky and was granted amazing super powers instead. That moment of intense fear had lasted only briefly and then been replaced by power. Quiet, simmering, resolute power. Sandstorm entered the challenge distracted not by an awakening of fear, but by an awakening of opportunity, of superiority, and he finished the challenge seven minutes later.
Nocturne had considered dropping out of the challenge before it even started, but the emotional medley within Trauma calmed her. He wasn’t there to harm, but to teach, and he seemed to truly believe that if he could help her face her fears, then she would benefit. Drawing upon his strength, she steeled herself as Trauma transformed into Nocturne’s one true love, Detective Jackie Kessler. She’d been Nocturne’s partner in the police and the two had later become lovers, but Jackie had been brutally murdered by the Mutilation Killer. Seizing the feelings of hope and ignoring the fear, Nocturne entered the challenge, but willingly dropped out, not wanting to focus past the images of her Jackie.

Biohazard knew what was coming before Trauma even stepped in front of him. He had relived that moment in his brain, the moment he’d changed into Biohazard for the first time, a hundred times over. But Trauma surprised him by turning into a human Fletcher Traynor now. As Biohazard watched, the Fletcher he saw before him strained against a straitjacket, eyes awash with green energy, mumbling about how he’d killed everyone, how his powers had gone out of control and he’d killed them all. Biohazard couldn’t face the fear and turned into his acidic monster self; as the government agents pulled Trauma to safety, Biohazard screamed in a rage about how he would kill them all.

As Nocturne used her powers, upon request, to calm Biohazard, Jasper brought the group back together and announced that Valkyrie had won immunity. He promised to see them that night.

TRIBAL COUNCIL
Biohazard was still in fits when they reached the tribal council area. With his flesh undulating between skin color and acid green, Jasper finally requested that his agents put a power blocker on the boy, denying him access to his powers at all. When the power blocker in place, Biohazard finally seemed to calm down, and weariness seeped over him as he sat next to his teammates.
Jasper waited until the nine contestants were settled, then he announced to the group that Number Nine had awakened from her coma that afternoon in full possession of her former memories. He let them know that she was receiving the best medical care, and then proceeded to ask them questions about the vote, reminding them that the next person to leave this game would be the first member of their jury, and would ultimately cast a vote for the game’s winner.
“MAULER, how has the game changed for the contestants since the merge?”
“Jasper, m’lad, ye’d think that the men would have the advantage here, bein’ as there’s six of us and only three of the lassies. But we have some dangerous opponents in our midst. I find meself wonderin’ how long before one of us comes unhinged and someone gets hurt! It’s painfully obvious that some contestants aren’t cut out to be heroes.”
Biohazard, his collar blocking his powers, sat up in a fury. “I s-suppose you’re talking about me! Well, be a man and say it to my face! You d-don’t even have any powers, M-MAULER!”
Ion, without turning her head, addressed Biohazard. “Fletcher, calm yourself. You’ll never learn control if you keep flying off the handle like this. Imagine what you’d be like if Nocturne wasn’t calming you.”
Jasper waited a few minutes for the fervor to die down, then returned to the questioning, but he was interrupted by Sandstorm.
“Mr. Sitwell, I have to second MAULER’s question of Biohazard’s presence in the game. If he requires a collar to block his powers, how will he even compete in the game, no less be of service to the Initiative in the long run?”
After another of Biohazard’s outbursts, Jasper stated that the contestant had not yet broken any rules, and that he would see Biohazard continue to undergo the necessary training to make him a hero. Then he transitioned the contestants into voting.
The first vote was for Biohazard. This was from Nocturne, who was weary of having to calm the youth, and have to experience his inner fury, and was voting along with her alliance.
The second vote was for Battle Star. This was from Biohazard, who wanted his revenge on Battle Star for not standing up for him in his early altercation with Brother Nature.
The third vote was for Battle Star. This was from Derwyddon, who saw Battle Star as least in need of his help, and of the least use to him in his personal agenda.
The fourth vote was for Biohazard. This was from the Steel Spider, who tired of the frequent outbursts and drama around camp.
The fifth vote was for Battle Star. This was from MAULER, who sought to remove his steepest competition from the game and had manipulated others, along with Sandstorm, into getting rid of him.
The sixth vote was for Biohazard. This was from Valkyrie, who saw the youth as least deserving of being a hero.
The seventh vote was for Battle Star. This was from Sandstorm, who sought to sow discord in the game by taking out the most natural hero among them.
The eighth vote was for Biohazard. This was from Battle Star, who longed to have peace in his camp again.
The ninth vote was for Biohazard. This was from Ion, who was voting along with her alliance, despite her empathy for Biohazard’s inability to control his powers.
With a narrow margin, Biohazard was voted from the game. As Jasper extinguished his torch, he expected another angry outburst from young Fletcher Traynor, but Biohazard simply hung his head sadly and walked from the camp without a word. As Jasper dismissed the players, he noticed the suspicious looks that Battle Star was passing to the others, and Jasper wondered, not for the first time, what this game would bring next.

After a week vacation, our show is back on, and we are down to half the contestants we once had! Lots of fun things are in the works, so make sure to get your votes in for who you want out next! You can post a vote by replying here, Emailing me, or sending me a message on facebook. Due to random selection, MAULER gets immunity next episode. Happy voting!
TEAM ROGERS
Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)
Derwyddon
Ion (Voletta Todd)
MAULER (Brendan Doyle) (immunity)
Nocturne (Angela Cairn)
Sandstorm (Tony Trainer)
Steel Spider (Oliver Osnick)
Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)