tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25366523048977245212024-03-13T15:37:03.819-07:00Creative writing with ChadChadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-44164385731382720402010-02-19T09:45:00.001-08:002010-02-19T09:45:56.649-08:00Survivor: the Initiative Episode 14Survivor: the Initiative episode 14<br />What it Takes to be a Hero<br /><br />Day 39<br /><br /> On their final evening at their camp, Battle Star and MAULER had eaten all of their remaining food, saving only a few pieces of fruit for breakfast. There hadn’t been a lot of stores left; some gathered fruits and nuts, and a few pieces of fish they had caught. They had enjoyed their final fire, barely speaking a word to each other the entire night. They had both slept little, too cold to sleep on their own but unwilling to cuddle into each other, not without a girl between them at least. <br /> As morning came, they destroyed their shelter with a few blows and blasts and watched the meager lean-tos they had been using collapse in on themselves. Then Battle Star put on his costume and mask, full hero regalia this time, and polished his shield; he wanted to look good for the jury. MAULER dusted off his fully charged suit. At the last minute, though, he chose not to wear it to the tribal council, and went instead in his dirty clothing and his unkempt beard. When Battle Star questioned him about it, MAULER simply stated that he wanted to win. Battle Star laughed, shook the hand of his opponent, and told him he was up for the challenge. <br /> And with that, the two men, one white and one black, one a trained hero and the other a former villain, walked into their final tribal council, to face a jury of their peers in what would be votes for their success or failure. <br /><br />TRIBAL COUNCIL<br /><br /> Jasper Sitwell nodded to the two men and then brought in the jury. He told them they would all have an opportunity to question the two final contestants, one at a time, before casting their final vote for the sole survivor, and the winner of the competition. Then Jasper sat down, ready to eagerly watch what would then unfold. <br /><br />BIOHAZARD<br /><br /> The power-inhibiting collar still tightly around his neck to block his emotionally-charged and reactive powers (and what a relief!), Fletcher Traynor looked over the final two with disdain. He was the first member of the jury, and, thus, had had the most time to reflect on the game, to watch the tribal councils with tonight’s vote in mind. As the game had gotten farther in, Fletcher had experienced the gamut of emotions. He’d been angry, bored, apathetic, and even cheerful at times. And as the ranks had thinned further and further, he’d been more and more excited to see who would make it to the end. And now here he was, in the final tribal council before the final two. He pretty much knew who he was going to vote for already, but now was his chance. <br /> Fletcher looked at Battle Star. “There was a time in the game when I was pretty angry at you. You were our tribe leader, in action if not in title, and you let me be isolated and estranged the entire game. When Brother Nature kicked me out of the tribe, you didn’t try to stop him. I want you to tell me why.”<br /> Battle Star nodded. “It wasn’t anything personal, kid. When I first got in this game, I was pretty bitter about all of us being required to register as heroes. I mean, there’s this mix of bad guys, former heroes, and guys like you with no experience that no one has ever heard of. I was mad. I wanted all of us, especially kids like you and Gomi, to have to figure yourselves out. I wasn’t here to be your parent. I never disrespected you, I just wanted you to be able to fight your own battles. If you are ever gonna make it as a trained hero, that’s what it’s gonna take.”<br /> With pursed lips, Fletcher turned to MAULER. “Early in the game, you approached me for an alliance. I believed you were sincere. Later, I learned that you had offered the same deal to at least three other contestants. I want you to explain to me why you should get my vote after your deception.”<br /> “Ah, laddie, i’ tweren’t nothing personal. I realized at the beginnin’ o’ the game that the men’s tribe had a bunch’a loners an’ misfits on it. When no cohesive alliances were formin’, I took it upon meself to try and form connections with each’a ye. Twas my hope at that time that I’d get meself through the early parts’a the game. Turns out, that strategy didnae help me all that much.”<br /> Fletcher nodded at Jasper. He was ready to cast his vote. <br /> Biohazard voted for Battle Star to win. <br /><br />STEEL SPIDER<br /> Oliver Osnick took a deep breath and centered himself, pushing the crazy deep back down in him where he belonged. Since he’d been kicked out of the game (he refused to see it any other way), he’d been heavily medicated. He was beginning to realize that in his life, if he was ever going to be a successful hero, a successful person, a capable human being, then he would have to stay on meds and in therapy. The government could take his arm, he guessed, but they could also give him the tools he needed to have everything he wanted. Success, a career, a family. This was his way out. <br /> In an effort to be imposing, Ollie raised himself up on his long spidery legs, mentally controlling them through the harness he’d designed. He truly was brilliant, and he knew it. <br /> “My questions for both of you are the same. I want to hear the worst mistake you made in the game, and I want to know what you would have done differently if you had the chance.”<br /> MAULER thought, and answered quickly. This was easy for him. “Although this may make him a bit angry, my biggest mistake was aligning meself with Sandstorm. He had plots to try and take out the powerful opponents in the game, and I thought that gettin’ rid’a the tougher competitors, like Battle Star and Valkyrie, would serve me in the long run. It turned out that Sandstorm’s strategy an’ motivations nearly destroyed me own game play. No offense intended ta ye, Sandstorm.”<br /> Battle Star took a bit longer to answer. “This is still hard for me to admit. My biggest mistake was in allowing myself to get so depressed and despondent. My usual fighting spirit was gone for days, and I felt sorry for myself for the first time in years. I should never have done that.”<br /> Ollie felt a wave of annoyance at Battle Star’s answer and changed his vote at the last minute. <br /> Steel Spider voted for MAULER to win. <br /><br />DERWYDDON<br /> Smoothing his ancient brown (but now clean) robes over his legs, and taking a moment to adjust the rope sash that cinched about his waist, Derwyddon, the ancient and conflicted druid, smiled. He still hadn’t cut his beard. He still wasn’t settled within himself. He didn’t know what lay ahead for him, and he was only beginning to learn that maybe that was okay. Maybe he didn’t need to know that a divine path lay ahead of him. Maybe it was all right to just live life and see what was to come next. He prayed he was strong enough to find faith in himself. <br /> “MAULER, where do you see yourself in five years? What are your plans? And how would winning this game influence that?”<br /> “Ach, but I’ve given that a lot of thought these last few days. I’ve spent much’a me life failin’ and tryin’ ta get the right things in the wrong ways. After me son was born, it took some time for me tae learn that my time is measured by the growth of me boy now. I want to be a hero. I want to make my Daniel proud. Winnin’ this game, it’ll show me and my boy both that I’ve got what it takes to make a new life. In five years? I want tae be a hero, servin’ me country, and I want tae be a stable presence in my son’s life, tae be the dad he deserves.”<br /> “Battle Star, same question to you.”<br /> “Honestly, Derwyddon, I just don’t know. I want to serve my country. Eventually, I want to settle down and have a family. But I don’t have plans. I don’t know what will come next for me, but I hope to be ready for it.”<br /> Derwyddon considered the answers, and he easily decided which plan he respected more. <br /> Derwyddon voted for MAULER to win. <br /><br />SANDSTORM<br /> Tony Trainer pulled his sandy grit armor tight about himself, tight against his frame. Someone could fire a bazooka at him and it wouldn’t penetrate his armor. Tony knew that things were bad for him at this point. He was on the jury, but he felt like he was the one being judged. He’d come into this competition so cold, so calculating, so… arrogant. He had a lot to learn about himself yet, and he would be, hopefully, far far away from the public eye when that happened. What would this do to him, to his family, when this show was broadcast? When the whole nation, the whole world, knew he was a murderer? What would that do to his future? What was next for him? He didn’t know and he was truly scared to find out the answers. <br /> Tony turned to the two men, both of whom had been his primary allies in the game. MAULER had just stated that allying with Tony had been his biggest mistake, but Tony couldn’t find it in himself to be angry or bitter. It just… was. <br /> “Both of you were my allies. Both of you learned in time that you couldn’t trust me. I’d like to know why. Why is it you found me untrustworthy?”<br /> Battle Star locked eyes with Tony, who quickly looked away. “I quit trusting you because you lied to me and kept things from me. Trust is given until broken, then it has to be earned back.”<br /> MAULER looked at the other jury members as he spoke. “I didn’t trust ye, Sandstorm, because ye were deceiving and a bit scary. I—“<br /> Tony, annoyed, cut him off. “You knew my plan when you allied with me. You were then, and you are now, just trying to distance yourself from me so that the other jury members won’t judge you. Let me tell you, that cowardly approach doesn’t get my respect or my vote. You want to fight me, you do it head on.”<br /> Sandstorm collected his breath, then voted for Battle Star to win. <br /><br />VALKYRIE<br /> Samantha Parrington fingered the sword hilt on her belt, her blade safely sheathed at her side. She stood in her full Asgardian regalia, her black skin suit with the impressive metal bra shells, her hair was pulled back in pigtails. She looked every bit the Viking warrior woman that she was meant to represent. And she was proud to be so. She was learning to accept her nature, the immortal warrior combined with the fragile yet strong mortal. Samantha truly felt she could face anything. And she was so thrilled to reconcile with her parents after this game, to rebuild that part of her life that had been void for so long. She was grateful for the chance she’d had to be in this game, and for the things it had taught her about herself. <br /> And with that, she narrowed her eyes at her two competitors. Two of the most worthy competitors of the game, so far as she was concerned, but she wasn’t about to let them off easily. It was Valkyrie’s nature to challenge, provoke, and boat-rock. Tonight would be no different. <br /> “MAULER, on what planet do you think the public can forget everything about a person and only focus on the present? Do you think that anyone will ever forget that you were a mercenary-for-hire? That you committed criminal acts for money? That you stole the very armored suit you wear into battle? That it took you years to choose to be in your son’s life? That you’ve been in prison and battled the nation’s heroes for profit? Do you really think that just because you are declared a ‘hero’ that we can forget what you’ve done?”<br /> MAULER cleared his throat, taking a moment to focus, his nostrils flaring so as not to show his anger. “Valkyrie, I knew ye’d have the toughest one. Look, I dinnae expect anyone tae forget where I come from. In fact, I dinnae want them ta. I want to remember what happened to me so that I know what I dinnae want tae go back ta. I’m nae proud’a the things I’ve done. I chose not tae wear my armor tonight for one reason. I dinnae want ta be considered for a vote based on my past or based on me powers. I want to be voted on me own merits.”<br /> Valkyrie considered, then laughed, just to unsettle him. Then she turned to Battle Star. “You consider yourself a leader and a hero. You fault yourself for weakness. I fault your game play itself, Lemar. You told Biohazard moments ago that your approach was to let the men on your tribe fend for themselves. If you are such a great leader, would they not have been better off with your guidance and instruction? If you have so much to offer, why have you not offered it?”<br /> Battle Star stared past her and into the fire. “I—the answer to that is not one I care to admit. I don’t trust this new Initiative program. I felt like anyone getting involved in it deserved to suffer a bit, I suppose, like I had. I stood out against the program, and I was arrested and convicted for it. Guess I’m not as confident as you expected, hm?”<br /> Samantha thanked them both, then moved to vote. <br /> Valkyrie voted for MAULER to win. <br /><br />ION<br /> <br /> With her energy form tightly wrapped into her containment suit, Voletta Todd turned her form toward her former competitors. When she felt the bitterness and frustration wash over her, she didn’t try to hide from it as she would in the past. This game had taught her many things about herself, but one thing she knew is that she had to stop herself from feeling like she wasn’t human. She may not have a body, but she had her mind, she had emotion, she had goals and wishes and hopes and desires. She had been thinking that her experience must be rather like someone who lost a limb, who became paralyzed, or who lost their sight. Voletta had lost her whole body! It had taken her years to cope, but she knew she had it in her to be a better person. <br /> Voletta looked at the two men sitting before her. Unshaven, unshowered, in clothes that were unwashed. Their motivations, their goals, their very characteristics, were laid bare before her. And she had already made her decision. There was no reason to prolong their pain, though part of her wanted to take a poke at their human souls like the others had. <br /> “I will not make the both of you squirm. I have no questions. My decision has been made.”<br /> Ion voted for Battle Star to win. <br /><br />NOCTURNE<br /> Angela Cairn felt a wave of elation pass through her being, and she couldn’t contain it. The emotion washed off of her and over the others, lightening the incredibly tense mood in the room. She watched Battle Star smile at her emotional relay, a soft smile on his lips. MAULER looked a bit surprised to be feeling so happy, and she was glad to give them the gift of peace in this moment. <br /> “I… feel.” She allowed a smile to cross her face, and her teeth gleamed in the fire light. She smoothed her wings out behind her. “For the years after my transformation, I did not allow myself to feel. Instead, I absorbed the pain of others, relishing in their misery so that I wouldn’t have to feel my own. But today, I feel. I embrace my own feeling.”<br /> Angela locked eyes with MAULER. “Brendan, from you, I sense fear. The greatest emotion I ever sensed from you is fear. You mask it with bravado, determination, and inattention, but it is fear that drives you. I want to ask you now, what is it you are afraid of? I have wondered this since the first moment I met you.”<br /> MAULER’s face paled, and he looked away. “I—I’m afraid, I’ll admit it tae ye. I’m afraid’a failin’. I’ve turned out tae be a failure me entire life. I’m afraid I’ll fail at this, too, just like I have on everythin’ else.” <br /> Angela nodded, and she knew he spoke the truth. She avoided the temptation to take this fear from him and replace it with calm. This needed to be MAULER’s battle to fight. <br /> Angela turned to Battle Star, a man she’d grown to care for, maybe even love. “Lemar, from you, I have always sensed pity. Pity in yourself. The under-riding, subconscious emotion that seems to rule all of your actions and mindsets. I feel that you often excuse yourself for these reasons. That you often feel the world owes you something. Why is this, Lemar? What does the world owe you, and why?”<br /> With her enhanced hearing, Angela could hear Battle Star’s teeth gritting, and she felt the anger roll off of him. Its intensity startled her slightly. “Angela, I care for you, but you are wrong. It isn’t self-pity you are sensing, it is… well, it’s a standard that I hold myself to. It’s a drive to prove to myself that I’m better than what I think I can be. And you have no right to use your powers and pick me apart like that. That should have nothing to do with your vote.”<br /> Angela looked away from his angry gaze. Then she picked up her pen and thought. Who should she vote for? She had her answer in moments, and she cast her vote, guarding her emotions for once. <br /><br />5 MONTHS LATER<br /><br /> That night, Jasper Sitwell had gathered the seven votes and sealed them away. He’d bid the contestants farewell, and they had been ushered off back to America, where they would be entered into the training camps for the Initiative. And then he’d sat back while the first season of Survivor: the Initiative had been broadcast to the general public. The 16 heroes-in-training (who were now trained) had played out the dramas and challenges of their competition in Slorenia before all of America. The show had been an absolute hit. The public had thrilled at watching these super-powered individuals battling it out for the honor of being the sole survivor. <br /> And now, here at a beautiful and opulent tribal council shelter, before an audience of thousands, Jasper, dressed in a tuxedo, stood with his date on his arm. The beautiful Silver Sable had agreed to accompany him from the premiere, and she still made him sweat, but never had he had such a woman on his arm. <br /> Jasper saw Battle Star and MAULER, both out of costume now and dressed in elegant clothing, sat next to each other. Both men had changed, had come into their own. Jasper knew both men would make fine heroes in the service of their country. <br />The other contestants sat nearby with a few exceptions. A few had washed out of training. Brother Nature hadn’t lasted a month, and had voluntarily returned to prison. Sandstorm had been tried for his crimes and was serving out his time. Biohazard had returned to Project: PEGASUS in an attempt to get his powers under control. Derwyddon had simply disappeared one day; they’d awakened and he was no longer in camp, and no one had been able to find him since. Tempo had joined some mutant cause and was on the run. And Phantom Blonde had decided to retire to a civilian life, realizing her lack of powers didn’t serve her well in the Initiative. But the other two men and six women were gathered here, ready to see the contests results, and prepared to enter the service of their country when all was done.<br />Jasper felt the anticipation move through the room as he read off the votes one at a time. Battle Star, MAULER, Battle Star, MAULER, Battle Star, MAULER. A three-three tie with one vote left to read. <br />And with the cameras recording and the heroes watching, Jasper addressed the group with the final vote. <br />“And the winner. Of Survivor: the Initiative. Is.”<br />A collective breath. <br />“Brendan Doyle. MAULER!”<br />Jasper smiled as Doyle stood up, whooped into the air, then turned and gave an uncharacteristic hug to his competitor, Battle Star, who seemed genuinely happy for Doyle. Doyle then shocked them all by leaping down into the audience, rushing across the room, and scooping up young Daniel Doyle in his arms. Jasper saw tears streaking down Doyle’s face as he spun around and around, his son in his arms. <br />Redemption, Jasper thought to himself, couldn’t be granted by the public, couldn’t be given by registering as a hero, couldn’t be won by serving time in jail. And yet at this moment, in Jasper Sitwell’s eyes, Brendan Doyle was a man redeemed. Redeemed in the one place it mattered: in the arms and eyes of his son.Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-32966512442213183402010-02-04T16:55:00.000-08:002010-02-04T16:57:09.708-08:00Survivor: The Initiative Episode 13Survivor: the Initiative episode 13<br />Three’s a Crowd<br /><br />Day 37<br /><br /> Pushing himself forward with his mental control over his armor, Brendan Doyle, MAULER flew over the Symkarian forest and lake, his suit fully charged in the solar rays. He felt good. Alive. He felt better than he had in years. He was one of the final three! When this show broadcast, he would be a world famous hero, whether he won the game or not. The name of MAULER, the name of Brendan Doyle, the former mercenary, the former criminal, would be a household name. And everyone would know he was Daniel’s dad. He’d make his kid proud. At this moment, it didn’t matter that Brendan hadn’t showered in weeks, or that he hadn’t slept in a nice bed or that he hadn’t eaten a good meal. He had only two days left in Symkaria, and he knew he could potentially win the game. He stood every chance. <br /> As Brendan skimmed his armor over the lake water, trailing a hand in it, he thought about the jury and how they would place their votes. He hoped that Sandstorm still respected him, despite Brendan’s betrayal, but he knew that all of them trusted Sandstorm the least and knew him the least. He’d had early alliances and friendships with Biohazard and Derwyddon, and Steel Spider would probably vote however Derwyddon did, unless those two still weren’t getting along. Valkyrie and Ion both didn’t have any love for Brendan, but he hoped to appease them with his final speeches. He could actually pull this off. He could do it. <br /> And if history held true, he would win the final immunity. He’d won before, now he just needed to hold that trend. <br /><br /> With her wings spread wide and her clawed fingers stretched to the sky, Angela Cairn, Nocturne, stood in the early morning light and felt the cool air wash over her. She had never cared particularly about this game, this competition, or frankly about being a hero in the Initiative program itself, but she had to admit a sense of exhilaration at reaching the end of the game. She felt good for two reasons. One, the game was nearly over (and she could shower soon!), and two, she had found herself again. She felt like Angela again, not just that stunted creature she had been for so long. And, she had to admit, a small bit of pride swelled within her at the potential of winning this game. There would be a high amount of honor that accompanied the victory, and, though honor was never something she had sought out, Angela did like the idea of being crowned the winner. <br /> Angela closed her eyes and stepped from the tree she’d been standing on and into the air. With her wings softly straining, it was enough to keep her aloft. She just stood there, barely moving, reaching out with her emotional sensing abilities, and felt the calm and confidence radiating out of her. Her heightened senses picked up the sounds of the birds, the breeze, the burrowing animals, the lapping of the lake water on the shore, the sounds of the early morning forest. She willed her prehensile hair to spread out behind her and felt it cascade down her back. <br /> This. This was the creature she had become.<br /> Angela felt a smile across her face, and she wondered at this new life she’d been granted. <br /><br /> Lemar Hoskins, Battle Star, ran his finger over the blunt edge of his shield, then looked out across the landscape. This was it. The final competition in preparation for the final tribal councils. After a lengthy month full of failed alliances, difficult challenges, a rough time making things work, and even an uncharacteristic bout with depression, Lemar had made it to the end of the competition. And frankly, he wasn’t sure how to feel about it. <br /> When Lemar thought about the competition, he felt a wave of confusion and frustration pass through him. Sixteen super-powered individuals, all from vastly different walks of life and with vastly different power sets. Who was he to say who could or could not be a hero? Who was he to say that even he had the right to be a hero? <br /> Lemar knew his recent history prior to the game had not been his proudest. He had made a public stand against the government’s registration act. He’d been incarcerated because of it, had brought shame to his family, and had besmirched his own name and reputation. He wanted a second chance. He hadn’t felt that this game was that important. It was a game! But wouldn’t a victory give him greater recognition as a hero, and allow him to clear his name even faster?<br /> Lemar stood and felt a resolve pass through him. Somehow he’d made it to the final three. He was now determined to be the sole survivor. <br /><br /> The three final contestants walked through the foggy morning toward the hilltop, looking impressive, Jasper Sitwell had to admit. Battle Star, strong and stoic behind his shield. MAULER, flying through the air in his polished armor. And Nocturne, flying forward with confidence radiating out of her. Jasper explained that they would be going on a hike that would last the majority of the morning. At each mile marker, they would gather a small heroic idol that represented each of the contestants they had voted out thus far. They would then toss those gathered idols into the fire at the final destination, where the three of them would undergo the final immunity challenge. Jasper could sense the hope and determination from each of the contestants, and he could tell that they each wanted to win. <br /> As they picked up the idol representing Gladiatrix, the first contestant voted out, Nocturne commented briefly on what a strong-willed woman Robin Braxton was and how she came on way too strong in her tribe at the beginning. Nocturne laughed that they’d only had room for one super-strong warrior woman in the tribe, and Valkyrie had seen to it very quickly that Gladiatrix didn’t stay around. <br /> Nocturne grew strangely quiet when they retrieved Tempo’s idol. Battle Star asked her about Tempo and if she’d been difficult to vote out, and Nocturne frowned, saying that Tempo had reflected an air of cold determination and a sense of being prejudiced like no one she’d ever seen. She said that of all those voted out, Tempo may have needed this game more than any of the others, but that her stand-offish nature and bullying attitude had estranged her from the others. <br /> They soon came to Brother Nature’s idol, and Nocturne sensed the strong reactions from both men toward this former competitor. Brother Nature, Battle Star explained, was crazy, pure and simple, and had the emotional capacity of a child. MAULER laughed, patting Battle Star on the back, and wondered out loud how different the game would have been with that lad going to the end. <br /> The Phantom Blonde, Nocturne commented, was spoiled, self-centered, and not even super-powered, but her alliance with powerful competitors had almost allowed her to stick in the game for a long period of time. Nocturne recounted how Valkyrie had surprised them all by announcing that only worthy competitors should be in the game and had turned on her ally. One of the many game-changing moments. MAULER laughed about how Blondie sure was a looker, though. <br /> All three of them recounted the fifth tribal council and how shocking it had been to have to vote two contestants out. Battle Star recounted how difficult it had been to vote Free Spirit out so early in the game, and how if he’d known about Sandstorm’s true intentions earlier on, then things would have been much different. MAULER talked about voting out little Gomi, and wondered what had ever become of that strange lad’s even stranger lobster, which had apparently gone missing. <br /> Ah, Number Nine, MAULER commented. He said he’d been so surprised to see how much attention she’d thrown on him after the tribe reshuffle. Nocturne talked about Number Nine’s struggles with memory and inner self, and how she seemed at war with her very nature. They all took a moment to wish Number Nine well on her path, and hoped she would find happiness. <br /> Then they passed the icons representing members of the jury, six in all so far, and the trio knew that one more of them would be joining the jury this evening. Biohazard, who had never been able to seize control of his acidic powers. Steel Spider, whose struggles with his own mental health led to multiple challenges in the game. Derwyddon, who had struggled repeatedly with his own faith in his gods and in himself. Sandstorm, who had struggled to find his own path to heroism through varying levels of villainy. Ion, whose hatred of self and of her own nature had tainted her every thought and action. And Valkyrie, who had found herself so confident and flawless as a god, but so imperfect as a human. <br /> This, their jury. The peers and fellow competitors that would be judging them. <br /> It was then that they arrived at the final immunity challenge. <br /><br />IMMUNITY CHALLENGE<br /><br /> As the contestants watched, Jasper Sitwell showed them the virtual reality programs they would each be using to upload their minds and skill-sets into, a very high tech piece of government equipment. They would each be assigned a set of random computer-generated super heroes, a group of four for each of them, and that they would be each be briefed briefly on their assigned teams. Then they would each be uploaded into a complex scenario, where they would be required to take down a group of vitual villains and rescue a group of virtual hostages. They would each be required to command their own teams, who would only follow their orders, and they would be scored on their initiative, their timeliness, their resourcefulness, and their success rate. The contestant with the highest score would win the final immunity competition. <br /> The three contestants were uploaded into the virtual reality system simultaneously, and each were briefed on their randomly selected teams. Battle Star was placed on a team that included the Mandrill, the Scarlet Witch, and Frog Man. Nocturne’s team consisted of Slyde, Tigra, and the Fixer. MAULER’s team included Ghost Rider, Red Zeppelin, and Firestar. In time, the virtual teams were uploaded into the hostage scenario: five members of the Serpent Society (King Cobra, Rattler, Fer-de-Lance, Coachwhip, and Anaconda) had staged a bank robbery, and had taken a group of stages. The police had surrounded the bank and the heroes had been called in to save them. The three contestants had no idea what each of the others were doing with the same scenarios. <br />MAULER immediately ordered his team to storm the bank building. As he burst through the windows with Red Zeppelin and Ghost Rider at his side, he took out Rattler with a burst from his blaze cannon while Firestar and Ghost Rider contained the female snakes in circles of fire. But King Cobra proved too difficult for the heroes and managed to kill not only four of the seven hostages, but Red Zeppelin as well. MAULER exited the scenario with a heavy heart, his mind reeling on what he could have done differently. <br />Nocturne had a much different approach. She’d asked her teammates to hang back while she stood outside the bank and pushed a wave of calm over the entire building. Once she was positive the criminals had calmed themselves sufficiently, she’d been prepared to go in and negotiate the hostages’ rescue, but her teammates, feeling discounted and impatient, had stormed the building. Slyde, Tigra, and the Fixer rescued the hostages with Nocturne rushing behind them to aid in the battle. <br />Battle Star took a few minutes to talk to his teammates, briefing them on their battle plan. He ordered the Scarlet Witch to turn one of the wall’s invisible, allowing him to scope out the situation inside. He then ordered the Mandrill to coat the building with pheromones, allowing the monkey-man to take control of the female villains inside. With that done, he and Frog-Man rushed in through the window and quickly took down Rattler (Frog-Man’s kick to the head) while Battle Star wrestled King Cobra for the gun. Though the rescue took longer than in the other scenarios, there were no casualties and all the skills of the various heroes had been used. <br />Having received the highest ratings, Battle Star was declared the winner of the final immunity competition. <br /><br />TRIBAL COUNCIL<br />Tribal council was a very different experience this time around. The seven jury members entered and viewed the proceedings. Jasper explained that no one could vote for Battle Star, and that he would be selecting who would join him in the final two, as MAULER and Nocturne’s votes would simply cancel each other out. <br />Battle Star asked both of them to give him their final reasons why they should be in the final two with him. He listened as MAULER described wanting to be a good father to his young son, and wanting to prove to the world that he had changed his ways and was a true hero-in-training now. Nocturne gave a strangely short speech about trusting Battle Star’s judgment. <br />When Battle Star selected MAULER as his competitor in the final two, Nocturne quietly and easily left the area and smiled at the others as she had her torch extinguished. She continued to radiate calmness to the others are she left the room. <br />Jasper announced that the final tribal council would take place the next morning. <br />Battle Star and MAULER locked eyes, shook hands, and headed back to camp. <br /><br />Thank you for reading this, the penultimate episode in Survivor! Next issue it is the big jury vote and the winner is finally declared! Please post your votes for WHO you want to WIN (not who you want out). No immunity this round, vote as you will. :D<br /><br />The final two:<br /><br />Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)<br />MAULER (Brendan Doyle)<br /><br />And our jury:<br />Biohazard (Fletcher Traynor)<br />Steel Spider (Ollie Osnick)<br />Derwyddon <br />Sandstorm (Tony Trainer)<br />Ion (Voletta Todd)<br />Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)<br />Nocturne (Angela Cairn)Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-69251288936016305392010-01-19T06:02:00.000-08:002010-01-19T06:03:08.319-08:00Survivor: the Initiative episode 12Survivor: the Initiative episode 12<br />Affirmations<br /><br />Day 34<br /><br /> Lemar Hoskins, Battle Star, looked out at the other three contestants who remained in the game with him. It was evening, and the light over the Symkarian trees was dimming, with the light from the campfire they sat around chasing away the shadows of the forest that were fighting to take over for the night. Here they were, the final four. And, as far as Lemar could tell, they were more put together and comfortable than they had been the entire game. <br /> “We’ve come a long way to get here. I could never have predicted this final four. A big black guy with a shield, a white lady with a sword, a winged multi-racial former cop, and an armored Irish-American. All from different walks of life, with different skills, different origins, different power sets. We’ve all had the chance to learn more about ourselves in this game, and to learn who it is we associate with. Not only that, but when this show airs, we’ll all be exposed to the public. But we can’t forget the reasons that we signed up with this program in the first place. For our own reasons, we all want to be heroes. Legal, certified, deputized heroes. And it is very difficult to remember all of that when we are caught up in this series of survival, challenges, and vote-outs.”<br /> Lemar stretched his back and continued. “I have friendships and alliances with all of you. I admire all of you. I would be proud to be on a military team with any of you. And I hope we can all keep in mind that this competition, this game, is just that. It’s training for our future as heroes.”<br /> MAULER, sitting in his boxer shorts across the fire from Lemar, smiled. “Aye, brother, I consider ye a friend as well. I’m glad we never crossed paths in my wayward days as a mercenary or a criminal. I’m proud to know ye now.”<br /> Lemar nodded carefully. He appreciated the compliment and the condolences, but he would always be skeptical about someone who’d been a criminal at one time. <br /> Unbidden by him, Nocturne turned toward Lemar. She kissed him on the cheek and nestled in closer to him. This was the first time she’d shown affection toward him in front of others. Lemar noticed Valkyrie, in her human form, smiling, and noticed MAULER looking shocked. “I admire your strength and your convictions, Lemar Hoskins. I am glad to know you.”<br /> Lemar laughed now. “All this mutual approbation going on around here. Your turn, Valkyrie, tell me what a great guy I am?”<br /> Valkyrie, so much nicer to look at in her smaller form now that she could choose to go back and forth between them, smiled smugly, her arms around her legs as the fire warmed her. “I can’t find a single negative thing to say about you, Battle Star. And that is a high compliment indeed.”<br /> <br /> “I want you to know me, Lemar Hoskins. I want you to know my story.”<br /> “Angela, I do know you. I—“<br /> Angela Cairn, Nocturne, interrupted Battle Star. She was cuddling with him next to the fire. It was late at night now, and very dark, and MAULER and Valkyrie had already returned to their respective lean-tos. “Not in that way. You know the being I am now, and you know the being I was. But you don’t know my story. You don’t know how I became who I now am, the woman you now know.”<br /> Battle Star, yawning into the night, patted her back. “I want to know you. Please, tell me your story.”<br /> And so, with her voice a melodic trill, and with her emotional powers sending out waves of calm and comfort, Angela told her story. She told of her upbringing as a child of mixed races. She told of her constant need to prove herself self-sufficient and independent. She told of her enrollment in the police force and her gruff nature and work to prove herself better than all the men. She told of losing her friend and lover to a deadly mass murderer, and how it haunted her afterwards. She told of her transformation in the mutate-machines into the creature of the night, Nocturne. She told of her years spent hiding from herself and drinking the pain of others. And she told of her recent rebirth into this new confident being she had become. <br /> As she finished, Angela noticed that her emotions had changed. She was no longer radiating comfort and calm, instead she was just feeling. No drawing in of emotions, no letting out. Just being. Juts comfortable. She felt tears come into her eyes as she realized that this was the first time in several years when she had been content to just be. <br /> Battle Star rubbed her back and held her close. “Thank you for sharing your story with me,” he whispered. “I’m glad to know you, Angela Cairn.”<br /> “And I you, Lemar.”<br /><br />Day 35<br /><br /> Samantha Parrington, Valkyrie, in her immortal warrior form, drew her blade and slashed it through the air at Battle Star, careful that only the flat of the blade would strike him, and she was pleased when he parried the blow with his shield. Before he could move at her with strength that nearly matched her own, Samantha pushed into his shield with all of her strength and upset his footing, knocking him to the ground. <br /> Samantha then turned and felt a startling wave of fear wash over her. She immediately recognized this as Nocturne’s powers. Fighting off the fear and steeling herself, Samantha scanned the trees and skyline for her attacker, but couldn’t find her right off. Nocturne’s natural ability to hide in her surroundings would serve her well. But Samantha did see MAULER, swooping down at her with his boot jets, his electric shock weapons primed and ready to fire. <br /> Shaking off the nauseating fear, Samantha propelled herself toward the lake, and she felt the fear leave her as she got out of range. She knew MAULER was flying up behind her, but she refused to turn to see him. As she got within fifty yards of the lake, she could see it through the trees, and she heard MAULER’s weapons crackle, ready to fire. A thrill of exhilaration ran through her as she jumped behind a tree just as the electric burst came forward, striking the ground where she had just been standing, setting several small plants on fire and causing the dirt to explode upward. Valkyrie came out from behind the tree and saw MAULER landing directly in front of her. Then she turned to see Nocturne gently landing on the ground behind her. From a third direction, Battle Star came rushing out of the trees.<br /> All of them were smiling. <br /> Valkyrie laughed out loud. “Thank you for the sparring match, my friends! It is good to be back!”<br /><br /> Brendan Doyle, MAULER, was thrilled that there were only a few days left in the game. He was tired of living in the woods. He knew it was for a good cause and he knew it was all toward the meeting of his goals, but he was sick of being hungry, cold, and tired. And even more, now he longed more than ever to be with his son, Daniel, full-time. Brendan knew he would have to be smart it this time. No kidnapping or running off, no jail time. He would have to become a legitimate registered hero and then he could start the court battle for his kid. His brilliant, beautiful boy. He’d do it right. He’d be the dad that Daniel deserved. <br /> That two-and-a-half days he’d got to spend with Daniel had been the best Brendan had ever had. Playing with his kid during the day, flying over the woods, telling him stories, holding him at night. It had been incredible. And then to, with Daniel’s help, win the immunity challenge! Daniel would have quite a story to tell all the kids back at the foster home. It gave Brendan just the charge he needed to make it through the end of the game. The boost in energy he had to have. <br /> The game. Brendan needed to stay focused on the game. He figured he had played pretty smart most of the way through. His strategy at the beginning of the game had been to ally with all of the outcasts of the tribe, and he figured that would be what would pull him through, a leader in his own alliance. But that had all fallen apart because most the men on his tribe had been stark-raving crazy! Then he had formed that alliance with Sandstorm, and that partial one with the doting Number Nine, but both of those had crumbled to ashes around him. He had only made it this far in the game, he figured, because he was just a little less unstable than everyone around him. <br /> Brendan figured he could win the game against Valkyrie and Nocturne both, assuming he could get a few more immunities, and assuming he wasn’t voted out first. He would have the jury votes to win the game, he knew it. He just had to find a way to get rid of Battle Star. A way that wouldn’t make the rest of the tribe mad…<br /><br />Day 36<br /><br />IMMUNITY CHALLENGE<br /><br /> At Jasper Sitwell’s instruction, the four remaining contestants took their places at various corners of a complex construction that was designed to test their balance, memory, efficiency, speed, and agility. Jasper instructed the contestants to work through the complex challenge as quickly as possible. He explained that they would have to rely on their own merits to get them farther in the game. After balancing on a series of beams and ropes, each contestant would have to work their way over a series of steep walls, using only a few small handholds to get across. Then they would be required to memorize a complicated series of numbers and letters, after which they would have to go back across the course and write them down. Each contestant could go back and forth across the course as many times as necessary, but the first to correctly replicate the code would win immunity and be guaranteed a spot in the final three. <br /> When the contest began, Battle Star and Valkyrie broke out at a dead even on the balancing portion, but both had to start over multiple times, their large frames not conducive to balancing. Nocturne flitted over the balance portion and easily maneuvered over the steep walls, with MAULER not far behind her, she using her wings to support her and he using his armor’s hydraulics. When the duo reached the memorization pattern, MAULER used his suit’s systems to easily record the sequence. After returning to the beginning, he was able to replicate it easily while Nocturne struggled to write it down and the other two were only just reaching the pattern. <br /> MAULER was given the immunity necklace again, blowing everyone’s minds. <br /><br />TRIBAL COUNCIL<br /> Valkyrie, Battle Star, MAULER, and Nocturne took their seats at tribal council and watched as Biohazard, Sandstorm, Steel Spider, Derwyddon, and Ion took their places on the jury bench, there to silently observe in preparation for the upcoming final vote. There was a bit of tension in the room as the jury reflected different emotions toward the surviving contestants. Anger, frustration, hope, annoyance. Jasper noted all of this as he began his questioning. <br /> “Nocturne, there seems to be a shift in mood around camp the last few days. What do you attribute that to?”<br /> “Jasper, there has indeed been a shift in mood. For those of us still in the game, we have learned more about ourselves and, I think, as a result, grown more comfortable in our own skins. When you add the visits from our family members earlier this week, I think I can speak for all of us when I say we have had a boost in confidence and self-assurance. We are all feeling better, and it is a wonderful thing.”<br /> “Better than what? MAULER?”<br /> “Well, better than the dark an’ depressing moods we’ve all been in of late. The rain went away and so did our poor attitudes, it seems.”<br /> Jasper cleared his throat. “Valkyrie, do you find it more difficult to vote out your fellow contestants as you get farther into the game?” <br /> “More difficult? No. As difficult, yes. But as Battle Star recently reminded us, it is less about the game itself and more about being a hero in the end. My vote tonight is simply towards who is the least deserving to be a hero.”<br /> Jasper smiled. “Blunt as always. Let’s get to the voting.”<br /> The first vote was for Valkyrie. This was from MAULER, who didn’t care who left at this point, and who made this decision based on whose departure might upset the jury the least. <br /> The second vote was for Valkyrie. This was from Battle Star, who didn’t want Nocturne to leave yet and couldn’t vote for MAULER. <br /> The third vote was for Nocturne. This was from Valkyrie, who found Nocturne least deserving of being a hero of the remaining contestants. <br /> The fourth vote was for Valkyrie. This was from Nocturne, who was voting along with Battle Star. <br /> Valkyrie laughed good-naturedly when the decision was read. She stood straight as Jasper extinguished her torch and turned to the others. “It’s about time you got rid of the biggest contestant in the game!” She walked away, laughing, leaving only three in the game. <br /><br />And here we are, with only two votes, and three episodes, left! Thanks to those of you who have stuck around this far! The episodes get shorter (as I’m sure you’ve noticed) as the contestants get fewer, and all the final plans are in place to see this series wrapped up. Due to random selection, the contestant who has immunity, and a guaranteed spot in the final two is…. Battle Star. That means you can only vote out one of the other two contestants. This will be an interesting final two!!! Can’t hardly wait. <br /><br />TEAM ROGERS:<br />Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins—immunity)<br />MAULER (Brendan Doyle)<br />Nocturne (Angela Cairn)Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-68688422816015557982010-01-11T05:48:00.001-08:002010-01-11T05:48:46.992-08:00Survivor: the Initiative episode 11Survivor: the Initiative episode 11<br />Resolutions<br /><br />Day 31<br /><br /> Jasper Sitwell instructed his five guests to sit behind the assembled partition while he attended to his business. And then he walked into the camp of Camp Rogers. What a mess! He’d been monitoring this place through the cameras, but it looked even worse in person. The pieces of their wooden shelter lay strewn about from where they had been crushed by Ion’s blow several days before. Instead of anyone trying to rebuild the shelter, they had just used pieces of it to burn, or to build small lean-tos. Jasper knew morale had been low, but this was ridiculous. Jasper clicked his tongue. He saw the various places around the camp where MAULER, Battle Star, and Valkyrie (er, Samantha; that little mess had to clear itself up soon) had been sleeping. Three separate little camps. Ion didn’t need to sleep, and Nocturne probably slept up in the trees or something. <br /> It took a few minutes for one of the contestants to return to camp. It was MAULER. Jasper instructed him to find and gather the other four contestants, and in another fifteen minutes the five remaining contestants stood before him. Battle Star. MAULER. Ion. Valkyrie. Nocturne. This was it. The beginning to the penultimate challenge of the game. Three more tribal councils, then they would finally have a winner. <br /> As Jasper addressed the five contestants, he noticed how weary they all looked. This game had been rough on them. On all of them. <br /> “We’re going to do something we haven’t done before in our past Survivor competitions. We’ve brought one of your loved ones here to camp, and they will be living with you here at camp for the next two nights. On the third day, they will be competing with you in the new immunity challenge.”<br /> Before any of them could react, Jasper signaled for the five family members to come in. He wondered what impact the presence of these individuals would have on their loved ones. <br /> 5 year old Daniel Doyle, his tiny frame in shorts and a Spongebob shirt, his red hair messy, walked out tentatively, looking around in surprise. When MAULER saw his son, he rushed forward and scooped him up with a whoop of joy. “Danny, m’lad!” They spun around a few times and Jasper couldn’t help but smile. <br /> When the portly Venessa Johnson walked out, the married sister of Ion, she smoothed her blue silk dress over her ample stomach. Jasper smirked that she’d chosen to wear a dress here in the first place. Though he could not gauge emotional reactions from Ion’s emotionless face mask, Jasper saw Ion’s form draw back a bit, and then he saw the two sisters stand uncomfortably close together, their eyes on each other. <br /> Battle Star stepped forward to hug his father, Andrew Hoskins, a strong black man with a full white beard. The two held each other for a long moment, and Jasper heard Andrew whispering to Battle Star how proud he was of him. When the two broke the hug, Jasper noticed a confidence in Battle Star’s jaw that hadn’t been there for the last several days. <br /> Frail-looking Samantha Parrington melted into tears at the sight of her mother, Malicia Parrington looked ridiculous in a stylish safari outfit, her wrinkled face appraising her daughter with a long look. Malicia eventually put a hand on Samantha’s shoulder, and Samantha melted into her mom’s arm in a long hug.<br /> Finally, Jasper’s gaze drifted to the elderly, yet strong, Alma Cairn, a diminutive Native American woman in her late 60s. She walked forward toward her daughter, Nocturne, without seeming to see her. Jasper watched as Nocturne flitted backward and seemed to consider running away, then turned to her grandmother instead and gave her a large hug. <br /> Jasper walked away in silence. These contestants had plenty to worry about in the coming days, and much yet to learn about themselves.<br /><br />Day 32<br /><br /> “Why on Earth did you come here?” Dr. Voletta Todd, Ion, looked at her sister Venessa, sitting there freezing next to the fire. “Why, after all these years, would you even want to talk to me?”<br /> Venessa, rubbing her hands over her shoulders for warmth, snorted. “Voletta, you were always so self-righteous. The entire time we grew up, you thought you were better than me. I hated you for it, but I love you for being my sister. You could refuse to talk to me when you were in jail and refuse to contact the family when you weren’t, but this was my chance to finally talk to you. To see you face to… face.” Venessa stumbled over that last word, remembering that Voletta didn’t have a face. <br /> “I avoided you for a reason!” Voletta felt her emotions swelling out of control once again. <br /> Venessa, still shivering, snorted again. “For what? So your family couldn’t be reminded of how you left us after high school and refused to talk to us? So we couldn’t be reminded of how much you hated us for holding you back, for being the little country bumpkins who had embarrassed you?”<br /> Voletta felt her annoyance spike sharply. “I was too much for that town! I had to get out!”<br /> “And you couldn’t even come home for holidays? Call on birthdays? Even—“<br /> “And what?” Voletta pushed away the frustration she felt at herself for reacting so emotionally. “Be pulled back into the trap of our upbringing? Squander my looks and intelligence in trade for canning peaches?”<br /> Voletta was shocked when she saw a few tears seep out onto Venessa’s cheeks. “Voletta, what did leaving ever get you? You missed Dad’s death. You missed my wedding. And we—we never got to help you after your… accident.”<br /> Voletta felt a mix of shame, regret, sadness, anger, and fear all at once. She resisted the urge to will her body suit forward and hug her sister. In a softer voice, she asked, “Venessa, why are you here? Why did you come here?”<br /> Venessa looked up into Voletta’s eyes, or at least the holes in her mask. “I’m here because you are my sister and I love you.”<br /><br /> “You kept my earring. You took it, didn’t you? Even while you let me think you were dead all those years. You kept my earring.”<br /> Angela Cairn, Nocturne, felt waves of compassion rolling off of her mother. Not anger, not bitterness. Just compassion, tinged with sadness. “Mother, I—I was a different being back then. I was in a sorry state. After I was transformed, all my determination, all the strength of character I had grown up with, it was gone. It was just swallowed up by my sadness at losing Jackie. I had nothing but pain at the time. And I literally didn’t know how to cope. Yes, I took the earring. I wanted a bit of connection to my old life.”<br /> Alma smoothed a wisp of white hair over her ears and then returned to preparing the fish they’d caught over the fire. Alma didn’t look up. “You don’t seem so sad now. Your confidence, it has returned?”<br /> Angela nodded, willing her wings to fold in behind her. “Yes. I had another transformation. You always taught me about the animal totems, mother. I was reborn in the images of creatures of the night, but those creatures seem to have found the moon shining light on the land below. My life, my path, seems more illuminated and less murky now.”<br /> Alma set the fish aside and sat back. Angela had always been impressed at this lithe woman with her strong bones thick. Alma looked at her daughter, never flinching at her new appearance. “I have always loved you, my buffalo child. I have always raised you to embrace all of your heritages. And you have always been strong enough to forge your own path. I am proud of you, my daughter.”<br /> Angela let the love wash out of her and into her mother. She opened her arms and embraced her mother, feeling the love wash right back into her. <br /><br /> Lemar Hoskins, Battle Star, had never much cared for his father. Lemar had always been a big kid. He was 6’6’’, taller than his dad’s 6’4’’. Lemar had been a bit wayward in his youth and his dad had been too strict and never around enough. And when Lemar had joined the United States Army, Andrew, instead of being pleased, had been upset that Lemar didn’t want to stay and simply take over the family business. His dad, the underachiever, who thought college was a waste of money and refused to see potential in anything. <br /> All that had changed after Lemar had become a wrestler and, eventually, Battle Star. Andrew had suddenly started trying to contact Lemar again, to let him know how proud he was of him, how much he wanted to be a part of his life. Lemar had always suspected that that had more to do with Andrew’s divorce from Lemar’s mother than any actual desire to change. But at least he’d shown an interest. <br /> “I’m proud of you, son.” Lemar looked over at his father, so small next to his 6’6’’ frame, and laughed. “I mean it. Don’t you laugh at that. Lots of boys want to hear their daddies say that.”<br /> Lemar laughed again, and reached into the lake to wash his mask out with the water. Boy was he ready for a shower and a washing machine. “Dad, I’m glad you are proud, but you’ve told me that like 12 times today alone.”<br /> “Well, making up for lost time, I suppose. I should have been more supportive of you all along. I always knew you would be a hero.”<br /> Lemar wasn’t sure if his dad meant it, but he knew it felt darn good to hear it. And with that, he felt the last dregs of his depression drain away. <br /><br />Day 33<br /><br /> “Samantha, darling, what is it? What’s wrong?” <br /> When Samantha Parrington, Valkyrie, had awakened, she had tried hard not to stir so that her mother, Malicia, could sleep in longer. Malicia was in her early sixties and, despite being in good health, should not be in the Symkarian woods sleeping for three days. Since their shelter had been destroyed, and since Samantha had found herself unable to change into Valkyrie, Samantha had been sleeping in a small constructed lean-to by herself, wrapped in her meager clothing and large fronds. With her mother there sleeping by her, she had at least been warmer. But Samantha, in thinking about how she’d acted as a teenager toward her parents, in thinking about how her mother had come here to support her, had found herself in tears and her crying had awakened Malicia. <br /> Wiping tears from her eyes, she explained to Malicia everything she had been feeling, and what her experience on the show had been like. How she’d been hiding out in the body of the immortal Valkyrie for months, and how she was now stuck as a human. Malicia listened attentively, uncharacteristically holding her daughter close to her and letting her cry it out. <br /> “Samantha, sweetheart, your father and I have always made you the most important thing to us. Whatever you showed interest in, we’d spend money learning everything we could about it. Karate, ballet, democracy in the Soviet Union, helping the homeless, feminism. We didn’t do it to pry or to be terrible and annoying parents. We did it because we love you and want to be an active part of your life. And when you started embracing this side of your life, becoming the Valkyrie more and more, well, your father Reginald and I worried that we would lose you. We wished for you to find some way to balance your two lives. To be our little girl and the woman who saves the world all at once.”<br /> As her mother spoke, Samantha felt the strength well up inside her again for the first time in days. She stood up abruptly, gripped the hilt of her sword, which had laid invisible at her waist, and pulled it free from its scabbard. And just like that she was transformed into the woman warrior once again. Samantha, feeling the strength of the Asgardian wash over her, threw back her head and laughed. <br /><br /> Using his cybernetic control over his suit, Brendan Doyle, MAULER, tilted his head downward slightly and moved his armor toward the ground. He’d taken his son on a flight over the Symkarian lake, and had delighted as his boy laughed and hooted for joy in his arms. Brendan had loved this blood of his blood and kin of his kin the first moment he’d laid eyes on him. He’d loved him before he’d even seen him. But he hadn’t known how to be a father back then. He’d tried to kidnap his own son, and only Spider-Man had helped him realize he wasn’t fit at the time to be a parent. <br /> Brendan set his son down on the ground and little Daniel went running, punching his fist into the air. “That was so awesome!” Brendan pulled his helmet off and laughed at his son, running after him. This past three days with Daniel had been perhaps the best he had ever experienced. <br /> “Oh yeah, ye think that was fun, wait’ll I toss ye in the water where the sharks can get ye!”<br /> Daniel squealed and rushed off with Brendan right behind him. “Silly, there’s no sharks in a lake! It’s not salt water!” Amazed at how a five year old could know this, Brendan laughed and chased his son across the woods. When he was finished with his military training, nothing would stop him from keeping this little boy with him full time. His mom had been out of the picture for a long time now. No more foster care for Daniel. He would be with Brendan, and that was that. He’d win this whole game, get the fame, and raise his son to be the best man, the man Brendan never was. <br /><br />IMMUNITY CHALLENGE<br /><br /> Jasper Sitwell brought the contestants and their loved ones into the arena and explained that each Survivor contestant would be blindfolded and would have to rely on the directions of their loved ones to get from one end of a maze to another. The five family members took their positions on pedestals above the maze, and the contestants were blindfolded, a special device being used to block Ion’s sight. <br /> As the challenge commenced, Nocturne flitted about confused, overwhelmed by all the emotions and noise surrounding her. Battle Star and Valkyrie seemed to have a difficult time hearing the voices of their elderly parents. Ion was highly uncoordinated with her sight stunted. MAULER proved highly effective in the challenge as Daniel’s excited, soprano voice called out instructions to his dad, getting him through the maze in record time. <br /> After Jasper placed the immunity necklace around MAULER’s neck, he instructed the others to say goodbye to their loved ones and meet him at tribal council. <br /><br />TRIBAL COUNCIL<br /> As the four members of the jury, Biohazard, Sandstorm, Derwyddon, and Steel Spider, entered to watch, Jasper turned toward the five contestants and began questioning them. <br /> “Valkyrie, I can’t help but notice you have gotten control of your powers again! What happened and how are you feeling?”<br /> Sounding like her old self, Valkyrie responded. “I’m feeling more myself than ever before. My mom’s visit just helped me put things in perspective, and I was able to overcome the emotional barrier that has been blocking me for the past several days.”<br /> “For the past few days, the five of you have had the opportunity to have a loved one at camp with you. Nocturne, what was it like having your mother around with you? Did it change the game?”<br /> Nocturne nodded, a small trill escaping her lips. “Yes. We’ve all been taking care of ourselves recently, and we were even less connected with our family members here. We simply spent the time with our own family and stayed away from each other. It was a welcome break, and incredibly healing for all of us, as I can tell by the emotions I am reading.”<br /> Valkyrie interrupted. “Which reminds me, there is something I’ve been keeping from the group. The morning I woke up stuck in my human form, it was Ion who destroyed the shelter. She threw a small fit and smashed our shelter in upon itself. I thought we should all know.”<br /> Jasper gave Ion a chance to respond, sensing the building tension within the group now. “I could lie and say it was Valkyrie, attempt to swing more votes to my side of things, but I can’t lie. That would be dishonorable. Yes, it was me. I apologize to each of you, and I’m very sorry that I haven’t worked to rebuild the shelter.”<br /> After hearing the various reactions to this, and questioning MAULER, Battle Star, and Ion about their family visits, Jasper moved directly into the voting. <br /> The first vote was for Ion. This was from Battle Star, who was furious about the shelter’s destruction. <br /> The second vote was for Valkyrie. This was from Ion, who was annoyed that she’d been exposed in tribal council. <br /> The third vote was for Ion. This was from MAULER, who wasn’t all that angry, but could tell which way the votes would go. <br /> The fourth vote was for Ion. This was from Nocturne, who disliked the angry bitterness radiating off of Ion. <br /> The fifth vote was for Ion. This was from Valkyrie, who had no use for her former ally any longer. <br /> Jasper extinguished Ion’s torch and she turned, with the head of her containment suit held high, and floated out of the area. Jasper reminded them that only two tribal councils remained. <br /> <br /> Thank you for your patience in getting this episode out! The last two episodes (almost done!!!) will be broadcast on Mondays, as my schedule and commitments have shifted a bit lately. Voting will close on Saturday night, and votes can be Emailed to me at hellochadman@yahoo.com, sent on facebook, or posted here. Thanks to those who have stuck their way through this series!<br /> For the purpose of this episode, I created the characters of Andrew Hoskins and Venessa Johnson, and I provided a name for Nocturne’s mother. The character Daniel Doyle (though seen only as a baby) and the character Malicia Parrington already existed. <br /> In our next episode, due to random selection, MAULER gets immunity again (that’ll make a few of you happy). I always use a random number generator online to determine immunity; Megan can verify! Somehow we ended up with two boys and two girls at the end. <br /><br />TEAM ROGERS:<br />Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)<br />MAULER (Brendan Doyle—immunity)<br />Nocturne (Angela Cairn)<br />Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-38697463985654605102010-01-01T16:23:00.000-08:002010-01-01T16:25:01.875-08:00Survivor: the Initiative episode 10Writer's note: In the last episode of Survivor: the Initiative, Battle Star won immunity, then subsequently received two votes in tribal council, from Derwyddon and Sandstorm. This was a simple mistake on the writer's part. Please trade those votes from Battle Star to Valkyrie, following the same motivations, and everything is all better. We can now start fresh with episode 10! :D<br />Survivor: the Initiative Episode 10<br />Everything old is new again<br /><br />Day 28<br /> Samantha Parrington, who, until recently, had been known as Valkyrie (before she'd been trapped in her mortal form as she had been for the past three days), looked around the decimated camp. The shelter had been smashed by Ion three days before, and Samantha hadn't told anyone who'd done it. And since then, no one had done anything to fix the shelter. It'd been raining too much, for one thing, but no one really seemed to care. But Samantha knew it was still eleven days until the end of the game, and she, for one, was sick of sleeping in the open. But she couldn't well fix the shelter herself. She sighed in frustration and kicked at one of the loose boards that had previously made up their shelter. <br /> Samantha smoothed her hands over her hips. In this form, she was over a foot shorter, and over three hundred pounds lighter, than in her Valkyrie form. Valkyrie wasn't fat, just... robust. She reflected back to her earlier days. One thing this competition was doing was making her learn more about herself. When she'd been a young woman in her twenties, she'd been focused, primarily, upon defying her parents in whatever ways she could. She'd needed so badly to assert her independence from them, doing things just to spite them. Her parents had thrown a party for the Hulk, of all people, in a bizarre effort to win public favor, and Samantha had been transformed by the Enchantress into the Valkyrie, and had fought the Hulk. What did that say about her? From a young woman seeking her own voice to an immortal warrior woman battling the strongest man on the planet, all in a matter of minutes. She still didn't know quite what that said about her. But she thought she needed to figure it out if she was ever going to master her transformations and truly be a hero, something she really wanted now. <br /> As she walked down the path to the small lake near their camp, Samantha reflected upon the resolve she'd found within herself in the past few days. She was no longer crying, that was a relief. Now she just had to keep that resolve through the coming challenges. She would figure this out. She would. <br /> "An' what's a pretty lassie like ye doin' walkin' by yuirself?" Samantha turned to see MAULER, stripped to his boxers with his beard unkempt and down to his chest, walking up behind her with a broad smile on his face. "Surely ye'll be wantin' some company on yuir walk."<br /> Samantha sighed again. "Mr. Doyle, you are welcome to walk with me, but please keep your annoying flirtations to yourself. I didn't notice you flirting with me when I was Valkyrie."<br /> MAULER laughed loudly. "Well, ye weren't nearly as... approachable in that form, were ye?"<br /> Samantha couldn't help but laugh back. "I guess not. But I'm still the same person. And I'm not interested."<br /> MAULER laughed. "Don't let me bravado throw ye off. I'm here for game reasons only. I know better than tae get involved with the woman who could kill me quick."<br /> "What game reasons?"<br /> "I'm thinkin' we're both bein' in need of new alliances now."<br /><br /> "So you were lying to me the whole time." <br /> "There's a big difference between lying to someone and not telling the whole truth."<br /> Lemar Hoskins, Battle Star, grunted at Sandstorm's response and tossed another rock in the water. "You never told me you weren't black, even when I assumed you were black. You never told me you'd killed people. Lying is still lying if you leave the truth out."<br /> Sandstorm rolled his eyes and shifted positions. "Kay, so I lied. I got bigger things to worry about. Kinda going through an identity crisis here."<br /> "Join the club. What do you want, Tony?"<br /> Lemar waited for several moments for Sandstorm to answer. "Our alliance, does it still stand? Cause despite my lies, I still really want to win this game."<br /> And Lemar then told his first lie of the game. "Yeah. Sure, kid. Our alliance is still on."<br /> After Sandstorm left, Lemar sat at the lakeshore for another two hours by himself. He saw Valkyrie, or Samantha as she now asked to be called, come and go. No Ion or Nocturne, but they'd been pretty scarce anyway, even after Nocturne had kissed him. He just sat there. And found that he didn't care about this game at all anymore. Not the challenges, not the vote. He'd won immunity the day before on reflex. He didn't like the competition, he didn't like his opponents. Heck, at this point he didn't like himself. He knew he needed to make a choice. He either needed to drop out, or to be in it to win it. But for now he didn't want to choose. He just didn't have it in him. <br /> "Laddie, ye are seemin' more an' more down an' out. Ye need tae snap out of it." MAULER, in his boxer shorts, sat down next to Lemar. <br /> "Brendan, I kinda want to be alone right now."<br /> MAULER smiled that over-confident smile of his. "Laddie, just ye listen. I know when tae cut my losses. I think it's time for a new alliance for the two of us."<br /><br />DAY 29<br /> Voletta Todd, Ion, floated high in the sky, where she'd spent much of the past few days. She was furious with herself for losing her temper and destroying the shelter, and even more disgusted with her teammates, especially Valkyrie, for scorning their own humanity. She no longer cared to try heroism. She no longer cared to try getting her human form back. She no longer cared about scientific pursuits, or anything else that had ever given her meaning. She simply had lost her will. She now wanted nothing more than to cease existing altogether, and she knew of no way to end the existence of a being composed of ionic energy. She cursed her very existence, her very sentience, and allowed the breeze to carry her further out over the woods. <br /> Voletta cursed to herself when she saw Nocturne flying past. Then she cursed again. How had Nocturne found her here, when she just wanted to be left alone? Voletta had shrunk her energy field to the size of a mite of dust. But Nocturne, she must have used her emotion-sensing ability to find Voletta, who was clearly giving off a strong sense of emotions at this point. <br /> Nocturne slowed. She couldn't quite see Voletta, who was practically invisible, but she somehow knew where she was. Voletta wasn't so obtuse that she hadn't noticed the change in Nocturne, who had come across so much more confident in the past few days. Voletta didn't know what had changed, and she didn't care. <br /> Nocturne spoke then. She spoke! Voletta had rarely heard her utter even a word. Even a sound. "Ion? It's me, Angela. I've been looking for you the better part of the day. Such... pain I sense from you. I wanted to offer to help you as you once offered friendship to me."<br /> Unable to hide, Voletta willed herself back to "human" size. The amount of space a human would take up, though she was a weightless mass of energy. "What do you want, Nocturne?"<br /> Nocturne's voice trilled slightly. "I... I wanted to offer to help. I am willing to take your pain from you. I can store pain now. It doesn't hurt me any longer."<br /> Voletta's voice shook despite herself. "You want to... to take my pain. Why?"<br /> Nocturne answered with an unexpected confidence. "Because I can."<br /> Ion felt a stirring of strong emotions from within her. Again, emotions she wasn't prepared to confront, emotions she didn't know she had. "No! How dare you!" Voletta tried to cool the anger in her voice. She calmed herself. "Listen, I understand that you are trying to help. But you must try to realize that my mind, my personality, and my... emotional reactions. They are all I have left. They are the only humanity I yet possess. Please, leave, and let me brood in peace."<br /> Nocturne trilled again. "Yes. But please understand, the rest of us, we don't know what it is like to be you. And we have emotions as well. Your unique state of being doesn't stop others from having difficult experiences."<br /> As Nocturne flew away, Voletta thought that if she had the ability, she might cry. <br /><br /> "I like you, Lemar Hoskins. I like your confidence, and I enjoy the goodness that is in your soul." Angela Cairn, Nocturne, approached Battle Star with her new self. She wasn't yet sure how to react to the new being that sat before her. He was so empty inside, so despairing. It was a startling change from the being she had come across before. She laid her head by his shoulder as he sat by the lake, and ignored the smell of his unwashed body. She willed her hair, which she could control as she could her arms, legs, and wings, and stroked his back with it. <br /> "Wait a minute, lady." He expressed protest, but didn't react with any movement in his body and no change in his emotional reaction. "You come on to me all strong. You kiss me, cuddle up next to me. Then you up and disappear from camp for several days. What do you want from me?"<br /> Angela thought of the best way to answer. "Friendship." <br /> "Friendship."<br /> "Friendship."<br /> "Yes. I find myself in need of friends."<br /> Battle Star huffed. "Not a late game alliance."<br /> Angela lifted her head and gave him a confused stare. "No. I've cared little for this game since the beginning. I just need friends. Before my transformation, I was a competitive, rational mind. I feel my old self returning more prominently now."<br /> Battle Star smiled, and Angela felt a tinge of mirth from him. "Well, you sure talk a lot more now."<br /> Angela leaned in on his shoulder and was content to sit in silence for a time. <br /><br />DAY 30<br />IMMUNITY CHALLENGE<br /> When the six remaining contestants arrived at the immunity challenge, a few miles from their usual camps, they were surprised to see an ornate pavilion in front of them. And when they entered, they were even more shocked to see thousands of Symkarians in the stands cheering for them. It had varying reactions on the contestants, seeing fans cheering their names. Fans! Cheering! The dirty, disheveled would-be heroes stood in shock, surprise, excitement, and embarrassment, all at varying levels. When Jasper introduced the gorgeous Silver Sable, head of the mercenary elite of Symkaria, the Wild Pack, the men in the stadium stood a little straighter and sucked in their stomachs. Silver Sable, dressed in gorgeous silver leather, nodded at the contestants, then announced to them, and the crowd, that the contestants would be facing off in a duel against hand-selected members of her Wild Pack. <br /> When Silver Sable gestured at a side gate, the six selected mercenaries rushed into the stadium, looking powerful, regal, and heroic. She announced that some of them were on loan to her for this specific competition. Windshear flew above the stadium, using hard air constructs to walk down from the top to the base, to the cheers of the crowd. Pulsar flew through the crowd, changing her light sources to various colors and dazzling the room. On the other side of the stadium, Lightbright cascaded over the crowd, spreading warmth and light over the audience, who applauded at the good feelings they were left with. On the ground, Sabra entered the room with multiple cartwheels and acrobatics, showing her strength and agility. Fin charged in, his giant green fin standing off his body as he charged through a brick wall that had been set up for that purpose. And lastly, Vibraxas used his vibratory powers, with tight control, to shake a section of the stadium, knocking some of the audience members out of their seats as they laughed. <br /> Jasper explained that the contestants on both sides would be equipped with a piece of battle armor they would be required to adhere to their abdomens (Ion and Pulsar would be equipped with special ones that would adhere to their energy forms). They would then spar with each other. Once a contestant's armor was struck three times, they would be out of the challenge. The contestant to last the longest, or to defeat their opponent the fastest, would win immunity, and the challenge would showcase their skills in battle. Sandstorm versus Vibraxas. Battle Star versus Fin. Ion versus Pulsar. Nocturne versus Lightbright. Valkyrie versus Sabra. MAULER versus Windshear. <br /> With the crowd cheering, the six contestants lined up against their opponents in the Wild Pack and prepared to engage in the challenge. Jasper and Silver Sable announced go, and the 12 opponents leaped into action. On the ground, Valkyrie, still in her human form, drew her blade, but Sabra delivered three quick blows to the armor shell and Valkyrie was the first disqualified. Nocturne and Lightbright flew across the stadium, pulsing each other with waves of emotion, and Nocturne successfully evaded Lightbright's blasts of heat and light with her wide wings; they couldn't seem to lay a hand on each other. Feeling free to use his offensive weaponry against the armored Windshear for the first time in the competition, MAULER used his laser and blaze cannons in his aerial battle, but found it difficult to get past the hard air shields in the air. They danced and flew at each other through the air, and MAULER received the first blow to his armor within three minutes of the battle. Battle Star and Fin quickly got into a brutish struggle of super strength, each holding the other's arms back, their foreheads touching as they strained, unmoving, across the field. In a shocking turn of events, Sandstorm, who surrounded himself with a powerful shell of grit armor, was blasted apart into sandy particles with a vibratory blast from Vibraxas, who quickly zapped the battle armor three times and disqualified Sandstorm. The most bizarre battle, however, turned out to be Ion and Pulsar, who zapped each other with waves of energy, neither doing any harm to the other. <br /> After fifteen minutes on the field, Battle Star and MAULER had been eliminated as well. After several more minutes, Pulsar found a frequency that allowed her to contain Ion in, and she quickly defeated her opponent. Nocturne, who had been evading Lightbright successfully for several minutes, was declared the winner as she'd lasted the longest on the field. <br /><br />TRIBAL COUNCIL<br /> After welcoming in the three members of the jury, Biohazard, Steel Spider, and Derwyddon, Jasper sat down the six remaining members of the game. He felt waves of confidence-inspiring emotions washing off of Nocturne, who sat with a grin on her face and the immunity idol around her neck. Jasper smiled at the remaining players in the game, wondering who would end up winning. <br /> "Today you got your taste of combat. When you become heroes for the Initiative, you will be pitted against foes in the defense of your country, you will train against others. Today, you were pitted against someone whose powers were meant to counter yours, and some of you fared very well. Don't worry, as you'll have much more training before you are deployed. Sandstorm, what did that combat feel like today? Did you enjoy it?"<br /> Sandstorm shrugged. "I didn't not enjoy it. I didn't know what to expect, and that Vibraxas guy kicked my butt much faster than I would have expected. I guess it is good to learn lessons like that."<br /> "Valkyrie, did seeing any of your competitors in battle change your thinking about the game at all?"<br /> "No, not at all. I have gotten to know these folks pretty well. I am embarrassed to not have my own powers under control still, and to have been the first one out, but I know these five are all worthy competitors."<br /> "Nocturne, with immunity, you are guaranteed a spot in our final five. How will you be basing your vote this evening, knowing you are safe?"<br /> "I am glad to be safe. I have found newfound desires in me to win this game, and I am glad to be sure of a few more days. Alliances are fractured among us. Tonight's vote will be with what I hope is the majority."<br /> Jasper then commenced with the voting. <br /> The first vote was for Sandstorm. This was from Battle Star, who no longer trusted his one-time ally. <br /> The second vote was for Sandstorm. This was from Ion, who was clued in to this vote by Nocturne. <br /> The third vote was for Sandstorm. This was from MAULER, who needed to distance himself from his former ally. <br /> The fourth vote was for Sandstorm. This was from Nocturne, who was voting along with Battle Star. <br /> The fifth vote was for Valkyrie. This was from Sandstorm, who, sensing his own defeat, cast one last vote at an opponent. <br /> The sixth vote was for Sandstorm. This was from Valkyrie, who was voting along with Battle Star. <br /> As Jasper extinguished his torch, Sandstorm looked toward the group and stoically said, "I still have a lot to learn about myself. I apologize for my deviousness up until now." And then he walked off to join the jury. <br /><br />Thank you for participating in this, our tenth episode. Only a few left to go, and somehow we have more women than men left! I apologize for the delays over the holidays. Illnesses and travel stopped me from getting things done sooner. We should be back on schedule now until the big finish. Bit stuff planned for all five characters!<br />Next episode, which should be back up on Thursday (regular time; voting won't close til Wednesday night), due to random selection, MAULER gets immunity. That means you can vote for any of the other four. See you then!<br /><br />TEAM ROGERS:<br />Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)<br />Ion (Voletta Todd)<br />MAULER (Brendan Doyle--immunity)<br />Nocturne (Angela Cairn)<br />Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-19466274724145527652009-12-22T18:05:00.001-08:002009-12-22T18:05:56.365-08:00Survivor delayedWith the holidays, I need a week off from writing. Feel free to vote on episode 9 for one more week. (I will also address the voting snafu that Angela pointed out. :) )<br /><br />ChadChadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-285755129555543552009-12-17T20:44:00.000-08:002009-12-17T20:45:29.600-08:00Survivor: The Initiative Episode 9Survivor: the Initiative Episode 9<br /><br />Breakdowns<br /><br />Day 25<br /><br /> Voletta Todd, Ion, continuing her strategy of trying to make herself valuable to the team, brought in an ionic field full of plucked fruits from the tops of the forest trees. Voletta was proud of her performance in the game thus far. She’d been a quiet, steady presence on her various teams. She’d been valuable around camp, valuable in voting, and hadn’t really made any enemies. Indeed, she’d tried to befriend many of them, though those strange alliances were not really valid; Biohazard was gone now, and Nocturne was rarely seen away from Battle Star’s side in recent days. <br /> Voletta set the fruits in a stack by the fire. The Symkarian wilds had little to offer in the way of fruits, only bitter, shelled things, or so Voletta was told (as she couldn’t eat at all and thus hadn’t tasted the fruits). Voletta looked around the camp and saw that it was empty, which surprised her. She was the only one that didn’t sleep, and her six teammates had all been sleeping. She’d only been away from camp for an hour, and here she was, alone now. No wait, someone was still in the shelter. Who was that?<br /> Voletta floated closer to the ramshackle wooden shelter, covered in fronds and ferns to keep out the rain. It had stormed heavily all night, and there seemed to be only a brief reprieve this morning. There was a woman in the shelter, sleeping. It clearly wasn’t Nocturne, in fact it looked more like Number Nine, who’d been gone for days. When Voletta stepped into the shelter, the woman she didn’t recognize sat up and screamed. Voletta flew backward in a panic. <br /> “Noo! NO!” The woman looked at her arms, examining them. Voletta suddenly realized this was Valkyrie, though in a smaller, less muscular form. “Not again! I am not this woman anymore!” As Voletta watched, the woman stood and pushed her way past Voletta and out of the shelter. “Out of my way!” The woman then closed her eyes and seemed to focus inwardly on herself, her face showing great strain. She opened her eyes and panic flashed there. “NO!”<br /> Voletta stayed a distance away. “Valkyrie? Is everything okay?”<br /> “No! It’s not okay! I turned back into my human self again! I didn’t will the transformation, it just happened in my sleep! And—and now I can’t change back into Valkyrie! What’s wrong with me?”<br /> Voletta felt a number of emotions course through her. Annoyance at Valkyrie’s tears. A bit of concern for her longtime ally. But mostly, overwhelmingly, a deep-seated swelling of fury. It was like a dam broke inside her and a river of unresolved emotions washed forward. With a furious scream breaking from her, Voletta unleashed a wall of ionic energy at the shelter, collapsing it in upon itself, destroying it completely. <br /> With a cold fury, Voletta turned around and saw Valkyrie uncharacteristically cowering there before her, looking frightened for her life. “How dare you.” Voletta was practically whispering. “How dare you tell me of the curse of being human. How dare you lock yourself in an immortal form and hide your human self from us. How dare you tell me there is something wrong with you.”<br /> And with the realization that something in her had shifted beyond repair, Voletta willed herself to fly away. <br /><br /> Lemar Hoskins, Battle Star, was frustrated. He’d come down to the lake shore for a bit of solace. He’d awakened earlier than his tribe mates, earlier than all save Ion (well, she didn’t sleep anyway) and walked down here. He’d had barely a moment to himself in the last several days. What, with all the drama up at camp leading up to Steel Spider’s departure, with this new bizarre “relationship” he found himself in with Nocturne, with the constant pressure of trying to make it in this game weighing on his shoulders… he just needed a few minutes to himself. The rain had stopped for a short time, but now it was steadily falling again. Lemar sat nestled against a large tree trunk to keep himself dry, but it was cold, and with each drop of rain, he felt his spirits fall a bit farther. <br /> “Brother Lemar, may I have a word?” Lemar saw Derwyddon standing a few feet away, his brown robes soaked and clinging to his form. Lemar sighed. He shrugged and slid over slightly so that Derwyddon could sit next to him. <br /> “Geez, old man, you must be freezing.”<br /> Derwyddon didn’t look at Lemar. “I rarely feel the effects of nature upon my form. It is mine to command the elements, not to be subject to their fickle nature.”<br /> Lemar rolled his eyes, then steadied himself. “What’s up?”<br /> “Brother Lemar, several days ago I asked you of your motivations, and you expressed to me that you were meant to be a hero. I wondered how you came to that resolve.”<br /> Lemar was confused. “I don’t know that there was some moment that I suddenly decided it was for me. Life just led me down that path.”<br /> “Life. Not fate? Not god?”<br /> “Look, Derwyddon, I believe I make my own fate. Whether or not a god exists, and I believe there is one, I still think I’m in charge of my own path. I’m not on some scripted path of events that I am meant to complete.”<br /> Derwyddon looked at him now. “I have lost my faith that my path is being directed. I once felt compelled to be here. Then, recently, I felt it was my duty to see the wrongs done to my brethren, such as Steel Spider, righted. But now that wayward youth is gone. I have not been able to determine who in our camp is the poison among us. And I find myself overwhelmed with memories of my past failures. Brother Lemar, I am… weary. And, as modern mortals put it, depressed. I no longer know my place, and I no longer know my path.”<br /> As a fresh wave of annoyance washed over him, Lemar turned away to look at the lake, riddled with pinpricks along the surface where the drops of rain were hitting. “Sounds to me like you never knew your path to begin with.”<br /> And not for the first time, Lemar wondered if he ought to just throw in his hat and go back to jail. <br /><br />Day 26<br /><br /> As the rain poured down around him, Brendan Doyle, MAULER, sat in his armor. He hadn’t taken the armor off in two full days now. It was uncomfortable, and he knew that he reeked, but it was easier than dealing with the cold and the rain. And it gave him an automatic mask. No one could read his facial expressions and reactions when he had his helmet on. <br /> Things around camp were a mess. The rain was pelting them so hard they couldn’t get a fire going. Their shelter had been shattered into pieces and no one was saying how. Valkyrie had changed into some hottie blonde who kept crying all the time. No one had seen Ion and Nocturne in over 24 hours, and Battle Star and Derwyddon were so depressed they barely did anything at all. <br /> But, Brendan noted to himself, that was pretty much exactly how he and Sandstorm had wanted it around camp. Everyone miserable and not trusting each other. Everyone infighting. Their two biggest threats, Battle Star and Valkyrie, who were primarily threats due to their strength of character, were now off the playing field. And Brendan felt safe simply kicking back for a bit and ignoring the game for a day, giving in to his own self-pity for a time. <br /> Brendan looked over at Sandstorm, who had used his grit armor to create a solid rain guard around him; Brendan was guessing that Sandstorm could do that for all of the team, but he knew that wasn’t part of his ally’s strategy for sure. Sandstorm smiled, though there was no joy in his eyes. <br /> “You ever killed a man, Doyle?”<br /> Brendan felt a shiver down his spine, and was glad again for his helmet. “Aye. Back in me mercenary days. Never for sport, always for cash. What about ye?”<br /> “Dozens, at this point. But always for a purpose. Always for cause.”<br /> Brendan looked over at the camera that was recording them, knowing there were government agents watching their every move. “I’ve changed since then, though, laddie. I’m not the same man anymore. I’m workin’ at bein’ a hero now.”<br /> “See, I’m still the exact same guy. I’m still the guy willing to do what it takes to get the job done.”<br /> Brendan lowered his voice, though he knew the cameras were picking up his every word. “Tony, what’re ye doin’? Why’re ye bein’ so… candid, what with the cameras right here?”<br /> Sandstorm stood up now, and looked right at MAULER. “Because it didn’t matter that I kept my motivations a secret. The government found ways to get telepaths in my head and pull my secrets out of me. No there is no reason to hide it.” Sandstorm looked at the camera directly now. “And I’ll kill anyone who gets in my way.” Then he looked back at MAULER. “Luckily, I’ve still got allies who have my back.”<br /> As Sandstorm walked away, MAULER felt cold dread creep through his system. He had joined an alliance with Sandstorm because it suited him, it was something he could be a bit devious about, and he liked being a bit devious. But he didn’t know then that Sandstorm was a murderer; he didn’t know that this kid was so dangerous. So unstable. He had to get out of the alliance, before he was judged by the government to be a threat rather than a potential hero. He had to get out now. Or he’d never get his kid back. <br /><br /> Angela Cairn, Nocturne, felt the water surround her form and it seemed to flow into her skin, into her tissues and veins and organs. The water purified her, somehow, and she felt her body changing. She lay at the bottom of the lake, where she’d been for the last thirty hours and more. She didn’t need to breathe or sleep or eat. She was regenerating. She was being reborn. <br /> Angela had been reborn in water once before. After her initial transformation into this creature of the night the fed on the pains of others, she’d been killed and had lain in the water for several days before awakening, and finding herself a new being. She hoped her rebirth now would be as dramatic. She needed this change. She needed to be over the pains of the past, for once and for all. <br /> Under the water as she was, Angela couldn’t scream. She couldn’t cry. And the ache in her heart had steadily decreased. She would always love Jackie Kessler, but she didn’t have to mourn her lost partner so intensely. She didn’t have to suffer so terribly and for so long any longer. She could be new. She could feel hope. Maybe she could even speak without restriction again. This new transformation would be powerful indeed, she just knew it. <br /> Several hours later, Angela’s form rose to the top of the water. Her transformation was complete. She moved forward, testing out her wings, her legs, her lungs. Testing her new voice. She reached out with her emotional powers and realized they were somehow sharper than before. The pain was gone! The pain was gone. <br /><br />Day 27<br /><br />Immunity Challenge<br /><br /> Jasper Sitwell looked through the rain as the seven remaining contestants gathered. He immediately noted some marked differences among them. Ion floated eerily away from the group while Nocturne, looking confident instead of frightened, clutched the arm of a downtrodden Battle Star. Derwyddon looked exhausted and MAULER and Sandstorm, who were usually rather chummy, stood on opposite sides of the group from each other. But most startling of all was Valkyrie now stood in her frail human form of Samantha Parrington, looking miserable and wet. Jasper knew that these self-awareness challenges would be taking their toll on the group, but he hadn’t expected so profound an impact so soon into the challenges. <br /> Jasper introduced the guest for this challenge, a bizarre mystic named Crimson who had briefly served with the Hulkbusters. Jasper explained that today’s challenge would be proceeded by Crimson using his mystic abilities to ferret out the true motivations of each of the contestants, to learn what would drive them as heroes, and what was driving them to be heroes in the first place. Jasper noticed a dangerous sneer on Sandstorm’s face, but moved on to explain the rest of the challenge. After their motivations were tested, each of them would be put through a difficult obstacle course, involving intense running, climbing, a swim (even though it was raining), and a series of agility tests. The individual to finish fastest would be given immunity and would be safe at that night’s tribal council. <br /><br /> Battle Star was just glad to be out of the rain, even if he wasn’t sure he could take another of these challenges. He didn’t recall ever being so tired, especially not since he’d had super human strength. When Crimson put his fingers on either side of Battle Star’s skull, he felt the spell delving into his very being, and he felt his feelings become exposed. When Crimson was finished, he turned to face the other contestants. <br /> “Lemar Hoskins desires to be a hero for one primary reason: to prove that he can do it. He is tired of being in the shadow of others and wants to become a leader in his own right. But he wants to do it on his own terms.” As Crimson spoke, Lemar felt shame flush his face, and he wasn’t sure why. He knew it was the truth, but why was it so hard to face?<br /> With a briefly renewed determination, Lemar entered the prepared obstacle course. Using his superior strength, he barreled through it and finished in seven minutes. Then the newly familiar emptiness descended upon him once again as he sat back down in the rain. <br /><br /> Ion, still reeling in fury at the others and at herself, wasn’t sure how these challenge hosts got into her brain; she wasn’t even sure she truly had one. Yet here she was, in her containment suit, with Crimson’s hands on either side of her helmet plate. <br /> “Voletta Todd desires to be a hero for one primary reason: to become human again. She so hates her transformed state that she is literally willing to do anything to find her way back to being human. Having tried routes of evil, she is now willing to embrace acts of good.” Voletta was humiliated, having her secret motivations exposed to the group this way. At least they didn’t know it was she who’d destroyed the shelter. Not yet. <br /> Given her ionic state and capacity for endurance, Voletta had expected she’d do well in the obstacle course, but she couldn’t simply fly through the portions that required running. Struggling to manipulate her body suit to follow her mental commands, it took her a full twelve minutes to complete the challenge. <br /><br /> With a cold realization, Sandstorm sat down and saw Crimson standing before him. He considered refusing to participate in the challenge, but knew that that would disqualify him from the game. It would be now that everyone would know his motivations, his willingness to do anything to stop the government from using humans as weapons. He figured that after this, he would be forced back to jail, and not even allowed to finish the game, and he felt sick inside. All his goals, all his hard work, gone. <br /> “Tony Trainer desires to be a hero for one primary reason: to protect the rights of the innocent and the victim. Despite his efforts to discover his own life path, Tony has struggled to find the best ways to accomplish his mission, and he is now learning that following the path of a true hero is the way to do so.” Tony was absolutely flabbergasted at this. Could this be true? It didn’t seem like Crimson was lying. Was Tony… changing?<br /> Tony had a difficult time focusing on the challenge. He cruised through it on autopilot, failing to use his grit armor as effectively as he normally would. With his thoughts spinning and his mind racing, Tony finished the challenge in seventeen minutes. <br /><br /> Samantha Parrington (she wouldn’t think of herself as Valkyrie, she couldn’t) sat shivering, wet, cold, and hungry. She couldn’t figure out how she had ended up here. Her hero self was strong and self-assured, but she’d somehow kept Samantha from being her human self for several months. How had this happened? Samantha didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t change back to Valkyrie, and she didn’t know if she even wanted to. She closed her eyes tightly when Crimson placed his hands on her head. <br /> “Samantha Parrington wants to be a hero for one primary reason: to prove to herself once and for all that she is an individual who can make her own way in life. Not willing to rely on anyone for help or to ask anyone for advice, Samantha has spent months wrapped in her immortal form to avoid facing the pains of mortality. She fears failure more than anything else.”<br /> With a cold, knowing dread inside her, Samantha worked her way slowly through the challenge, but her mortal muscles just weren’t up to the task of this difficult competition. She wouldn’t quit, however, and finally finished, after forty-four painful minutes on the course. <br /><br /> MAULER was struggling within himself to find what his own motivations were, and he felt shocked that he couldn’t say for sure. It used to be money. He wanted to think it was his son now, but that wasn’t a for sure either, that might be just an ideal. He felt a cold sweat as he took off his helmet for the first time in days and allowed Crimson to place his hands on his head. <br /> “Brendan Doyle wants to be a hero for one primary reason: to find some semblance of happiness in his life. After years of searching for it, Brendan is subconsciously realizing that he doesn’t have anything to bring him steady or lasting happiness. He hasn’t found it in family, adventure, or self, and he is hoping that the life of a hero will bring him the happiness he has longed for.”<br /> Filled with an embarrassed fury, thinking Crimson had called him some kind of sissy, Brendan flubbed in the immunity challenge, making a few careless mistakes that caused him to start the course over. He finished in eighteen minutes. <br /><br /> Derwyddon would normally be curious at meeting another mystic, but he just couldn’t bring himself to care. He knew he had a penchant for feeling low, but this was bigger, more unsettling, than his last depression. He truly didn’t care what happened to him in this moment. <br /> “Derwyddon wants to be a hero for one primary reason: he wants to feel like his life has some purpose. Derwyddon is confused by the centuries-long path his life has taken, and he has a habit of looking for meaning in the smallest of things, attributing his faith and self-doubt to spirituality. This motivation is in contrast to his greatest fear, that his life has no meaning at all.”<br /> Derwyddon, expecting to feel an increased amount of depression, instead felt an increased amount of apathy at hearing these words. He couldn’t will his magic to work for him, not under these circumstances. He simply stood in the entrance of the challenge for several minutes before he was told that he could sit this one out if he so chose. He chose to sit it out. <br /><br /> Nocturne felt the intense gaze radiating outward from Crimson as he extended his hands toward her. The flavor of this intensity was powerful. Nocturne was loving this new experience she had of savoring the flavors of positive and strong emotions, rather than just the pain in other beings. <br /> “Angela wants to be a hero for one primary reason: to prove herself better than those around her, or at least as capable as them. This is a new motivation, one that has come after years of pains and self-recriminations. Angela now realizes that her role as a hero can be as a triumphant individual, and not only one who absorbs the pain of others to cover up the pain of self.”<br /> Feeling more confidence than previously, due to her drinking of the intensity of Crimson, Angela pushed herself through the course and finished it in nine minutes, using her strength, prehensile hair, and wings to her benefit at all the right moments. <br /><br /> With the rain coming down around him, Jasper held out the immunity necklace to Battle Star, who looked less than thrilled to receive it. <br /><br />Tribal Council<br /><br /> After welcoming in the two members of the jury, Biohazard and Steel Spider, Jasper began asking questions to the strangely changed group. “Valkyrie, there seem to be some not so subtle shifts among your group tonight. What happened?”<br /> Jasper was shocked when she began to cry. “Our shelter, it’s gone, somehow wiped out. And the rain. And we are all just going through some p-personal things.”<br /> MAULER jumped in before Jasper could ask another question. “There’s been a lot’a tension around camp these last few days. We’re all jest getting’ ta know one another better, I suppose, and getting’ ta know ourselves better at the same time.”<br /> Jasper focused on Derwyddon. “Derwyddon, you seem especially miserable this evening. What is going on?”<br /> Derwyddon refused to make eye contact and simply didn’t answer. Jasper quickly moved into the voting. <br />The first vote was for Battle Star. This was from Derwyddon, who was sticking to his past strategy. <br />The second vote was for Derwyddon. This was from Samantha Parrington, who wanted to see the sad old man finally put out of his misery <br />The third vote was for Battle Star. This was from Sandstorm, who still wanted his greatest competitor out of the game. <br />The fourth vote was for Sandstorm. This was from MAULER, who wanted to unsettle his former ally. <br />The fifth vote was for Derwyddon. This was from Battle Star, who couldn’t stand the mage’s self-recriminations. <br />The sixth vote was for Derwyddon. This was from Nocturne, who was voting along with her alliances in Valkyrie and Battle Star. <br />The seventh vote was for Derwyddon. This was from Ion, who was clued in to the vote by a surprisingly confident Nocturne. <br /> With sadness, Jasper announced that Derwyddon would be the tenth person voted out and the third member of the jury. He didn’t have time to extinguish Derwyddon’s torch as Derwyddon did it himself with a gesture. He walked away with a disappointment that seemed to speak of just one more failure in a long life worth of them. <br /><br />Thank you for your votes and participation! We are back on schedule this week, and this was a close vote! We are now down to six, with only a few more weeks left to go in our little competition here. There are still more shake-ups to come, and they’ll last right to the end of the game. I hope you are enjoying the series, and the character progression (shh, that’s my favorite part, if you couldn’t tell). <br />Voting closes on Tuesday again this week, and you can post votes here, Email, or send them on facebook. Who goes next? Due to random determination, Nocturne gets immunity next week. <br /><br />Team Rogers:<br /><br />Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)<br />Ion (Voletta Todd)<br />MAULER (Brendan Doyle)<br />Nocturne (Angela Cairn)—immunity <br />Sandstorm (Tony Trainer)<br />Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-75446404065223061112009-12-13T21:24:00.001-08:002009-12-13T21:24:50.861-08:00Episode 8, I mean!The latest episode, Targets on Backs, is #8. I mislabelled. <br /><br />ChadChadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-63894143283736288522009-12-11T20:08:00.000-08:002009-12-11T20:09:01.190-08:00Survivor: the Initiative Episode 7Survivor: the Initiative Episode 7<br />Targets on Backs<br />Day 22<br /> As Brendan Doyle, MAULER, thought back to the contestants they’d voted off previously (primarily Brother Nature, Number Nine, and Biohazard), he figured most of the major drama queens would be already gone. Nope. Despite getting rid of the weirdest guys, and despite having mostly men left in the game, Brendan found himself surrounded by drama queens. <br /> “Woman, it is not your place to question my direction or my motives. I find the Initiative a confining and despicable use of government power.” In the three weeks Brendan had known Derwyddon, he’d never seen the old man lose his cool like this. Ion could really push his buttons. <br /> Ion was floating in front of Derwyddon, her weird suit holding in all that energy that made up her body. “First of all, Derwyddon, you should address me with more respect. I am a renowned scientist, and calling me ‘woman’ is derogatory and unappreciated.” Ion waited while Derwyddon gave a humph. “And secondly, if you hold such scorn for the Initiative in the first place, then why did you choose to enroll, no less to take part in this competition?”<br /> Derwyddon’s cheeks reddened slightly. It was like they’d both forgotten that Brendan was standing there. “I have a difficult time explaining this to those… not of my faith. Please understand. I’m centuries old. I come from a different age of man, before the cursed religion of Christianity wiped out the pagan faiths across the Earth. I little approve of institutionalization or those who choose to support it.”<br /> Ion floated down to the ground now and stepped in close to Derwyddon. “Then why did you choose to enroll?” Brendan found himself curious about the answer as well. <br /> “I had nothing to do with the decision. It is where my gods chose to send me.”<br /> Ion threw up her hands. Brendan was shocked about how passionate she was sounding. She generally came across as so clinical and stoic. “So despite being centuries old and having a wealth of wisdom to draw from, you choose to rely upon some inner compass to guide your every move. Then you attribute it to messages from god, despite the fact that the very thing you are being ‘instructed’ to do goes against the very person you profess to be at your core.”<br /> Brendan expected the old man to be angry, but Derwyddon looked into the distance, like he was remembering something old. “When I first awakened, my fury was so great that I ensorcelled a group of monsters to destroy the very world around me. I spent the next few centuries atoning for that mistake, hunting down those monsters until I felled the last just a few years ago. My path since then has been a mystery to me. I know that I am to right the injustices done. Injustices such as a government agent biting the arm off of a misled hero, our own ally the Steel Spider.”<br /> Ion’s face mask turned toward Brendan and gave him the chills, as she always did. “My ‘path’, as you call it, is not so different. My own intense focus on science led me to being the creature I am now. I see the Initiative as the opportunity to not only redeem myself, but to find a cure for myself as well.”<br /> Brendan walked away from the pair, letting them continue their heart to heart without him. He wondered at the contestants he was surrounded by. Derwyddon, an incredibly powerful sorcerer who was undergoing a centuries-long identity crisis. Or Ion, a sentient gas who wanted people around to believe she was sincere in everything she said and did; Brendan didn’t believe a word. <br /> Brendan couldn’t wait until he could talk to Sandstorm about this. A few more weaknesses in their opponents they could exploit, just as soon as their plans against Battle Star and Valkyrie, their biggest threats, bore fruit. <br /><br /> “How did you get your powers, Angela?”<br /> Angela Cairn, Nocturne, felt the strength radiating off of Battle Star as she nestled against him. They were alone in their shelter and he’d invited her to take a rest. She had sensed his surprise when she had lain next to him and put her head on his shoulder. He’d immediately rested his hand on her back, in between her pliable wings. She felt safe. Angela had never really thought of strength as an emotional state, but Battle Star was an incredibly self-confident man. Such a refreshing place to be, his arms, after all the uncertainty and pain of the past few years. <br /> Her voice trilled as she spoke. “My past, it is difficult to speak of. You have heard of Baron Zemo?”<br /> She felt Battle Star nod. “Yeah, he’s one of Captain America’s bad guys.”<br /> “Yes. He created a machine, a terrible machine that mutates the human form. It painfully mutates you into a new being, one that reflects your various subconscious desires or thoughts of self. For me, at the time of my transformation, I was in incredible pain over the loss of my partner. I had been a police officer, eager to prove myself on a force full of men, but I had failed the person most important to me. I was transformed against my will, and changed into a creature of the night. A creature who could hide in the shadows, who could defend herself, and who could make others hurt as she did, but one constantly forced to feel the pains of others as well.”<br /> Battle Star’s chest moved evenly below her head as he breathed in. Angela drank in his strength as he spoke. “I went through a pretty painful transformation myself, in the Power Broker’s machines, but I did it willingly. Did you ever find Baron Zemo and stop him?”<br /> Angela fought away the fear that filled her when she thought of the Mutilation Killer. “Zemo was never my enemy. It was one of his mutates, the Mutilation Killer, who killed my partner and transformed me. I have put that part of my past to rest.”<br /> “So what have you been doing since?”<br /> “I’ve been helping those who feared as I did, who hurt as I did. I’ve been taking their pains upon myself to give them peace.” <br /> Battle Star lifted Angela’s head with a hand and rolled onto his side to look at her. “But you don’t deserve all that pain. Not a beautiful creature like you.”<br /> Angela looked away. Because she was scared. Because she was embarrassed. But mostly because she was feeling something she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Desire. <br /> Battle Star leaned in closer, his head on his hand, his beautiful brown eyes focused on hers. “Don’t fly away.” His voice was so soft. <br /> Then he kissed her. <br /><br />Day 23<br /> Oliver Osnick, the Steel Spider, remembered all the big words his psychiatrists had thrown around in prison at him. Histrionic. Hero worship. Attention-seeking. Antisocial. Provocative. Exaggerated expression of emotion. Personality disorder. Delusions of grandeur. Narcissistic. <br /> Oliver understood every word. He cognitively recognized the truth in everything the doctors told him about himself. About his brain chemistry. They helped him understand how pervasive his disorders could be. They knew of his brilliant mind, which he had frequently turned to weapons design (including that of his amazing harness). Oliver was not an idiot. The doctors helped him understand himself.<br /> Then they locked him up, doped him up on medication, and forgot about him. <br /> Oliver had chosen to go off the medication. He’d quit it cold turkey, all in one day. That’d been a few months ago. All the withdrawal was done now, and he had a free-thinking mind was again. As Oliver dipped his hand into the lake and cupped water in it, he wondered if things weren’t getting bad again. He knew he’d been emotionally reactive in this game, that he’d been moody and irritable and that he’d even had a few delusions. But this was training to be a hero. A hero! He could do this.<br /> As he looked back at the water, he noticed Sandstorm standing above him, and Oliver immediately tensed up. He didn’t like people sneaking up on him or getting so close. “What do you want, Trainer?”<br /> Sandstorm smiled that bright while smile of his, offset by his dark ebony skin. “Calm down, Ollie. I just saw you down here and thought we could talk for a minute.”<br /> “I don’t really have anything to say to you.” Oliver stood up and moved to walk away, but Sandstorm caught his shoulder. <br /> “Listen, out of respect for an ally, even though we aren’t good friends, I wanted you to be aware, Valkyrie is gunning for you. She’s been talking with everyone privately about voting you off next. Apparently she thinks you are unstable and not a very good hero, at least that is what she told me.”<br /> Oliver refused to respond to Sandstorm and instead took the hand off of him and walked away. Once in the trees, Oliver attached his harness, then he extended his metal legs and used the to propel him across the beach. Where was Valkyrie? He needed to confront her now, while his anger was still hot. <br /> It took him several minutes, but Oliver found her, her feet in the water on the other side of the small lake. Valkyrie had been laying on her back, soaking in some sun, before Oliver had approached, now she was sitting up and looking at him expectantly. <br /> Oliver settled down next to her, pulled back his mask, and looked her in the eyes. “I know what you’ve been saying about me. I know you are after me. And I won’t go down without a fight.”<br /> Valkyrie narrowed her eyes. “Oh, my plans are exposed, are they? And who has been telling you of my game strategies?”<br /> Oliver, pushing down his fury, stood up and extended his metal legs to move away. “I know about all your little secret alliances. You try to vote me out, I’ll expose you to everyone.” And with that boast, he rushed away. <br /><br />Day 24<br />Immunity Challenge<br />Jasper welcomed the eight contestants to the new immunity challenge. He introduced this challenges guest star, the bizarre Think Tank, a fledgling hero with his eyed brain preserved in a jar atop his body, and a premier member of Montana’s Freedom Force. The contestants, except for Nocturne, seemed a bit uneasy around him and took their seats. Jasper explained that the format of this challenge would be much like the last one. Each contestant would work privately with Think Tank to determine what their greatest failure had been in the past, as opposed to their greatest fear in the previous challenge. They would then be given an electronic gun and given the chance to shoot as many targets as they could in a gallery filled with cutouts of villains; two points would be lost for every hero or civilian “shot” during the challenge, and one point gained for each target successfully acquired. The order of the contestants was determined randomly, and the contestant with the highest point total would win immunity. <br /><br /> As Battle Star took a seat in front of Think Tank, he steeled himself in an effort to maintain calm. The greatest fear challenge had shaken him more than he’d expected, and he intended to be prepared for this one. This experience was more intense than the last one. Instead of just seeing a form in front of him, Battle Star found him, in his own mind, transported back to the moment of his greatest failure, required to live it all over again. <br /> As Battle Star recognized where he was, he felt a stone drop in his stomach. The militant Watchdogs, again! The same group that had hung him and left him for dead. They had targeted the elderly parents of John Walker, who was then acting as Captain America. And, before their eyes, the elderly Walkers were gunned down! Fodder for the criminals, who were trying to put the new heroes in their place. Battle Star had relived the failure, and the pain it had caused his friend, dozens of times, and the pain hurt as badly today as it ever did. <br /> When Battle Star moved into the shooting gallery, he did his best to put his own concerns aside. He wasn’t used to offensive weaponry, and made several mistakes. At the end, he walked out with a score of 17. <br /><br /> MAULER prepared himself, but truly felt like he had no regrets in his life. Sure, he’d missed the birth of his son, but Daniel’s rat of a mother had never even told MAULER she was pregnant, so that was a regret, just something to be mad about. Before he could reflect further, Think Tank had pulled MAULER’s mind into events from the past. <br /> It was just a few years ago. Brendan Doyle had been hired by Edwin Cord to steal the MAULER armor, but he’d come across his old soldier-of-fortune partner James Rhodes. After donning the armor himself, Doyle had gone to battle with Iron Man and he soon realized that he wouldn’t be able to complete his entire mission. His reputation ruined, Doyle decided to keep the armor himself and start life as a costumed criminal instead. And that was his regret; going from a mercenary to a criminal had been a terrible idea, and all of Doyle’s setbacks could be traced to that decision. <br /> In the shooting gallery, MAULER used his armor’s reaction timing to easily take out each of the targets with pinpoint accuracy. He surprised everyone, except himself, with a score of 95. <br /><br /> As Think Tank entered Derwyddon’s mind, the old druid already knew what to expect, and he wasn’t surprised. He briefly noted the irony of this “vision” falling directly after his last, when he’d faced his fear of being stuck in the ocean for so long. Here he was, newly awakened, reborn in a world he no longer understood. Derwyddon experienced again the shame, the pain, the frustration, and the fury at finding the world overwhelmed by Christianity, finding his own faith null. Derwyddon had lashed out with his new magics, creating deadly monsters, cursing the Earth with a flock of demons sent to destroy all things that sang of this new faith. One act of fury that had taken Derwyddon centuries to atone for. <br /> On the shooting gallery, freshly overcome with shame and unfamiliar with the associated technology, Derwyddon fired multiple times, missing or hitting a wrong target nearly every time. He finished with a shameful -30 points. <br /><br /> Nocturne’s insides went cold as this strange man with the brain on his head used a telepathic energy to read her mind. She knew what was coming. It was the same as her greatest fear. It was the turning point in her life, when she went from being a human to being a nonhuman, from working to prove herself to being a creature of the night. The death of Jackie Kessler. Jackie’s image was ingrained in Nocturne’s brain, at the forefront of her thoughts, at the edge of her every action. And yet seeing Jackie come to life before her caused Nocturne too much pain, just as it had the challenge before this. Even with the possibility of finding love and safety with Battle Star now in her life, Nocturne could not face this now. She couldn’t face it ever. <br /> She once again opted out of the physical part of the challenge, and flew away to console herself. <br /><br /> Sandstorm knew this moment would come eventually. This was the point when everyone would start to learn the truth about him. He’d be questioned and the authorities would wonder why they even allowed him into the Initiative in the first place. But they were invested in him already, and they couldn’t cut him loose, not now. <br /> As Think Tank entered his brain, Sandstorm willed the memories to come upon him. He was in Canada, during one of his assignments. The government there had a secret branch, something they called Department K, and a program that they used to turn humans into weapons, heroes into soldiers. A group called Weapon PRIME was fighting Sandstorm away, attempting to stop him from infiltrating the government facility. And they succeeded. They repelled Sandstorm’s grit armor, stopped him long enough for the government agents in the facility to get away. Sandstorm had later hunted down and killed three of the men, the ones he could find, but this, the moment of his greatest failure, had been the first time a super human presence had stopped him from meeting his goals. <br /> With cold calculation, he entered the shooting gallery, fired on the assigned targets, and left with a score of 22. <br /><br /> Regret was an emotion that Valkyrie did not feel, and did not allow herself to feel. So she had suspected that when Think Tank entered her brain he would simply walk right back out, disappointed at finding no weakness there. Instead, she heard the voice. <br /> “You can’t keep me in here forever! You have to let me out! I have a life to live! A family! Goals, wishes, dreams, pains, desires, wants, hurts! You can’t keep me stifled in here under your shell of strength! I feel! I exist!” The words sounded loudly in Valkyrie’s ears. It was the voice of her human self, Samantha Parrington, the very part of her identity that she’d kept hidden all these weeks. She couldn’t face this, anything but this, anything but her own weakness. <br /> Valkyrie entered the shooting gallery shaky, unsure of herself, and she hated herself for feeling that way. This, plus her unfamiliarity with offensive weaponry, yielded her a score of 10. <br /><br /> Ion knew that this exercise would reawaken her old failure to turn herself back into human form, so she steeled herself emotionally and waited there while Think Tank entered her brain. <br /> She was right. Her mind was taken back to the cold climates of northern Greenland. She’d moved there for a time after her transformation, using her scientific moneys to purchase a small cabin. She spent as much time as she could in the extreme colds, loving the feeling of being human again, but freezing at the same time. Within weeks, she’d taken incredibly ill and had to stay in her energy form to keep from dying. The pain of the transformation had never been greater than at that time. <br /> Ion used her ionic field to hold the electric gun, but she lacked the mobility to use the weapon properly. Cursing that she couldn’t use her own powers in this competition, she scored a mere 8 points. <br /><br /> Steel Spider had a multitude of regrets on which to draw, but he had no idea which one was the greatest. He almost wondered if it would be allowing himself to remain overweight so long in his youth. But he shouldn’t have been surprised when Think Tank entered his brain. <br /> He was taken back to the time when he sat at Jane Lane’s bedside, seeing her nearly dead because of his inability to save her from that nearly fatal gunshot wound. The beautiful girl who’d seen the best in him, who’d relied on him to be there for her. There she lay, helpless, and it was all his fault. <br /> Steel Spider tried to put his concerns aside and focus on the challenge. He was an excellent marksman, after all. He fired shot after shot, but he was too overwhelmed and hit too many false targets. He ended with a score of 12. <br /><br /> Jasper declared MAULER the challenge’s winner, by a longshot, and granted him immunity in the upcoming tribal council. <br /><br />TRIBAL COUNCIL<br /> As the eight remaining contestants took a seat around the fire in the shelter, it began to rain hard outside. They watched as the sole member of their jury, Biohazard, his power dampener still secure around his neck, arrived to watch the proceedings. Jasper proceeded with the questioning. <br /> “Battle Star, in the last tribal council, you were nearly voted out. Where do you see your position in the game now?”<br /> “Jasper, I’m still not sure what happened. No one will fess up to voting for me in the first place. I obviously don’t know what is going on with everyone around me, but I ain’t scared of any of them. They are right to see me as their toughest competition.”<br /> “MAULER, with immunity around your neck, you are safe tonight. Do you think this was a good night for you to have immunity?”<br /> “Aye, fer sure, laddie. Ye can never be too sure in this game what is gannae happen, an’ I’m happy ta be havin’ assured safety, that’s fer sure.”<br /> “Derwyddon, are the new immunity challenges causing more difficulties for you in the game, and what impact are they having on a group as a whole?”<br /> Derwyddon was thoughtful. “These challenges are unsettling. They aren’t a test of strength, but of character. They are requiring us to look at our individual motivations and to determine where we stand as heroes. Most challenging indeed.”<br /> Jasper then moved on to the votes. <br /> The first vote was for Steel Spider. This was from Nocturne, who was voting along with her womens’ alliance and who wanted the most unstable party out of the game. <br /> The second vote was for Steel Spider. This was from Ion, who was following Valkyrie’s instruction in getting rid of an unstable competitor.<br /> The third vote was for Steel Spider. This was from Valkyrie, who wanted this bizarre competitor who had challenged her out of the game. <br /> The fourth vote was for Battle Star. This was from Derwyddon, who was repeating his previous vote.<br /> The fifth vote was for Battle Star. This was from Sandstorm, who wanted his toughest competitor out of the game. <br />The sixth vote was for Battle Star. This was from MAULER, who was voting along with Sandstorm, seeking to sow discord among the tribe. <br />The seventh vote was for Steel Spider. This was from Battle Star, who now saw Steel Spider as least deserving of being a hero, though he was concerned about the new revelations regarding Sandstorm. <br />The eighth vote was for Battle Star. This was from Steel Spider, who was clued into this vote by Sandstorm. <br />Jasper announced that they had their first Survivor tie. He explained that everyone would have to revote, and that if there was still a tie, then the six contestants without votes would have to draw rocks and one of them would be randomly sent home. <br />During the revote, everyone kept their vote the same, except for Derwyddon, who didn’t want to trust the fate of the rocks. Steel Spider was announced as the next person voted out of the game. Jasper extinguished his torch and the would-be hero slowly walked away. <br /> <br />Thank you to everyone who voted and who continues to stick with this little story of mine! I hope you continue to enjoy it! We are down to our final seven contestants, and are rapidly moving toward the conclusion of the game. Five men, three women, only one sole survivor among them. <br />Next episode is titled Breakdowns, and everyone of our characters goes through some startling changes as they react to the revelations about themselves in the immunity challenges. Their self-discovery, and their own abilities to be heroes, will be tested like never before. Episode 9 begins the character tracks that will take them through to the end of the game. Don’t miss it! <br />As always, you can post votes here, Email them, or send them through on facebook. Due to random selection, Battle Star gets immunity next episode, and boy does he need it! <br /><br />TEAM ROGERS<br />Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins) (immunity)<br />Derwyddon<br />Ion (Voletta Todd)<br />MAULER (Brendan Doyle) <br />Nocturne (Angela Cairn)<br />Sandstorm (Tony Trainer)<br />Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-68561249488225196342009-12-04T15:41:00.000-08:002009-12-04T15:42:07.241-08:00Survior: the Initiative Episode 7Survivor: the Initiative Episode 7<br />The Merge<br />Day 19<br /> 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. <br /> 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. <br /> 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?<br /> 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. <br /> 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. <br /><br />Day 20<br /> 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. <br /> 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?<br /> 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. <br /> 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. <br /> “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. <br /> 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.”<br /> 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.”<br /> 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.” <br /> 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. <br /><br /> “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.”<br /> 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. <br /> “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.”<br /> Lemar sighed. “I’m offering a white flag here, Fletcher. I’d like to have peace between us.” <br /> 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. <br /> “Again, I’m ready to have peace between us. I made a bad call back then, and I would like to make amends.” <br /> 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. <br /> 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?”<br /> 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.”<br /><br /> 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. <br /> “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. <br /> 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. <br /> “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. <br /> “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!”<br /> 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. <br /><br />Day 21<br />The Immunity Challenge<br /> 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. <br /> 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. <br /> <br /> 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. <br /><br /> 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. <br /><br /> 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. <br /><br /> 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. <br /><br /> 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. <br /><br /> 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. <br /><br /> 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.<br /> 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. <br /> <br /> 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. <br /><br /> 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. <br /><br />TRIBAL COUNCIL<br /> 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. <br /> 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. <br /> “MAULER, how has the game changed for the contestants since the merge?”<br /> “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.” <br /> 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!”<br /> 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.”<br /> Jasper waited a few minutes for the fervor to die down, then returned to the questioning, but he was interrupted by Sandstorm. <br /> “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?”<br /> 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. <br /> 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. <br /> 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. <br /> 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. <br /> The fourth vote was for Biohazard. This was from the Steel Spider, who tired of the frequent outbursts and drama around camp. <br /> 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. <br /> The sixth vote was for Biohazard. This was from Valkyrie, who saw the youth as least deserving of being a hero. <br /> 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. <br /> The eighth vote was for Biohazard. This was from Battle Star, who longed to have peace in his camp again. <br /> 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. <br /> 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. <br /> <br />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!<br />TEAM ROGERS<br />Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)<br />Derwyddon<br />Ion (Voletta Todd)<br />MAULER (Brendan Doyle) (immunity)<br />Nocturne (Angela Cairn)<br />Sandstorm (Tony Trainer)<br />Steel Spider (Oliver Osnick)<br />Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-56616492043504935642009-11-26T17:24:00.001-08:002009-11-26T17:24:27.285-08:00Thanksgiving delayHaven't had time to post today due to the holiday. Will try to get things up this weekend!Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-15587584251406271062009-11-19T19:42:00.000-08:002009-11-19T19:44:19.467-08:00Survivor: the Initiative Episode 6SURVIVOR: the Initiative Episode 6<br />Blindside<br /><br />Day 16<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE<br /><br /> None of them were willing to do what it took. None of them. Oliver Osnick, Steel Spider, looked at his teammates, sleeping in their little shelter, all except Nocturne. Even Derwyddon was in there sleeping, after all the time he’d spent away from the men’s shelter, now he was suddenly hanging around this one. Ever since he got this new sense of purpose, Derwyddon had been different. It was like he didn’t understand Oliver anymore. Oliver didn’t know how to relate to him anymore, even though he’d been so close to him for a while there. He had thought that Derwyddon understood him, like Spider-Man did, like he once thought Dr. Octopus had. <br /> Oliver remembered the psychiatrists talking to him about the conditions he had developed. Bipolar, generalized anxiety, and histrionic personality disorders. He remembered the shrink trying to explain to Oliver that he suffered from “a pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking”. They’d heavily medicated him and tried putting him in counseling. Oliver had faked his way through it, had gotten off the meds, and had gone out on his own. And as the Steel Spider, he’d actually done some good in the world, taking down all the criminals he’d gotten his hands on. Sure, he’d been a bit excessive, but how else would they learn their lessons? How else?<br /> Oliver remembered the day the Thunderbolts had come after him, had taken his arm, and had thrown him in jail. After that, he’d sat in prison for months before he had decided to join up with the Initiative. At least he could do some good there, and he was sure he could find ways around the rules. He’d already started cheeking his meds, and he could feel his true self coming back day by day. <br /> As Oliver turned away from the fire, he was shocked to see Nocturne standing there. Where had she come from? She had barely been at camp during his stay there the last few days. And he hadn’t heard her approach. Her voice had a strange throaty lilt when she spoke. “I feel your pain.”<br /> Oliver scoffed. “I didn’t even know you could talk, lady, but mind your own business.”<br /> Nocturne reached a hand forward and Oliver felt a wave of calm pass over him. Where had that come from? He hadn’t felt calm in months, not even on the meds. A fresh wave of panic washed over him at even experiencing the calm and he shouted at Nocturne. “No! What are you doing to me? No!”<br /> Nocturne looked up in shock and surprise as his shouts woke the others in the camp. Nocturne turned and flew quickly away into the skies, and Oliver scampered off into the woods on his extended metal legs; he couldn’t face the others, not right now. <br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND<br /><br /> “How’d you learn how to do it?” Biohazard looked up at Voletta Todd, Ion, with incredulity. She knew he couldn’t believe what he’d just seen. Sometimes she couldn’t believe it herself. <br /> “Trial and error. I’m a trained scientist. That’s the method we use for everything. You work at it until you figure it out.”<br /> Biohazard frowned. “But I saw what that accident changed you into. A big ole pile of energy. How do you go from that back to human form?”<br /> Voletta moved herself back inside her containment suit. It was easy to move the ionic energy that made up her substance, but putting herself into the containment suit at least helped her feel human. Well, a bit more human anyway. “It’s nearly impossible, Fletcher, I’ll be honest. I can only do it for a few seconds at a time, and with extreme stress and pressure to my brain and body, unless I have the aid of extreme cold.” <br /> Biohazard blew out a gust of breath from his cheeks. “So let me get this straight. Some weird biological accident turned you into some sort of, what did you call it, sentient energy. And you can’t turn back into a human lady unless you nearly kill yourself by focusing on changing yourself. But even then, you can only stay human for a few seconds. Unless you are really cold. So why don’t you just live in the cold or something?”<br /> Voletta lowered her head. “The human form can not exist long in cold. I would die were I to stay as cold as I need to. And I only maintain super powers in my energy form.”<br /> Biohazard looked at Voletta with pity, and she did her best to ignore the humiliation. The scientist in her truly wanted to help this boy. “How old were you when the accident happened?”<br /> “I was in my mid-30s.”<br /> Biohazard smiled now. “When you are human, you are kind of a babe.” Then he sobered again. “I was still a teenager. I’m just barely 18 now, and I’ve lived the last few years in a government research facility, where they tried to help me over and over again. They can’t get rid of my Biohazard powers. But they can’t teach me how to control them either. It’s like I’m just stuck or something. Like my life path is already decided for me.”<br /> Voletta looked at Biohazard, thinking things through. “Tell me everything you know about the accident that first changed you into Biohazard.”<br /> “My dad, he was a bad guy. He got arrested by some young super heroes, the New Warriors. I was mad and I wanted revenge, so I went to my dad’s warehouse and I grabbed a high-tech gun, but it kind of blew up in my face, and that’s what changed me.”<br /> “Where is this gun now?”<br /> Biohazard sighed. “Destroyed. The whole lab was destroyed. Dr. Todd, I’ve—when I went crazy, people died. Because of me.”<br /> Voletta grew annoyed. “I’m trying to help you, Fletcher, but I don’t want to hear about your guilts. You must learn to look forward from here. Now tell me everything you know about this gun, where it came from, and everything you learned at Project: PEGASUS when they studied you.”<br /><br />Day 17<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE<br /> Lemar Hoskins, Battle Star, tossed his triangular shield up into the air and caught it again. He loved this shield. Nothing like the famous shield of Captain America, of course. More like Cap’s original one, back in the early days of World War II. Lemar loved what this shield symbolized, what it reminded him of. The American Dream, as seen by Captain America himself. And wielded by Lemar Hoskins, a black man. He worked every day to do the shield proud. <br /> Lemar had not always been so proud of himself. He’d been a high school dropout, an utter embarrassment to his family. He tried making it as a costumed wrestler, after he’d had his strength augmented at the risk of extreme physical deformities, and instead had turned to a life of crime. Somehow, fate had given him an extra chance, and he’d enrolled with the government as the Bucky to his buddy John Walker’s Captain America, during the time when Steve Rogers had retired. Lemar remembered how embarrassed he’d been to learn that a “buck” was a racist slur against blacks, and he’d quickly changed his name to Battle Star. <br /> Lemar turned to see Derwyddon looking at him. “What brings you over here, old man?”<br /> Derwyddon seemed to look past Lemar. “Tell me your true motivations, Battle Star. Why have you enrolled in the Initiative?”<br /> Lemar couldn’t figure the old man out. He’d been a recluse, then a self-appointed leader, now he was suddenly, on day 17, asking about motivations? But Lemar had nothing to hide. “I’m here to be a hero. Plain and simple.”<br /> Derwyddon’s eyes suddenly focused on Lemar. “The words you spoke to Free Spirit last night, before you voted her out, ring true for you as well. Not everyone shares your motivations and ideals.”<br /> Lemar pulled his mask up over his face. “What about you, then? Why are you here?”<br /> “I’m here to effect change from the ground up.”<br /> Lemar snorted. “Oh yeah? And how you gonna do that?”<br /> Derwyddon looked to the ground. “The gods haven’t told me that part yet.”<br /><br /> “What are your true motivations for entering the Initiative, Sandstorm?” Derwyddon looked at Sandstorm, who had been busy using his sandy form, his “grit armor” as Derwyddon had heard him call it, to bolster the fallen side of their new shelter. One side had caved in on them the night before during a heavy rainstorm and Sandstorm had volunteered to use his powers to fix it. <br /> Sandstorm sounded annoyed. “What kind of question is that? You’ve been on my tribe for over two weeks now and you’ve barely spoken to me before.”<br /> “I was just curious, that is all.”<br /> Sandstorm stepped away from the shelter. “Just curious. Sure. Listen, Derwyddon, I have no reason to trust you, and no reason to give you personal information.”<br /> Derwyddon nodded. “I think that is all I needed to know, then.” <br /> Minutes later in the woods, Derwyddon crossed his legs beneath him, closed his eyes, and meditated. He tried to find that balance within himself. He’d been spending more time with the members of his tribe for the past few days, trying to ferret out the individual among them who had the skewed motivations. More than any of the others, there was one among them who did not belong. He now believed that individual to be Sandstorm. Now his challenge would be finding a way to use this knowledge for his own benefit. <br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND<br /> Fletcher Traynor, Biohazard, automatically grew annoyed when he saw Number Nine leaping on MAULER’s back in the lake. Water splashed around them and they dove under the water in an embrace, wetting Number Nine’s long blonde hair and MAULER’s thick orange beard. Valkyrie sat next to Fletcher, looking over at him. She laughed out loud when she saw the sneer on his face. <br /> “Not a big fan of public displays of affection, then?”<br /> “I just don’t get what she sees in him, I guess. Beautiful girl like that, and an ugly old dude like him.”<br /> Valkyrie laughed again. “And you think she should be more interested in you?”<br /> Fletcher felt an acidic tremor pass through him and he fought back the anger. “Well, sure, why not? She’s closer to my age, isn’t she?”<br /> Valkyrie stopped teasing and suddenly looked very serious. “Number Nine is a complicated girl, Fletcher. She’s been programmed to be the way she is. Don’t fault her for doing what she was designed to do.”<br /> Fletcher got up and walked away, not wanting to test his fate. As he moved into the woods, the acidic surge passed through him again and this time he gave in, allowing the monster to take over him once more. He felled a tree in his frustration, then devoured it with his form, reducing it to ash and debris before he felt better. <br /><br /> Samantha Parrington, Valkyrie, looked at the man standing before her. There had been a time in her life where she would have refused to see a man as an equal simply because he was a man. After all, men had been keeping woman suppressed for centuries, shouldn’t females have a turn at the top? But she had a more mature mindset now. She knew that men weren’t her betters, but she didn’t have to think of herself as better than them either. She didn’t know how MAULER felt about things, so she’d try to reserve judgment. <br /> MAULER stood there in his armor with the helmet removed. The helmet, which he held in one of his arms, could definitely use some redesigns in Valkyrie’s opinion, but she supposed MAULER’s unorthodox look put his foes at ease before he attacked them; it likely only helped him in his day job as a mercenary. <br /> MAULER finally answered her question. “Yer right, lassie, it is probably wise ta talk things over before the tribal council.”<br /> Samantha didn’t want any blindsides if they happened to lose immunity. Though there were three women to two men, she didn’t know where Number Nine’s loyalties lay anymore, so she’d asked MAULER to talk strategy with her. “Our vote against Gomi was simple; he was a weak competitor and he wanted to be gone regardless.”<br /> MAULER looked thoughtful. “So what do ye recommend this time? Yer old tribe has the numbers.”<br /> “Believe me or not, I’m basing this suggestion entirely on worth to the tribe at this point, though we can be sure we are planning on individual immunity competitions soon. The way I see it, Ion, you, and I are really pulling our weight in this tribe, and Number Nine is a close ally to both of us.”<br /> MAULER smiled. “So ye think Biohazard ought ta be the next ta go, eh?”<br /> Valkyrie nodded, a soft smile on her face, and wondered how much malice this man was hiding behind that grin. And she wondered if he knew how much malice lay behind hers. <br /><br />DAY 18<br />IMMUNITY CHALLENGE<br /><br /> Jasper Sitwell gathered the two teams of five before him and had them stand on their tribal mats. He announced to the opposite teams that Gomi and Free Spirit had been voted out at the previous tribal council. No one seemed particularly surprised or concerned about these vote-offs. <br /> Jasper announced that this would be the final team competition, and informed the others that the following day, after one more of them was voted out, that the two tribes would be merging into one. The tribes seemed confused that Jasper was announcing this in advance, but he enjoyed seeing their brains work as the contestants tried to process this new information. <br /> Jasper explained the new immunity challenge. Each contestant would wear a Virtual Reality helmet, where their minds would be uploaded into an interactive training environment. There, in an environment that seemed entirely real, the teams, under the instruction of their appointed leaders, would have to rescue as many civilians as they could in under five minutes from a complex burning building. There were fifteen V-R civilians in each V-R building, and if both teams rescued all 15, then the team to do it the fastest would win immunity. At Jasper’s command, the two teams put on their helmets and, after a bit more instruction, the challenge began. <br /> For Team Hammond, Valkyrie started calling the shots. Though she could find absolutely nothing for Biohazard to do with his acidic powers, to either combat the flames or to help civilians, Valkyrie quickly orchestrated the others into a somewhat effective combat unit. Ion used her ionic fields to lift civilians to safety without getting burned; Number Nine darted through the flames, impervious to injury, to find the wounded, and MAULER and Valkyrie focused on keeping the structure upright and putting the fire out. At the end of the five minutes, 11 civilians had been saved. <br /> For Team Joyce, Battle Star claimed command of the team again and immediately instructed Derwyddon to ask the flames to extinguish. Derwyddon did so, and the flames went out in a flash, leaving only hot wood and smoke remains to deal with. With Sandstorm providing support from any wreckages, Steel Spider (on his metal legs), Nocturne (with her wings), and Battle Star (using his super strength) evacuated all 15 civilians in four minutes. <br /> Jasper declared Team Joyce the winners, and instructed Team Hammond to meet him at tribal council that night. <br /><br />TRIBAL COUNCIL<br /><br /> Biohazard, MAULER, Ion, Number Nine, and Valkyrie took their seats in front of Jasper at the Tribal Council fire that evening, and Jasper immediately jumped into questioning them. <br /> “Ion, how have things been going at your new camp over the past three days?”<br /> Ion answered, without hesitation, in her wispy of a voice. “It has been nice to form new relationships, and to get to know our male competitors. This game has a way of keeping us all on our toes. Well, those of us who have toes.”<br /> Jasper felt a chill. Had Ion just cracked a joke? “Number Nine, your team performed rather poorly in today’s challenge, leaving four civilians ‘dead’ within the five minute time frame.”<br /> Number Nine’s eyes brimmed with tears. “We did our best! We sacrificed life and limb to try to help those poor pretend people, especially my brave and strong MAULER in his powerful suit!” She smiled up at MAULER and Jasper watched Valkyrie roll her eyes in disgust even as MAULER’s cheeks turned a bit pink. <br /> “Biohazard, how does a tribe like this, moving into the merge tomorrow, decide who to vote out?”<br /> Biohazard looked forward, struggling not to betray his own vote. “We just have to do what is best for each of us now. We aren’t a tribe anymore after tonight, so we have to vote the way that suits us best. Someone will be surprised tonight.” Jasper saw MAULER look at Biohazard and narrow his eyes. <br /> “Let’s get to the votes.”<br /> The first vote was for Biohazard. This was from MAULER, who was getting rid of the weakest link on the team and voting along with the rest of his tribe. <br /> The second vote was for Biohazard. This was from Number Nine, who was voting as MAULER expected her to, and Valkyrie, too, she guessed. <br /> The third vote was for Number Nine. This vote was from Valkyrie, who, learning she was moving into the merge, decided to get rid of her least trustworthy ally, worried that Number Nine would flip over to the boys as soon as the merge took place. <br /> The fourth vote was for Number Nine. This vote was from Ion, who had been annoyed for days by Number Nine, and was voting along with Valkyrie and agreed with the threat Number Nine posed. <br /> The fifth vote was for Number Nine. This was from Biohazard, who was clued in to the vote by Valkyrie, and who wanted Number Nine gone for being stupid enough to flirt with MAULER. <br /> As Jasper read the votes, he noted that this was the first real blindside of the game thus far. MAULER looked appalled as Jasper announced Number Nine would be leaving the game, and Number Nine herself broke down in hysterical sobs. She refused to get up from the bench, crying about how this couldn’t be and couldn’t they just let her stay for a while longer, that she’d be better, that she’d work harder and make everyone happy. Jasper finally extinguished her torch, but still she wouldn’t leave. Valkyrie and MAULER tried convincing Number Nine to get up, but she finally, after several minutes of crying heavily, fell forward and began convulsing in a seizure. Number Nine was removed from the game by medical professionals while her worried former teammates looked on. <br /><br /> Thank you for your participation in this series! Big things to come! I know I keep saying that, but you’ll finally start to see what I mean next episode. We move into individual competitions starting in Episode 7. And immunity challenges get brutally hard. Each episode from here forward will have a guest star coming in who will be challenging our remaining contestants and pushing them to the edge of their limits. If these characters are going to be heroes, they have a lot to learn about themselves yet! Keep in mind that all characters voted out from here forward will become members of our jury. Lots of subplots are brewing, and lots of conflicts are heating up! Also, note that only three girls remain out of nine contestants!<br /> Due to random determination, Valkyrie gets immunity next episode, so you can vote out anyone else. This last vote was the closest one yet; almost everyone received votes, and it was a really close match between three contestants, with Number Nine only losing, in the end, by one vote. Make sure to vote to keep your favorites in!<br /><br />The remaining contestants:<br />Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)<br />Biohazard (Fletcher Traynor)<br />Derwyddon<br />Ion (Voletta Todd)<br />MAULER (Brendan Doyle)<br />Nocturne (Angela Cairn)<br />Sandstorm (Tony Trainer)<br />Steel Spider (Oliver Osnick)<br />Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)—immunityChadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-25460193892569005532009-11-12T18:05:00.000-08:002009-11-12T18:06:31.175-08:00Episode 5SURVIVOR: THE INITIATIVE episode 5<br />Breakdown<br /><br />DAY 13<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND<br /><br /> When Tony Trainer was ten years old, growing up in dangerous Camden, New Jersey, he had had two close friends killed by a kid at school. A white kid with a gun that left two black kids dead. And when the chips fell, it was discovered that a teacher had brought the gun into the school in the first place. A teacher!<br /> While in college, which Tony had risen above all odds to attend, Tony had become a research assistant, working long hours for no pay on various science projects alongside tenured professors. It was a dream until Project Sandstorm happened. An outside agency contracted with the school to weaponize the biologic sand specimens of two super-villains, Sandman and Quicksand, both of whom had been mutated into sand-beings. Things inevitably went wrong, as they are apt to do, and Tony was mutated into another sand being. Calling himself Sandstorm, he’d gone on a rampage and killed one of the professors before Spider-Man stopped him. Tony had learned how to control his new powers, and he’d, of course, claimed that the professor’s death was only an accident. And thus, Tony had formed his mission in life; destroying and defaming government programs and authority figures who sought to create weapons. And what better place to do that than the Initiative, the entire United States government seeking to weaponize every hero out there? Of course, he’d been keeping his true motivations for joining up to himself.<br /> “D’ye think it’ll work, laddie?”<br /> Tony smiled and looked up at his new and unexpected ally, MAULER. Tony had tied himself to Battle Star early in the game. When Battle Star had figured that Tony was black, because of the dark ebony skin the sand mutation had given him, Tony hadn’t dissuaded him, even though he was Caucasian. They’d had an easy, comfortable friendship; just the sort Tony needed to survive in this game. He knew his best route to victory in this game was to fight hard in the challenges and stay under the radar. He’d make it to his ultimate goals better that way. But this alliance, this plan? Perfection.<br /> “Yeah, Brendan, I think our plan will work just fine.”<br /><br /> “Biiiiiiiiill!”<br /> As Lemar Hoskins, Battle Star, watched from his vantage point in the woods, where he’d been exercising, Gomi, that skinny, scrawny white kid, was standing on the shore of the lake that bordered their camp. Gomi was wearing a white tank top and a pair of boxers covered in smiley faces, his thick glasses on his nose. Lemar bet the kid didn’t weigh more than a buck-twenty. How could such a featherweight have ever been drafted into the Initiative, into a super-hero military? So he could talk to a super-strong lobster and fire off blasts from his brain. If the boy couldn’t run, climb a fence, or throw a ball, how was he ever going to survive against the threats he would face in the defense of his country? Lemar pictured Gomi trying to face his old foes in the Watchdogs, in ULTIMATUM, or in the Genesis Coalition. Gomi would be torn to shreds!<br /> Lemar continued watching quietly as Gomi fell on his knees in the muddy sand, took off his glasses, buried his head in his hands, and begin sobbing. As Gomi’s loud wailings echoed over the lake, Lemar stopped himself from going to comfort the young man. Just as he’d stopped himself from standing up to Brother Nature on the behalf of Biohazard. These kids were young and vulnerable, true, but they were out of their element here. Coddling them would not make them into better super heroes or soldiers. They, like him, had chosen to be here, and they had to face up to the difficult stuff just like he had.<br /> Suddenly, Gomi was shouting. “Bill! It’s been a few days since you spoke to me! For the last few years, you’ve been my only friend. No one else likes me or understands me. They think I’m a freak or a nerd or whatever else. I don’t fit in anywhere! Bill, I can’t do this by myself! Please come up here and talk to me!”<br /> Lemar walked away, leaving the kid to his sobbing.<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE<br /> <br /> “What did you mean, a few days ago, when you told me I’m not trying hard enough? How can I be expected to fight against my own nature, my own brain?”<br /> Valkyrie slashed her sword at the air callously, seemingly not even listening to Number Nine. “Nine, I told you what I thought you needed to hear. That’s it. I haven’t given you a thought since then, honestly.”<br /> Number Nine felt the tears start to flow down her cheeks. “Haven’t given me thought? That’s all I have: my thoughts! Who am I, where have I come from? How did I end up in the hands of Skip Ash for the reprogramming? Do I have a family? Are they worried about me? Why can’t I remember?”<br /> When Valkyrie simply continued her sword thrusts at an imaginary opponent, and didn’t answer, Number Nine felt hot fury flood through her. She leapt at Valkyrie, intending to make the woman listen to her! She barely noticed when Valkyrie’s sword bit into her shoulder, straight into the bone. The anger flooded out of her as the she fell against the ground, blood trickling down from the deep wound in her arm, though she was incapable of feeling the pain.<br /> Valkyrie threw her sword aside and rushed to Number Nine in concern. On her knees in a panic, she examined the wound closely. “Nine! I’m so sorry! I just turned, and you were there, and the sword--! I didn’t know you were there!”<br /> Number Nine suddenly found herself laughing, filled with joy, even as the wound began naturally healing on her arm, part of her new genetic makeup. She’d be completely healed in seconds. “Valkyrie, it doesn’t matter! Don’t you see? Ha-ha! I got angry! For the first time ever, I felt anger!”<br /><br /> Samantha Parrington, Valkyrie, leaned down into the water and began washing the blood off her sword. Of all the ridiculous, amateur mistakes! She was furious with herself! How had she allowed herself to slash a teammate, a friend, with her sword? She breathed in deeply. No, it wasn’t her fault. She had been practicing with her sword and Number Nine had entered that space without announcement. Then again, could Samantha blame her? Number Nine wasn’t a trained swordswoman like she was. Samantha had chosen to challenge her teammates regarding their own heroic development, and she had to be prepared to accept the consequences of her challenges.<br /> Samantha raised her newly clean blade out in front of her. She felt all the old doubts welling up inside her uncomfortably. Once she had simply been Samantha Parrington, a wealthy socialite with over-indulgent parents, trying to find herself by committing to various causes, such as feminism, radicalism, and the pro-choice movement. But she’d always had a confused self-concept, and she’d always known it. When she’d been changed into the Valkyrie, she was fully aware that she’d been able to repress her confused self and had given herself over to the strong warrior woman who had no room for self-doubt in her existence. She liked to think that she had more balance now, but she knew deep down that the Valkyrie side of her was still firmly in control.<br /> After drying her sword, Samantha sheathed the weapon and, with sudden shock, found herself transformed back into her mortal self, the frail form of Samantha Parrington. Her reflection in the water showed a slight, blonde woman in blue jeans and a snug, white blouse. Compared to her Valkyrie-self, she was timid, shorter, less… sturdy. How had this happened? She knew the magic of her blade was still intact, but only if she willed the transformation, and she hadn’t transformed into her mortal self in over six months!<br /> With a shudder, Samantha drew the sword again and changed back to the Valkyrie. The beautiful, strong, powerful Valkyrie. She thanked the gods again for the magic that allowed her to turn into this amazing heroine.<br /><br />DAY 14<br /><br /> Jasper Sitwell was excited. Things were about to change, and his favorite parts of the game were coming up. He had some amazing things planned for these contestants, things no one would ever see coming. The longer they stayed in the competition, the better they would know themselves, the more challenged they would be, and the better the hero they would ultimately become.<br /> Jasper left the small trailer he was living in while the competition was ongoing here in Symkaria. There were other trailers all around him for the cameramen, challenge designers, medical staff, etc. Not a bad crew, all said. Jasper was constantly having to address situations from the game. Just yesterday, in fact, a contestant had been wounded by a sword. But he’d investigated and found that there had been no malice intended and no sustained injury. Another potential crisis averted in a game that seemed to be full of crises.<br /> That evening, Jasper stood before the seven members of Team Hammond and the five members of Team Joyce, and turned their worlds upside down. With an excited tremor in his voice, Jasper had announced that the two tribes were about to be reshuffled. He’d instructed the twelve contestants to stand on a separate ceramic tile, then had them turn the tile over. Those on red squares would be the new Team Joyce; those on yellow would be the new Team Hammond.<br /> Jasper watched the two new groups form with varying reactions. On the Team Joyce side, Battle Star and Sandstorm stood close together, eyeing the others. Derwyddon, his hands folded, with Steel Spider standing at his flank looking imposing. Nocturne, a calm fear across her face, flitted nearby, looking at Free Spirit, whose expression was unreadable. And on Team Hammond’s side, Valkyrie, arms folded, was staring down her new teammates, Gomi and Biohazard, who looked incredibly uncomfortable at being scrutinized in such a way. MAULER was looking at Number Nine with a tight grin, and she was lapping up the attention, while Ion, face as unreadable as ever, floated above the group.<br /> Jasper informed them that Team Hammond would return to the Hammond camp, with Team Joyce returning to the Joyce camp. He then informed them that there would be no immunity challenge the following day, and that both new teams would be joining him at separate tribal councils, and that two people would be voted out. As the teams walked back to their camps, Jasper watched, an eager anticipation in his stomach for this next phase in the game.<br /><br />DAY 15<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND<br /><br /> Brendan Doyle, MAULER, laughed at the irony of this game. Just when he and Sandstorm had been prepared to make their power play, the teams were completely reorganized, and he and Sandstorm were now on different teams. His two biggest threats for leadership, Battle Star and Derwyddon, were both on the other tribe now, and he had the two puny kids, Biohazard and Gomi, on his team along with three of the women, Valkyrie, Number Nine, and Ion. And they had only the day to determine who they’d be voting out. One of the men, or one of the women. Ultimately, he didn’t care, so long as it wasn’t him.<br /> As Brendan thought through the complex structures of this game, he felt Number Nine’s hands work on the tight knots in his shoulders and neck. “How’s that feeling, handsome?”<br /> Brendan sighed with pleasure. “It’s amazing, lassie. I’ve never felt a woman’s hands with such strength in them.”<br /> Number Nine, who had surprisingly cuddled up to him last night in the shelter, giggled a bit as she continued massaging. “It’s my pleasure to help take care of such a big, strong man like yourself.”<br /> Brendan didn’t know what to think of this woman. Was this a strategy on her part to try and make it in the game longer? Was she trying to bring him over to their side? Was she just trying to mess with his brain? He had to admit, he didn’t mind the attention; she was an absolute babe. But something about her left him a bit uneasy. As he closed his eyes to enjoy the massage, Brendan reminded himself again that though relaxing in this game was not an option, but it might be okay for just a few minutes.<br /><br /> Fletcher Traynor, Biohazard, sat deep in the Symkarian woods and focused. He held his hand out under his face, clutching his wrist tightly with his other hand, and he focused on that hand, focused with all the power his mind could muster. But it wasn’t until he began to get frustrated and disgusted with himself that it began to work. His anger was the key. The more irrationally angry he grew, the easier it became to turn his body into the acidic slime that made up his Biohazard form.<br /> Fletcher watched his hand take on a green hue, then watched as it began to melt before him. His heart quickened, his breathing came in short pulsing breaths, and the transformation began to move up his arm, toward his elbow. He had allowed himself to begin the transformation, and now he needed to will himself to stop it. He had to take control!<br /> With the thought of control, Fletcher let out a yell toward the sky. Control, when did he ever have control! Not in school, not in his family, not while studied and poked and prodded at Project PEGASUS. Never in control! Never! Unable to stop the transformation anymore, Fletcher gave in to the anger and felt his arm, his trunk, his waist and legs and neck and face, all convert into acid. He willed himself to grow bigger, his mind maintaining at least a portion of control over his body.<br /> It wasn’t until he grew to ten feet high that he noticed Ion floating before him in her bizarre containment suit. She spoke to him in a calm, emotionless tone. “You know, young man, you and I aren’t that different.”<br /> Irrational, Fletcher cried out in fury. “We are nothing alike!”<br /> Fletcher watched as Ion floated down to the ground below him and removed the face cover of her containment suit. “Let me show you my true form.” As Fletcher watched, a bizarre glob of energy melted out of the suit and floated upward in front of him. It looked like a protoplasm, with no recognizable human characteristics. Fletcher was shocked, appalled, and concerned at the same moment. “This is my true form, young one. This is what the accident did to me.”<br /> As Fletcher felt himself changing back into his human form again, he wondered at what they did have in common, and he wondered if maybe Ion had it worse than he did.<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE<br /><br /> Angela Cairn, Nocturne, forced herself to land among her teammates at camp. It was early and they were sitting outside the shelter, huddled up and unspeaking, around the newly constructed campfire. From an outward appearance, this might seem like a happy, congenial group, but the emotions Angela could read off of them were a myriad of distasteful flavors. Battle Star, staring into the flames, resonated stoicism, yet a strong sense of being unsettled. Sandstorm, his head in his hands, had a frightening edginess and unpredictability about him. Free Spirit, who was staring across the fire at Battle Star, had a bizarre blend of hope and self-defeat, something new in her since their transfer to this team. Steel Spider, his metal harness still around his trunk, reflected emotions that Angela couldn’t read; it was a mixture of strange flavors that she couldn’t quite identify, but with a powerful determination underlying all of them. And lastly, Derwyddon, running his hand through his beard, gave off an aura of indignation.<br /> Angela stood on the sidelines. No one had noticed her. She’d covered herself in mists as she’d flown through the dark sky, an act that always made her more difficult to spot. And she’d landed without a sound, a true creature of the night. That is all she was now, all she was meant to be. A creature who blended into the darkness. Invisible until you noticed her around. Feeding off the pains of others, ignoring the pains of self. Wings, claws, prehensile hair, the ability to heal the injuries of others and of herself.<br /> Angela reached up, unbidden, to the buffalo bone earring in her right ear. Feeling it gave her comfort. It was her only tie to her former life. A tangible object, something she could touch to remember her days as a little girl, when her Native American mother had given her this earring as a reminder of her heritage. Angela felt pangs of guilt and sadness flit through her as she remembered her mother, who now thought Angela dead and gone.<br /> “Nocturne, you are welcome to join us here at the fire.” Angela, shaken from her own demons, looked up to see the entire group looking at her. Free Spirit had invited her to sit. And Angela, contrary to her own nature, took a seat on the ground next to her new tribe.<br /><br /> “For my entire life, prior to my transformation, I dedicated myself to the worship of the Sun God, Hu, and his wife, Ceridwen. The other gods, such as Pan, influenced me as well. We celebrated knowledge and nature. Sacrifice, tradition, and mystery. But over all, we recognized that Hu was the all, the one who judged man and put them in their appropriate station. Though Hu no longer seems to exist in your modern world here, I believe I am still being guided by a divine power, a supreme being if you will.”<br /> Steel Spider looked over at Derwyddon in confusion, a juvenile anger painted on his face, and Derwyddon steeled himself for the immature questions that were sure to follow. “So if there is some sort of god, why is there so much sadness and tragedy here on the planet? Why do we have to suffer so much?”<br /> Derwyddon frowned slightly as he stretched forward out of his meditation pose. “It is not for man to question, Oliver. We must trust that there is a reason for all things.”<br /> Steel Spider only grew more angry. “’A reason for all things?’ That’s a cop-out! What possible reason could there be for me to have been born fat and unpopular? For me to get the perfect girl, Jane Lane, only to lose her to a stray bullet? For my hero, Spider-Man, to suffer in the public’s eyes year after year? For me to get my arm bitten off?”<br /> Derwyddon placed a reassuring hand on the shoulder of his charge, ignoring the look of frustration and fury on Steel Spider’s face. “Oliver, you must let go of these things. You must allow yourself to retire these pains. The supreme power can only guide you if you allow him in.”<br /> Oliver suddenly sprouted his long metallic legs from his chest harness and raised himself up into the air, seemingly ready to run. “Derwyddon, you’ve been really cool to me so far, but you can’t ask me to let that stuff go. Sometimes it feels like that is all I’ve got left.”<br /> Derwyddon looked away from his ally. “Oliver, if you want to follow the correct path, there is no room for such intense personal pain, or for such mental imbalance.”<br /> With a shriek, Oliver scampered away into the forest. Derwyddon closed his eyes, seeking the balance within himself. His mission remained intact. He would destroy the Initiative from the inside out.<br /><br />TRIBAL COUNCIL: TEAM JOYCE<br /><br /> Jasper welcomed the six members of the new Team Joyce and surveyed them, looking for signs of tension and confusion among them. MAULER, Valkyrie, and Number Nine all looked relatively comfortable and happy. Ion he couldn’t read. And Gomi and Biohazard seemed, respectively, depressed and bitter.<br /> “Gomi, I can’t help but notice how sad you seem tonight.”<br /> Jasper was shocked when Gomi began to cry softly. “It’s—it’s my lobster, Bill. He’s at the other camp, and I had to leave him behind. I’m just having a hard time being away from him is all.”<br /> Jasper considered asking Biohazard questions, but then decided against it. He turned to Valkyrie. “Valkyrie, there seems to be a relative calmness among your group, despite the vote tonight.”<br /> “Jasper, our vote, much like last time, is a simple one to come by. We need to rid our new tribe of the discord among it, and take out our weakest link. On top of that, this contestant volunteered to be voted out tonight.”<br /> Jasper, curious at this, allowed the voting to go forward.<br /> The first vote was for Gomi. This was from Number Nine, who felt sorry for her new ally and was willing to honor his request to let him leave the game.<br /> The second vote was for Gomi. This was from Biohazard, who was pleased to get rid of one of those who hadn’t stood up for him earlier in the game.<br /> The third vote was for Valkyrie. This was from Gomi, who didn’t care where his vote went, and who disliked Valkyrie’s brash nature.<br /> The fourth vote was for Gomi. This was from MAULER, who was glad to be rid of his weakest teammate, and who had never connected well with Gomi.<br /> The fifth vote was for Gomi. This was Valkyrie, who wanted the weakest link out of the game.<br /> The sixth vote was for Gomi. This was from Ion, who was voting along with her team, despite having nothing personal against Gomi.<br /> Jasper felt nothing but pity as he watched the diminutive boy cyborg walk away, no lobster in hand.<br /><br />TRIBAL COUNCIL: TEAM HAMMOND<br /><br /> The six members of Team Hammond took their seats and Jasper again scanned them for reactions. He truly had no idea who would win this game. Steel Spider looked unnerved, Derwyddon intent, and Battle Star weary. Nocturne looked frightened as usual; Jasper still hadn’t heard her speak. Free Spirit and Sandstorm were more difficult to read this time around.<br /> Before Jasper could speak, Free Spirit started up. “I waited until now to address the team because I thought it would help to talk this over in a neutral environment. If you would permit me, Jasper?” Jasper nodded his consent, wondering what was about to come. “I just want to remind you all that we are here in this challenge to be part of the Initiative, and to serve our country using our powers for the greater good. I don’t think that the petty challenges that seem to have divided our teams are worth it. We should simply be able to speak out loud about how the team is going to vote for the good of the team.”<br /> Battle Star looked at Free Spirit with narrowed eyebrows. “Free Spirit, right? You worked with Captain America, I remember. Let me tell you, kid, just because you feel one way about something doesn’t mean that everyone else is going to feel that way. You got me?”<br /> “But we are supposed to be heroes! Our own concerns and motivations should be set aside!”<br /> Steel Spider then piped in, nearly shouting. “We didn’t all get the perfect little white bread life that you did, missy! Now why don’t you shut your trap and sit down?”<br /> Jasper saw no need to keep the discussion going. He turned it over to the votes.<br /> The first vote was for Free Spirit. This was from Derwyddon, who was voting according to his earlier plan, to rid the team of who he perceived the weakest was.<br /> The second vote was for Steel Spider. This was from Nocturne, who’d been invited to vote this way by Free Spirit before the challenge.<br /> The third vote was for Free Spirit. This was from Sandstorm, who had been planning to vote for Steel Spider until the little speech from Free Spirit annoyed him.<br /> The fourth vote was for Free Spirit. This was from Battle Star, who had made eye contact with Sandstorm and changed his vote at the last minute, feeling that having such discord in the tribe wouldn’t be helpful.<br /> The fifth vote was for Steel Spider. This was from Free Spirit, who wanted the most unstable member of her team gone.<br /> The sixth vote was for Free Spirit. This was from Steel Spider, who was voting along with Derwyddon, despite his anger at his mentor.<br /> As Jasper extinguished Free Spirit’s torch, she turned to her teammates. “I bear none of you any malice, and I look forward to the day when we can serve together as heroes.” Then she walked proudly away.<br /><br />And then there were ten! Thank you all for our continued participation, comments, and, especially, votes! I truly have no idea who will win this game, and I’m thrilled to see who goes next! And as the stories of Gomi and Free Spirit have come to an end, several other stories are heating up!<br />Due to random selection, Team Joyce gets immunity next episode. That means you must vote for someone on Team Hammond to leave the game. The votes should be getting harder as we go! If they are, I’m doing something right! :D<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE (immunity):<br />Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)<br />Derwyddon<br />Nocturne (Angela Cairn)<br />Sandstorm (Tony Trainer)<br />Steel Spider (Oliver Osnick)<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND:<br />Biohazard (Fletcher Traynor)<br />Ion (Voletta Todd)<br />MAULER (Brendan Doyle)<br />Number Nine<br />Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-15174555164471331042009-11-05T20:41:00.000-08:002009-11-05T20:50:43.204-08:00Survivor: the Initiative Episode 4SURVIVOR: THE INITIATIVE episode 4<br />Holding Council<br /><br />DAY 10<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND<br /><br /> Fletcher Traynor, Biohazard, looked around at the members of his “team” and felt angry and grateful and bitter and relieved all at once. But mostly bitter. A few days back, Brother Nature had kicked him out of their team’s shelter, basically just for existing. Fletcher had had to just rough it in the woods of Symkaria for the following days. No one, not even the great hero Battle Star, had really tried standing up for him. They’d just followed Nature’s edict. Fletcher was definitely bitter, at all of them, except for Derwyddon and Steel Spider. Those two had taken him in, given him a place in the woods to relax and sleep, given him fire and food. They were the only ones in this game who would get his loyalty. But now that Brother Nature was gone, Battle Star, the supposed team leader, had called a team meeting.<br /> They stood and sat in a circle at the place where Brother Nature’s giant shelter had stood. Now it was just regular ground like the rest of the woods. Battle Star was in full costume, orating to the gathered group. MAULER, looking a bit too callous, and Sandstorm, a stupid grin on his face, stood on either side of him. Gomi was holding his ridiculous lobster off to one side. Fletcher and Steel Spider sat on either side of Derwyddon, who had his robes gathered around his knees, his walking stick laying to the side as he stroked his beard and listened.<br /> Battle Star was just wrapping up his speech. “In conclusion, I’m aware of the divisions among us, the various alliances. In a game about outplaying, outwitting, and outlasting, that is to be expected, but I hope we can all keep our eye on the true prize. We are here to show the world that we are heroes, that we can be the best heroes that we can be, and that we’ll fight for our country when we return to its service, wherever our assignment should be.”<br /> Derwyddon spoke softly. “Tell me something, Mr. Hoskins, do you believe this government you represent to be unbiased and honest of intention?”<br /> Battle Star looked around at this group. “No. I don’t. In fact, I don’t think anyone here completely, or blindly, trusts the government. Despite my having worked for them for a time, I spent a long time overseas as a mercenary, and I didn’t learn the prettiest things about politics, ours or anyone else’s. And when the Registration Act was passed, I opposed it. But we’ve got to start somewhere. If they won’t be trustworthy, then at least we can be.”<br /> Derwyddon looked up intently. “And yet nearly all of us here were forced into registration. Few are here willingly, besides, perhaps, Gomi.”<br /> Gomi smiled faintly as his cheeks turned pink. MAULER stepped in now, angry and frustrated. “What’re we doin’, havin’ this conversation about the evils of government when we’ve got us a shelter ta rebuild! What’ll we do when it rains, eh?”<br /> As the members of the team divvied up the various assignments for the rebuilding of the shelter, Fletcher couldn’t pay attention. He tried, but he just couldn’t focus his thoughts. Sometimes it felt like there was this green and disgusting acid monster just rolling around inside him, just waiting to have an excuse to get out. How was Fletcher ever supposed to learn to control that? The scientists at Project: PEGASUS had tried to help him, but he just couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t…<br /> “Fletch? You okay?” Fletcher swallowed back some vomit in his mouth, and it burned his throat. He turned to see Steel Spider leaning over in concern.<br /> Fletcher, struggling to keep the beast inside of him, leapt to his feet. “I won’t forget what you all did to me! I won’t ever forget it!” And he rushed away.<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE<br /><br /> Using her elemental awareness, Dr. Voletta Todd, Ion, sensed someone behind her. Someone slight, small of frame. She turned her head, if you could call it a head, and looked through her eyes, if you could call them eyes, at the approaching Phantom Blonde, all sass and swagger. Voletta cooled her temper and turned back to her task of cleaning the fish she’d captured from the lake, using her ionic field to slice them open and take the guts out of them.<br /> “That isn’t going to help you, you know.” Phantom Blonde was standing only a few feet away now, her hands on her hips. “No matter how hard you work, no matter what you try and do, it’s not going to help. Cause you are still going to be the next one to go, no matter how you shake it, baby.”<br /> Voletta felt the ionic energy in her containment suit bubble slightly in annoyance. She suddenly had memories of her days in college, those endless days, when she would study and the flighty females around her would mercilessly egg her on about having no life. Then, just as suddenly, memories of her male coworkers at Alternative Resources cat-calling at her when they thought she couldn’t hear, calling her prudish because she was driven and focused on her work. Well, those girls in school had all ended up floozies and housewives while she’d gone on to make newfound scientific strides. And those men… well, she didn’t know what’d become of them after her accident. Maybe they were killed in the explosion that transformed her into ionic energy.<br /> Clearing her thoughts and unwilling to be taunted, Voletta set the fish down on the ground and turned to face Phantom Blonde. “Are you looking for a particular reaction out of me, or are you just being a #####?”<br /> Phantom Blonde scoffed and looked like she’d just been slapped. “Look, I’m just trying to be open and honest with you.”<br /> “If you were seeking to be open and honest, you wouldn’t be taunting and cajoling. Listen, chippie, I’m a nuclear physicist. I admittedly don’t have the physical advantages that you do, but I have power and drive and I bring something to this team. I don’t ride on the coattails of my parents, like some others I know of. So go somewhere else to feel tough. I’ve got work to do.”<br /> Phantom Blonde was sneering at Ion as she turned away. “You—agh, you are such a weirdo! A weirdo and a nerd! Next time we lose, you are gone, girl. Gone gone gone.”<br /><br /> “They are so useless!” Wanda Mason, the Phantom Blonde, had the attention of the three sane people on her tribe, the same who also happened to be the members of her alliance: Valkyrie, Number Nine, and Free Spirit. They were the most beautiful of the contestants, the most trustworthy, and the most blonde. Wanda liked these girls and was glad to be a part of them. They had already gotten rid of two weirdos on her team, Gladiatrix and Temp, now they just had two to go. Ion had to go first. Then that weird winged lady, Nocturne. When Wanda was eventually assigned to a super hero team, she hoped she had normal heroes on her team, not weird ones.<br /> Free Spirit was looking up at the sky, her hands behind her head. “Wanda, we know how you feel about the rest of our team, but honestly, they are effectively our allies at this point. Shouldn’t you be more focused on our opponents on Team Hammond?”<br /> Wanda thought about it for a moment, then laughed. “Well, there are a bunch of weirdos over there, too. A couple of nice physiques, I guess, especially that yummy Battle Star, but they’ve got old men and skinny kids, too. We’ll just have to pick them all off til we are the final four fabulous females.”<br /> Number Nine gave out an awkward giggle, but stopped, cheeks pink with embarrassment, when no one else laughed. Valkyrie looked a bit worried for some reason. Free Spirit spoke up again. “I really think we ought to be focused on pulling together rather than falling apart. We are already down a member.”<br /> Then Valkyrie spoke up. “And as much as Wanda hates to admit it, Ion really is pulling her weight around camp. And I had a recent… intervention with Nocturne. I think with a bit of persistence and follow-through, she’ll stop avoiding our tribe so much. I think the combination of being around others and in an unfamiliar place has just put her into a bit of a funk. She’s a very emotional creature.”<br /> Number Nine laughed out loud again. “Showing emotions is only natural, so long as it is done in a controlled way, and so long as one recognizes that the male is the stronger species.” She sometimes did and said things without thinking about it first, a result of her programming by that disgusting millionaire. Number Nine put a hand over her mouth. “Sorry! It just comes out sometimes!” Wanda rolled her eyes. These girls may be beautiful, but they were definitely definitely not normal.<br /><br />DAY 11<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND<br /><br /> Genora. Derwyddon remembered Genora, his one and only true love. It had been nearly three thousand years since he had last seen her. On the night before he was scheduled to undergo the sacred rituals for Druidism, before he was to be sent out to sea on his own to be judged by the gods. He’d been worried that he wouldn’t survive, that he would never see Genora again, and he had lain with her. It was with a guilty conscience that he went on his quest the next day. His boat had sunk and Derwyddon had been taken by the sea sprites and put into a deep sleep. A sleep that lasted centuries. And when he’d awakened, Genora had been long dead. And if that punishment by the gods hadn’t been enough, Derwyddon had found his very religion a thing of the past, replaced by the worship of new gods and by a world-spreading religion called Christianity. Derwyddon had been furious and had lashed out against the world for a time, creating monsters who would aid him in destruction, but he’d had a change of heart. He’d spent centuries hunting down those monsters. And now, here he was on his new path, the very path he expected the gods wanted him to be on. He’d been guided to the Initiative. He’d been led here, and he knew why now. He knew what his purpose was.<br /> Derwyddon pulled the fish off the fire and set it on a cooling stone. Gomi eyed it through his round glasses, blinking and obviously hungry. “You may have some if you wish.”<br /> Gomi grinned and thanked Derwyddon. “Bill usually catches fish for me, but he hasn’t really been speaking with me the past few days. He’ll come around, I suppose, but thanks for the fish anyway.”<br /> Derwyddon smiled. He’d done next to nothing to ingratiate himself with his teammates, yet they kept coming to him and forming allegiances one by one. He was slowly finding himself in a leadership position among those of his tribe. “The animals do not think the same way we humans do. But your Bill, he is a special animal indeed.”<br /> Gomi’s face lit up as he put a small piece of fish in his mouth. “Yes, he’s the most special. He’s my best friend.”<br /> Derwyddon adjusted his robes over his knees. “I find that most creatures in the wild have a special and unique place of belonging. It seems this lobster has found its way into your heart. In my days of communing with the naiads and dryads, I found similar companionship and acceptance.”<br /> Gomi took a few more mouthfuls of fish and began opening up about his long history with the lobster. And Derwyddon reflected upon his newfound place of power. Biohazard trusted him implicitly. Steel Spider was rarely far from Derwyddon’s side, and had even begun dressing and speaking like Derwyddon. And now this lost young boy was with him as well. It felt wonderful to sense the path of power before him.<br /><br /> Brendan Doyle, MAULER, fired off an electronic burst from his armor’s chargers and watched it give off a massive electric shock in the lake, dissipating with a violent zap sound. The armor, the Mobile Armored Utility Laser Emitter, Revised, had been upgraded a few times since Brendan had stolen it. He could fire most of his weaponry several times before having to recharge for 24 hours. The laser units, the electro-shock, and the flight capability were all solar-powered, and he’d had to leave most his offensive weaponry back at home.<br /> When Brendan had first occupied the MAULER armor, he’d been so impressed by it. A streamlined fighting machine with offensive weapons! He’d been thrilled, and it had made his job as a mercenary much more exciting. To have a villainous identity and a powerful reputation to go along with it, he’d figured he could be a billionaire and retire on a private island somewhere by the time he was forty. He had definitely figured it would beat out his soldier-for-hire days; he’d nearly winded up dead too many times to consider more mercenary assignments without the armor, that was for sure. But then the defeats had started piling up. Fights with Iron Man, Spider-Man, Guardian, even earlier cadets in the Initiative; they just kept leaving him defeated and ashamed. His reputation became a joke, not something to be lauded.<br /> With another cry of fury, Brendan fired off more electric pulses and watched them, with his arms wide, cascade over the lake surface before going out. He remembered the day he’d learned about his son. Young Daniel. He’d been so angry, he’d tried to kidnap the boy. He was determined to raise the child on his own, to bring him up to be a man. But then he’d realized, with Spider-Man’s help, that he had no idea how to be a father, or how to take care of a baby. With the discovery of his son, his whole life had changed. He stopped caring about profiting for himself, and started caring about taking care of that boy’s future. With the Initiative came the chance to become lauded as a hero, receiving payment for it as well. He could think of nothing he wanted more than to see his boy proud of him.<br /> Brendan landed on the sandy shore of the lake and pulled off his helmet, taking in the crisp Symkarian air. All of his plans on pulling in the stragglers and forming an outsider’s alliance, they didn’t seem to be working very well. The group had all formed tight connections to others around him, without him. He had, in essence, become the outsider. It was time for him to switch tactics. He needed to win this game.<br /> It was a few minutes later when Brendan approached Sandstorm with his plan.<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE<br /><br /> Samantha Parrington, Valkyrie, looked at her teammates with a cold, calculating stare. Though they had balked at the idea, she had lined them all up like they were soldiers in her army and she was walking back and forth in front of them like the toughest drill sergeant they had ever had. Valkyrie stepped in front of them, one by one, meeting each of their gazes, not saying a word, not breaking eye contact until she was ready. She was almost waiting for one of them to break ranks, so that she could show them who was boss. Free Spirit. Nocturne. Ion. Number Nine. Phantom Blonde. Her teammates. Who would break first?<br /> Of course it was her. Phantom Blonde threw her hands up in the air in frustration. “Valkyrie, what are you doing? Why are we just standing here?”<br /> Valkyrie ignored her and kept walking a few more steps. She then stepped back and surveyed her team. “It is long past time for someone to whip this team into shape. Not with words and impassioned pleas, but with brutal truth, honest intentions, and decisiveness. I’ve taken it upon myself to do so.”<br /> The other five members of Team Joyce glanced around uncomfortably, wondering what was going on. All except Free Spirit, who looked a little bit hurt.<br /> “Free Spirit, I see the pained look on your face. I believe that you have thought yourself the leader of our little tribe, but your skills are simply inadequate for that particular station. You are young and idealistic, and your inexperience does not lead well for a group containing former criminals and lost souls. Your ideals do not mesh in this tribe. You would do best to focus on sharpening your own skills and working harder to understand the human spirit.”<br /> As Free Spirit fought back the light tears running down her cheeks, Valkyrie continued down the line. “Nocturne, this is our eleventh day of association and I have yet to learn anything about you except that you are an impressive fighter with a vast array of skills. You are either incredibly timid or incredibly wounded. Regardless, it is long beyond time you started bonding with the team and participating in camp life. If you are going to thrive as a hero, you can’t expect to flit about the trees mysteriously.<br /> “Ion, I have appreciated your attempts to ingratiate yourself with the women here, supplying food for us and working hard. It has not escaped my eyes that you have no need to sleep or eat yourself, and yet you have avidly worked on the shelter and supplies for the woman around you. Though I can not yet ferret out your true motivations, you have proved yourself a valuable ally, and I look forward to associating with you for a long time to come.<br /> “Number Nine, I’m not sure what is going on in your brain. From what I can tell, you have been entirely programmed to be the way you are, but I think you merely need the courage to face your past self and to truly embrace your memories and life goals. You must find that courage within yourself, as the rest of us can not do this for you. You are a skilled and beautiful woman, my friend, now you must grow past this.” <br /> Valkyrie moved past the three women she’d just addressed, gauging their varying responses, then stood before her last, and most unworthy, ally. “And now you, little Phantom Blonde. You have no powers, you have no work ethic, and you have low regard for others. Help me understand why you were even allowed to come into this game, no less to enroll in the Initiative. What value are you to me?”<br /> Valkyrie stifled the mirth she felt inside as she watched Phantom Blonde squirm before her, looking to the others for support and noticing their eyes were all averted. Valkyrie wasn’t afraid of pushing buttons when she felt it would help achieve potential; her parents, and her experiences with the Defenders, had taught her that much at least.<br /> Phantom Blonde stammered. “B-but I’m your friend! Why are you talking to me like this?”<br /> Valkyrie leaned in so that she could be nose to nose with Phantom Blonde. “You are not my friend. You are my ally. And the least worthy one that I can see thus far.”<br /><br />DAY 12<br /><br />IMMUNITY CHALLENGE<br /><br /> As the two teams gathered before him, Jasper adjusted his glasses on his nose, then folded his hands, waiting for them all to be in place. When he announced that Brother Nature had been voted out, he noted that Valkyrie was really the only member of Team Joyce to convey surprise; the others seemed uncomfortable, tense, and disinterested. Then men still seemed to be grouped in their alliances, even in the way they stood, but the power balance seemed to be shifting. Jasper noted these facts to himself as he announced the upcoming challenge.<br /> “Our challenges thus far have focused on your ability to divide tasks among your team, and your ability to remain unified as a team. I know that this has been difficult for many of you, to not be able to rely on the talents of others, and for some of you to have to rely on others at all, but that is all part of what being in a super hero team is all about. At the end of your training, you will be deployed to a state team and required to participate in super heroics on a military level. Not for profit, not for self-gain, but for the sake of others. As we move further on in the competition, you’ll be learning more about your own ability to rely on yourself and others, and the challenges, trust me, will only be more difficult as we go along. Today’s challenge will require you to select a leader on your team, something that seems to be changing for both teams.”<br /> As Jasper waited, Valkyrie brashly stepped forward to represent Team Joyce, ignoring Free Spirit’s small protest. Derwyddon and Battle Star seemed to face each other uncomfortably before Derwyddon indicated that Battle Star should step forward, and he did so. Jasper showed them across a complicated rope course, and let each team leader know that the other members of their team would be blindfolded and lead through a complicated rope course, guided only by the instructions of their leaders, who would have to manage, vocally, all five of the other members of the team. Battle Star chose Gomi to sit out this challenge.<br /> After the individual members of the team blindfolded themselves and Jasper gave the go ahead, Valkyrie and Battle Star began shouting out orders chaotically to the members of their team. As the blindfolded heroes stumbled around the rope course, occasionally colliding and/or falling, the two leaders struggles to maintain control. Battle Star creatively had Derwyddon, Steel Spider, and Sandstorm use their powers at various places in the course to get around obstacles; Valkyrie, catching on to this tactic, had Ion and Nocturne use their flight powers on the course to aid their teammates and avoid places in the course. The entire competition lasted nearly ninety minutes and the exhausted contestants showed little enthusiasm when Team Hammond pulled out a narrow victory.<br /><br />TRIBAL COUNCIL<br /><br /> The six women of Team Joyce gathered in before Jasper that evening, their lit torches set to the side as he prepared to question them. He sensed a wide tension among the women.<br /> “Number Nine, there is a palpable tension among the women of your group this evening. What do you attribute this to?”<br /> “There have been divisions in our tribe. A core alliance of four and a group of outsiders. Loyalties were recently exposed and called into question when Valkyrie harshly challenged us on our own progress as heroes. This cut deeply to many of us and we are still working to reconcile her words within ourselves.”<br /> “Nocturne, based on your refusal to make eye contact, I’m left to assume that you still aren’t speaking to me? Okay, in that case, Ion, if alliances are exposed in such a way, how will you be casting your individual votes tonight?”<br /> “I could not pretend to speak for the other individuals here, so some would do, but I can speak for myself. I will be voting for the most obnoxious member of our tribe, and the one who brings the least to the table.”<br /> Jasper was surprised when Phantom Blonde suddenly shouted out. “Listen, you floozy, I’m guessing you are talking to me, but at least I bring a face to the team! Think about that! And as far as not being super powered, I’ll remind all here that there are lots of heroes who have no powers, like Hawkeye, Mockingbird, and Captain America! Who’s to say I’m not going to be the greatest hero ever?”<br /> Valkyrie looked at her ally with scorn. “You compare yourself to heroes of this caliber? They work and practice and enhance their skills constantly! They don’t loaf about and flit and complain from person to person!”<br /> Jasper waited for the silence to settle over the tense group, then he allowed them to go forward with the voting. The first vote was for Ion. This was from Phantom Blonde, who wanted her creepy teammate long gone.<br /> The second vote was for Ion. This was from Free Spirit, who was going along with the plans of her original alliance.<br /> The third vote was for Phantom Blonde. This was from Ion, who despised this false hero in her midst.<br /> The fourth vote was for Phantom Blonde. This was from Number Nine, who was coerced into voting this way by Valkyrie, despite her own recriminations.<br /> The fifth vote was for Phantom Blonde. This was from Valkyrie, who needed the weakest link on their tribe gone.<br /> The sixth vote was for Phantom Blonde. This was from Nocturne, who was requested by Ion to vote this way.<br /> As Jasper extinguished the torch of the Phantom Blonde, she turned to her teammates and promptly stuck out her tongue. “I won’t forget, and I won’t forgive.”<br /><br />Hope you enjoyed this episode! Just as you were getting comfortable with the current format, we are switching things up starting next episode! We are down to seven men and five women. In Episode 5, those teams get divided and reshuffled, giving us a new (randomly selected) set of teams. And to spice it up even more, no immunity challenge next episode. Both of the new teams have to have someone voted off. So this time vote for someone from EACH team, and we’ll be losing TWO contestants next time around. Thank you for your ongoing support and feedback! I’m thrilled about where this is going.<br /> Side note: if it seems that one character or another takes a back seat in one episode, that is a plotting issue; trust that each character has big things ahead. It’s not about me liking one above another.<br /><br />The new TEAM HAMMOND:<br />Biohazard (Fletcher Traynor)<br />Gomi (Alphonsus Lefszycic)<br />Ion (Voletta Todd)<br />MAULER (Brendan Doyle)<br />Number Nine<br />Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)<br /><br />The new TEAM JOYCE:<br />Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)<br />Derwyddon<br />Free Spirit (Cathy Webster)<br />Nocturne (Angela Cairn)<br />Sandstorm (Tony Trainer)<br />Steel Spider (Oliver Osnick)Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-47378250925686814702009-10-29T18:45:00.000-07:002009-10-29T18:46:43.448-07:00Survivor: the Initiative Episode 3Survivor: the Initiative Episode 3<br />Sharpening Skills and Telling Truths<br /><br />Day 7<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE<br /><br />Angela Cairn, Nocturne, alighted next to the small shelter that most of the members of her team had constructed and now slept in. She had been flying overhead, foraging for food, when she sensed a strange emotional state beneath her. Angela had grown adept at reading the emotional states of others (except Ion, of course, who reflected no emotions). Back when she’d been a cop, she’d learned to read the intentions of others and had had to make fast judgment calls in the line of duty. After her lover and partner had been killed, Angela had grown intensely withdrawn and closed off from the world. The machine that had transformed her into Nocturne, Angela understood that it provided physical mutations based on subconscious desires. The creature Vermin had become a monstrous recluse, reflecting his inner struggles after a tortured childhood. The Mutilation Killer had become a sick and twisted monster with the power to change his shape. But Angela? Angela had become a winged creature of the night, with the power to control her hair as she would her hands; she had claws, enhanced strength, and this new ability to read the emotional states of others, or to transfer her own emotional state on to them. She often wondered what she would have changed into if her transformation had taken place prior to her partner’s death.<br />Angela looked around her, feeling suddenly a bit anxious. She couldn’t see or sense anyone, and yet she knew there was a presence very close to her. She’d seen all the other women, even Ion, down at the lake. Who was here? She tried to put a name to the emotion she was sensing. It was an odd mixture of playfulness, savagery, and determination.<br /> Angela turned to scrutinize the trees behind the shelter again when she suddenly heard a twig snap behind her. As she flipped her body around defensively, Valkyrie’s powerful frame suddenly smashed against her and the two of them fell against the ground, hard. Angela felt her breath leave her body. Before she could move, she felt Valkyrie straddling her, pinning both of her arms to the ground. Angela gave out a silent scream and silmultaneously willed a wave of her fear to wash over Valkyrie and then used her hair to slash at Valkyrie’s face with violent strokes. Angela was shocked when she heard Valkyrie laugh slightly, but the warrior woman didn’t budge.<br /> Angela’s fear turned into fury, and she projected the complex combination of emotions onto her attacker, but she still couldn’t free herself. With a twist of rage, her hair thrashing wildly, Angela cried out in a piercing scream, “GET OFF OF ME!”<br /> Valkyrie threw back her head and laughed. Laughed! Then she stood up and stepped back. Without a thought, Angela leapt to her feet, her wings giving her balance, and she brandished her claws threateningly, giving off a hiss of warning. “Don’t you ever attack me again, or I’ll gut you!”<br /> Valkyrie folded her arms and smiled at Angela appraisingly. “I was wondering if that would be enough to get you to talk.”<br /> Angela felt hot embarrassment run through her suddenly. Without another word, she turned, leapt into the air, and flew away as quickly as she could.<br /><br /> Symkaria wasn’t so bad, Wanda Mason, the Phantom Blonde, figured. She’d never done much in the way of traveling as a kid. She’d had a trip or two to Hawaii, but her parents, even though they’d doted on her, had never had much in the way of money. Growing up, Wanda had always strived to be just a little bit more. She wanted to be that girl that everyone looked at and noticed, even if she had to get in trouble to get the attention. She had driven her mom crazy, but Louise Mason was never one to lose a battle; she stuck with the parenting thing just like she stuck with everything else. Wanda remembered the day she’d found out her mom had been a super hero back in World War II. First off, that made her mom practically ancient, but Wanda had never understood how her mom had just faded off into obscurity like she did, living some desk job when she’d had a whole life to draw from. Wanda didn’t know if she’d ever have kids (probably not), but she promised herself that she’d never let herself slip away so far. The little brats could fend for themselves; she had a life to live!<br /> Wanda sat in her bathing suit at the edge of the lake, feeling the cold water lap against her skin as it rolled in and out. She felt utterly relaxed. Wasn’t Survivor supposed to be about hardship and battling the elements? Sure, she didn’t like sleeping on a wooden platform every night, and she didn’t always have enough to eat, but she could handle that. It was like the ultimate diet and exercise program. But she was part of a really comfortable alliance with some pretty cool chicks, and they’d gotten rid of the two biggest weirdoes on the team. Gladiatrix and Tempo were gone, and camp life was heaven now. But Wanda wanted to see the boys lose a bit, too. She didn’t want to have to see her alliance start feeding upon itself.<br /> Wanda sat up on her haunches and looked at the other three women out in the water. Number Nine and Free Spirit were splashing each other as they swam in water that came up to their shoulders. Wanda didn’t understand how they were quite so comfortable; she knew there were icky things floating down around in there, and she wasn’t about to risk getting leeches on her. Farther out, on her own, Ion was floating above the water and looking intently beneath the surface. Wanda saw Ion use her energy field to scoop up several gallons water, then let the water run-out of the field, capturing the fish beneath it. Ion had announced to the team that she’d had this idea, and they had agreed to come down to the lake to watch her try. It looked successful so far; Ion had captured a good nine fish so far. Wanda knew Ion was just trying to prove her place on the team so that when the next tribal council came, she’d be less likely to be voted out. But as far as Wanda was concerned, it wasn’t going to do her any good. They might let Nocturne go first, but Ion would go eventually, there was no questioning that. She might as well make herself useful why she was here.<br /> With a bored sigh, Wanda adjusted her bikini top, lay back on the ground again, and felt the sun soak into her skin.<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND<br /><br /> Lemar Hoskins, Battle Star, felt the hard sand scatter across his shield, then begin to solidify. He wasn’t about to let that happen; if Sandstorm got his shield, then Lemar would only have his strength and fighting skills to fall back on. Using his powerful leg muscles, he pushed himself up off the ground and launched himself a few feet into the air, ripping his shield free. He felt the sand turn loose beneath him again as he kicked himself off of a tree and changed his direction, barreling into Sandstorm’s figure fully. It was like hitting a brick wall! Sandstorm fell back all right, and Lemar landed on top of him, feeling like he’d hit a pile of rocks.<br /> Sandstorm began laughing. “You ready to give up yet?”<br /> Lemar answered by slamming his shield down hard into Sandstorm’s chest. It didn’t hurt the kid, who was constantly surrounded by his grit armor, but it did surprise him, and that was all Lemar needed for the moment. He pushed himself upward and began running through the woods again. After several yards, he ducked behind a thick tree trunk and turned back to survey his surroundings, his breath heavy in his lungs. Lemar had faced mutants, cyborgs, monsters, and giants in battle. He felt positive that one untrained kid couldn’t get the drop on him.<br /> Several minutes passed before Lemar heard a rustling in trees. He looked up, expecting to see a thin trail of sand shaking the leaves, when he was suddenly slammed from behind into the tree trunk. With a groan, as he felt the tree trunk crack, he gasped an “uncle!” and felt the weight behind him release.<br />According to the rules of Survivor, they were allowed to spar so long as they kept their powers in check. If another contestant was harmed because of your actions, or if you intended to harm another player, you were out of the game, and potentially out of the Initiative. Just three days ago, Brother Nature and Biohazard had used their powers at the camp during their argument, but no one was kicked out because no one was hurt, though Lemar wondered if Brother Nature hadn’t meant to harm Biohazard, the poor kid.<br />Lemar sat down on the ground and patted his ally on the back. “Well done, Tony. You’ve really got control of your powers down to a finite level, haven’t you?”<br />Tony smiled widely and took a seat himself, gathering his sandy form around himself and rejoining it to his grit armor. “I’ve had lots of practice, man. After Sandman trained me how to use my powers, I spent a bunch of months hunting bad government guys down. I’ve had lots of time on my own to work them out.”<br />Lemar was taken aback. “Hunt them down? You hunted guys?”<br />Tony’s smile still shown. “Yeah, whatever it takes to get your guy, you know?” Lemar wondered, not for the first time, how much he really knew about his ally.<br /><br />“I CAN’T DO IT!”<br />Brendan Doyle, MAULER, from within his armor, choked in disgust. “Of course ye cain’t, not wit’ that sorry excuse fer an attitude. I ain’t askin’ ye ta turn lead inta gold here, son, just ta burn through a blasted tree. That I know yer capable of cause I’ve seen ye do it before.”<br />Biohazard, in his human form, threw up his hands in frustration. He looked ready to cry. “I. Can’t. Do it! I can’t! I can’t, I can’t, I can’t!”<br />Doyle cursed under his breath. Why was he wasting his time with this sorry excuse for a man, no less a hero? He’d been trying to help Biohazard learn how to control his powers. The boy was impossible! A perpetual victim intent on whining about his place in the world over doing something about it. Biohazard had told Brendan that his father had been killed in prison. Perhaps Biohazard still wasn’t over that?<br />Brendan tried a new tactic. “What would yer father say, laddie, to hear ye speaking so intently of ‘can’t’?” As Brendan watched, Biohazard’s human form started to squirm and roll, and his eyes took on a green hue. Finally, Brendan had made the boy mad enough to turn into his monstrous form. “Good, lad, the power is in yer grasp, good. Now use that anger. Allow yerself ta turn into Biohazard, and direct a blast’a yer acid at that tree there. G’wan now.”<br />As his form transformed into acid, Biohazard’s face took on the features of a frightening cartoon perspective, wide eyes and a snarling gaping mouth. “You want the tree destroyed? Consider it destroyed!” And before Brendan’s eyes, Biohazard grew to a height of at least twenty feet. Where did all that extra mass come from? Then the boy threw a massive acidic fist through the tree trunk, shattering it into a thousand pieces.<br />Great, Brendan thought. He’d made Biohazard mad enough to strike. Now how would he calm him back down?<br /><br />DAY 8<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE<br /><br /> “I—I just don’t remember…” Number Nine felt the tears flow freely down her cheeks, but for once she wasn’t ashamed of her emotions. Free Spirit, Valkyrie, and the Phantom Blonde were proving to be true friends, and they were not only accepting her for who she was, but they were teaching her how to accept herself.<br /> Free Spirit leaned in, concerned and imploring. “Try, Nine. What are your earliest memories? Take yourself back to the very beginning.”<br /> Number Nine closed her eyes tightly and focused inward. She spent so much time hiding out from who she was that she didn’t quite know how to face her memories, or even look back upon herself. She thought back, hard, to her very earliest memories. She remembered waking up on Skip Ash’s farm. She remembered being naked inside her transformation tube. She remembered running, as if by instinct. She remembered not knowing anything about herself or her own past. “I was in the tube. And then, I was just this bundle of emotions, instincts, and responses. I was suddenly Skip Ash’s perfect woman, programmed to meet his every need.” Number Nine started crying more heavily now. She opened her eyes when she felt Free Spirit’s hand on her back, offering her a kind touch of support.<br /> “Are you angry?”<br /> Number Nine stopped herself from crying, and dried her eyes with the back of her hand. Oh, how she needed a shower. “Don’t be silly, why would I be angry?”<br /> Free Spirit looked angry herself. “Not at me. At him. At that millionaire who messed with your mind.”<br /> Number Nine thought about it. She rarely felt anger. She supposed that was part of her rewritten genome. She could feel happiness, eagerness, excitement, regret, sadness. But anger? Jealousy? Those feelings were somehow beyond her. “It hadn’t occurred to me to be angry.”<br /> Free Spirit looked off into the distance. “I’m angry for you, then.”<br /><br /> As Number Nine recounted her early adventures alongside Daredevil and the Inhumans, even fighting Ultron and seemingly visiting Hell, Cathy Webster, Free Spirit, felt her mind wander to her own origins. She too was someone’s idea of the perfect woman given shape. Cathy had been a stick-in-the-mud in college, considering rules and grades much more important than friendships. When she’d been given the opportunity to work on self-improvement, with a woman who was secretly the super-villainess Superia, Cathy had jumped at the opportunity. She thought it was some sort of self-help program, but it turned out to be a complete reworking of her biology. The experiment had granted Cathy enhanced strength and agility. Seeking answers for herself, Cathy had rushed off after Superia, and ended up teaming up with Captain America, who took a special interest in her and helped train her and hone her skills. After Cap had retired for a time, Cathy and another of Cap’s protégés, Jack Flag, had taken over the monitoring of his national hotline, but that hadn’t lasted long.<br /> Cathy had reached a point in her life where she had to decide between being a hero or continuing in college. The idea of being a hero had been appealing, but she hadn’t wanted that for herself, not then. So she’d gone back to school. Maybe she’d been a little less prudish than she’d been before. She certainly had been more popular with the boys. But now, here she was, enrolled with the Initiative, and following the hero life again. She guessed life would take her down the path it wanted her to go down.<br /> “I don’t know what’s next for me, Cathy, and I’m scared.”<br /> Cathy looked up suddenly and realized that she’d been completely tuning Number Nine out. What a great friend she was, getting lost in her own thoughts. She mentally reprimanded herself. “Nine, you’re going to be okay. We’ll help you through this.”<br /> “But what if I never remember who I am?”<br /> Cathy couldn’t help but be annoyed by the fresh flow of tears from Number Nine’s eyes, but she took her friend into her arms and let her cry.<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND<br /><br /> With a snap of his metallic legs, extending out from his harness, Oliver Osnick, the Steel Spider, speared the fish below the surface of the shallow lake bed. He gave out a whoop as he pulled the fish from the water, and smiled at the simple satisfaction he had of simply being good at something. Derwyddon patted him on the back approvingly. It had been a long time since Ollie had sought out the approval of an authority figure, but he somehow felt drawn to Derwyddon, and was glad the old man was around to show him some things.<br /> Derwyddon chuckled. “You seem very pleased about this small fish, Oliver.”<br /> Ollie shrugged and looked down at the lake surface. He still couldn’t believe that Derwyddon was helping him walk on water! “It’s just nice to do it on my own. I know you can do your little ‘ask and they will come’ thing with the fish, but it’s nice to catch one myself.”<br /> As they walked back over to their little camp, Ollie thought about how fast the game had changed for him. He’d been just spying on everyone else for the first several days, but now he and Derwyddon were buddies, and Biohazard had been hanging out with them, too. They were like their own little tribe-within-the-tribe. And it felt good. He felt himself getting more relaxed, and he figured that was a good thing.<br /> As a kid, Ollie had idolized people who were smart who also made themselves successes as heroes and villains. He had totally idolized Dr. Octopus, a scientist who was a really scary arch-villain, too, and Ollie had designed himself a harness with mechanical tentacles to be just like his hero. He’d been a bit misguided, sure, but he’d been just a kid, and he’d soon changed his hero to Spider-Man. He’d switched his harness around to have metal spider-legs instead and had been a pretty lame hero for a while.<br /> As they made it back to their open camp, Ollie noticed Derwyddon looking at him intently. Staring at his prosthesis. His fake arm, his biggest shame. “Oliver, are you ready to tell me how you lost your arm?” Ollie was shocked. He and Derwyddon hadn’t talked about his arm at all. He felt hot shame, regret, and embarrassment flood through him.<br /> Ollie cleared his throat. “It was Venom. That so-called ‘hero’ on the Thunderbolts team. After the Registration Act, I was real upset over what they did to Spidey, my idol. I started lashing out against criminals and got a bit violent. I, uh, went a little crazy, I guess. Anyway, the Thunderbolts attacked me, sanctioned by the government, and Venom, he bit off my arm. They covered it up in the media, then threw me in jail, where I sat until just a few weeks ago when I decided to enroll.”<br /> Ollie, his face scarlet, looked up at Derwyddon, who looked horrified. “A government-sanctioned agent… bit off your arm?”<br /> Ollie felt tears leak out on to his cheeks. “That’s right. He bit off my arm.”<br /><br /> “But what if they are wrong, Bill? He is the most important member of our team. Well, the most powerful, anyway.” Gomi, his pants rolled up and his feet dipping in the water on the far edge of the lake, looked at his wide-eyed crustacean friend. Gomi sensed Bill’s frustration and sighed.<br /> “Bill, you don’t always understand how humans work. I mean, this is a complicated game. Under the sea, you just eat and sleep and defend yourself. But up here, it is about complex emotional relationships and interactions. The way I see it, Brother Nature, no matter how big a jerk he is, has helped us win two challenges directly. I just don’t agree with voting out the guy that is the biggest support to our team.”<br /> Bill looked at Gomi and rolled his eyes. Gomi hated when his lobster got sarcastic.<br /> “It wasn’t the same in the Fallen Angels. There, it was just about stealing to survive, even with all that weird Coconut Grove stuff. Okay, so it was more complicated, I guess. But here, it’s about getting yourself farther in the game.”<br /> Bill looked at Gomi with a mixture of hurt and concern.<br /> “Of course my friends are important to me, Bill, and you are my best friend! But I don’t want to lose the game! If we happen to lose immunity, and then we vote out Brother Nature like everyone is telling us to, then we could just keep losing and losing. And what if they vote me out next? I don’t want to go yet, I want to stay and win this!”<br /> Bill turned away, a pained expression reflected in his large eyes. Finally Gomi understood what was bothering him.<br /> “Listen, Bill, I know you are still sad about Don dying. When Devil Dinosaur stepped on him, it was the biggest tragedy ever. One of my two lobster friends was suddenly gone. Are you thinking that if we’d gotten rid of Devil Dinosaur early on, if we had kicked off the most powerful member of the team faster, then maybe Don would still be alive?”<br /> Gomi noticed his lobster friend begin to cry. Bill jumped into the water, reflecting shame. Gomi sighed. “Okay, Bill. If we lose immunity, then I’ll vote out Brother Nature with the rest of them. Just for you.”<br /><br />DAY 9<br /><br />IMMUNITY CHALLENGE<br /><br /> Jasper Sitwell stood in front of the constructed immunity challenge and welcomed the members of Team Joyce and Team Hammond. He announced to Team Hammond that Tempo had been voted out at the last tribal council, and none of the men seemed particularly surprised. Jasper explained that in this competition, there would be six individual battles, randomly selected. The two opponents would stand on a two inch platform standing four feet in the air, and would be required to keep both feet on the platform at all times. They would each hold one end of a rope and tug of war against each other. The person from each match-up to last the longest would score one point for their team. The team with the most points would win immunity and be safe from another vote.<br /> Jasper explained to Team Hammond that they would have to sit two people out, and that Biohazard could not sit out this challenge. Brother Nature quickly announced that he would sit out, then, and Derwyddon chose to sit out with him. The remaining pairs of six opponents were then randomly assigned.<br /> In the first match, Phantom Blonde stood against Battle Star, whose superior strength pulled her off her platform and into the water below in a matter of seconds. The second match lasted only seconds longer as Free Spirit triumphed against Biohazard. When Number Nine stood against Gomi, who couldn’t use Bill’s super strength as there was no room on the platform, she easily yanked Gomi off.<br /> With two points for Team Joyce and one for Team Hammond, Valkyrie, her sword sheathed, and MAULER, in his armor, stood on their platforms and began to spar with the rope. MAULER’s armor, increasing his strength, allowed him to last several minutes against the super-strong Valkyrie, but in the end, she pulled him off and won.<br /> As Ion and Sandstorm took their places on their platforms, Jasper announced that if Team Joyce won one more match, then immunity would be theirs. As they stepped forward, Ion asked Jasper if they were allowed to use their powers, and he said yes, so long as they followed the rules of the competition. Sandstorm tied himself tightly to the platform with his sandy appendages as both took a hold of the rope. Ion immediately let out a burst of ionic energy and shattered the stand beneath Sandstorm’s platform, leaving him to crash to the ground, defeated and angry. Jasper declared Team Joyce the victors, with Nocturne and Steel Spider not having to compete at all.<br /><br />TRIBAL COUNCIL<br /><br /> That night, at tribal council, the eight men sat before Jasper for the first time. He could immediately tell there was a high amount of tension in this group, and he wasted no time in asking about it.<br /> “Sandstorm, based on observation alone, it appears your group has some pretty big rifts in it. I mean, Brother Nature is sitting all by himself on the right, the rest of you guys seem a bit uncomfortable around each other as well. What’s going on here?”<br /> “We’ve had some problems at camp, Jasper. We basically have two camps, actually. Some of us sleep in the shelter Brother Nature made for us, and others sleep in the woods. There have been a few altercations.”<br /> “Derwyddon, Team Hammond has proved to be the strongest tribe thus far, winning two challenges in a row. Do you think these divisions in your team were responsible for the loss today, or are the girls just getting it together?”<br /> “We are all guided down the path we are meant to be on. For one more person, tonight will be the end of their journey in the game, yet the continuation of their journey in life.”<br /> “Biohazard, do you believe that tonight’s vote will help mend these rifts in your team? How will you be basing your vote tonight?”<br /> “Yes, I do! The person I’m voting for is Brother Nature, and I don’t need to keep it a secret. He’s been a huge jerk. He might have the most powerful powers or whatever, but he’s not a team player. I don’t have to put up with that and neither does my team.”<br /> Jasper noted the smoldering look of fury behind Brother Nature’s eyes and quickly moved forward with the voting.<br /> The first vote was for Brother Nature. This is from Battle Star, who wants to mend the rift in his tribe.<br /> The second vote was for Brother Nature. This is from Derwyddon, who wants to protect his ally, Biohazard.<br /> The third vote was for Brother Nature. This is from Steel Spider, who is voting with Derwyddon, and also wants his strongest competitor out of the game.<br /> The fourth vote was for Biohazard. This is from Brother Nature, who can’t abide living with an industrial accident.<br /> The fifth vote was for Brother Nature. This is from Biohazard, for obvious reasons.<br /> The sixth vote was for Brother Nature. This is from MAULER, who is voting with the tribe, and doesn’t care who leaves so long as it isn’t him.<br /> The seventh vote is for Brother Nature. This is from Sandstorm, who is voting along with the tribe, despite being reluctant about losing a powerful teammate. <br /> The eighth vote is for Brother Nature. This is from Gomi, who wants to appease Bill.<br /> As Jasper announced that Brother Nature would be the third player voted out, Brother Nature stood and serenely waited while his torch was extinguished. He turned to his team. “Though I can not call any of you my friends, I will remind you how fortunate you were to have me as an ally. Mother Nature herself called me to this station and granted me my powers, and you were blessed to have such a one among you. By your own hand, I am among you no longer. With no ill will, I take with me the shelter I so generously constructed for you. When you return to camp, you will find it bare.” And with the winds blowing lightly around him, Brother Nature walked away.<br /><br /> Boy do you readers not like a jerk! With the biggest number of votes yet, all but three were for Brother Nature, who is decidedly out of the game. A very unlikeable character yes, much like Tempo, but a fun character to explore. As always, I’m sad to see this one go. But I’d be sad to see any of them go!<br /> At this point, there are some clear alliances formed and basic motivations have been established, and you should see just hints of the path each character has before them. I have lots of surprises and twists planned and I hope you enjoy it all!<br /> As determined by random selection, Team Hammond wins immunity next issue, meaning you’ll have to vote for someone on Team Joyce, taking the women down to five! As always, you can Email votes to me at <a href="mailto:hellochadman@yahoo.com">hellochadman@yahoo.com</a>, send them to me on facebook, or post a comment here. Voting closes on Tuesday evening.<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND (IMMUNITY):<br />Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)<br />Biohazard (Fletcher Traynor)<br />Derwyddon<br />Gomi (Alphonsus Lefszycic)<br />MAULER (Brendan Doyle)<br />Sandstorm (Tony Trainer)<br />Steel Spider (Oliver Osnick)<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE:<br />Free Spirit (Cathy Webster)<br />Ion (Voletta Todd)<br />Nocturne (Angela Cairn)<br />Number Nine<br />Phantom Blonde (Wanda Mason)<br />Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-43761322644898280212009-10-28T04:24:00.000-07:002009-10-28T04:26:10.444-07:00Voting closed for another roundWatch for a new episode Thursday night! Thanks to everyone who voted! :DChadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-58877787641082111642009-10-23T10:07:00.000-07:002009-10-23T10:08:47.026-07:00Survivor: the Initiative: Episode 2Survivor: the Initiative Episode 2<br />Lines Drawn, Sides Taken<br /><br />DAY 4<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND<br /><br />“My edict stands.”<br />Biohazard threw up his hands in frustration. “B-but that is so totally unfair! I’m part of this team, too!” He looked to the rest of Team Hammond for support, but Mark Diering, Brother Nature, didn’t care what anyone else had to say about it. It was his call completely.<br />“My edict still stands. Anyone who disagrees with my decision is welcome to find another shelter to stay in as well.”<br />Biohazard continued stammering, pathetically pleading his case. “But I’m t-trying to control my powers! I’m trying to find responsible ways to use them! I’m t-trying to be a better person! That’s why I enrolled in the first place!”<br />“Good for you,” Mark said coldly.<br />Mark stood in front of the wide domed tree shelter he’d made for the group. After the men had awakened for the day and scattered to go about their various daily tasks, Mark had willed the dome to close in on itself, blocking the shelter from anyone who wanted to enter. When Biohazard, MAULER, and Battle Star had returned from their foraging trip, Mark had let them know, succinctly and decisively, that Biohazard would no longer be welcome to sleep in his shelter. He explained calmly that he could not in any way support someone whose powers were so deadly to the environment, and that Biohazard would need to find somewhere else to sleep. After he’d seen Biohazard use his powers in the immunity challenge the day before, he’d been practically nauseated.<br />“Brother Nature, you are being completely unreasonable. We are teammates. Where am I supposed to sleep? Just because you are comfortable sleeping away from the others, I’m not! You can’t just bar me from our team shelter!”<br />“I can, and I have.”<br />Mark watched in concern as Biohazard’s flesh began to roll and squirm and take on a green hue. He was beginning to use his powers and was losing control of his acidic form. Mark stood his ground, not at all frightened. It was a strict edict of the game that the contestants could not harm each other or they’d be returned to prison, and he trusted that Biohazard would not squander this opportunity for petty revenge. And if not? Well, Mark had survived death once before.<br />Without warning, before MAULER (out of his armor) or Battle Star could react, Biohazard grew into the green bubbly acidic monster that was Biohazard and, with a screech of fury, launched himself at the tree dome. At the shelter!<br />Mark cried out in horror. “The trees! You’ll hurt the trees!” But Biohazard was already burning his way through the blockage, sending off the sickening smell of wood smoke into the air. Hardly taking time to react, Mark used his powers over the environment to send a large mound of dirt, mud, stones, and grass out of the ground, trying to douse Biohazard, who screeched as the dirt hit him and fell back to the ground, in human form. MAULER was standing way back, looking at the tense situation with wide eyes as Battle Star kneeled down next to Biohazard, who was breathing heavily and had started to cry. “You’ll not hurt the trees!” Mark yelled, his heart pounding in his chest.<br />Battle Star looked up at Mark in horror. “Geez, Nature, he’s just a kid! Get outta here and give us some space ta calm him down!”<br />Mark backed up into the dense trees again, but pointed a finger back at Biohazard. “You are not welcome in the shelter. And if you harm one more tree with your disgusting powers, I’ll find a way to make you pay.” He stepped back farther, into the shadows, out of sight.<br /><br />Fletcher Traynor, Biohazard, felt hot tears running down his cheeks. Battle Star was still kneeling next to him. “You all right, son?” Fletcher hated being called son. Hated being treated like he was a kid. His dad was dead and no one had the right to treat him like his dad, the criminal, had.<br />“I’m fine. I—I just lost control for a minute.” Fletcher looked over and saw Mr. Doyle still watching the situation. Doyle was nodding reassuringly, trying to send Fletcher the message that things were cool, but they weren’t! How was he supposed to be a valuable part of this team when he couldn’t even share the shelter? What was he going to do? “We’re not gonna let him get away with this, are we?”<br />Battle Star looked perplexed. Everyone knew he was the leader of this tribe, and Fletcher figured if anyone could fix this situation, he could. “Well, kid, the thing is, we got no control over Brother Nature. He made this shelter of his own free will, and I’m figuring he gets the say as far as who gets to sleep in it.”<br />“So I’m supposed to just sleep off in the woods by myself? Forget his stupid shelter! We can build another one!”<br />Mr. Doyle stepped in now. “Ach, Fletcher, we cannae just expect everyone ta pack up an’ move just after we were gettin’ settled, now, can we? Don’t you worry yuir head none. We’ll support ye as a tribe, but ye’ll have ta be sleepin’ on yuir own, it looks like.” Mr. Doyle had a look in his eyes that conveyed patience. Fletcher guessed this was part of his plan and that they could talk later, but he didn’t like it at all.<br />Battle Star put a hand on Fletcher’s back. “I think MAULER’s right. We’ll find a way for you to survive, and we’ll keep you integrated here.”<br />Fletcher stood up and dusted the pile of dirt and rocks off his legs. There was dirt everywhere now! And the burned blockade still over the shelter! Man, he hadn’t done anything to deserve this! He didn’t ask for powers like these! He didn’t ask for his dad’s machine to explode and turn him into this monster! He didn’t ask the freaking Thunderbolts to track him down and put him in jail for not enrolling! None of it! He didn’t want to be a hero! He didn’t want to be here!<br />Without even trying to hide his tears, Fletcher turned away from the others and walked off on his own.<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE<br /><br />Heather Tucker, Tempo, had to admit that getting rid of Gladiatrix had been the right move for the tribe. Things had been much less tense since tribal council last night, and there seemed to be a relative level of peace among them now. In her bathing suit in the lake, Heather looked at the Phantom Blonde and Free Spirit up on the beach. Ever since Heather had tried to intimidate the Blonde, she’d been getting intense looks over the past few days. But Heather figured she’d been just mysterious enough to be scary. It couldn’t hurt to have a player or two under your thumb when the chips fell.<br />Heather had been on too many teams in the past few years. She was used to being a loner among her allies, and she was used to having different goals and motivations than they did. From what she could tell, most of her teammates weren’t in this game to win. Gladiatrix surely had been; Ion and Valkyrie might be; but the rest just seemed to be here due to their enrollment. They didn’t have enough incentive to really fight for themselves. But for Heather, this competition was everything. She really wanted the victory, and was willing to fight for it, and fight hard.<br />Heather had been entirely disowned by her parents when her mutant powers had manifested when she was 18. Even though her powers of “time-twisting” had not caused her any physical impairments or mutations, Heather had been ostracized by her community and peers ever since then. She was barely an adult when she’d been drafted by that maniacal killer Stryfe into the Mutant Liberation Front, but Stryfe had taught her how to use her powers properly, how to make herself fly, and how to make the headaches stop. Plus, Heather had found some camaraderie with the other mutants in her team even as they committed various terrorist acts at Stryfe’s whim. But an early mission for the MLF had taken her against her father and even though he was a bigot, he didn’t deserve to die like he had. It was only a matter of time before Heather got out of the MLF completely and had a go at college and a normal life, but it didn’t last. She’d gotten sucked back in to mutant problems and mutant issues and Heather was sick and tired of it all. She had these powers, yes. She could fly and twist time, but did she have to be targeted? Hunted? No!<br />Heather pulled her hair back and squeezed some of the water out of it. It was nice to let her hair down once in a while, figuratively and literally. It always had to be up when it was in her helmet. She walked up onto the lakeside beach and felt the water drip off her body. It was a perfect day, absolutely beautiful. As she stretched and looked toward the sun, she noticed Free Spirit and Phantom Blonde walking over to her. Free Spirit was in the lead.<br />“Tempo, you got a minute?”<br />“I’m not going anywhere.”<br />Free Spirit stopped a few feet in front of Heather and looked at her intently, right in the eyes. Heather held her gaze, not at all intimidated. “Listen, I’m worried about your strategy here, and I’m the type of woman who just wants to clear the air.”<br />Heather felt immediately annoyed. “My strategy? What concern is that of yours?”<br />“Listen, I know you are a former villain and that makes me automatically distrust you a bit, but I can understand you wanting to be a hero. What I don’t get is why you keep acting like you are outside the law. Wanda told me about you trying to intimidate her our first day at camp. You hang out away from the others and never say anything about yourself. So far, I don’t trust you, and I’ll give it to you straight. You don’t change your act, you’re going to be the next one to go.”<br />During her speech (dang, but that girl liked speeches), Free Spirit never once took her eyes off of Heather’s. Phantom Blonde was hanging back like she was scared, but Free Spirit was right in her face. Heather, her heart pounding, leaned in a little closer, her voice intent.<br />“Listen, blondie, you don’t know me. You don’t know anything about me. When I want your advice, I’ll ask for it, got it?”<br />And with that, Tempo twisted up some time and flew off. She was a dozen yards away before Free Spirit was even aware that she’d moved. Heather looked down at the blondes on the ground and smiled to herself at the dumb looks on their faces. Then she flew in the other direction.<br /><br />DAY 2<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND<br /><br /> With a thought and a gesture, Derwyddon willed the water before him to support his weight, then stepped out onto it. Walking on water, he smiled to himself. He thought back to his youth, over a thousand years ago now, when he’d first learned this trick. He remembered asking his teacher how he could turn the water solid, and the teacher taught him that you did not change the state of the water, but that you instead communed with the water, as with all things in nature, and asked it to bear your weight. With focus, Derwyddon stepped out onto the middle of the small lake and began sensing the small protein-based life forms swimming and flitting beneath him. Derwyddon closed his eyes and muttered a silent prayer to his gods. With his fingers shaped to one of the sacred shapes, he pointed toward the water, then brought his hands upwards, and he was granted permission by three sizeable fish to make a meal out of them. The fish rose to the surface and Derwyddon, with a muttering of thanks, retrieved them into his arms. Though still alive for several seconds, the fish did not thrash and squirm in his arms as they struggled for their final breaths, as they drowned in the air. No, they had willingly given themselves to him, and Derwyddon was very grateful.<br /> Derwyddon stepped back to the shore, where he had willed a small fire into being. He pulled his robe up on his knees and sat down cross-legged before the fire, then set the three fish, whole, onto the small rocks next to the flames. He loved the wilds of this land. It had become home to him.<br /> “You may come down and sit with me, if you wish.”<br /> Derwyddon heard several seconds of silence, then the voice of the Steel Spider came from several yards above him. “How did you know I was here?”<br /> Derwyddon, his eyes still on the flames, smiled to himself once again, this time at how unenlightened the youth of America were. “The tree told me.”<br /> The Steel Spider, used his long metal legs, quickly climbed down the tree and took a few steps over to Derwyddon. “You have fish…”<br /> Derwyddon looked up at his teammate now. “Yes. It will be ready in minutes. You are welcome to have some. And in the future, you don’t have to hide and spy. You can simply ask me what you want to know. I’m not one to speak falsehoods.”<br /> Steel Spider seemed to let the tension melt out of him. With one hand, he pulled his mask back off his face and smiled. “Thank you, old man.” Then took a seat in front of the fire.<br /> Derwyddon had had few interactions with his teammates thus far. In fact, he’d barely spoken to any of them. Only MAULER, who’d approached Derwyddon on the first day and invited him to join an alliance. Derwyddon hadn’t committed to anything, but he assumed such alliances were necessary in this game of survival. Derwyddon was pleased, though, if he could, to offer guidance to these wayward youth. Starting with this one.<br /><br /> “There’s some lines bein’ drawn here, I can just tell. It feels like our little tribe is dividing into factions when we should be pullin’ together toward the victory. I need to know who’s with me.”<br /> Tony Trainer, Sandstorm, admired Battle Star a bunch, he did, but he didn’t feel like this was going to work very well. In fact, the way he considered it, wasn’t it better to be a few small groups of allies within the tribe instead of a bunch of morose loners? He looked around at the men on their tree cots in the shelter. MAULER was purposefully not making eye contact, it seemed, and was staying focused on his twiddling thumbs. Tony guessed there was a lot going on with that guy, a lot more than they knew. Gomi, with his big-eyed green lobster in his lap, sat against the tree trunk with a blank expression. And the rest of the group? Who knew. Off in the woods somewhere, Tony figured.<br /> When no one responded, Battle Star, wearing only his boxer shorts, continued. Tony listened idly, using his sharpened grit armor as a blade as he whittled on a piece of wood. “Listen, I don’t know much about the women on the other team. Valkyrie has been around a long time and I know Free Spirit worked with Captain America. But I firmly believe that unless we get our act together, those women are going to beat us and beat us bad. And me? I’m in this to win it.”<br /> Tony smirked when no one spoke again, and Battle Star continued. “I’m not trying to put myself out there as leader or anything. I just kinda comes natural to me. I mean, I spent a long time working for the government and a long time working as a professional mercenary right here in Symkaria. I’ve been around. And I hope that experience gives me a bit of clout.”<br /> Gomi broke the following silence. “Mr. Star, sir, what are you proposing?”<br /> “I’m proposing that we unify ourselves!”<br /> MAULER finally looked up and scoffed. “How’re we gonna do that when we’ve got Brother Crazy bannin’ people from the shelter an’ two of our other teammates never even showin’ up at camp?”<br /> Tony remained silent even when Battle Star looked over at him for help. He was on his own for this one. “Well, I think we’ll just have to get rid of Brother Nature first. Then the rest of us can pick up and move forward from here.”<br /> And that, Tony thought, was the way the game was played.<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE<br /><br /> Dr. Voletta Todd, Ion, had always had a rather one-track mind. It had served her well in her work as a scientist. She was able to focus her entire being on one task and work on it tirelessly until she succeeded or failed, but she almost always succeeded. She had been a beautiful woman, too, focused on fitness and good-living, but she’d often been the ridicule of the scientists, businessmen, and interns around her as she’d always had little to do with social interaction. When a science experiment gone awry had left Voletta’s mind trapped in a powerful form of ionized gas, she had absolutely panicked. She’d rampaged through the city, demanding she be returned to her natural form, unless the fledgling hero Machine Man stopped her. It was then that she’d learned that extreme cold could return her to her human form.<br /> As her thoughts ran away with her, Ion, trying to focus on the task at hand, spread more of the dense foliage over the shelter’s roof and used her ionic energies to meld it together. When it inevitably rained, her teammates would know that she had been the one to keep them dry. She’d need friendships in this game, she knew. Her only alliance thus far was with Nocturne, who Voletta frequently flew with, but who still had yet to speak.<br />As soon as she could, Voletta had moved to the wilds of Greenland, where she assumed that she could continue her scientific pursuits in the cold environments there. But her human body could not last long in the cold, and as soon as she’d tried to warm herself, she’d reverted back to her gaseous state. It was maddening! Voletta had spent every moment since, as she no longer needed sleep or even food, trying to find ways to return to her human form. She’d designed a humanoid containment suit to contain her gaseous self and had tried, again and again and again, to succeed, but she always failed. So she’d decided to shift focuses. She’d enlist in the Fifty States Initiative, try her hand at being a hero, maybe develop some alliances with famous brains like Reed Richards or Henry Pym. Maybe they could get her back to human form. But for now? Her goal was to be famous, to be needed, to be victorious. She’d prove to all of them, prove to herself, that she was meant to be a hero, that she deserved their attentions.<br />Then she’d show them all.<br /> <br /> With a slash of her sword, Samantha Parrington, Valkyrie, cut through the trunk and watched as the massive tree crashed to the ground, crushing several smaller trees beneath it. Clouds of dust and debris scattered in the air as the sound of the crash cascaded through the woods.<br /> With a robust flourish of her sword, Samantha stabbed at the air, pumped her other fist, and shouted “Victory!” A broad smile on her face, she sheathed her sword and turned back to her watching allies. Number Nine, in her red-white-and-blue leotard, was clapping her hands enthusiastically and shouting about how mighty Samantha was. Phantom Blonde and Free Spirit were both smiling good-naturedly, though Phantom Blonde was a bit smarmy about it.<br /> “I told you it was possible!” Samantha laughed again as she stepped toward her friends. They had somehow gravitated toward her as their leader. She supposed that was only natural. She’d been a leader in the feminist movement through college and after. She’d used her parents’ money and resources to set up various charities, foundations, and institutions. And she’d been a hero for longer than anyone here, though her heroic history had definitely been sporadic. Samantha wondered how long it had been since the otherworldly Enchantress had bonded to her the essence of one of the immortal Valkyrior. Her initial transformation had been short-lived, but she’d later served a stint with the Defenders and had even helped save the world from Yandroth and other threats. Why wouldn’t they see her as leader?<br /> Phantom Blonde punched Valkyrie lightly on the arm. “You know, you are totally going to have to teach me how to do that, right?”<br /> Samantha laughed back. “Sure. All you’ll need is an enchanted sword and the gift of godly strength.”<br /> Now Free Spirit and Number Nine were joining in as well. “Or an evil female scientist to bring out and enhance all your natural skills as a woman!”<br /> “Or a millionaire to turn you into his ideal woman!”<br /> There was an awkward pause after Number Nine spoke. Samantha leaned in, put her fingers under Number Nine’s chin, and looked her in the eyes. “Listen, sweetie, that’s not something to be proud of, okay?” Number Nine’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. Samantha wanted to be annoyed, but she remembered what it was like to have no memory of her past. She let her compassion speak louder. “Nothing to cry about, Nine. Just trying to help you.”<br /> Number Nine sniffled. “I—I know. I’m sorry.” She quickly wiped her tears and looked sadly at the ground.<br /> Phantom Blonde, not one to ever be quiet, even for a few seconds, piped in. “Ladies, I must say, you all make me proud to be a woman, and proud to be a hero. I say we stick together. Us four, right to the end. The four blondes! We can win this game and laugh in all their faces!”<br /> Samantha joined in the laughter that followed. No one noticed the silent Nocturne fly off from the tree above them.<br /><br />IMMUNITY CHALLENGE<br /><br /> As the two tribes walked in on either side, Jasper pointed out to the men that Gladiatrix had been voted out by the women at the first Tribal Council. Battle Star looked absolutely stunned. Jasper walked the fifteen contestants out onto a constructed platform on one of Symkaria’s largest lakes, reaching depths of 1500 yards. Each group would have one side of the lake to work with. Scattered across the bottom of the lake were seven separate treasure chests, each containing a key. Each contestant would have to retrieve one key and then rejoin their team back up on the platform. The teams would need to use teamwork and problem-solving skills to retrieve the keys, but each member had to get one key each. Back on the dock, all seven keys would each open a lock, releasing the team’s flag and bringing them to victory.<br /> Jasper informed the men that they would have to sit one team member out, and that the same member could not be set out in back to back challenges. Brother Nature announced that he would be willing to use his powers over the environment and nature to give his team a speedy victory, but only if Biohazard were the one to sit out. Biohazard, though furious and frustrated, agreed that water wasn’t his best environment, and agreed to sit out this time.<br /> As Jasper started the timer, the teams quickly huddled to put together battle plans. As they were on separate playing fields, Team Joyce determined they couldn’t use Tempo’s powers on Team Hammond. Free Spirit, Valkyrie, and Number Nine knew they could hold their breath for extended amounts of time, but they struggled to find ways to help Nocturne and Phantom Blonde retrieve their keys. Valkyrie quickly dived into the water to scout out where the chests were located. Meanwhile, on Team Hammond, Brother Nature ordered his teammates to stand aside and to be prepared. With a dramatic flourish of his powers, he used wind and his command over water to cleave the surface of the lake on the men’s side from the top to the bottom, like Moses over the Red Sea. Given this opportunity, the men quickly scrambled down to the bottom of the lake and retrieved their various keys. Gomi sent Bill, MAULER flew down, Steel Spider climbed down the platform with his legs. As the women watched in absolute wonder, the men returned to the dock and watched as Brother Nature, with MAULER’s help, retrieved the final key. In a matter of minutes, Team Hammond had claimed victory.<br /><br />TRIBAL COUNCIL<br /><br />That night at tribal council, Jasper looked over the seven women and reminded them they’d had two losses in a row. He gauged their various reactions, determining who he should ask questions of.<br />He leveled his gaze on Free Spirit. “Two losses in a row for Team Joyce. What do you attribute it to? Is it a lack of leadership?”<br />Free Spirit shook her head. “Definitely not. We’ve had very few conflicts on our team. I think our losses stem from a combination of luck for the men and just different power sets. I don’t believe the men are a stronger team, but our skillsets are vastly different. I believe that their talents have been better suited to the various challenges thus far.”<br />Jasper turned to Number Nine. “And do you agree with Free Spirit?”<br />Number Nine stifled a giggle. “Yes! Life in our camp has been wonderful! Absolutely fun and crazy, like a big outdoors slumber party!”<br />After a few more questions, Jasper let the women get to the voting.<br />The first vote was for Tempo. This was from Ion, who didn’t care who left so long as it wasn’t her, and was voting with the majority.<br />The second vote was for Tempo. This was from Free Spirit, who was keeping her promise to Tempo.<br />The third vote was for Tempo. This was from Nocturne, who’d been clued in to the vote by Ion.<br />The fourth vote was for Tempo. This was from Phantom Blonde, who wanted to get rid of her intimidator.<br />The fifth vote was for Tempo. This was from Valkyrie, who was voting with her blonde alliance.<br />The sixth vote was for Tempo. This was from Number Nine, for the same reasons.<br />The seventh vote was for Free Spirit. This was from Tempo, who had been lied to by Valkyrie and Number Nine, telling her they’d match her vote.<br />Tempo quelled her nausea as she stood and had her torch extinguished. Furious at herself for having tears in her eyes, she walked off to the sidelines as calmly as she could.<br />Jasper dismissed Team Joyce, reminding them that they were now down two members, and admonished them to get their act together.<br /><br /> Well, everyone should be getting used to the characters and premise by now. As I’ve mentioned a few times, I have great plans for all of these characters, but one has to leave each time. Once again, you can send your votes to me at <a href="mailto:hellochadman@yahoo.com">hellochadman@yahoo.com</a>, on facebook, or as a comment here. Excited to see who goes next! I know there is a lot to read. I’m working hard to keep things succinct, full of character interaction, and entertaining at the same time.<br /> Due to random selection, Team Joyce wins immunity in episode two. That means you have to vote off someone from Team Hammond. Use whatever strategy you want in casting your vote. Pick your favorites and root for them, stir it up, choose your adventures!<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE (IMMUNITY):<br />Free Spirit (Cathy Webster)<br />Ion (Voletta Todd)<br />Nocturne (Angela Cairn)<br />Number Nine<br />Phantom Blonde (Wanda Mason)<br />Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND:<br />Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)<br />Biohazard (Fletcher Traynor)<br />Brother Nature (Mark Diering)<br />Derwyddon<br />Gomi (Alphonsus Lefszycic)<br />MAULER (Brendan Doyle)<br />Sandstorm (Tony Trainer)<br />Steel Spider (Oliver Osnick)Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-48567234881462649832009-10-20T19:54:00.001-07:002009-10-20T19:54:42.620-07:00Voting closedWatch for Episode 2 on Thursday night! Thanks to everyone who voted! It really pushes the story forward and makes it more fun. :)Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-19654183389195104872009-10-15T20:17:00.000-07:002009-10-15T20:18:42.188-07:00Survivor: the Initiative: Episode 1Survivor: the Initiative: Episode 1<br />Setting up Camp<br /><br />DAY 1<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE<br /><br />Captain America would be horrified. Eight grown women, all applying to be heroes with the Fifty States Initiative, all already heroes in their own right, arguing pettily over basic daily tasks. In front of the cameras.<br />Cathy Webster, Free Spirit, was definitely horrified. And she definitely couldn’t take anymore.<br />“Quit it! Stop acting like children and get to it already!”<br />Gladiatrix and Valkyrie, who’d been arguing, nearly at blows, about who had to fell trees for their shelter, turned and looked at her in fury and amusement, respectively. Gladiatrix, a snarl on her face, took two steps and was suddenly inches from Cathy’s face.<br />“And you, blondie, are suddenly elected leader of the girly-girl team? Or were we offending your delicate ears with our big grown up words?”<br />Cathy felt cold prickles of tension run down her spine and she found herself standing straighter and suddenly breathing through her nose in short, angry bursts. “Listen, Gladiatrix, no disrespect intended—“<br />“No disrespect? You butt into my affairs, think you can finish my fight with your little peace-making speech, and then you tell me you meant no disrespect?”<br />The woman’s breath was surprisingly stale. Cathy took a step back and looked around at her new tribe mates. Gladiatrix, snarl in place, only feet away from her. Nocturne, her wings spread wide, standing near the top of a tree. Phantom Blonde, her arms behind her head, relaxing against the same tree. Ion, floating eerily, inches off the ground with no expression on her face. Number Nine and Tempo, both looking uncomfortable in their own skins. And Valkyrie, arms crossed under her metal bra shells, sword in her belt, with—was that a smile on her face?<br />Cathy took her place in the middle of the group and gave a speech that would do Captain America proud.<br />“Listen, we are all here to make the best of ourselves. Just hear me out! We have a unique opportunity to be here in the wilds of Symkaria on this beautiful mountaintop, next to this beautiful lake, and to prove ourselves as heroes and as powerful women! Let’s not waste our time with in-fighting! Let’s use our talents to build our camp and get things in order! Let’s be the best heroes we can be!”<br />Cathy wasn’t sure who started laughing first, but she felt her face turn bright pink and it was all she could do to stand her ground.<br /><br />The water fetcher? Puh-lease. Not that she could blame the other girls. When they’d divvied up tasks to set up camp (after Free Spirit’s lame-o speech), they’d sent Wanda Mason, the Phantom Blonde, down to the lake with the water bucket. Wanda didn’t actually have super powers, so she couldn’t do what the other girls could by any means. Ever since she’d become a super hero, capitalizing on her mom’s fame as the Blonde Phantom, of course, and the Invisible Woman had designed this babe-ilicious costume for her, Wanda had had very few adventures as a heroine. Sure, she’d time-traveled with She-Hulk. Sure, she’d single-handedly (well, almost) stopped a nuclear bomb from going off in Las Vegas. And now, here she was in the Initiative! Wanda didn’t care where she ended up getting stationed, though she’d prefer Florida. She’d get paid to be a sensational super hero, look amazing, and occasionally swoop in and save the day when all her super powered teammates couldn’t do it themselves! She’d make an amazing hero, and who needed super powers to do that.<br />Wanda looked out at the small lake, several yards away, that bordered their camp area. It was pretty here, she had to admit. Surrounded by deep green trees and—<br />Wanda looked down and saw her water jug suddenly full. Full? But she wasn’t even close to the lake! It had just been completely empty! How the—<br />“Stay on my good side, and my powers can help. Don’t, and see what happens.” The hair on the back of Wanda’s neck stood tall as the voice whispered in her ear. Wanda jerked her head suddenly and saw Tempo’s gold-domed head right in her face. Wanda blinked and suddenly Tempo was floating away, four feet, eight, then gone, just a glint of the sun off Tempo’s golden armor visible on the horizon.<br />Wanda, with a shriek of horror, threw the bucket at the lake, letting the water splash out onto the ground. Tempo. Wanda had never heard of her before now. What were her powers? Maybe hanging around with heroes wasn’t always such a great thing…<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND<br /><br />Gomi hardly ever thought of his real name, Alphonsus Lefszycic. Ugh. He hadn’t used his real name in years. When he was a teenager, right before he’d gotten his cyborg telekinesis powers (the same ones that made him super-cool), he’d been given the nickname Gomi, and he’d gone by that ever since, who cared that it was Japanese for garbage. No one else knew that. Plus, it sounded awesome and it was unique, two words that described Gomi quite well.<br />Gomi was roasting a few fish over the fire. Big fat ones that Bill, the super strong lobster that Gomi shared an empathic affinity with (and the same lobster who happened to be Gomi’s best friend) had pulled out of the little lake by their camp. They’d set up camp and MAULER had started a fire with something called a “blaze cannon”, and Gomi had been keeping it going all day, trying to make himself useful to his teammates.<br />Team Hammond’s camp was set in a deep set of the Symkarian woods on a mountainside. Brother Nature, who was ultra cool Gomi’d decided, had used his crazy powers to bend a bunch of trees into a big ole dome in the woods, giving them the coolest shelter Gomi’d ever seen. Living in the woods here was going to be way more comfortable than all those months he’d spent as a runaway on the streets. Easy street here, man.<br />As Gomi pulled the piping hot fish away from the fire to let them cool, he began wondering where the rest of the group was. What a weird group of guys they were, but Gomi was proud to be a part of them. A good mix of skills—strength, flight, agility, energy-wielding. Gomi was obviously the misfit around here, but that was nothing new to him; his big glasses and skinny frame had never lent him to making friends easily. But Gomi wasn’t going to let anything stop him from making himself the best, the coolest, hero ever!<br />As Gomi walked farther into the woods, he heard whispering. He looked around him, through the thick copses of trees, and saw Derwyddon a ways away, on his knees in the leaves, his head thrown back, his arms spread wide. Derwyddon was muttering softly about something, but Gomi could only make out the phrase “Father Hu grant me providence.”<br />Gomi turned away, a confused look on his face, and adjusted his glasses. Maybe he was weird, but at least he wasn’t old and addled.<br /><br />From his vantage point, Ollie Osnick, the Steel Spider, craned his neck to better hear the voices of his targets down below. He willed his metal arms to hold himself flush against the side of the tree top.<br />Below him, MAULER was out of his armor, walking around in a pair of shorts, his orange beard already long and unkempt. Walking with him was that Biohazard kid, a skinny 18 year old who looked way too nervous and far too unhealthy to be here. MAULER was speaking in a thick Irish brogue, Ollie noted, and he wondered if they allowed non-Americans into the Initiative.<br />“Ye stick with me, boyo, and you’ll find yuirself with an alliance right ta the end o’ the game, ye understand?”<br />Biohazard looked uncomfortable. Almost queasy. “I, uh, I definitely don’t have any friends out here, Mr. Doyle, so th-thanks for the alliance. Do we have—“<br />“Yuirs is nae ta ask questions, Fletcher m’lad. Yuirs is ta follow. I’ll let ye know what our moves are ta be, and ye just keep yuir eyes open and yuir mouth shut fer now.”<br />As Ollie watched, MAULER (Doyle, he now knew) walked one way while Biohazard (Fletcher) walked the other. Day 1 and alliances were already being formed. If Ollie could discover all the secrets of his teammates, who were also his opponents, he could master this entire game and finally be recognized as the hero he knew he was. Finally make Spider-Man proud. Finally forget all the crazy that was his life. Finally get his girl back.<br />Ollie moved down the tree deftly, willing the metallic spidery legs attached to his harness to take him to the ground without a sound. Ollie clutched his prosthetic arm tightly to him with his good hand, and remembered what the cost of crazy was.<br /><br />DAY 2<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE<br /><br />Angela Cairn, Nocturne, spread her wings wide and flew in the early morning light over the mountainside. This really was a beautiful place, not so different from America except for the climate. There were different animals here, a different political structure, Angela supposed, but Symkaria had already started to feel like Angela’s natural habitat. Much more comfortable than the tunnels she’d lived in in New York after her transformation. Then again, she’d had more purpose in New York. More people who needed her empathic understanding. More—<br />Angela came to a stop when she saw Ion floating only a few yards ahead. She thought she’d had the skies to herself. She was rarely surprised, not when she could sense the emotions of those around her. The desperation in Tempo, the self-righteousness in Gladiatrix, the shaky resolve in Number Nine, the drive in Valkyrie. But Angela could read nothing off of Ion. It didn’t frighten Angela so much as baffle her.<br />Ion reached out a hand and her voice carried across the morning breeze with an airy edge to it. “Nocturne? I am Ion. I am Dr. Voletta Todd. I, too, have little need for sleep. I was wondering if you’d be willing to speak for a few moments?”<br />Angela, her wings flapping occasionally to keep her aloft, felt a wave of compassion move through her. Her eyes focused on Ion intently, trying to get a reading of any kind off the woman. No heartbeat. No emotion. No scent.<br />Angela answered Ion with a soft smile. Angela was capable of speech now, yes, though she hadn’t been shortly after her transformation, but she found that speech simply took too much effort. Angela let a wave of warm friendship pass out of her towards Ion. Perhaps, despite being immune to Angela’s senses, Ion would be able to experience Angela’s emotions and share in it. But if Ion felt the calm, she didn’t acknowledge it.<br />“I see you smiling, yet you don’t answer. Are you capable of speech?”<br />Angela nodded her head lightly once, but still remained silent.<br />“I—okay. I simply wanted to extend a hand of friendship to you. We both seem to be outsiders in this tribe and we will need friends as we move forward in the game.”<br />Angela nodded once again and Ion, after waiting for a response, moved away in the air, floating without a sound. “We’ll speak again. Thank you for your time, Nocturne.”<br />As Angela flew on across the sky, she wondered if a being she couldn’t feel was capable of feeling.<br /><br />Number Nine finished her jog around the camp, a bright smile on her face. She’d offered to lead all the ladies in a morning exercise routine, but they’d all declined. “Women are supposed to stay fit and enthusiastic!”, Number Nine had cheerfully reminded them all, but they’d all just rolled over and gone back to sleep, the sillies. Number Nine, her red, white, and blue leotard still looking clean and pristine, engaged in a series of energetic stretches back at camp, which was now empty save for the Valkyrie.<br />Number Nine looked up at her teammate with a grin. “You have the most beautiful hair. You shouldn’t bind it in those pigtails all the time, you know.”<br />Valkyrie smiled back. Number Nine felt thrilled! She was making a friend! “I like pigtails.”<br />“Well, maybe you could braid my hair some time! It’ll be fun! We could use some girl time, even here in the woods!”<br />Valkyrie, her boots off, came and sat next to Number Nine and looked at her sincerely. How sweet. “You don’t have to try so hard, you know.”<br />Number Nine arched her back in another stretch. “What do you mean? This is hardly difficult!”<br />Valkyrie snickered. “To get people to like you. You don’t always have to be cheerful and smiling. You can be moody and tired and frustrated like the rest of us, after sleeping on the ground for a night. It’s completely okay.”<br />Number Nine laughed good-naturedly. “Don’t be silly, silly! Sleeping on the ground was a wonderful adventure! And a good woman is always in positive spirits.”<br />Valkyrie, her eyebrows raised in confusion, looked appalled. “Who taught you that? ‘A good woman…’ Whose good woman?”<br />Number Nine felt her eyes fill with tears, unbidden. Oh, she hated getting emotional! She turned away in sadness. “I—no one taught me that. I was just p-programmed that way.”<br />Valkyrie moved in closer and put her arm around Number Nine’s shoulders. It felt good to have human contact. So many people shied away from Number Nine when she got emotional. “Programmed? You were programmed? Listen, sister, we’ve got some serious talking to do. We need to get you UN-programmed.”<br />Number Nine tried not to cry, she really did, but the tears started flowing down her cheeks. Valkyrie pulled her tighter. “Let’s start over here. My real name is Samantha. What’s yours?”<br />And with that, Number Nine lost it. She buried her face in her new friend’s shoulder and began sobbing. “I d-don’t know my name!”<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND<br /><br />Brendan Doyle lay back on the wide raised tree root that served as his bed and up at the thick branches that served as the roof to their shelter. Nearby, he could hear his teammates breathing, sleeping, in their own cots; well, four of them anyway. Who knew where the other three had gone off to. They’d worked hard today, getting camp cleared, exploring the area, foraging for food. What an odd assortment of misfits, loners, and losers this bunch was. Brendan never expected, when he was selected for this little survival game, that he, a self-proclaimed loner, would be the biggest team player on Team Hammond. Well, except for Battle Star, who everyone was deferring to as leader of the tribe. Brendan was pleased with that; easier to let someone else take the fall when they made a mistake. But few of the tribe were sharing their ideas or opinions, or even speaking up at all.<br />Brother Nature, on the first day, in the first few minutes, had created this crazy shelter, with cots for everyone, out of soft-wooded trees right in the middle of the camp. Then he had promptly disappeared; no one had seen him in since the morning of day 1. Brendan assumed he was off… communing with nature, perhaps?<br />Brendan, over the last few days, had already approached some of the loners on his team and put them under his thumb. Brendan had been a military man, a soldier-for-hire, a mercenary, and, finally, a super-criminal. He was used to strange and tense situations. But a boy that talked to lobsters? A misguided skinny 18 year old with acid powers? An ancient druid? These guys were weird. Still, that was nothing after being pursued across the whole of Canada before having your rear handed to you by an armored lady.<br />Brendan looked over at his MAULER armor, standing just outside the shelter, where he’d had it charging in the sunlight. When he’d made the decision to steal that armor from Edwin Cord, it had seemed like such a good idea. He’d increase his value as a mercenary, increase his profits. But truly? It’d made him a bully. And he’d gotten kicked down by heroes a dozen times, both before and after he’d found out about Daniel.<br />Daniel. He had to make everything about Daniel now.<br />Brendan closed his eyes and fell asleep.<br /><br />Lemar Hoskins, Battle Star, laughed softly, keeping his voice down so as not to wake the others. He was stripped down to his boxers now, letting his costume, boots, and mask air out next to his shield over by the shelter. Across from him sat Tony Trainer, Sandstorm, a younger black kid who reminded Lemar a lot of himself as a youth, before he’d had his strength augmented, before he’d been trained by the government as a hero. Trainer was a kid with all this untapped potential and misguided anger, just like Lemar had been for most his life.<br />“So let me get this straight. You were in college working on some freak weapons project having to do with living sand. You got mutated by the sand and it gave you some pretty powerful ‘grit armor’. And so, ever since, you’ve been traveling around the world covertly destroying weapon systems and projects?”<br />Trainer smiled as he looked into the fire. Since his mutation, his skin had turned as black as night and the light shining off his eyes and teeth were a bit eerie. “Yeah. It sounds so simple when you put it like that. But let me just say, there are lots o’ bad folks out there and I did my best to make the world a little less dangerous.”<br />Lemar leaned forward on his knees. “How long you been at this, man? And what made you decide to register now?”<br />“Been a couple years now. I don’t think my family even knows I’m alive. I just got… sick of being by myself, y’know? I guess I did some pretty bad stuff and wanted to come home again. I mean, I’m only 22, y’know? I got a whole life ta live.”<br />Lemar had an onrush of memories of his own adolescence and his wayward years in his 20s. He didn’t get his powers in some accident, and he’d squandered them for most the time. He was dramatically opposed to the whole registration act in the beginning; he hadn’t had much luck with the previous administration and didn’t expect good things from this one. But if it gave kids like Trainer a chance to straighten his life out? Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing after all. “All right, listen, kid. Me an’ you? We got a lot in common. And we’ve got a bunch of crazies and former criminals on this team, in this game. Let’s me an’ you stick together and get this game under wing. I’ve got your back, you understand?”<br />Lemar smiled again as Trainer extended his hand. The two shook and Lemar was surprised at how good it felt to have a friend in this game.<br /><br />DAY 3<br /><br />THE IMMUNITY CHALLENGE<br /><br />Jasper Sitwell stood before the 16 contestants and looked them over. A diverse group indeed. Team Joyce stood to his left, all beautiful women in their own right, all in full costume. Team Hammond, on the right, looked a little bit more motley and unkempt, but formidable as well.<br />“I trust you’ve all been able to acclimate to the beautiful terrain of Symkaria over the past two days! That you’ve gotten to know each other, your teammates, your capabilities! As you are here as part of your training for the Fifty-State Initiative, most of our challenges will be themed in helping you test your skills, your limits, and your readiness for deployment once your training is complete. Right now, the challenges will be focused on teamwork. Later in the competition, on individual skills. The winning team in this challenge gets immunity, meaning every person on that team is safe for another three days in the competition. The losing team joins me tonight at tribal council, where one member of your team will be voted off and returned to the States to continue their training. Now let’s get on with the challenge!”<br />Jasper told the group that they would be pitted against each other in a series of seven competitions testing various sets of strength. He told both teams to select a leader before proceeding. On Team Joyce, Valkyrie and Gladiatrix argued over who should lead, but Free Spirit stepped forward and announced herself as leader, much to the annoyance of Gladiatrix; the others didn’t seem to care. On Team Hammond, the group unanimously agreed that Battle Star should represent them. Jasper then explained that, without consultation, the leader on each team would need to select one teammate to represent the team in each of the following categories: Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Speed, Swimming, Balance, and Endurance. Then the two individuals selected for each category, from each team, would race to complete their challenge first, and the team to win the most individual competitions would win immunity. Free Spirit made her decisions quickly and on instinct. Battle Star was a bit more selective, moving players from his team around multiple times before making his final selections. Then the games began.<br />In the Strength competition, the contestants were instructed to smash through several boxes of stone until they found one with a Symkarian coin inside one. While Gomi smashed multiple boxes with his wide bursts of telekinesis, his lobster Bill pried open several others with his powerful claws, but Team Joyce pulled out the victory when Gladiatrix smashed all the boxes with her raised fists, quickly finding the coin.<br />In the Agility competition, the contestants were placed into a complex course of hoops, hooks, platforms, and ropes and told to get from one end to the other as quickly as possible. In a bizarre turn, Phantom Blonde (who possesses no powers) and Biohazard (who transforms into an acidic monster) battled across the course. Phantom Blonde did a decent job of holding herself aloft and moved painstakingly, slowly, across the course. Biohazard quickly learned that his acidic body burned the ropes, so he had to compete in his human form and fell repeatedly. Phantom Blonde cheered and pumped her fist in the air as she won for Team Joyce.<br />In the Intelligence competition, Ion and Derwyddon were placed in front of a complex puzzle which was tied in a group of knots. Though Ion quickly burned through the knots with her ionic energy and quickly began working through the puzzle with her scientific brain, Derwyddon seemed to almost will the knots to come undone and the puzzle to come together with a series of magical gestures. Everyone was amazed when he completed the puzzle in less than sixty seconds, scoring a point for Team Hammond.<br />In the Speed competition, the two contestants were instructed to race a total of ten miles, and flight was allowed. Tempo quickly used her powers of perception over time to slow down MAULER. As she sped forward flying, however, MAULER was out of her power’s range, and he used his armor’s jet-propulsion system to fly past Tempo to the finish line in a matter of seconds.<br />In the Swimming competition, Number Nine and Brother Nature were instructed to race, by swimming of course, across a three mile lake to the other shore. Number Nine, with her enhanced strength and endurance, thought she could easily win, but Brother Nature seemed to command the very water to propel him forward and he arrived on the other side in only three minutes.<br />In the Balance competition, the contestants were instructed to move their way over a series of steadily decreasing balance beams, from one of the field to the other, and they were told that they must remain in contact with the beam at all times. As Steel Spider used his metal legs to grab on to the beams and push himself forward at high speed, Nocturne seemed to lithely dance across the course, her wings flapping to keep her upright as she speedily reached the other end.<br />With the teams now tied at three points each, the pressure was high on Valkyrie and Sandstorm in the endurance competition. They were instructed to hold themselves up by their arms by two extended handles attached to a raised board as their feet hanged loosely beneath them. The first to fall would be out, and the other team declared a winner. The teams were initially tense, then bored as the competition stretched on for two, five, then nine hours before Valkyrie finally tired, her arms throbbing as she fell to the ground. Sandstorm, who’d willed his grit armor to solidify around his form, was cheered on by his teammates for the victory.<br /><br />TRIBAL COUNCIL<br /><br />That evening at tribal council, the eight members of Team Joyce took their seats on two rows of benches with a roaring fire in front of them. Sitting several feet away, Jasper pushed his glasses up on his nose and explained to them that each of them had a lit torch now and that their torch would stay lit as long as they remained in the game. He explained that one torch would be put out every three days until the final tribal council, when the winner was selected. Jasper looked over the women and began asking a few questions.<br />“Nocturne, how has your camp life been so far?”<br />Jasper watched Nocturne’s cheeks flush lightly, then she turned away. Ion quickly spoke up for her, in her airy voice.<br />“Nocturne does not speak, whether by choice or inability, I do not know. But I shall answer in her stead. Camp life started out rocky. A few of us argued about the most efficient ways to do things, but Free Spirit took it upon herself to organize us and we now have a rudimentary shelter. Those of us who need it.”<br />Jasper jumped right in. “Tempo, what started out rocky?”<br />Tempo looked reluctant to answer. “Let me just say that some of our tribe are a bit more bombastic than others.”<br />“That’s rather vague.”<br />Tempo looked at him with a cold fury. “Intentionally so.”<br />Gladiatrix suddenly butted in. “They are talking about me and little miss metal bra back there. Valkyrie. She acts like she’s the only super strong female in town and thought she could order us all around at the start. So what, she served with the Defenders. I was in the UCWF long before! I’m not one to stand around and be given orders by some chick like that.”<br />Jasper watched the tension among the others as Gladiatrix rushed through her words. Despite Valkyrie’s smugness, the others were incredibly uncomfortable, and he guessed this wasn’t the first time Gladiatrix had grated on their nerves. He didn’t think he needed to go any further with this, and instructed the women to move forward with their voting. After the women all voted, Jasper gathered the votes and began to read them out loud.<br />The first vote was for Gladiatrix. This vote was from Free Spirit, who had discreetly spoken to the others at length about voting out the one in their camp causing the most problems.<br />The second vote was for Gladiatrix. This vote was from Nocturne, who disliked the feel of the negative emotions constantly radiating off of Gladiatrix.<br />The third vote was for Valkyrie. This was from Gladiatrix, who wanted her biggest competition off the show, and had loudly told everyone to follow her lead.<br />The fourth vote was for Gladiatrix. This was from Number Nine, who was asked to vote this way by Valkyrie.<br />The fifth vote was for Gladiatrix. This was from Phantom Blonde, who, despite really liking the tension around camp, was voting with the majority.<br />The sixth vote was for Gladiatrix. This was from Valkyrie, who had not been quiet about her dislike for the female wrestler and had asked for support from the others.<br />The seventh vote was for Gladiatrix. This was from Ion, who little cared who left so long as it wasn’t her.<br />The eighth vote was for Valkyrie. This was from Tempo, who saw no advantage in keeping Valkyrie around.<br />As Jasper read out the results, Gladiatrix surprised them all by laughing good-naturedly, getting louder as each deciding vote was read. As Jasper said the famous “the tribe has spoken” phrase, Gladiatrix, still laughing, slapped Valkyrie on the back good-naturedly, knocking her to the ground. Jasper extinguished the torch as Gladiatrix turned to face Team Joyce. “I see your strategies. Get the biggest competition out first. Well played, ladies. See you back at camp.”<br />And with a wink, the first heroine left the game, leaving seven behind.<br /><br />Hey! Thanks to everyone who voted, participated, and made cool comments about the prologue. And with that, we get into the first episode, where I tried to include brief character introductions, introduce the dynamics, and set the stage for character development as briefly as possible. You have to trust that a lot is happening off-scene as we just little glimpses into these character’s minds and lives. I have lots of fun things planned for them along the journey, and it is thrilling to see who will make it the farthest.<br />Once again, you can send your votes to me at <a href="mailto:hellochadman@yahoo.com">hellochadman@yahoo.com</a>, on facebook, or as a comment here.<br />Due to random selection, Team Hammond wins immunity again in episode two. That means you have to, once again, vote off someone from Team Joyce. Don’t worry, girls, it’ll all even out as we get further in. J Use whatever strategy you want in casting your vote. Pick your favorites and root for them, stir it up, choose your adventures!<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND (IMMUNITY):<br />Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)<br />Biohazard (Fletcher Traynor)<br />Brother Nature (Mark Diering)<br />Derwyddon<br />Gomi (Alphonsus Lefszycic)<br />MAULER (Brendan Doyle)<br />Sandstorm (Tony Trainer)<br />Steel Spider (Oliver Osnick)<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE:<br />Free Spirit (Cathy Webster)<br />Ion (Voletta Todd)<br />Nocturne (Angela Cairn)<br />Number Nine<br />Phantom Blonde (Wanda Mason)<br />Tempo (Heather Tucker)<br />Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)Chadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-29771482263390324172009-10-13T20:02:00.001-07:002009-10-13T20:02:41.842-07:00Voting completeWatch for episode one on Thursday night! :DChadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-59971348725587399642009-10-09T19:20:00.000-07:002009-10-09T19:23:11.128-07:00Survivor: the Initiative PrologueSurvivor: the Initiative: Prologue<br /><br /> Jasper Sitwell felt completely out of place in the opulent surroundings of Silver Sable’s castle. In front of him sat a gorgeous woman who may as well be royalty, her long white hair flowing down her back like she just stepped out of a shampoo commercial, her tight silver spandex hiding nothing about her form. He briefly imagined what it must be like for the targets of Silver Sable, the world-renowned mercenary from Symkaria, who saw this beautiful vision of a woman right before she shot or captured them. What a way to go, he figured was the last thought that passed through their criminal heads; the straight ones, anyway.<br /> Jasper had never had any problems with the ladies, that was for sure. Heck, he was fit, if a bit on the intelligent side, and he was a secret agent; that was always a conversation starter. He’d even been engaged to Whitney Frost before she’d gone nuts. But Silver Sable? She was a whole nother class of woman.<br /> “Agent Sitwell, can we get on with it? I have a multi-million dollar deal waiting for me in Herzegovina.”<br /> Jasper felt his cheeks flushed as he came back to awareness, embarrassed that he’d let his thoughts run away with him. “Yes, o-of course. I’m sorry, Ms. Sable.”<br /> “Silver. I told you to call me Silver.”<br /> “Yes, Silver. Sorry. Back to the contestants. We were just discussing the contestants.”<br /> Silver leaned in closely to Jasper. Almost sensually close. And his heart quickened as she whispered. “Don’t be embarrassed about being distracted, Agent Sitwell. I have this effect on most men.”<br /> Jasper had been all over the world as an agent of SHIELD and as a host of past Survivor competitions. After living for two months in undersea Lemuria, staying in Symkaria was a breeze. A small Eastern European nation best known for its international mercenaries, led, of course, by Silver Sable and her father before her. This season of “super hero Survivor” (as the media had started calling it) was focused on producing the best of the best in the new wave of heroes for the Fifty State Initiative. And Silver Sable, and subsequently Symkaria, were known for hosting the best of the best. This was the perfect location for the Initiative series.<br /> “The contestants, Jasper.”<br /> Crap, he was doing it again. Jasper cleared his throat. “We’ve decided to begin the competition with a battle of the sexes. We have eight female and eight male heroes, all of whom recently registered under the Super Human Registration Act. We’ll be calling the males Team Hammond, after the famous Jim Hammond, the android Human Torch of WWII. The females will be Team Joyce, after Madeline Joyce, the heroic Miss America, also from WWII.”<br /> Silver Sable settled back in her seat. Thank goodness. Jasper could hardly handle being so close to this woman. “I’ve always admired the Americans penchant for honoring their past heroes.” Her thick accent was killing him.<br /> “Ahem. So let me present the contestants. In alphabetical order, if that suits you.<br /> “Our first male contestant is someone you are familiar with as he was once one of your mercenary Wild Pack. Lemar Hoskins briefly used his super human strength for crime before becoming the government-sponsored hero Bucky alongside the new Captain America. Hoskins later changed his codename to Battlestar. He is the type of hero the Initiative is all about, but he chose to oppose it and spend time in jail instead. He’s recently changed his mind and he’s ready to wield his shield in service of his country again.<br /> “When Fletcher Traynor’s father was put in prison and later murdered, Fletcher wanted revenge on the New Warriors, the heroes behind his dad’s incarceration. He seized a weapon from his dad’s facility and when it malfunctioned, Fletcher ended up an acidic beast calling himself Biohazard. After several months of therapy and training, Fletcher’s in much better control of himself and he’s ready to make a go of it as a hero.<br /> “Mark Diering was once a park ranger and nature enthusiast who ended up getting powers over nature after he was left for dead by some shady land developers. Styling himself Brother Nature, Diering lived in the woods for the next few years, coming across Captain America once briefly. After he was captured by the Thunderbolts, Diering chose jail over registration, but he claims he’s had a change of heart. He’s immensely powerful, but we worry a bit over his mental stability.<br /> “Derwyddon (yes, that’s his whole name and his code name) claims to be thousands of years old; sounds preposterous, but I’ve seen stranger things in a world full of Spider-Men and Thors. Far as we can determine, he was a minor member of some ancient Druidic religion who spent centuries in some form of deep sleep. He’s not really forthcoming about his actions since his ‘modern awakening’, but we know he crossed paths with the Defenders’ Gargoyle. Derwyddon keeps telling us that his gods have commanded him to ‘atone through registration.’ His mystic abilities are nothing less than impressive, though, and we’re still not sure what he is exactly capable of.<br /> “The overly eager and optimistic Alphonsus Lefszycic is maybe our most bizarre and unlikely contestant, and that’s saying something. For some reason, he’ll only go by his codename of Gomi, despite that being Japanese for garbage. Gomi got cyborg enhancements, telekinetic abilities, and a psychic affiliation to an, ahem, cyborg lobster named Bill in some college experiment gone wrong. He is definitely one of our most… enthusiastic contestants.<br /> “Long-time mercenary and former soldier Brendan Doyle stole the Mobile Armored Utility Laser Emitter, Revised, or MAULER, armor, on assignment and used it for several years for personal gain, despite getting his butt handed to him again and again by various heroes. Doyle surprised us all when he registered, willing to trade in his criminal history for military service. When asked, he simply said ‘it’s time to step up as a father’, referring to his young son.<br /> “Tony Trainer was a really smart college student who somehow got drafted into an ego battle between professors pursuing a weapons testing experiment on campus. Trainer ended up mutated into Sandstorm, using his ‘grit armor’ to fight oppression across the globe wherever he saw fit. He spent a bit of time being mentored by your former operative Sandman, whose form was used in the Sandstorm creation. Trainer is focused, almost to unhealthy levels. I’m anxious to see how he’ll perform under pressure.<br /> “Last guy on Team Hammond is Oliver “Ollie” Osnick, who is doing much better on regular mental health medications. Back when Ollie was a portly student, he brilliantly designed a set of arms like those of his hero Dr. Octopus, but later redesigned them to emulate Spider-Man. Ollie tailed the hero around as the Spider-Kid for a while, and later rechristened himself the Steel Spider. A while back, the Steel Spider went nuts and was defeated very publicly by the Thunderbolts, a battle in which Ollie lost an arm. He’s undergone a lot of counseling and says he’s ready to be a ‘real hero’ now. We’ll see.”<br /> Jasper looked at Silver Sable for the first time in several minutes. Her eyes were on the pages he’d laid out in front of her. Dang, she was beautiful.<br /> “Please continue, Agent Sitwell, with the members of Team Joyce.”<br /> Jasper stretched and continued. “We’ll start with Free Spirit. Cathy Webster was manipulated in college by that down-with-men crazy, Superia, to be the ‘ideal woman’, with enhanced reflexes, agility, and strength. Free Spirit struggled to find herself for a while and was helped along by some training by Captain America before he died. She went back to school and stayed off the radar until just recently and now she seems ready to try the hero thing on for size.<br /> “Robin Braxton was one of dozens of survivors of the Power Broker’s augmentation process, giving her super strength and endurance. Calling herself Gladiatrix, Braxton joined the female wrestlers, the Grapplers, as part of the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation, for a while, then tried her hand at being a hero, but never found her way. She stayed in jail rather than register, but now she’s changed her mind. There have been hints that she hooked up with Battlestar a while back…<br /> “Voletta Todd is a brilliant scientist whose body was transformed into ionic energy in a deadly lab accident. Calling herself Ion, she rampaged through the city until Machine Man stopped her, helping her learn that extreme cold would help her return to human form. She eventually developed a containment suit that could house her energies in a human form, but she wants nothing more than to just be human again. She’s hoping that the Initiative can help her with that.<br /> “Detective Angela Cairn went a bit mad after her lover was killed by the mutate Vermin. Cairn was ironically later mutated, against her will, by the same machine that mutated Vermin, and it changed her into the empathic winged creature of the night, Nocturne. Nocturne has primarily used her powers trying to help less fortunate creatures, but Cairn’s mind is still firmly in control of her body. She is a complex woman and she feels a bit forced into registration.<br /> “Number Nine remembers nothing of her former life. She was scientifically altered into millionaire Skip Ash’s idea of the “perfect woman”, granting her enhanced strength and healing, but removing all memories of her former life. Number Nine has a, for lack of a better term, domestic drive to please everyone around her, but frequently finds herself emotional about her lost past. She is hoping the Initiative can help her discover the truth about her past.<br /> “Wanda Mason is the daughter of the famous WWII heroine the Blonde Phantom, who recently had her youth restored and is now acting as a private investigator in the States. Though Wanda does not possess any super powers, she possesses a tenacity and an enthusiasm that just won’t quit. While on an adventure with She-Hulk a few years ago, she christened herself the Phantom Blonde, obviously after her mother, and she’s been begging for a spot in the Initiative ever since the SHRA was established. We are finally giving her a chance.<br /> “Since the SHRA was passed, we have had very few mutant operatives or trainees. We were all very surprised when Heather Tucker, the former terrorist known as Tempo, enrolled, stating the she was weary of getting caught up in ‘the mutant situation’. Tempo is eager to use her powers over the perception of time to better herself and her country, though her self-isolation and frequent brooding cause some concern.<br /> “Feminist activist Samantha Parrington was once melded with the Asgardian Valkyrie by the Avengers villain, the Enchantress, granting Samantha super-strength, immortality, and swordsmanship. After years as a civilian, Samantha has again become the Valkyrie and she has been using her powers for her own causes. It took some convincing to get her to register. She’s definitely a reluctant participant in our competition.”<br /> Jasper looked up from his files to find Silver Sable looking at him intently, a smirk on her face. How did she pull off sarcastic and beautiful at the same time?<br /> “Are you finished, Agent Sitwell?”<br /> Jasper took a quick sip of water. “Yes. All finished.”<br /> Silver Sable abruptly stood up and began walking toward the door. Jasper guessed the meeting was over. “These contestants meet my approval. I’m off to Herzegovina. Please show yourself out.” Silver Sable stopped in the doorway and turned her head back to look at him. “By the way, Agent Sitwell, I never date Americans.”<br /> And then she was gone.<br /> Jasper collected himself, then collected the files. The season was a go. Time to inform contestants.<br /><br /> Welcome, loyal readers, to another season of Survivor, Marvel style! The first four of these that I wrote were back in my college days, in Boise and Cheney, and then I began devoting my time to other forms of creative writing. I felt like returning to the old format for a lark, and here we are, with a new premise, a new location, and sixteen very diverse contestants.<br /> The way this works: I have plans for all 16 characters. I have arcs that I can explore with each of them and places and developments for each character to go through. I have plans for each one should they win. But only one gets to win, because each time an ‘episode’ gets posted, another character gets voted out. You do the voting, and I get the pleasure of weaving all these characters together in interesting ways as we tell the story of this competition. But please don’t feel like I favor one character over another; I enjoy them all equally and I’m thrilled about all of them. You can vote against your favorites, against your least favorites, against the nicest or the meanest, alphabetically, however you want. I’ll then tally all the votes and the character with the most votes against them gets the boot!<br /> Each week, I will determine randomly which team or (once we get to individuals) character gets immunity. You then vote against one member of the opposing team. Again, the person on that team with the most votes will be off next week. (You’ll start to get this better after episode one). I plan on posting a new episode each Thursday, which is Survivor day! (hooray!)<br /><br />Our teams:<br /><br />TEAM HAMMOND:<br />Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)<br />Biohazard (Fletcher Traynor)<br />Brother Nature (Mark Diering)<br />Derwyddon<br />Gomi (Alphonsus Lefszycic)<br />MAULER (Brendan Doyle)<br />Sandstorm (Tony Trainer)<br />Steel Spider (Ollie Osnick)<br /><br />TEAM JOYCE:<br />Free Spirit (Cathy Webster)<br />Gladiatrix (Robin Braxton)<br />Ion (Voletta Todd)<br />Nocturne (Angela Cairn)<br />Number Nine<br />Phantom Blonde (Wanda Mason)<br />Tempo (Heather Tucker)<br />Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)<br /><br />By random determination, Team Hammond gets immunity this week. That means you need to vote against someone on Team Joyce to be kicked out. You can post your votes as a comment here on blogspot, send it in an Email to me at <a href="mailto:hellochadman@yahoo.com">hellochadman@yahoo.com</a>, or send it to me in a note on facebook.<br /><br />Hope you enjoyed the read! ChadChadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2536652304897724521.post-69495471932485847262009-10-05T10:21:00.000-07:002009-10-05T15:42:18.283-07:00From the desk of Jasper SitwellDear Ms. Sable,<br /><br />I'd like to thank you personally for agreeing to host our newest Survivor competition in your home country of Symkaria.<br /><br />As you are well aware based on our recent correspondence, a few years ago I was assigned by SHIELD to host a series of four Survivor-style competitions in an attempt to rehabilitate groups of super criminals (as well as giving us the opportunity to observe and study them in various environments). Of the four previous winners in the four competitions, which featured two seperate groups of the Masters of Evil, the Serpent Society, and members of the Frightful Four and Sinister Six, all four villains have since returned to their criminal lifestyles. My supervisors now feel that it would be best to refocus our efforts not on criminals, but on heroes. We are pleased you are willing to host our competition in Symkaria, as we did not want to reuse any of our previous locations in the Savage Land, Deviant Lemuria, Sky-Island, or Monster Island.<br /><br />I've reviewed what is known about your recent mercenary activities in the United States and I know you must be aware of our current political situation. Several months ago, Iron Man spearheaded the enforcement of the new Super Human Registration Act, requiring all those within our borders to register with the new Fifty State Initiative, a super-powered military program determined to put a team of trained super heroes in each state. Failure to register means jail; we simply can't ignore the vast numbers of super-powered individuals within our country's borders any longer. Since the implementation of the SHRA, the Initiative has had a rocky go, what with alien invasions and changes in the government's power structure, but at its heart, it remains the same. We still seek to properly train and police our country's super-powered civilians.<br /><br />We have been training new recruits in the Initiative ever since the SHRA was enacted. These recruits have ranged from heroes to former villains; time travelers to magic wielders to mutants. It has given many heroes an opportunity to use their talents for good. We are currently in the process of selecting the sixteen recruits, eight men and eight women, who will be competing in this competition. It has been decided that this will be primarily an exercise in training, but the winner of the competition will have one million dollars donated to the charity of their choice, and will be offered the command of one of the new Initiative teams, should they so desire it. We have several suprises in store for the contestants, and several "guest stars" lined up to aid in the training and competition. The premise of the series will remain the same. Competitions will regularly be held for rewards and immunity, and one contestant will be voted off every three days and sent back for training at the United States camp. In addition, we appreciate your willingness to provide your Wild Pack mercenaries for a few of the competitions. We will, of course, pay the agreed upon sum.<br /><br />I will be in Symkaria in the next few days to officially present the contestants to you, and to discuss further logistics of the competition. As always, feel free to Email or call regarding any questions or concerns.<br /><br />Sincerely, Jasper SitwellChadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12772881769903098272noreply@blogger.com3