MSI: Episode 2 part 2 - Immunity Challenge and Tribal Council

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE

            Everyone teleported in onto their mats. Squirrel Girl and Forge were waiting for them.

            “Have you missed me?” She clasped her hands. Her tail swayed behind her and she grinned. “Don’t answer that, I can see it in your faces.” All their faces since there was no Deadpool. “Thank team Monkey Joe for that.”

            “What?” Domino asked.

            Forge shook his head. “Let it go. I find it to be easier to think she’s talking for the sake of talking.”

            “Whatever.” Domino wore her costume. All of her tribemates were doing the same thing.

            As a matter-of-fact everyone wore their costumes.

            Squirrel Girl just noticed. “I’m not good with details.” She double checked. “Looks like you have figured out that challenges might be better suited if you are.”

            “Winning favors the prepared,” Beast said.

            “You can’t all win. So we’ll see who is better prepared.” She walked over and took the Tribal Immunity from Cyclops. “Thanks for my nuts back. They’re now up for grabs.” She knew what she was saying. “I do. The winner of this immunity challenge will win nothing. The food was a great reward for both challenges. All they win is tribal immunity. I guess some spices for their dino meats. How do you like the dinos? They are awesome, aren’t they? You’re welcome. No need to flowery me with praises. I know. I know.” Squirrel Girl bowed toward Forge. “Please tell our excited guest what they are in for.”

            Forge lifted his wrist and tapped a few buttons on a device. Before everyone on the mat a three large machines that looked exactly as Rogue predicted appeared before them. “What we have here are three High Strikers that are especially made for people with abilities.” He gestured toward everyone.

            Squirrel Girl clapped her hands in quick succession. “Hurry up gadget boy. We don’t want to waste ample time.”

            He lowered his head and mumbled, “Right.” He turned back toward the tribes. “It’s created for some to be involved. Based on the number it will require a proportion of your abilities to make the bell ring.” He took a breath. “In other words, you’re going to have to find the right variance in order to force the little adamantium ball to travel up the tube to ding the bell. For example, if one person uses all their strength to hit the Striker, it’ll take everyone else to use all their strength to hit the Striker in order for the bell to ring.”

            “What about those of us that don’t have abilities?” Black Widow asked.

            Forge snapped his fingers. “Right, right, I know. Each machine has a DNA reader. Anyone that wants to play puts their hand on there and it reads, calculates and then sets the exact variance.” He looked back at Squirrel Girl.

            “All right ladies, gentlemen and freaks, at least five of you have to play.” She looked at her wrist were there was no watch. “I’ve got a great internal clock. You have five minutes to strategize. You can’t sit out the same people in back to back challenges. Just so you know.”

            The following people were playing on the following tribes:

            Monkey Joe

            Emma Frost

            Human Torch

            Thor

            Vision

            Gambit

            Sitting out was Domino, Jamie Madrox and Black Widow.

            Slippy Pete

            Scarlet Witch

            Cyclops

            Iron Man

            Iceman

            Rogue

            Sitting out was Spider-Man, Kitty Pryde, Mr. Fantastic and Psylocke.

            Tippy Toe

            Invisible Woman

            Wiccan

            Jean Grey

            Storm

            Thing

            Sitting out was Captain America, Wolverine, Beast and Nightcrawler.

            The five from each tribe walked to their machine and placed their hands on the DNA reader. Each time one did that the machine said their codename.

            “Excuse me?” Mr. Fantastic held up his hand.

            “Yes?” Squirrel Girl said.

            “Forge, what happens to the DNA that it extracts?”

            Forge shook his head. “Ah, a valid concern. It doesn’t take any. It only reads it. Each machine has the database of Mojo to known heroes’ abilities. I didn’t want to use what Cerebra had on all of you. He allowed me access.”

            “You saw Mojo?” Cyclops asked.

            “That’s enough questioning.” Squirrel Girl waved the Universe Remote. “Don’t make me. I hate to be made. And you hate me to be made as well. I’m sure some of you are having ill effects.” It looked like she stared directly at Iron Man. “I plead the fifth.”

            “Thank you Forge.” She pressed a button and he teleported away. “Everyone playing on the mat. Everyone who isn’t,” she pointed toward an area that was far away and near the ocean, “stand over there.” When the ones not playing made it to their designated areas, she put them in a sphere of silence. “You may speak to your own tribe, not to the other tribe. Even if you’re a telepath.” She stared at Psylocke. “Keep your mind to yourself.”

            “On your marks, get set…let the games begin!” She corrected, “Game. Let the game begin.” But they already had.

            Monkey Joe: Emma Frost closed her eyes and connected with Human Torch, Thor and Gambit. “I’m ready. Now you’ll be able to feel the amount of power they’re using and match it. Vision said he’ll match when we’re set. Who feels it?”

            Human Torch ignited into flame and extended his hands. “I’ll go first.” Fire burst from his fist and hit the target. The adamantium ball lifted a little bit. “Who’s next?” He grimaced. “I can maintain this for a bit, but it’s difficult to keep it at a constant…”

            “Let me.” Emma Frost reached into his mind and help. It was like keeping at 25 miles per hour without using cruise control. 

            Thor lifted his hammer. “I will follow.” Thunder rumbled and a bolt of lightning struck his hammer and he aimed it toward the target. He tried to match the 25mph.

The crack of lightning was so loud that Emma had a hard time concentrating. And the static electricity messed with her hair. She felt it rise and she saw Jamie Madrox laughing. She glared at him. He didn’t stop.

Gambit pulled out a deck of cards. “We have seconds to match after me.” He charged the cards and prepared to let go.

Vision saw that the powers of Human Torch and Thor fluxuated, but maintained a consistent set of numbers. He just had to match after Gambit went. It wouldn’t be difficult. It shouldn’t be. Something was going on with his sensors. Maybe the lightning? That didn’t make sense.

Slippy Pete: Cyclops, Iron Man and Ice Man prepared their energy attacks. Rogue had to come in after they were firing and hit the target just right.

“I’ll anchor my ability onto you, Rogue. The machine will register it,” Scarlet Witch said. “At the same time I’ll work on the probability of our abilities harmonizing.”

Iceman smirked. “Nice one, Wanda. You get a cool point from the Iceman.”

“Who talks in the third person?” Iron Man asked.

Iceman side glanced him. “Where’s a mirror when you need one?” He shined up his iced up bicep and put it in Tony’s face. “There.”

            “Boys, we can compare sizes later. Focus.” Scarlet Witch’s hands glowed red. Rogue’s hands glowed red.

            Cyclops eyes glowed red. Iron Man’s hands had a nice red hue. Iceman felt left out.

            “Fire.”

            And the three boys did.

            Tippy Toe: Invisible Woman formed force fields around Thing’s fist. Storm called upon lightening and her hands crackled, ready. Jean Grey connected everyone to allow them to feel what they had to do to match.

            Wiccan chanted, “Bring us together and let us win. Bring us together and let us win. Bring us together and let us a message send. Powers of difference form as one. Strike the target with the consistency and let us be done.” He chanted over and over, his hands glowing bluish white.

            “Go, Storm.” Jean shouted.

            Storm released a bolt of lightning. It struck the target with a thud. No smoke, no fire. The machine really did absorb the energy. Thing squinted against the bright light and walked toward it. He lifted his fist and when he heard Jean’s command, he struck the target with a steady drum beat. Left, right, left, right. He never hit a target that didn’t vibrate or give any sense of his strength. It was like he was hitting a well tone pillow.

            Jean Grey wove their abilities as best she could to get them to match frequencies. She felt that they were going to win. Wiccan’s chant felt embowering. She peeked. He seemed to be losing steam. She reached out to his mind to give him a boost.

            “Come on, Wiccan. You can do it. It can be done. Youth doesn’t mean you can’t play with the big heroes.”

            “I’m trying.”

            “When you feel you can’t, that’s when you must.”

            “It’s neck and neck. This is a first.” Squirrel Girl was on her sliver disk floating above the machines and the heroes.

            Monkey Joe were all attacking the target. Vision hadn’t joined in. Emma Frost shouted at him to hurry, she couldn’t maintain everyone for much longer. And she couldn’t stand the static electricity ruining her hair. Their adamantium ball hovered right under the bell. Vision understood, but had trouble reading the power outage to match. He realized he didn’t have much time. His eyes shot solar energy. The adamantium ball moved toward the bell.

            “Push it, people. Don’t tire out. Losers go to tribal. No one wants to be a loser.” Squirrel Girl shouted.

            Slippy Pete’s adamantium ball was just below the bell. Rogue struck the target with the blasts from Cyclops, Iceman and Iron Man. Each hit from Rogue moved the adamantium ball that much closer. Scarlet Witch started to have trouble breathing.

            “Suga’ you gotta hold it,” Rogue said between pounding. “Just a minute longer.”

            “Tired. I’ll try,” Scarlet Witch said.

            Tippy Toe was just as close as the rest. Thing didn’t feel an ounce of tired. Invisible Woman felt her power slipping, again. The sleeping situation wasn’t good. Not comfortable. Screwing with her ability to concentrate at needed moments like this. Jean Grey felt fine. She didn’t need the phoenix force to maintain this control. Though her eyes did glow a fiery red. Wiccan continued chanting without let up. Pushing through the pain of exhaustion.

            A loud DING.

            DING!

            Two dings. Too close. Too much at the same time. Squirrel Girl had to figure who was first.

            “I know who lost.” She pointed. “Sorry.” She pushed out her bottom lip. “I’m sure your seats are warm from the last time. Laters.” She hit a button and Monkey Joe was teleported back to their camp.

            Squirrel Girl looked at the final two and pressed a button releasing the shield on the remaining tribemates. “So close. I know who won.” She lowered her sliver disc, it disappeared. She grabbed the nuts and handed them to Wiccan. “Well done.”

            “We won?” He looked over at Captain America, who was walking toward them. “We WON!” He laughed.

            “I said that. Must you repeat everything?” She smiled. “Oh, and here.” She handed Jean Grey a box. “Spices. It ought to make the dinos taste that much…better.” She used her hand to gesture under her neck. “Don’t eat too much. It’s not healthy to eat so much red meat. Fruit should arrive tomorrow on a few trees. A gift. From me. I’m awesome. Fruits have been known to make you smarter. Apple a day makes the brain stay.”

            Tippy Toe all came together to celebrate their win.

            Squirrel Girl put on a less than  happy face and looked at Slippy Pete. “Sorry…man, why can’t any of you be named Charlie? Anyway, at least you don’t have to go to tribal. But you do have to go.” She hit a few buttons and teleported them back to their beach.

             “Celebrate elsewhere.” She lifted her Universe Remote. “Again, congrats, Billy.” She winked at him. “I mean Tippy Toe. It was a team effort, wasn’t it?” She teleported them back to their beach.

ENTERTAINMENT CENTER

“Back again?”

            Not for long. If you’re going to rant about squirrels again, it will be a short visit.

            “Oh, no. So am I about to find out if I get my own room or not?”

            Yes.

            “Exciting. I hope it’s Human Torch. I like watching things flame up and flame on.” He straightened up in his chair. “Flame is such a heavy handed word. If I was in the 19-watever-20’s? I said I have a flame. They’re like…ooh, how hot is she? I say it now and they’re like ooh how hot is he? It’s weird. You’d think Human Torch wouldn’t flame on any more. He’d just say clap on, clap on the clapper.” He paused. “Then again clap doesn’t mean the same as it never meant the same. You can never just say I have the clap. That’s just…ew.”

            Really? Do you have any comment about the Immunity Challenge? This agreement was stupid.

            “Right, the challenge. Squirrel Girl told them to eat their fruits. Hopefully Wiccan’s still there for the next Challenge.”

            And we’re done.

            “Aww, offended?”

MONKEY JOE

            “And again the fire is on. Fire safety isn’t a joke.” Vision walked over to the fire pit and shook his head.

            Jamie Madrox sighed. “We’re on a fake beach. Nothing will really burn down.”

            “Oh?” Vision lifted a stick and ignited it with his eyes.

            Emma Frost whispered to Black Widow, “What’s he doing?”

            Black Widow stared.

            Vision tossed the stick onto the shelter’s roof. One palm branch caught fire. Then another. And another.

            He looked at Jamie Madrox and said, “Guess you’re wrong.”

            “How in the hell does a robot—”

            “I am not a robot.”

            Jaime pointed his finger into Vision’s face. “I don’t care if you’re a fake bot. You don’t burn down people’s hard work just because you want to make a point.”

            “Did I make my point? You said nothing could, I believe that the facts matter. Do facts matter to you?”

            Jamie’s mouth fell open. He lifted his finger in an attempt to form a sentence, but dropped it, turned and walked away.

            “Do not ye worry.” Thor lifted his hammer and a rain-wind quenched the fire. “A few burnt branches. We can replace them. Huh, Gambit?”

            “Oui.” Gambit looked for a machete.

            “No, only you.” Thor dropped his hammer, the ground shook a bit and he sat on the shelter. “I need another dinosaur.”

JAMIE MADROX (Red shorts that matched his red face and he wore no shirt.) If it wasn’t for the fact I’m not allowed to punch someone, that it wouldn’t hurt, that I wouldn’t create an army of dups and that it would be against my sane self’s view of calm…I would have punched Vision so hard Ultron would feel it in his cybernetic balls. (He pretended to pull out his hair.) And I don’t care if that’s technically correct or not. (He punched his fist into his palm several times. Several dups appeared.) Ugh.

            Emma Frost, Domino and Black Widow went to get more water. They talked around the watering hole.

            Emma Frost lowered the bucket and started to pull it back up. “Who do you ladies like to see go this time?”

            “Are you trying to form a femme fatale?” Domino held one of the bottles so that Emma could fill it.

            “Da, I wouldn’t mind a lady trio to put these mal’chik into place.” Black Widow handed Domino another bottle.

            “Boy?” Emma lowered the bucket.

            Black Widow nodded. “Frustration bubbles forth Russian.”

            “The boys would be willing to vote out Vision, it seems. I think Gambit is our better choice.”

            “Why?” Domino asked. She took the last bottle from Black Widow.

            “His charm talk is deadly,” Emma said.

            Black Widow nodded. “Da. He makes it difficult to read how everyone is going to react. He can get his way better than you.” She looked at Domino.

            Domino just nodded.

            “I think I can get Jamie to vote with us.” White Queen dropped the bucket back and picked up a few bottles. Black Widow and Domino followed suit. They headed back.

            “He looked pissed. Are you sure he’d vote out Gambit instead?” Domino asked.

            “We have the numbers without him,” Emma said. “But if I keep him informed of the vote, he’ll become valuable later.”

VISION (He wore a yellow, green and red costume with a red buff wrapped around his wrist.) It may be a fake area, but things burn. It is not a game that you can play without getting hurt. They must realize that even if it costs a precious building.

            “Emma, you can’t be serious?” Jamie paced back and forth on the beach. They were standing on the edge of the shield. Dinosaurs roared in the distance.

            “Gambit is dangerous, you know that. He’ll convince you to vote off your own alliance if you talk to him long enough. Why chance it?” Emma Frost said. She put her arm around his shoulders. “You’re emotional. Your brain isn’t thinking. I’m being your stable source. This is the right choice. Trust me.”

            “I don’t need a robot man telling me…I don’t need him. I think we’d be better off without some little emotional void of a whatever.” He was flustered. He felt it. He knew it. “Chocolate would be nice. They should give us some.”

            “Gambit, then?” She looked him in the eyes.

            Jamie Madrox met her stare. “Fine. But Vision also lost us the Immunity Challenge. He couldn’t match. He’s a computer and he couldn’t match.”

            Emma Frost had no argument against that. She had gained everyone’s agreement that they weren’t going to blast Vision for his part in the loss because it would turn into a long debate over how he didn’t fail, that Thor screwed it all up by using lightning instead of just hammering the target. He might have been right and maybe that’s why she didn’t want Vision to debate his point. She couldn’t be seen as a bad decision maker.

            “Next time he’ll be the key to us winning.” She hoped.

            Jamie didn’t respond.

ENTERTAINMENT CENTER

            “This peanut gallery gots nothing. They seem to have it all under control. And by they I mean Emma Frost. She’s a control freak.”

TRIBAL COUNCIL

            “Welcome.” Squirrel Girl sat on her stool. She waited for everyone to get light their torches and take their seat. Human Torch lighted his own. He avoided doing the whole showoff thing he did before.

            “How does it feel to lose again?” Squirrel Girl asked.

            “It sucks.” Human Torch blurted.

            “I second that.” Jamie Madrox held up his hand.

            “We should have won,” Emma Frost said.

            “Why didn’t you?” Squirrel Girl crossed her legs.

            Emma Frost knew the answer, but didn’t want to jeopardize who they should be voting off. She sat silently.

            “Vision.” Gambit wasn’t afraid. “He didn’t match. A computer who is so smarter than all our brains combined couldn’t figure the right amount of pressure for the target with all that gadgety stuff in that head? Faible.” He folded his arms.

            Squirrel Girl looked at Vision. “Response?”

            Vision said, “Had Thor used his hammer instead of lightning I would not have had interference that troubled my sensors that made it difficult for me to see the amount of pressure I needed to apply. We did not lose on my account.”

            “Incroyable.” Gambit scoffed. “If I didn’t love my hair it would be in my hands.”

            “Aside from losing, how is camp life? Enjoying the dinosaurs roaming about? They are so cute from high in the sky. Are they that cute up close?”

            Thor punched his palm with his fist. “I enjoyed hunting a dinosaur. It was very rewarding.” He grinned. “I provided for the tribe meat and meat and more meat. So much meat we were stuffed with meat.”

            Human Torch made a face.

            “Yes, Johnny?”

            He shook his head. “Thor’s description is…my mind isn’t as godly as his. I can’t say meat over and over again and not…well. Never mind. Continue.”

            “It seems you’re very antsy to vote.” She leaned on her knees. “So, get to it.” She pointed to Domino. “We’ll stick to ladies first thing. It’s not tiring.”

            Domino walked across the little bridge to the urn and paper waited for her on a table. She stared at the paper, tapped the pen against the table and sighed. She wrote a name down. Showed the camera, but said nothing. She placed it in the urn.

            Emma Frost grinned at the camera and showed her vote. Gambit.

            “That charms going to be Deadpool’s best friend.”

            Black Widow wrote down a name, showed the camera, said nothing and put it in the urn.

            Vision wrote down his vote. Gambit.

            “Your charms do not work on me, but if I want to stay, you have to go.”

            Gambit wrote down a name, showed the camera and grinned. Vision.

            “You are not susceptible to my charm. You must depart. Au revoir.”

            Jamie Madrox rubbed the back of his neck. He danced on his feet. He tapped his fingers on the table. He started writing one name, but scratched it out. He tapped the pin on the table. He wrote a name, showed the camera and spoke.

            “You know why.”

            Human Torch wrote a name down, showed the camera and said something.

            “Me. There can only be one.”

            Thor left his hammer at his stool. He didn’t even know why he brought it. He wrote a name down on the sheet of paper, showed the camera, folded it and put it in the urn without speaking.

            “I’ll collect the votes.” Squirrel left and then returned with the votes. “Let the…oh, if anyone has a hidden immunity idol and they’d like to play it, now would be the best time. Because after I start reading the votes, that’s that.”

            Everyone looked around, except Gambit. He stood, reached into his pocket and pulled out the X on a string. “Ah, here.” He handed it to Squirrel Girl.

            She grinned. “This is a Hidden Immunity Idol. Any votes cast against Gambit will not count.”

            And the reason why Emma Frost’s codename was the White Queen showed, despite how much sun she had received.

            Squirrel Girl reached in and pulled out the first vote, “Gambit. Doesn’t count.”

            Second vote. “Gambit, doesn’t count.”

            Third. “Gambit. Doesn’t count.”

            Forth. “Gambit. Doesn’t count. Oh, this is so tedious.”

            Fifth. “Gambit. Doesn’t count.”

            Sixth. “And the second person voted out of this tribe and the game.” She held up the paper. “Vision.”

            “That is only one vote,” Vision said.

            Squirrel Girl nodded. “And it can be assumed the other two are Vision as well. Actually no need to assume. I just told you. Now bring me your torch. You’re snuffed.”

            Vision brought his torch and Squirrel Girl snuffed it. “The Tribe has kicked your robot butt out.”

            “I’m not—”

            She hit a button on her remote. “Deadpool has a new playmate.”

            Vision teleported away.

            “Looks like the drama for this tribe has been amped up a thousand. Toodles.” Squirrel Girl hit another button and the rest of the tribe went back to their beach.

Domino – Gambit

Emma Frost – Gambit

Black Widow – Gambit

Vision – Gambit

Gambit – Vision

Jamie Madrox – Vision

Human Torch – Gambit

Thor – Vision