IMMUNITY
CHALLENGE
“Welcome
pawns to a game that’s much bigger than you.”
Squirrel Girl grinned wider than normal. “I had to deal with a rather
needy masked individual that apparently needed a squirrel proctologist to check
out why he’s having a dissention issue.”
Mr.
Fantastic leaned over to Spider-Man and whispered, “Should I correct her?”
Spider-Man held up his gloved hand. “No. Squirrely humor. She might make it a possible choice with you.”
Mr.
Fantastic returned to paying attention.
“His healing factor doesn’t compensate for his high levels of wuss?” Human Torch asked.
Squirrel
Girl shook her head. “Enough about he who I will not mention again. Let’s begin
the game, shall we?” She lifted the Universe Remote and hit a button. Forge
appeared next to her. “Welcome Tinker-er. Care to explain to the remaining…”
“Wait.”
She sighed. “I forgot. Everyone,” she pointed at Monkey Joe, “as you can see
Vision was voted off at the last Tribal Council. I failed to do my job the last
time. But last time it was….” She closed her eyes. “Like cancer he is.”
Captain
America said, “That is a mistake to vote off Vision.”
Human
Torch rolled his eyes. “That wasn’t—”
Gambit
elbowed him. “No, no. We don’t share business with the enemy.”
Squirrel
Girl clasped her hands. “Right. Anyway, Forge, continue.”
“I
didn’t even—”
“Go
on, we don’t have all day.”
Forge
stepped forward off their matt. “Today,” he clapped his hands in excitement.
“Sorry. It’s so much fun doing this.”
The
X-Men on each tribe were having a hard time accepting Forge in such a teenager
manner. He was so giddy. Jean Grey, Emma Frost and Psylocke connected all the
minds of the X-Men on each tribe. Without crossing any lines of stealing
information, they each gave their concern on him. Beast suggested that it was
possible he wasn’t their Forge. That he came from another dimension. A younger
one. Forge was wearing full suit. Blue and Gold. No mechanical anything
showing. His face seemed far more youthful than normal. Beast also mentioned
that this conversation would probably be forgotten based on how things were
going with them trying to figure anything out about the game. Wolverine said
his memory of what happened prior to the game didn’t enter his mind. It was
blocked off. Jean cutoff the mental link, they were gone too long.
“Everyone
understand?” Forge asked.
Iceman
decided he’d be the one to get him to explain it again. “No.”
“Thaw
that brain.” Squirrel Girl moved forward. “Basically you have a ball that’s
special and will know each player’s ability. It will start in the middle. All
three tribes will play at the same time. All three tribes have their own goal.
Each power or ability hitting the ball will make it go toward that tribe’s
goal. The more times it’s hit, the faster it’ll go. First tribe to five, wins.”
“Wins
what?” Iceman asked.
“Pizza
party for the whole tribe.” Squirrel Girl jumped up and down and clapped her
hands. Her tail swayed behind her. She even released a little squirrel clicking
noise.
“For
one night, that is practical.” Mr. Fantastic stood in front of his tribe. “But
we need more than just food. It would be sufficient if we won things that would
be useful in this environment for us.”
“Like
an air-conditioner.” Spider-Man waved both gloved hands at his face.
“No.
Something like bedding or a tarp?”
“I’m
glad you mentioned that,” Squirrel Girl said. “Next immunity the tribes will
mention what it is that they would like. And if they win, they’ll win their
choice.”
Mr.
Fantastic slightly bowed and stepped back with his tribe.
Beast
held up his index finger and lifted his head. “How will the ball know who hit
it?”
Forge
said, “DNA. It’ll take your DNA as did the other inventions.”
“Does anyone else find this troubling that Mojo is collecting our DNA?” Beast turned around facing the three tribes.
“What
does it matter?” Iceman said. “Mojo has our DNA already. He made the X-Babies
because he had our DNA.”
“That
would be the same for the A-Babies as well.” Scarlet Witch nodded.
“I miss Deadpool. I thought I’d relish the idea of him gone, but maybe, maybe, maybe…” Domino looked up to the sky thinking. “…nah, I’m relishing it. Though that doesn’t mean I can’t miss the litl’ fella. Oh, DNA? I don’t care. I can shoot anything I like. And if it’s still alive. I’ll just shoot it again. Or better.”
Forge
held up both his hands showing that he wanted to speak and that he lost a tiny
bit of his excitement. “Trust me. Things will be fine. It’s just a game.”
“And,” Squirrel Girl held up the Universe Remote and her eyes seemed less cheerful and silly and more serious and dead, “as in all games there are rules. Descent, though okay in America, is not okay in Mojoverse. Now he’s tolerated much of your whining for many sections of this game. He’s not going to hold out and have much patience for you little sniveling heroes much longer and is going to show you that he’s serious. An A or X-Baby will appear and he’ll let you say hi. See how he or she is doing. Then BOOM. Dead.”
“Are
you okay?” Emma asked. “I don’t sense you are.”
“Get
out of my head.” Squirrel Girl spit through gritted teeth.
Iron
Man pointed at the remote. “Let Forge hold that remote for a sec.” Thinking he
change it up. “Or, put it in one of your pockets. Let it rest.”
Squirrel
Girl displayed the remote. Her hand gripped it. She appeared to be trying. “I
am trying.” She breathed through her nose. Her hand wouldn’t release the
remote. “It doesn’t matter.”
Iron
Man whispered, “Peter, do you know what that means?”
“That Squirrel Girl is nutzo. We already knew that. That she has a tail? We knew that as well. That—”
“—the
remote has a symbiotic relationship with her.” Mr. Fantastic finished or helped
Spider-Man think.
Spider-Man
nodded. “Right. I should’ve known that.” He jerked his head back toward Mr.
Fantastic. “Symbiotic?”
“Sorry,
ladies and gentlemen.” Squirrel Girl calmed down. “I’m feeling universe sick.”
She hit a button on the remote, a ball floated in front of everyone.
“What
about the baby?” Iceman asked.
“Really,
Bobby?” Emma Frost glared at him. He shrugged. “Smart move.”
Squirrel
Girl shook her head. “Don’t worry. It was frustration and pressure of the
situation. I’m composed. Don’t you worry. I got it under control.” As if a ding
happened a smile bounced back on her face.
Squirrel
Girl pointed at the ball. “Remember the same people cannot sit out in back to
back challenges. Monkey Joe has seven. That means that Slippy Pete and Tippy
Toe have to sit out two each.” She gestured toward those two tribes. “I’ll give
you a few minutes to choose and then we begin the challenge.”
“Hey,
what does the winner of this game get?” Human Torch asked.
“The
winner gets an exclusive vacation that’ll take no time at all.” Squirrel Girl
sounded as if she practiced that to death.
“What—”
“That’s
all. More will be revealed as the game progresses. Plus you save babies. Who
doesn’t want to save babies?”
Moments
past. Slippy Pete sat out Iron Man and Rogue. Tippy Toe sat out Thing and
Invisible Woman.
Forge
said, “Power Ball, ready.”
The
Power Ball hovered over to the three tribes. Each tribe’s members put a hand on
the ball that was roughly the size of a basketball and a half. The Power Ball
vibrated when it finished and rotated.
“Power
Ball set,” Forge said.
Power
Ball rocketed toward the middle of the triangle court where it hovered about
fifteen feet above the ground. In each corner of the court was a goal colored
by tribe and above each goal was a score board. All score boards were set at
zero. The goals were about a football length and then some apart.
“Each
of you may stand wherever you like within the court. You’re not allowed to
touch or harm any of the other players. Your focus is the ball and getting it to
your goal.” Squirrel Girl stepped onto her silver disc.
“The
Power Ball is ready when you are,” Forge said.
Squirrel
Girl hit a button. “Thanks Forge.”
He
teleported away.
Squirrel
Girl floated above the court and held the Universe Remote. The tribes sprinkled
themselves about. “Are you ready?”
Everyone said, “Yes.” One ja. One da. One oui.
“Power
Ball go!” Squirrel Girl shouted.
The
silver ball circled the area it floated in waiting for the first hit to tell it
where to go.
Wiccan’s hands crackled with lightning. He shot forth one hand and a bolt cracked across the court, hitting the Power Ball. It moved toward Tippy Toe’s gold goal at a slow snail pace.
Spider-Man
shot a webbing at the Power Ball. The silver ball changed direction toward the
Slippy Pete’s orange goal. It picked up a bit of speed.
Fast
enough that when Cyclops tried to hit it with an optic blast he barely clipped
it. The Power Ball picked up more speed.
“I got this.” Human Torch waited near Slippy Pete’s goal and released four fireballs into the air. Three of them missed but the fourth hit sending the Power Ball toward Monkey Joe’s red goal. “Yes!”
Iceman formed an ice bridge that brought him right in front of Monkey Joe’s goal. He sent out several ice shards. A few hit. The Power Ball changed direction now going so fast it blurred and before anyone knew where it was going, Slippy Pete scored.
Squirrel
Girl shouted out the scores.
Slippy Pete – 1
Tippy Toe – 0
Monkey Joe – 0
“Power
Ball set,” Squirrel said. The Power Ball repositioned itself ready for action.
“Go!”
A
charged card from Gambit’s fingers hit the ball. It shot toward Monkey Joe’s
goal.
Storm
blasted wind. The silver ball shifted course toward Tippy Toe’s goal.
Scarlet
Witch sent a hex bolt and the Power Ball picked up speed to head toward Tippy
Toe’s goal. It didn’t change course.
“Sorry,”
Scarlet Witch huffed. She was trying to get a better position to hit the ball
again. “Sometimes they’re unpredictable.”
Mr.
Fantastic sent himself up, expanded his chest and blocked the Power Ball from
making it into Tippy Toe’s goal. The ball hit him, stretching out almost
reaching the inside the goal for a score, but was pulled back and sent flying
at a high velocity toward Slippy Pete’s goal. Mr. Fantastic crumbled to the
ground.
Spider-Man
hopped over to him. “Reed, are you okay?”
“I
can’t do that again. Just bruised. I’m fine.” He waved off Spider-Man.
The
Power Ball was seconds from scoring for Slippy Pete.
Jean
Grey wrapped her telekinetic grip around the ball. It released spikes on its
side. She grimaced. She pulled. The ball resisted. “Wiccan!”
Wiccan
shot a lightning bolt. The Power Ball shifted directions and headed toward
Tippy Toe’s goal.
Score
for Tippy Toe.
Squirrel
Girl shouted out the scores.
Monkey
Joe – 0
Slippy
Pete – 1
Tippy
Toe – 1
“Looks
like Monkey Joe are in for another loss.” Squirrel Girl hovered slightly close
to the tribe.
Thor
pointed his hammer toward her. “Ye be careful, rodent.”
She
pointed a clawed finger at him. “You covet my nuts.”
“Power
Ball set.” Squirrel raised her right hand. “GO!”
Thor
threw his hammer as hard as possible. It hit the Power Ball making it crackle a
bit under the pressure. It moved toward Monkey Joe’s goal.
“It
doesn’t matter how hard you hit it. Just that you do.” Squirrel Girl moved to
outside the triangle. “It’ll move only as fast as it’s programed for each hit.”
Thor
stretched out his hand and caught his hammer. “I am the God of Thunder.
Immunity is ours.”
Wolverine
jumped up. Jean Gray threw him. He went toward the ball. A bolt of lightning
from Thor hit it. Wolverine covered his eyes, but regained his sight. The ball
moved faster toward Monkey Joe’s goal, but Wolverine was in the way. He lifted
his right hand, claws out and hit the ball. Electricity shocked him. He shook
in mid-air and fell to the ground smoking like an overdone ham. He did what
needed to be done. The ball shifted directions at a rapid speed, right toward
Tippy Toe’s goal.
Thor
growled.
Wolverine
forced a smirk. “You ain’t winnin’.”
Domino
took aim at the ball. It rocketed and was a few inches from scoring. She fired
her gun. The ball moved faster than she thought. She missed. She took aim and
fired again.
PING!
It
changed directions going right back toward Monkey Joe’s.
Cyclops’
optic blast missed.
Spider-Man’s
web missed.
Captain
America’s shield missed.
Wiccan
didn’t. The ball shifted and bolted toward Tippy Toe’s. It blurred. No one
stopped it.
Score
for Tippy Toe.
Squirrel
Girl shouted out the scores.
Monkey
Joe – 0
Slippy
Pete – 1
Tippy
Toe – 2
The
Power Ball reset.
Thor
hit the ball. It moved toward Monkey Joe’s.
Iceman
lifted Kitty Pryde up. She phased, and the ball went through her, but changed
directions toward Slippy Pete’s. Normally her powers would damage electronics.
She did no damage to the Power Ball.
Sliding
down the ice pole she winced.
“You
all right?” Iceman ran to her.
She
held up her hand to keep him from getting too close. “Fine. It’s just that hurt
more than I thought it would. I don’t know if I could do that again.”
Mr.
Fantastic still suffered from his bout with the ball. Kitty joined him. They
were still in the game, just not going to be avid players unless their pain
subsided.
The
Power Ball shifted and moved toward Monkey Joe’s after Black Widow dinged it
with her widow bite.
Iceman
hit the Power Ball with a beam of ice. It blurred toward Slippy Pete.
Captain
America stood with shield ready for the upset. He waited, watching the ball
move toward the wrong goal. He only had one shot. He pulled back his arm
holding the shield and then released it. The stars and stripes shield spun in a
perfect circle to intercept the Power Ball. It missed. Slippy Pete scored.
Squirrel
Girl said the scores.
Monkey Joe – 0
Slippy
Pete – 2
Tippy
Toe – 2
“Looks
like Monkey Joe is no longer in it.” Squirrel Girl motioned for the Power Ball
to set.
Jamie
Madrox hadn’t done anything the entire Immunity Challenge because he couldn’t think
of how he could help. He took the seconds they had to rest to mention a plan to
his tribe. They had nothing to lose. They broke the impromptu huddle and went
to work on his plan.
The
Power Ball hovered ready for someone to hit it.
Jaime had made several dups. He tried to make sensible ones. Thor took three as quick as possible and tossed them toward the ball. They latched on covering the entire ball. Emma Frost closed her eyes. The dups looked like they were zoning out.
Cyclops blasted, but only hit the dups. All it did was create another dup and it fell to the ground. Jamie quickly absorbed it and winced.
The
Power Ball moved toward Monkey Joe’s goal, slowly.
Captain America’s shield hit a dup. Jamie absorbed the fallen new dups. Jean Grey tried to pull them off, but she grew tired from prying. Beast jumped and tried pulling. Didn’t work. Kitty did phase and the ball shifted directions when she touched it, but it only turned back around and went another direction past her. Scarlet Witch finally had enough nerve to try again, but her hex bolts created a problem, the dups grew shells out of their backs.
Monkey
Joe scored.
Monkey Joe – 1
Slippy
Pete – 2
Tippy
Toe – 2
Squirrel
Girl didn’t have any comments. Power Ball set.
Monkey
Joe scored again, the same way.
Monkey Joe – 2
Slippy
Pete – 2
Tippy
Toe – 2
Power
Ball set.
Monkey Joe scored again, same way.
Monkey Joe – 3
Slippy
Pete – 2
Tippy
Toe – 2
Power
Ball set.
And
again.
Monkey Joe – 4
Slippy
Pete – 2
Tippy
Toe – 2
Power
Ball set.
Thor tried to toss the dups, but this time Scarlet Witch got a hex bolt in and the dups phased and went straight through the ball and hit the ground unconscious. Jamie absorbed them.
Wiccan
took the chance and fired a bolt of lightning. The ball moved. Scarlet Witch
fired another bolt and hit the ball. It shifted toward her goal. Captain’s
shield hit it. It shifted again. Cyclops hit it. Shifted. Thor hit it. Shifted
at a faster rate. It zoomed toward Monkey Joe’s for the final score. It passed
all of Slippy Pete and only Storm and Beast of Tippy Toe had a chance at
stopping it.
The
ball blurred.
Storm closed her eyes and lifted her hand. A white bolt of lightning shot forth and hit the ball and it blurred toward Tippy Toe’s goal and score.
Monkey Joe – 4
Slippy
Pete – 2
Tippy
Toe – 3
Power
Ball set.
Cyclops
create an energy offensive with him, Iceman, Psylocke and Scarlet Witch. No one
was able to stop them. Score.
Monkey Joe – 4
Slippy
Pete – 3
Tippy
Toe – 3
“We
can’t let our lead go to waste,” Human Torch said. “We must win. And I know how
to do it. It’ll only work once, good thing that’s all we need.” He winked.
“Matchstick’s got this.”
Power
Ball set.
Human Torch sent out five fireballs and they orbited the Power Ball creating a fire shield around it. Every few moments one would hit the Power Ball. It moved toward Monkey Joe’s goal.
Cyclops’
optic blast broke through the fireballs rapid movement. The Power Ball shifted
directions. Until one of the fireballs hit the Power Ball shifting it back
toward Monkey Joe’s. It picked up speed.
Scarlet
Witch’s hex bolt made it through the fire shield. It shifted. Faster. A
fireball hit it. Shifted. Faster than fast.
Storm
hit it. Shifted. Faster than faster’s fast. A fireball hit it again. Shifted.
Faster than the fastest fast of faster.
Wiccan closed his eyes and whispered something over and over again. He reached up and fired a blast of his magic. The fireballs dispersed and the Power Ball shifted toward Tippy Toe’s goal at blinding speed.
Domino blew the hair out of her eyes and aimed her gun. The ball inched closer and closer to scoring. She had to do it just right. She waited. The Power Ball picked up speed because Spider-Man got in a lucky last minute hit with his webbing. She fired. The bullet moved toward her target. The Power Ball seemingly slowed down and the bullet it hit.
The
Power Ball shifted directions and rocketed toward Monkey Joe’s goal without a…Cyclops’
wide optic beam knocked the ball sending it in his direction toward Slippy
Pete’s goal.
Score.
Monkey Joe – 4
Slippy
Pete – 4
Tippy
Toe – 3
Power
Ball set.
The
energy offensive of Slippy Pete was set up and they, again, scored. They jumped up and down like their feet were
on fire. They were figuratively on fire by the amount of wins they had.
Slippy
Pete won.
Monkey
Joe was in second.
And…
“I’ll be seeing Tippy Toe at their very first Tribal Council.” Squirrel Girl hit a button the Universe Remote. Tippy Toe teleported back to their beach with a few whining comments being cut off. She looked at Slippy Pete. “When you get back to your beach, you’ll have a phone and you can order your pizza, oh and beer. Yes. MMmmMm good.” She hit a button and the Nut Immunity Statue appeared in Cyclops’ hands. “Take care of them. Spit-shine ‘em if you will.” She hit another button and they teleported back to their beach.
She
lowered on her silver disc in front of Monkey Joe. “Well done. You’ve not lost
one. If you can keep this up, you might actually look like you care to win.”
Jamie
Madrox shrugged. “As long as one of the heroes wins we all win.”
“But
not everyone can win the most awesome vacation ever.” Squirrel Girl lifted the
remote and hit a button. They teleported back to their beach.
ENTERTAINMENT
CENTER
“Good. I don’t want to have to
deal with anyone from my own tribe. Especially not that dog spotted Domino.”
Deadpool pointed to one of his cheeks. “Right there she slapped me after I
said, come here spot. Yeah. I laughed. She had an adverse reaction. I’d shoot a
woman, if I wasn’t such a gentleman of the highest caliber. Just wait until she
comes here. I’m no longer a gentleman.” He wiggled…something. “My eyebrows.
Gross. What were you going to—”
Anything
else?
“Congrats
to Slippy Pete for taking the win away from Monkey Hoe.” He snapped his
fingers. “Why didn’t I think of that earlier? Sounds less like a carnival name
and more like a,” he held out his hand like he was a waiter holding a plate,
the other touching his chest and his head to the side and said with an awkward
South American accident, “Carnival name.”
Nice.
It looks like you’re getting along with Vision.
Vision
stood outside the home in the yard where the sun beamed.
“I
didn’t know there was an outside. He found the door. He prefers it. I prefer
it. Win/win.”
Still
haven’t asked Squirrel Girl?
“I
asked. She was very agitated like someone stole her nuts, called her girl and
made her take hormones because her menopausal state ruined all the fun of
everyone around her…especially me.” He pointed at himself. “This works now.
Until someone else comes along. Hopefully it’s someone who has a sense of
humor.”
