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ArcRift

Ultron's scrubbing of the video feed Lex had provided would soon prove fruitless, as he found. Whether or not this was a surprise was up to the murderbot himself - but, from what he could find, the video hadn't been altered or tampered with in any way, shape, or form.

@ClownTown

ArcRift

"Okay."

No one's reaction - from All Might's to Fret's - was enough for Lex to even so much as slightly budge. He remained as stoic as a statue, only giving the same uncaring stare throughout all the displays of strife. However, the bald man ultimately did oblige. Another button was pressed, and the table from before lit up with a holographic image. It showed Sarah in what seemed to be some kind of... playroom? She was seated in front of a TV, watching what seemed to be an action movie. Beside her stood the same blonde woman who'd greeted the majority of the group to begin with. She had her arms down by her side, and an almost... stern look? But for the most part, Sarah seemed to be totally fine.

"See? She's fine. Just as I said she'd be." With that, the video feed was cut, and Lex turned to the woman who'd appeared in Sarah's place. "And an introduction isn't necessary," he held up a hand, shaking his head. "I'm well aware of who you are and what you can do."

He cleared his throat, before shifting his gaze to address the group as a whole.

"Not all of you must have experience in killing to be of aid," he said, mostly in response to Spamton's comment. "You all have your own strengths, and I trust that you will be using them well." a sigh escaped his nose and he rolled himself forward a bit, adjusting the posture of his arms. "Superman himself, however, is very dangerous. On top of the already shown heat vision and flight, he is also nigh invulnerable to most basic attacks. Simple bullets and combat moves won't work on him - you have to be craftier than that," the interruption of Schezo caused Luthor to glare in his direction, before promptly clearing his throat. Rather loudly, at that. He didn't seem intimidated by him, just... annoyed, really. He'd wait until Schezo got off his desk before continuing.

"If the Justice League wanted to help, then they'd have done so by now," he replied dryly to Sougo - drier than before, in fact. "For the time being, you all will be on your own." The sudden entrance of Bayonetta, Pit, and Rindo caused Lex to look at them next, "This isn't a game, nor a party, I'm afraid." Cole was next, and thanks to his efforts, he'd prevented Doomguy from destroying his priceless desk. A fact that was for the best, really. It was worth more than anyone in this room... besides maybe Ultron. "The girl was chosen because of her relation to Joel. Joel, in turn, was chosen because of his survival skills." Luthor reclined back into his seat once more. "But... you requested that I put her somewhere safe - so? I did." He then shifted his gaze more forwardly as Cole showed off the watch. "It's a communication device. It allows you all to communicate with each other at any place - or any time," he then turned to face Joel. "Although your daughter no longer has it, unfortunately." with that, he faced Cole again.

"There's also its ability to swap places with anyone else using the watch, at any time. Simply select said person, and you will swap with them instantaneously. Though, I will mention," Lex paused, and lifted a finger. "There are others, ones who are not in this group, with these watches. Their names aren't registered in the system, but their locations will appear on the map at all times. If you wish to swap with one of them, you can."

"But what's important to remember is that this feature uses a lot of LexCorp's resources. As such, you will only be able to do it three times each. After that, the feature will be disabled."



"You all have your roles to play in this. Should you refuse to help, not only would you be putting the lives of billions at risk - but you'd also be out of a way home. Now, maybe you'll enjoy living here in Metropolis. Or perhaps even Gotham, or even Keystone. But something tells me that you all need to go home, just as bad as we need Superman taken out."

@TheRealMonaMona @ProfSpacecakes @ClownTown @Starmaker @FactionGuerilla @cadesmith @davefromdiscord @Attesa @Jeff Jones @Lazaro1505 @KageBaka @Crow @duskkyy @Pixxieblush @Mav @ratking @darkred

ArcRift

"I suppose a more accurate word would have been was," Lex replied to Red, shaking his head. "And, I don't know if we both watched the same footage, but if he's allowed to continue his reign, then there won't be any locals left to protect." the bald man sighed through his nose, closing his eyes. "The rest of the Justice League is busy off world. For this - we needed outside help."

Shantae and Lilith were the next in line to ask questions. "Well..." he spoke to Lilith first. "An incorporeal being with the ability to possess things surely would come in handy for a job like this, no?" Lex asked, before turning his attention to Shantae. "We... did our research."

And he left that one there.

Before much more time had passed, Fret had stormed on over to him, angrily accusing him of a ton of things - and just generally being what some would call, "a Negative Nate." Lex, however, remained stoically calm as ever while the Player shouted all kinds of things in his face. Date had come over as well to basically say the same thing. He allowed the two to finish their respective spiels, only finally speaking up once they both finished speaking.

"Very well."

And then, Lex's hand moved over to a stationary button that was attached to his desk. He pressed it all while keeping his attention focused on Date and Fret. After doing so, Sarah became wrapped in a cloud of smoke. It was dark and thick, seeming to swirl around the girl for a long few moments. Eventually, it had enveloped her entirely... and then? She was gone.

"SARAH!!" Joel shouted from the side, still webbed to the floor thanks to Otto. The father was losing his mind at this point. He'd just gotten her back... he'd just promised that he'd never leave her again. And now? Now, this guy had just teleported her to God knows where with his... smoke bullshit. Joel wasn't a man who normally let his emotions show - but right now? Well, now, he seemed to be losing his shit. And he did not care. "When I get out of here, I'll rip y'er fuckin' THROAT OUT!!"

Lex, meanwhile, continued to show no emotion.

"Relax. She is safer now, as you requested." It was during this time that he looked at Trevor, and gestured over to where Kira was stationed. "The... alcohol is over near that man, by the way. It's on the shelf behind him."

@cadesmith @Jeff Jones @Second2Last @BoltBeam @davefromdiscord @SomeMekBoy @ProfSpacecakes @ClownTown @Chung @TheRealMonaMona @everyoneelse

ArcRift

Joel had fallen off of Lex with a loud grunt, his arms and legs being tied to the floor by Otto's sticky web. He struggled in his binds, not even listening to the Man-Spider as he did so. All he did was continue to look up at Lex with pure rage.

And Lex himself, meanwhile, stood back up to his feet and brushed himself off. "Thank you," the man said to Otto with a nod. He sighed, then, and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. The soldiers all proceeded to leave the room at that point, and the door closed behind them. Lex, meanwhile, had sat back in his chair, before looking at the group.

"Now..." he said as he pulled himself closer. "Are there any further questions?"

@Midle1998 @BoltBeam @SomeMekBoy @KageBaka @Jeff Jones @Chung @davefromdiscord @cadesmith @Lazaro1505 @ProfSpacecakes @Critic Ham @ClownTown @RirisStride1 @Paper94 @TheRealMonaMona @Second2Last @Yamperzzz

ArcRift

Ultimately, Doomguy would find that no alterations had been made whatsoever. Whatever ones had been made were seemingly just temporary.

@Critic Ham

ArcRift

"Oh, it's very dangerous, indeed," Lex responded to Sougo with a slow nod. He'd opened his mouth to explain it further, only for The Hunter to hit him with a whole heap of questions. The businessman rolled his eyes at this, before sighing, "We used a device which emits a sound at a certain frequency. Said frequency is known to cease all motor functions in one brain for the duration that it's played." he then turned and glanced at Date. "You're alive, aren't you? Nothing we did caused permanent damage, I assure you."

Lex then watched as the bear thing hopped on his desk. His expression remained rather stoic all the while, and he even addressed it as if it were an actual person. "That's simple." Lex took a moment to adjust his posture, so he could better face the bear. "If you don't help me, then you won't be able to return home." As more and more people spoke up, Lex simply raised another hand, signaling for them to stop talking. "I understand that you may be concerned with the finer details of this, best rest assured of one thing. Time across the Multiverse is relative. Five weeks could only be one hour in another universe - or even five minutes. So, more than likely, you won't be missing whatever show you were watching."

In truth, Lex didn't particularly care for what these people were doing before they were taken. But that wasn't exactly a fact that he was trying to hide. He didn't verbally reply to Otto, either, but what he did do was nod slowly. He understood the importance of subtlety above all else - and, like Otto Octavius, the business man understood not having any prying eyes or ears on whatever this was.

Lex couldn't help but smile as Captain Falcon showered him in his childlike praise and adoration, however. He took his hand as any businessman would, his shake nice and firm. "Well, I'm always happy to meet a fan." he chuckled... only to blink in confusion when asked to read his mind. "...what?"

From there, the questions amounted to specifics of what they were needed for. Assuming all other inquiries had been answered, Lex did indeed begin to give them what they wanted. This started with him standing up from his office chair, and slowly beginning to pace around the room. His posture was straight as a board, and his hands were cupped entirely behind his back. He eventually stopped at a long, outstretched table. He stared down it, looking toward the center in particular. It was then that the lights in the room began to dim slowly - and before long, everything had gone dark. Well, save for the bit of sun that seeped its way through the window, of course.

Before long, a holographic image of sorts shot out from the table. What it displayed was the map of a large city - or more accurately, a 4D Model.

"This is Metropolis, the city of which you're currently located," Lex explained, his voice calm as ever. "It's a grand city - one that I personally helped build into what it is today." he stated that last fact rather proudly, even smugly adjusting his tie all the while. This moment of self-indulgence was short-lived, however, as his smile soon turned to a frown. "But... unfortunately, there have been some... issues, lately." As he said this, the holograph shifted to an image...



"This is Superman," Lex explained to the others. He maintained his calm voice as he spoke... yet, oddly enough, there was some hint of buried malice underneath it all. "For years, he has been Metropolis' sole protector. He's an alien from the planet Krypton... sent here by a cruel twist of fate." Lex scoffed a bit, before shaking his head. The video changed again, only the was to a more... unflattering image of the supposed hero.

Videos of Superman flying right through buildings and collapsing them began to play. If he wasn't doing that, he was outright attacking civilians. Horrific images of him using what looked like laser vision to burn innocent people alive began to play, as well as him punching holes right through people's stomachs and chests. Lex grimaced at the sight, almost stifling the urge to vomit as he turned away. With this, the lights turned back on, and the image faded. The businessman seemed to need a moment to regain his composure, before slowly turning back to the group.

"I hope that you can see why this situation is-"

"YOU FUCK!"



From the back of the room, Joel Miller (who'd remained particularly silent up until now), had finally let go of his daughter's hand. He'd done so entirely to shove past everyone else present and sock Lex right in the jaw. And Joel had one hell of a punch too - enough to send Lex falling off his feet and onto the ground. In an instant, the guards that Otto had seen trained outside the door stormed in, and all of them trained their guns on Joel - who had his grip tightly wrapped around Lex's collar.

"You pulled my daughter into this shit! My DAUGHTER!" Joel screamed, tears forming in his eyes. Many of the guards seemed ready to shower Joel in bullets right then and there, but Lex had just managed to turn to them.

"Stand... down..." Lex just barely managed to grunt through grit teeth. The guards reluctantly did so. Whatever trust they had in Lex, it was strong enough to allow him to be put in clear danger like this. Joel, however, didn't back down. His breathing was heavy, and the look on his face was one of pure, unfiltered rage. His fist was held high above Lex's face, ready to strike down at any second.

And all the while? Negan chuckled from the back.



"Oh... my..." he laughed dryly. "This is shapin' up to be one hell of a Goddamn fight..."

@Midle1998 @BoltBeam @SomeMekBoy @KageBaka @Jeff Jones @Chung @davefromdiscord @cadesmith @Lazaro1505 @ProfSpacecakes @Critic Ham @ClownTown @RirisStride1 @Paper94 @TheRealMonaMona @Second2Last

ArcRift

Otto would find that, right oustide the office's doors, several guards were stationed outside. They didn't seem immediately hostile - but they all did have guns at the ready. Assault rifles, to be exact. They weren't about to storm in or anything - but they were very clearly prepared to come in and take everyone out, should anything go wrong.

@SomeMekBoy

ArcRift

"I want to start by welcoming you all to LexCorp," Luthor's first words were this - before he addressed anyone else. His eyes seemed to flicker between everyone in the room for a moment, and yet despite that, his posture remained totally absolute. "And... apologies for the rough transition. It was only a precautionary measure, I assure you." Luthor then turned, though, his gaze fully settling on Ultron. "And that includes shutting you out of our network. You should have full access now, should you wish to learn anything else."

He turned, then, as Kira spoke up. "Indeed." Lex nodded curtly in response. Shantae's approach of asking the same question but in a more "outward" manner caused the businessman to simply close his eyes, and then raise a hand in response. Once she'd quieted down, he sighed through his nose, and then opened his eyes again, "Simply put, I require your aid. My unorthodox methods aside, I-"

And then, the giant rat began to not-so-subtly steal all the fruit from his desk. Luthor fell silent as he watched the rude display, and all the while, his brows furrowed in obvious annoyance. He waited until Dris finished their little session, at which point he shook his head with a sigh, before returning his attention to the group. He listened, then, as Doomguy's assistant spoke up. This was not met with annoyance, unlike the actions of the rat. Just... stoicism.

"Unfortunately, I won't be able to do that. Yet." Luthor paused as he reclined back in his seat a bit, relaxing. "You see- there is an ongoing issue of which I require aid. It's rather dire - which is why I've listed the outside help." He then paused, and allowed The Hunter to ask her set of questions. He waited until she was finished to speak again, "You were all selected based off of your individual abilities and skills. Not just your combat experience."

In response to Spike, though, Lex seemed to finally crack the faintest hint of a smile.



"It's... something akin to a bounty, yes," he raised a hand again, though this one not to signify silence. "And I can assure you - this will very much be worth your time." he then glanced in Fret's direction. The raised hand balled into a fit - save for the single finger that was pointed at him. "Break anything, and you pay for it."

His smile was gone in an instant, though, when Sanford decided to speak up. He didn't say anything, but the look he gave him said it all.



@cadesmith @davefromdiscord @ProfSpacecakes @Spooky Birb @RirisStride1 @Critic Ham @Paper94 @Lazaro1505 @duskkyy @SomeMekBoy @Kagebaka @Second2Last @Yamperzzz @ClownTown @Chung @TheRealMonaMona

ArcRift

Mid-Prologue Update

"The Top Floor"

Continued from here.

The Story So Far

A group of individuals from across the Multiverse awoke in a strange glass cage, located at the bottom of a strange facility called "LexCorp". They knew not why they were kidnapped, nor did they know the identity of the man who'd done this to them. All they knew was that they were stuck here, as the cage was impenetrable to even the most powerful of their attacks. Even though tensions are high among the group, it's quickly becoming apparent that the only true way out of this is to work together. At least temporarily.

---

A few hours had passed since the group had awoken inside of the cage. Many interactions had transpired since then - and miraculously, no one had died. Not even the most volatile of the group, such as Negan. The interactions and small talk had continued during this time, of course. After all... what else was there to do when kidnapped in a place like this?

Well, eventually, the woman from before had returned. Only this time, she was on ground level, and sporting a different outfit than before.



Her disappointed looking scowl stared right into the cage. It focused on no individual solely - rather, it seemed to wash over the group as a whole. Like a very uncomfortable blanket. In her hand, she seemed to be holding a remote of sorts. It only had a single button on it.

"Mister Luthor will see you now."

And then, the button was pressed, and the door slid open.



"About fuckin' time!" Negan exclaimed, being the first one to exit the cage. His bat was firmly grasped in his hand, as always. And of course, she was located right there on his shoulder. Because where else would she be? "I was beginnin' to think you up and... forgot about us." the man smirked as he passed the harsh-looking woman. She didn't respond, although she did sneer slightly at the remark.



Joel stood there and watched for a moment, taking a moment to process everything. He'd taken All Might's words into consideration - perhaps a bit too much. He hadn't had time to respond before this happened, but he very clearly didn't not believe him. As the woman led the way, Joel nodded to both Tess and All Might, before glancing down toward Sarah.

"C'mon. Let's go." Joel said as he began to walk out, his daughter's hand in his all the while.

The rest of the group was promptly escorted into a rather spacious elevator. Despite the size of the group, everyone managed to fit rather easily. The woman said nothing on the way up... making this whole thing a bit awkward. But, still, at least you were out, right?

It took a few moments, but eventually you reached the top floor, as the elevator slid open with a DING!



The office was pretty fancy - and filled to the brim with trinkets and expensive furniture alike. A bright and clear sunny sky could be seen from the large window in front of you, a stark contrast to the grimy underground facility that you'd just been in. Said sun happened to be shining into the room itself, right down towards a bald man, who sat at a large desk across from where you all stood.



"Greetings," the man spoke. His voice was almost sickeningly smooth and calm. His posture was relaxed as he leaned against his desk, fingers interlocked and elbows resting out in front of him. "I am Lex Luthor. Please, make yourselves comfortable. We have a lot to go over."

Cast List
@midle1998 as Captain Falcon (F-Zero)
@cadesmith as Tosai Furesawa (NEO: The World Ends With You) and Sarah Miller (The Last of Us)
@Lazaro1505 as Dismas the Highwayman (Darkest Dungeon) and Natal (DnD OC)
@Thatguyinastore as Negan Smith (The Walking Dead) and Joel Miller (The Last of Us)
@StaidFoal as Corvo Attano (Dishonored)
@Jeff Jones as Kaname Date (AI: The Somnium Files) and Trevor Belmont (Castlevania)
@Critic Ham as Doomguy (DOOM)
@Kagebaka as Sougo Tokiwa (Kamen Rider Zi-O) and Penny Polendina (RWBY)
@Chung as Duke Nukem (Duke Nukem) and Jeff the Killer (Jeff the Killer)
@TheElenaFisher as Ciri (The Witcher 3) and Tess (The Last of Us)
@ratKing as Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer) and Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII)
@BoltBeam as Red Riding Hood (Mary Skelter Nightmares)
@TheRealMonaMona as Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII)
@darkred as Thomas Sinclair (Killzone: Shadowfall) and Jak and Daxter (Jak and Daxter)
@Spooky Birb as Dris Mocitch (DND OC)
@Yamperzzz as Voss Boris Eierkuchen (Tembo OC) and Sanford (Madness Combat)
@duskkyy as Super Mario (Super Mario Bros.) and Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog)
@QizPizza as Maisha Arbintz (Star Wars OC)
@Smoking Peanut as Baldwin, the Leper (Darkest Dungeon) and Poppy (League of Legends)
@Edyfum0 as Ben Birdland/Bigband (Skullgirls)
@ProfSpacecakes as Toshinori "All Might" Yagi (My Hero Academia)
@GaaraoftheSand as Gaara (Naruto Shippuden)
@SomeMekBoy as Superior Spider-Man (Marvel Comics)
@Attesa as Eric (Pokemon Mystery Dungeon OC) and Grey (Havoc Fox)
@RirisStride1 as Hershel Avad (OC)
@Starmaker as Rena Berit (OC)
@ClownTown as Spamton G. Spamton (Deltarune) and Ultron (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
@Pixxieblush as Zora Salazar (Epithet Erased)
@Mav as Schezo Wegey (Puyo Puyo)
@FactionGuerilla as Cole Macgrath (inFAMOUS)
@Second2Last as Lilith Audrey (OC) and Shantae (Shantae)
@davefromdiscord as Yoshikage Kira (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)

ArcRift

Marco Diaz

Location - Metropolis Park
Mood - Nervous and Wary
Status - Healthy and Unharmed
Interactions - @TheElenaFisher @Boltbeam

---

"Hame-Hameln?" Marco blinked and took a moment to repeat the name. That... sure was an odd one, he supposed. But it wasn't really too out there, given all the names of the people he'd met on his adventures with Star. Once he pulled the hand back, Marco seemed just as confused by what she said next. A... lair? Was she like... a villain, or something? She was awfully helpful for one, in that case.

Oh, yup, and then she said Demon Lord. That normally would have been a red flag for Marco, but... Tom was a demon, and he was chill. And this lady had been pretty helpful so far, so...

"L-lead the way..." Marco gestured forward with his arm.