The Price of Loss

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.

Betad by Malcolm Tent, Priapus, Beans, Mike God of Lore, Old man of the mountain

The Guild of Gamers: The Nightmare

Chapter 10: Price of Loss

– Selina Kyle (Catwoman) –

"Here to lecture me, Batsy?" Selina asked, making Batman scowl from his hiding spot in the corner of her living room. She was only wearing a towel, freshly showered from the chaos of the jungle, and her multiple minor injuries were clear to see.

"You could have gotten four more people out. Instead, you took one of the few portals and left the others behind," Bruce scowled, making her nod shamelessly.

"I'm pretty sure I used three of my nine lives just getting up that volcano; climbing back down would have been a death sentence, not to mention risking exposing my identity as Catwoman if I was too agile," Selina defended. "I didn't know Barbara was in there; I'd have looked for her."

Bruce didn't say anything, stoically quiet for a moment before he sighed. Her own profile was suspiciously absent of her secret identity, even if Legion knew a worrying amount about her private life.

Barbara had had her identity exposed; the Kents were exposed as Superman's parents, but she wasn't exposed. Did they not know? No, she didn't believe that, and that terrified her.

Because it meant Legion had plans for her.

"I know, that's not why I'm here. I need answers, and you're one of the only capes who has been taken and escaped," Bruce said, hiding his disapproval of her saving herself. "I need to know everything you remember."

"Doubt I can help you. I was feeding my cats, and suddenly, fog surrounded me. Everything else is right there on the screen; you can watch the cameras following me, from my bumbling through the jungle to scaling the volcano. I never saw anything that'd help you find your way in or get anyone else out," Selina said with a helpless shrug.

"Humour me, describe what happened. Don't miss anything out," Bruce demanded, and she sighed. Starting, she glanced over at her TV, where even now, it was following Barbara and the Kents on their trek through the temple.

– Barbara Gordon –

"Please tell me I'm misunderstanding this trial," Lois asked, looking at the bloody altar before them.

"Unless you have a different understanding than 'cut off a limb to pass', I'm pretty sure you worked it out," Markus said grimly, looking at the rusty machete. "They want a sacrifice of flesh for entry to the deeper temple."

"I fucking hate Legion," Vicki sighed, making her nod in agreement. 

The diagrams, made to look like Aztec art, demonstrated someone cutting off another person's arm or leg and being granted access to the sacred temple.

"Well, despite the bodies we've found, I don't see any left behind limbs, and the blood is old, so I think we're the first here, and that means the exit should still be functioning," Markus sighed. "We could leave and try and find a different exit, but…"

"Two of those 'crystals' have already been claimed; one should be here, and we're running out of time," John agreed, the older Kent looking equally grim.

"I'll do it," Markus finally spoke up, putting her down as she went to argue. She'd done nothing this entire time, just been a backpack holding him back.

"No, son. I will. I'm old, already retired. I don't need both arms," John cut in. "And you'll need your strength; you've done enough."

As he said that, John nodded at her, making Markus hesitate before he nodded.

"Guys, I have two legs that don't work," Barbara pointed out, making both men pause.

She could tell that they'd genuinely not considered it, but as they shared a look she sighed. You had to be kidding.

"Barbara, you could still have your spine fixed. I'm an old man, ain't gonna need both hands in retirement anyway," John said, making her want to facepalm.

"I mean, I get it, but those legs are a little too nice to cut one off," Markus replied with a smile and an awkward laugh.

"You can't be serious," Barbara said, her tone utterly dead.

"I've made my mind up, I appreciate the offer but you might need them later. Let this old man do something useful," John said, and she knew he knew more than he was saying.

She went to argue but John cut her off.

"Mark, I'll need your help with this," John said, making her jaw drop as they ignored her and her perfectly broken legs.

"Don't feel bad, men can be entirely too stubborn at times," Martha said, patting her shoulder with a sigh. 

"I- fine, I'll do it," Markus agreed hesitantly, picking up the ancient-looking blade and giving it a test swing. Briefly touching the blade, he hissed and pulled his hand back. "It's damn sharp; at least they didn't give us a shitty blade to add to the mess."

"True, though I don't plan to thank Legion for it," John said with a grim laugh, rolling up his sleeve and placing his arm on the altar. The images were clear; you had to cut above the elbow or knee for it to count, and she couldn't watch what was about to happen.

Martha didn't look away, holding her husband's hand as Markus made the cut, slicing through flesh and bone in a single savage slash. She supposed that was for the best, as John backed off with a pained shout, Markus immediately coming to his side even as the doors opened.

"We don't have any more bandages. I used the rest earlier, but I can make do," Markus said, removing his shirt and tearing it into strips. Lois had used a lot of the bandages Markus had found in his aid pack that had held the ropes before; she'd had it rough just getting here, and Markus himself had needed a bandage after a trap sliced his thigh early on in the temple.

But Markus was resourceful, and his first-aid training proved very useful as he immediately did what he could to stem the bleeding with their limited resources. He really was a godsend, but John would still bleed out sooner rather than later if nothing changed.

Picking her back up, now pressed against his bare back, they gathered themselves up as Martha helped her now one-armed husband and continued deeper. She actually managed to help with one of the puzzles, but it wasn't long before they met their next challenge.

"Well, I can see the key," Markus said optimistically as they all stared up. The cylindrical room had a ceiling that went up nearly twenty floors, with various platforms and ropes to help you climb up. At the very top, a large golden key was tied to a piece of thick rope dangling in the middle of the room.

She cursed her crippled state because this parkour course didn't look too hard for someone like Batgirl, but instead, she was left a useless cripple. 

"So, girls. I don't suppose either of you are secretly circus acrobats in your free time?" Markus asked, turning to Vicki and Lois, who both looked away awkwardly. "I'll take that as a no. Well, looking at this logically, I'm pretty sure I have the best chance. Two retirees, a cripple so they're out. I think I'm better suited at this than you two, so I'll go first."

"First?" Vicki asked, making him nod.

"We've come too far to give up; if I fall, I don't like my chances with this stone floor, so you might want to play rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets to climb it after me," Markus said grimly, giving them a fatal grin. "But hey, I used to be really good at climbing things. It's kinda a hobby of mine."

"Wait, you did rock climbing in college," Barbara remembered, but Markus blinked.

"I did. Did I ever mention that?" Markus asked, and she paled slightly. She knew that because she'd looked into GCPD's newest hire in her role as Oracle. 

"I saw your CV when you applied to GCPD," Barbara tried, embarrassed at her dumb mistake. She was far too worn out if she was fucking up like this.

"Pretty sure it's not on my CV, but sure, let's go with that," Markus agreed, giving her a searching look for a moment. "Wish me luck, ladies."

"Want a kiss for luck?" Vicki asked, making him give her a grin; Barbara hiding a frown as an ugly emotion bubbled up in her chest. Oh fuck.

"Nah, save it for when I get back down with the key. Give me something to look forward to," Markus joked, rubbing his hands together as he looked up at the considerable climb before him. 

Vicki just laughed tiredly, sitting down to catch her breath while they waited to see if he could pull it off.

Lois and Martha were checking on John, but he seemed to be handling his new condition fairly well despite the paling. He was a stoic man, not one to complain about something like that when Markus risked his life for them.

Markus was making good progress, as slowly and cautiously as he could. He was a very methodical person, taking everything step-by-step. The climb got more dangerous as it got higher, the platforms became smaller, and the various outcroppings became rarer.

Still, while it took him a while, he did get to around the last quarter without any hiccups; she could hear the others talking. They were clearly impressed with the leader of their little group, but she was stuck watching him. 

She could see why he'd stopped. There was no way to go higher on his side; he needed to take a running jump across the large room onto the other side; from this height, if he messed up, he'd fall to his death. He was catching his breath, but her own breath caught in her throat as she saw him back up as much as he could.

Taking a running leap, they all gasped in shock and then horror as the platform he was jumping to retracted, the entire wall coming alive as it started to move unpredictably. Platforms would raise and lower, sinking into the walls and disappearing entirely.

Markus barely managed to catch the edge of the retreating platform, hanging on for dear life as the platform continued to close; if he couldn't pull himself up soon, he'd have nothing to hang onto and fall straight down.

Watching him try and mantle onto the platform, she bit her lip and willed him to pull himself up despite the fucking thing seemingly trying to shake him off, extending and pulling back repeatedly. 

To her relief, he managed to pull himself up and roll onto it, looking around desperately for the next platform as his own got smaller and smaller; seeing one and jumping immediately with mere seconds before the platform he'd been on sunk fully into the wall and didn't come back out.

Markus didn't have time to take it slow anymore, having to move quickly and not think about his next move; his jumps and climbs were much more perilous now as he desperately continued, but to her relief, he made it to the top and without a moment of hesitation he leapt for the rope, grabbing it and hanging in the middle of the room.

Pulling the key from the rope, she couldn't even be surprised when the rope just disappeared, making Markus suddenly drop. Someone screamed in horror as he fell through the air, reaching the ground at record speeds.

But it was just a final middle finger from Legion, the key glowing gold and causing a golden glow to appear around Markus, stopping his descent inches from the floor.

"I really fucking hate Legion," Markus gasped, panting from the adrenaline. And yet, clutched in his hand, was the key for them to move on. He'd done it.

"Catch your breath, son," John said, patting him on the back with his remaining hand. "You did damn well."

Markus just panted as he sat down, leaning back against the wall. Of course, the game would make you think you were going to die, even if you did everything right. Legion was a sore loser.

"So, about that kiss?" Markus finally said, making Vicki laugh. Markus seemed to be just joking as he slowly rose, but Vicki moved forwards and practically pinned him against the wall, placing a searing kiss on his lips, her body pushed against his.

"Is that enough for you, hot stuff?" Vicki asked, pulling back as Markus blinked, gasping slightly from the lack of breath. "If you want any more, you'll have to wait until we get out of this shithole."

The older redhead's flirty words made Barbara forcibly suppress her own reaction, not liking the implication. She had a crush on Markus; of course she did. After today, it was basically impossible for her not to. Nightwing was with Starfire now, and she hadn't dated since they'd split up. So when Markus had come barreling into her life as her knight in shining armour, the outcome was inevitable.

"Heh, just in case I needed more motivation," Markus laughed, giving her a smile as he moved back over to her. Picking her back up, the group continued deeper.

They weren't travelling for long.

"I don't trust that," Lois said simply as they entered a large cavernous room. In the dead centre, a large purple gem simply hovered in a pillar of light. The only other noteworthy feature was the staircase that led up to it. "It's my turn; you guys wait here. I'm going to try and pick up the gem," 

"Be careful," Markus said; she could tell he was half-considering trying to go up himself, but his near-death had quietened him down. Lois just gave them a cocky smile as she moved up the staircase.

They watched with bated breath, but much to their shock, there was no trap. Lois simply walked up and plucked the gem from its floating position, the pillar vanishing and nothing else happening.

Letting out a relieved sigh, she watched Lois return, holding their way out. Now came the awkward question: five people could leave with the portal, and they still had six. Pushing the almost button-like indent on the gem, Lois dropped it as the gem shifted to a rift in the air. 

The group stared at their escape, but they knew it wasn't quite over yet.

"You know, it would have been kinda convenient if one of us actually died," Markus sighed, looking at the way out. That was why they hadn't even brought the topic up with the trials and tests; there was a good chance they wouldn't reach the final room with a full group. 

"I'll stay behind," Barbara spoke up, and Markus just blinked. The guilt was awful; she'd just been a deadweight the entire time. 

"That's sweet of you to offer, but as I'm going to quite literally throw you through the portal, I don't think you get a say in the matter," Markus said simply, giving her a soft smile. "I know this isn't ideal, but we need to think about this logically once again. There are still two more gems, so whoever stays behind has a chance to survive. I refuse to look at this like a sacrifice."

"Then I'll stay behind," John said, making Markus sigh.

"You're an old man who is also currently bleeding out. You're not it, and Martha needs to go with you because the blood loss is hitting you harder than you want to admit. You'll need medical attention, and if this sends you back to where you got picked up, you'll be home alone. I'm not sending you back so you can bleed out on your living room floor. Barbara can't stay behind for obvious reasons," Markus continued, and as she went to speak, he raised an eyebrow. "Babs, with all due respect, if you try and argue I'm just going to toss you through it."

"You can't do that," she argued, making him raise an eyebrow. 

"Something tells me your dad won't mind me manhandling you, and you kinda can't stop me," Markus pointed out, making her sigh. "Anyway, that leaves three. I vote I stay behind, no offence girls, but unless one of you is secretly Batwoman, I'm pretty sure I have the best chance of surviving the jungle a second time."

Well, he was close but not quite there. Batgirl was here, getting threatened with manhandling.

"Are you sure about this?" Lois asked, making him nod.

"Hey, chin up. You two will have one hell of a story to tell. You'll probably get another Pulitzer for it," Markus laughed grimly, noticeably not answering her question. "Of course, I'm not sure; I'm well aware of my chances of making it to another gem. What I am sure of is that that chance is slightly higher than the chances any of you would have. I'll take those odds."

They went quiet, unable to disagree with his logic. 

"Now, not to rush you all, but I don't think the portal stays open forever, and I need all the time I can get, so time to go," Markus said, hurrying them as Lois and Vicki picked her up between them.

"Markus, I- thank you," Barbara said, well aware that he'd be escaping now if he'd just left her to die. His decision to help her had doomed him, but he just gave her a smile that didn't quite hide his worry.

"You're most welcome. Don't look so glum; I told you every guy wants to be the big damn hero and save the beautiful damsel in distress, sure the heroes normally get to carry the damsel off into the sunset, but I'll take what I can get," Markus laughed, poking her on the nose playfully. "Now, get out of here. I hate to rush you, but the rift is flickering, and I didn't do all this for us all to end up stuck here anyway."

Oh shit, it was.

The Kents went first, saying goodbye and wishing Markus luck and they were soon following behind. The moment she passed through, everything went black for them, and the rift closed, leaving Markus behind in the temple.

Waking up in a bed, she sat up quickly, blinking. Unsure how she got here, her outfit changed, and a blank spot in her memories.

"Easy, Barbara. You're safe," her father said, making her sigh in relief. "We found you passed out in the middle of the station. It's been a few hours since you escaped."

Right where she'd disappeared then. Wait, a few hours?

"What happened to the others," Barbara asked, and her father paused.

"We found Vicki. She disappeared in public, so she was found quickly. Lois is the same. She disappeared from the Daily Planet, so she was found immediately; the Kents are in hospital as well," her father explained, but she knew that. Superman would have gotten to them immediately.

"And Markus?" Barbara asked, her heart dropping at her father not mentioning him.

"I- he chose to help you, Barbara; it's not your fault-" her dad tried to say before sighing. "He was killed by another survivor while moving through the jungle. A father whose two preteen daughters had been taken as well. He found a gun, and when he saw Markus moving through the jungle carrying a machete, he fired first to protect his kids. The game has ended now; four of the gems were found. Nobody ever found the last one."

She went still, her mind racing. After everything, it wasn't a trap or Legion that killed Markus. Just a scared survivor trying to protect his daughters from an injured, shirtless Markus.

"Can I have my laptop?" Barbara asked, and she could tell he wanted to say no. Instead, he sighed and reached down to her spare wheelchair, obviously having predicted this as he handed over her laptop bag.

Opening up the stream, she found it was currently offline, the screen announcing the names of the lucky winners (she rolled her eyes at the sight of Selina Kyle, who had apparently taken a gem and escaped alone with it). Legion's streams were in-depth, and every single survivor had a VOD that followed them.

Opening up the Markus VOD, she skipped forward to after they left. Much to her surprise, Markus didn't leave the temple immediately. Instead, he just sat down on the edge of the steps, holding his head in his hands for a good few minutes before he gathered himself and rose. He knew he'd just let his best chance leave; watching him pace around was heart wrenching, but eventually, he set off.

He didn't even get far; the family was only a short distance from the entrance to the temple, probably hoping to get the gem there despite the announcement that it had been claimed. As she watched the encounter take place, she made a note of the fact that Markus had the machete sheathed in his belt and was walking slowly.

He stopped the moment he saw the small group, the father demanding the gem in a frantic panic as Markus raised his hands soothingly. Obviously, Markus had no gem to give, but the father wasn't willing to listen to reason, and as Markus tried to move around the group, the man opened fire.

Markus didn't look surprised, just resigned, even as the man tried to search him, finding nothing and letting out a frustrated shout. Pulling the two girls back into the jungle, he left Markus lying there with two gunshot wounds to the chest. 

He didn't die immediately. Markus using some of the last of his strength to pull himself up against a tree so he could sit up and examine his wounds, coughing up some blood as he sighed. Watching, she felt tears sting her eyes as he just sat there and waited to die.

Markus was a forensic scientist; he knew what a fatal gunshot wound looked like. Her own training told her that he wouldn't last long. It wasn't long until his VOD ended, watching her saviour slump against the tree, head hanging down, and a mocking screen announcing him as another loser.

The family didn't even last much longer, the father falling into a pitfall like the one Markus saved her from. A vicious part of her mind said that Markus would have spotted it, if they'd travelled together. Two girls, the character sheets announcing them as Sarah, 11 and Chloe, 9, had no chance of surviving the forests alone, and they didn't last much longer.

She'd not considered that Legion would include children in his games. Or was this her game? The shorter one seemed to be running this one. She froze, realising something.

"Wait, why am I at Wayne Manor?" Barbara asked, realising why the room felt so familiar.

"Check your character sheet," Batman said, making her jump as she spotted the Bat lurking in the background. Her father didn't react, making her eyes widen as she quickly did as he asked.

Seeing all her secrets laid bare, she felt numb, but in truth, she couldn't bring herself to care. She ignored the many comments on her video calling her out for letting Markus die for her despite being a 'hero'; they weren't saying anything she wasn't already thinking.

As she went to speak, the stream went live once more, making them all freeze. Not another game, not so soon…

And yet, it was just an image of the smaller female Legion sitting on a throne-like chair, legs over the arm. Clapping her hands together, words started to appear on the screen. She didn't talk much, preferring text.

'Such a fun game, and yet I couldn't help but have a thought as I watched my favourite survivor die. Only fourteen people escaped out of the twenty-five possible winners. That means nine hundred and eight six people died today and isn't that a waste for a single game? But fortunately, death is a little more malleable in our realm.'

What did that mean? 

'In this realm, only those we allow to die are truly released, and I want some playmates for some regularly scheduled games, so I'm going to allow the many losers from this game a chance to play again.'

Clicking her fingers, countless screens appeared, showing countless people trapped in small cells. 

'Because Death is not an Escape.'

Moving quickly, she found the name she was looking for. There he was, wearing a cliche, ragged black-and-white prisoner uniform, looking around his cell in bafflement.

But he had died. She'd watched him bleed out-

Legion could simply bring people back; those who died in their games could be forced to play over and over again.

'As long as they stay interesting, they'll get to play in so many wonderful games, over and over again, they'll get to see such exciting sights. Well, until they're all used up. If they manage to impress me, they might even get to leave~'

The stream ended with the girl waving and blowing a kiss to the camera, leaving them with the list of survivors and their character sheets. Markus was alive, but he was trapped, imprisoned in Legion's sick little world.

Opening his character sheet, she felt her blood run cold at the little mark on his sheet, marking him for the next game.

– Neo –

She'd done it; she'd gotten him.

And now Markus was her toy, by the rules he'd made for these games. This was always the plan; the losers would become the players for future games, much like the prisoners they'd grabbed from Star City.

He'd lost their game because she'd made sure their group had a deadweight and was too big, and that made him her victim. She could do anything to Markus, whatever she wanted, her very own gamer prey.

Yes, she'd had former gamers at her mercy before. The ones who'd lost, the failures, the Guild's cast-offs. They were already failures, nobodies, but Markus? Markus was thriving; he was winning, and he was still going to be her toy.

She was practically salivating at the idea; okay, she was drooling, but not with her mouth. Her favourite gamer and he was all hers to play with however she wanted. Oh, she had such plans for him.

Of course, she couldn't keep him forever, and she did want her new partner in crime back eventually, but by his own decision, he'd have to win his freedom with no powers or no memories of ever being anything more than just some forensic scientist.

This was going to be fun.

– Markus Gray –

Kneeling down, I examine the body with a frown.

"What are you doing? We need to call a meeting," one of the other survivors says, making me shake my head.

"Not yet, give me a moment. I'm a forensic scientist for the GCPD; this is what I do," I reply, examining the wounds carefully. "He was killed with a bladed weapon by someone smaller than him from the angle. They attacked from behind, but it looks like he fought back; they might be injured."

Most of the cuts are on his back and stomach, but he has some slashes on his arms. He tried to block the killer's strikes, blood on his right knuckles. He punched them, but he was already badly injured by that point. 

"Let's call the meeting," I finally say, making my partner nod. We were travelling together to do our tasks, as it's safer than travelling the ship alone. We had ten survivors at the start, two of whom were secretly killers; now we're done to six, and we still don't know who the killers are.

– Barbara Gordon –

Watching Markus' game, as she always did, she glared at the woman hiding behind Markus. She didn't kill that survivor, but she was one of the killers. Markus was too good at Among Us; this was his third game, and he'd been targeted for his forensic abilities in the last one; in the first, he'd been a killer and just refused to play.

Each 'loss' came with a brutal torture session.

His analysis led to one of the killers getting caught, but the one he was travelling with remained. She wasn't dumb; she knew Markus would catch her. He was her next target. 

Watching as she waited for them to go to the dark, secluded engineering room, the killer drew the gun she'd gotten. Imposters got points for committing sabotages, kills and having innocent survivors executed in the meetings, and she'd killed three of the other four victims.

Markus paused, turning around as he spotted the gun. Looking at it, he sighed again.

"I really need to stop being so good at this game, huh?" Markus asked, raising his hands. "Hey, can you do me a solid and hit me in the head? I've bled out four times already, and it's getting boring."

Hesitating, the woman took aim and fired, and Markus was announced the loser of the game. Of course, the girl could get caught in the next meeting, and the last three survivors get some points for 'winning'.

You could track every survivor and how close they were to winning their freedom, but Markus wasn't doing well. His refusal to play as the Imposter had made Legion reset his points, and his losses were keeping him down.

Still, as always, people could vote on the games and Markus had quickly become a favourite of the viewers. His big damn hero status meant he was probably the most viewed survivor, and that meant he was put in the most games.

Legion let people vote on who took part in some games, and Markus was a regular at this point. Many survivors had been eliminated and removed from the rotation, with the female Legion who ran the more 'regular' games saying that their souls had been forfeited for their failure to entertain or win.

They were all 'used up' according to her, which pushed the belief that Legion got something for this. She'd noticed that when survivors broke, when they stopped responding, Legion would dispose of them entirely. They needed the survivors for something, and the Legion got rid of them when they were used up.

The Male Legion, the original Legion, only made rare appearances, apparently busy with something big, as worrying as that statement was; it was the female one that was Markus' tormentor.

She seemed almost obsessed with breaking him, other survivors rarely got a personal visit from her since the punishments could be more varied than that but Markus always got her personal attention.

Watching the screen change to Markus strapped into a chair, shirtless already, she glared at the female Legion as they practically danced around the torture chamber while she picked her tools. 

She shouldn't watch this, she'd seen this song and dance before, but she couldn't look away as Markus' punishment began. Looking back at how many points he was from earning his freedom, she frowned deeply. 

He wasn't getting out anytime soon at this rate.

– Neo –

Skipping over to Markus, she took a moment to appreciate the fire in his eyes. He knew this was going to be agonising, but he wasn't afraid. He was pissed.

Pulling out a syringe, she stabbed it into his neck as he struggled against his restraints, watching the liquid get injected into his veins.

'Curious what I put in you?' 

Giving him a playful look, she tossed the syringe away as he scoffed.

"Some nightmare concoction, no doubt. I have no wish to play your game," Markus spat out, making her shrug helplessly as she placed a finger on his shoulder and ran it down his chest as he hissed. "What the-"

'Aw, you do want to play. It's a lovely little serum that magnifies every sensation, fun right?' 

She didn't mention that he'd designed it, but even her running her finger across his skin must have felt like sex given the way his trousers were tightening. She continued messing with him, running her hands along his arms (which were bound by the wrists to his seat, watching him react with a grin under her mask).

He wasn't stupid, if this was what simple pleasure felt like he could already imagine the pain that was coming his way. Running her finger around his nipple, she watched him squirm as he refused to look at her or respond to her teasing.

But the pleasure didn't last forever as she undid his trousers and removed them (don't worry, Markus, you have plenty of female fans online) as she cut off his boxers, making him grit his teeth as the knife sliced into his side.

With him naked, she wondered where to start. Knives were always such a fun tool, but maybe she should use something special for this one since it was her first time using this particular drug. 

She'd already used the whips with Markus for their first time together, but she'd got carried away and maybe accidentally killed him way too quickly. She'd used the rack, crucified him, and used the thumbscrews before sticking him in the iron maiden.

Yeah, she'd forgotten to make sure he wouldn't be immediately impaled, and he died again. She could use her powers to keep him alive, but it was just more fun to leave it up to chance. And yes, after millions of years she'd had endless amounts of experience and if she truly wanted to she could keep him alive and suffering forever, but much like Markus had blocked his own powers she'd done the same for this. It was fun to go back to basics.

Nah, the knives were best for their sheer simplicity. Going over her selection, she grinned and picked up a particularly nasty-looking combat knife from the table. Markus would probably find it entertaining that she was using Legion's favourite knife. He'd killed so many people with the blood-stained combat knife and now he would taste it himself. Moving back to Markus; she gave him a grin.

Starting with some minor cuts, she let him get used to the enhanced pain with some small slices along his chest and arms. Moving into his lap, she grinned as she felt his reluctant hardness beneath her, his erection pressing against her jeans.

'Such a good boy, you're more fun than the others.'

Markus didn't respond, he very rarely did, even as she sliced into his chest deeper this time. She could see his fists clenching, gripping the arm of the chair, he hated screaming for her.

It made them all the sweeter when he finally gave in and sang for her.

– Shiro Eis –

He really do know how to pick the best gamers, because Markus is a special type of mad even by our standards. To completely depower yourself and willingly submit to whatever sick games Neo designed, whatever tortures his girl could come up with? Even knowing what she could do, how twisted she really was?

Even he wouldn't do that. Maybe even couldn't, the very concept of removing his powers just didn't work in his mind. This was something Neo could never have with him because he would always be the strongest. 

He could not submit to another, even for fun, even for Neo, it just wasn't something he could do anymore. Being the strongest was simply who he was. 

Watching as Neo got more and more worked up, slicing Markus over and over again, carving him up, he simply raised an eyebrow. He wasn't easily made jealous, and despite Neo sitting in his lap so intimately, Neo would never cheat on him, and while she was definitely getting aroused that was because she was the sadist. Having her partner in crime at her mercy was bound to get her motor running, he should probably prepare for her to jump him later. 

It was nice that Neo had found someone genuinely as insane as her. Markus was turning out to be a very interesting new recruit, it was good to see that he was still good at picking the best.

– Markus Gray –

I can't quite stop the scream as the bitch slices into my thigh. I really don't like how she's kneeling between my legs, my manhood right in front of her. She's left me untouched down there, for now, but I can't deny I'm starting to worry that's going to change.

It's silly, she's going to kill me again and then I'll be fully healed even if I feel somehow lesser every time I die here. Like this place takes something from me with every death. It doesn't matter what she cuts, since I'll heal anyway but I really don't want to lose my manhood.

And she knows it, flicking my cock mockingly as she flips the blade in her other hand.

'Don't worry, you get to keep that. I have plans for it.'

On second thought, losing it wouldn't be the end of the world. 

"Where's your boss?" I ask, making her pause. I can see her mismatched eyes blinking behind her mask.

'I don't have a boss.'

"Yes, you do. The other Legion, the narcissistic asshole who loves the sound of his own voice," I say, making her pause again. She seems amused by something. "I've watched your games, part of my research on the villains of Gotham, he's the boss, and you're the follower. His little attack dog, I'm surprised he doesn't keep you on a leash."

She freezes, eyes narrowing under her mask, and maybe antagonising her isn't the smartest plan in the world but I'm tired and pissed off. How many people's lives have been ruined by this sociopathic bitch and her master?

'Care to continue?'

Her look and the way she's holding her knife tell me that maybe I should shush, but I've always been a stubborn person.

"You're a textbook follower, probably not smart enough to make your own plans, or maybe it's imagination you lack. It's clear when you're both on screen, you're his bitch and you don't even seem to know it," I say. I couldn't read the male, but this chick is fairly easy to read. She wears her emotions on her sleeve, even with a mask on. "So where is the narcissist? I didn't hear him during any of my games which is odd, he does love to talk. Tell me, did you come up with the games or did he?"

Legion doesn't respond, and without a word, she flips her knife point down and slams it into my leg, right into my knee as I grit my teeth and force the scream down.

– Neo –

Markus did come up with the games that she'd put him through, he'd planned so many… but that didn't mean she wasn't capable of making her own games. The entire Island had been her idea.

But she just smiled under her mask, amused at Markus insulting himself. He really did love the sound of his own voice (though not as much as a certain someone). 

Twisting the knife as he screamed, she pulled it out and moved back into his lap, deliberately sitting down hard to aggravate the wounds she'd left on him. Running her hand down the side of his face, she gave her favourite toy a fond smile even as she drove her blade into his side.

Ah, she couldn't wait to see how he'd react when he got his memories back. Markus glared at her, a dark look in his eyes, but she just leaned in mockingly. But with her powers sealed, she didn't see it coming until it was too late as Markus lunged forwards and with a kind of feral strength bit into her throat. 

She'd weakened herself down to mortal levels, and something in Markus had clearly snapped as he tore into her sweet supple flesh, making her stumble back and clutch at her torn throat as he spat out the large piece of bloody flesh he'd torn off.

Gasping, she knew she'd be dead if she was even remotely normal. And yet, she just rubbed her hand against her ripped-out throat and clapped cheerfully, uncaring of the blood ruining her clothes. He was just so fun, so impressive.

Markus glared, seeing how little she seemed to care about the fatal wound, and she decided to give him a reward for his naughty little actions. A quick death, wasn't she kind?

Clicking her fingers, Markus was soaked in a sticky fluid as she calmly pulled out a pack of matches and lit one, tossing it at his feet. Watching him burst into flames, she clapped excitedly at his lack of screams, the hatred in his eyes as he endured the swift burning.

As his charred corpse slumped forward, she clicked her fingers and sent him back into his cell. Oh, she had such games to play with him. 

She'd show him just how smart and imaginative she could be.

— Bonus Scene — Clark Kent (Superman)

Despite Legion's best efforts, those he cared for had escaped that sick game alive, if not unscathed. It was far from perfect, though, as his parents had been exposed along with him. He didn't overly care that people found out that he was Superman; he was just as bulletproof at work, but Lois and his parents had had their relationship with him announced to the world.

Already, his villains had tried to attack them at the Kent farm, and Lex was trying to buy the Daily Planet out of pure spite. Of course, Bruce laughed in his face, but that was a whole different story.

What truly mattered was that they'd survived Legion's sick game, they'd won, and by the rules Legion themselves had set, had to be set free… entirely thanks to a single boy- no, a man. He had no doubts that he owed Markus everything, and Markus had chosen to make the ultimate sacrifice and stay behind so the others could leave. 

"Kara, stop watching those horrid things," Martha sighed, making Kara jump as she minimised the stream, paling. It hadn't taken people long to put Supergirl and Kara Kent together after he was exposed as Superman, and while she wanted to be with the Team, he'd decided to bring her back.

Most of the sidekicks were back in the Watchtower now, anyway. Nobody knew what Legion was planning but he'd gone after sidekicks twice now, Roy and Thea. One broken and one killed. He wasn't sure which was worse, even if the Question was looking into the potential of Lex having the real Roy. 

They still didn't know for certain whether Legion had been telling the truth, but it was looking increasingly likely that he was. He wasn't sure if it would bring Oliver out of the funk he'd fallen into after Legion had taken Moira (again) along with Dinah, but he hoped it did. Oliver was very clearly broken by the constant string of losses.

"But Markus is on; I'm just watching for the votes," Kara argued, making him smile slightly. His cousin had developed quite an interest in Markus, not that he blamed her. 

Martha paused, the guilt clear on her face. The young man who had gotten her out was spending his days stuck between seemingly unbeatable games and endless torture; it had left them both with quite the case of survivor's guilt.

The League was trying harder and harder to find their way into Legion's realm, now that they were kidnapping so many people to play their games and now that they had Black Canary locked up, even if she hadn't shown up in a game. It was embarrassing how little progress they'd made, no closer to saving those left behind as more and more of the Island Game contestants were broken and disposed of.