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The Guild of Gamers: The Nightmare by The Dark Wolf Shiro

Cartoon X-overs & Justice League Unlimited Xover Rated: M, English, Adventure & Horror, Words: 121k+, Favs: 3k+, Follows: 4k+, Published: Jul 27, 2022 Updated: Feb 17

2,048Chapter 7: The Hunt is On

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works, if you recognise it from somewhere else, surprise it isn't mine.

Betad by morde24, Atrius, Hermes, Priapus, Marethyu, Old man of the mountain and TheDonFluffles

The Guild of Gamers: The Nightmare

Chapter 07: The Hunt is On

— Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) —

He knew his place in the League was on shaky ground right now. Trying to murder a captured villain in front of two of the council was always going to have consequences.

He'd been told to stay in the Watchtower while they argued about how he should be punished for his actions, but that was before the news from Star City arrived.

Firing another arrow, he watched as the bloodthirsty corpse fell to the ground, the arrow embedded in her brain.

He'd fucked up and helped legion escape, and Legion had immediately made him pay for his mistake as he turned his attention to Star City.

Legion had obviously been here, because there was a communications blackout in the area where the first zombie arrived, preventing people from calling for help as the infection spread.

Legion has picked a fairly active street, with several bars and clubs meaning it had been full of people despite the late time the attack started.

By the time word had spread, it had gone from a single zombie to a horde numbering in the thousands, all thanks to the undead Roy (or his clone, but that was another thing he couldn't think about right now).

To make it worse, Legion had timed it perfectly as Superman was caught up dealing with a plot to destroy Metropolis when this started, though he had no idea if that was by chance or if Legion knew Superman was busy.

The reports of the undead Roy's actions had been horrifying because while even the 'regular' zombies had proven to be incredibly dangerous, Roy was on a different level entirely.

The regular zombies were strong and fast, but their capabilities were entirely within human limits, and their resilience made them such a threat.

If you didn't destroy the head, they'd keep fighting. If they lost their legs, they'd just crawl after you, and they only needed a single bite for the infection to set in.

Roy was far more dangerous, proving to be unnaturally fast and strong. He'd seen what the police had started calling the 'Alpha' zombie once, and he'd almost died before Canary had managed to send Ro- the Alpha flying away from him with a well-placed scream.

But while the other zombies were seemingly mindless, focused on nothing but feeding, the Alpha was smarter than that.

Canary's cry had blown his arm off, making him do something they hadn't seen before, he let out a screech that drew every zombie that heard it to their location and then fled.

When they heard his next report, he had both arms.

The police and military had actually managed to quarantine the zombies into a couple of districts at first, gunning down any zombie that attempted to head into the rest of the city, and while the casualties were still high at that point, things seemed manageable.

Until Roy managed to bypass the quarantine, attacking people nearly a mile outside it.

Now, the military had downright abandoned the city, forming a quarantine outside the city as more and more reinforcements arrived.

He'd even heard that they were shooting anyone who tried to leave the city, unwilling to risk any of the infected escaping and spreading their disease further.

General Wade Eiling had been put in charge of quarantining the city, and while he understood the reasoning, the idea of just abandoning the city infuriated him.

There were hundreds of thousands of people still trapped inside the city, and while the army had started to set up camps to test the civilians and make sure they weren't infected…

To make things worse, he couldn't get into contact with his mother who was still trapped in the Quarantine, or Felicity for that matter, plus Thea was fighting the hordes as well…

How many were going to die because he'd let Legion get into his head?

The League hadn't outright said this was his fault, but the civilians weren't so kind. The people who saw him as their protector had turned on him almost immediately, realising that this was in retaliation for his attempt on Legion's life.

One man had even tried to shoot him, hoping that his death would end the nightmare.

He did this.

— Thea Queen (Red Arrow) —

She'd always understood that the hero's life was going to be dangerous, but when she'd thought 'danger', it had always been gunshots, or some thug getting the better of her and beating her up.

She even understood that she might die, but it had always seemed like such an unlikely scenario. The good guys always seemed to win in the end after all…

And then she watched a video of Roy, someone she knew and liked, begging for his life as Legion tortured him endlessly.

Suddenly the risks were all the more real, and her sleep was haunted by nightmares of her in his place.

Her nightmares seemed tame in comparison to the horrific reality she'd found herself in as she shot another zombie, watching the barely teenage boy fall to the floor with a red arrow sticking out of his forehead.

She was running out of arrows, and she'd have nightmares about just how many men, women and even children she'd had to put down if she survived this.

Using her grappling hook, she took to the roofs and thanked God that the zombies were bad at climbing.

"Green, there are a large group of survivors barricading themselves in the hospital, but there are hundreds of zombies around it. They need help and I don't have nearly enough arrows," Thea said into her radio.

The communications blackout had thankfully ended, which made them believe that Legion had left the scene. She didn't know if that relieved her or scared her, not knowing where Legion was… and knowing he'd mentioned her by name.

The video of Roy's death had a timer to let the audience know how long he lasted before the begging started, there had even been sick jokes about his lack of staying power online, and she doubted she'd last that long herself.

"Understood, stay safe Red," Ollie's voice replied, sounding utterly defeated. "We will arrange for someone to—"

"Negative, this is a message to all units still inside the Star City quarantine zone, pull back and leave the city," a new, harsh voice said as she blinked.

"What? Who is-" Ollie started.

"This is General Eiling, we have bombers inbound to purge this virus before it spreads further, they'll be dropping their bombs whether you're inside the city or not," Eiling responded coldly.

They couldn't be serious? They were going to bomb the city? But-

Her distraction cost her, focused on her communicator and convinced she was safe on the rooftop, she didn't see her stalker coming until it was too late.

Hearing a sound, she turned around, her eyes widening as she saw Roy's face coming towards her at horrifying speeds, half-rotted and coated in blood.

Her training and reflexes saved her from having her throat torn out, moving to the side as she delivered a textbook kick to Roy's side, trying to knock him away.

He didn't even budge, and instead grabbed her leg and used it to pull her in closer, trying to bite her again as those long, sharp claws dug into her flesh.

She could vaguely hear an intense argument over the comms, but she couldn't focus on the words as she tried to ward off Roy's bite, a scream of pain leaving her as he simply bit down on the arm she'd used to try and push him away, biting clear to the bone.

And then as soon as it started, the assault ended, Roy letting her go as he leapt from the rooftop.

She knew why he didn't bother killing her, staring down at the gruesome bite mark on her arm, watching as it started to fester and blacken.

She could hear Ollie calling her name, but slumping against a chimney with a pained grunt, she could only stare at her wound in horror.

She knew what would happen next, and whether from the infection, the pain or sheer shock, she collapsed, exhausted from hours of fighting.

— Moira Queen —

Watching her bodyguard desperately try to reload as the undead swarmed towards her, she turned and ran for her life.

She knew she was running towards a dead end, heading further into the building, but she didn't have much of a choice given the swarm outside.

She couldn't outrun the horde, already pursuing her as she desperately fled for her life, cursing herself for wearing heels today.

She didn't exactly have time to take them off now, fleeing upstairs as she spotted more of the undead stumbling towards her.

Running into a room, she slammed the door closed and tried to push some of the furniture in front of it, hoping to buy time for someone to find her as she struggled to move the heavy furniture, already hearing the monsters banging on the door in an attempt to get inside and kill her as they had everyone else in the building.

Backing away, she looked to the window, seeing the horde below. Turning back to the door, she flinched back as it burst open, knowing she was out of options.

Why was she so shocked when hundreds of chains started appearing from small blue… portals?

They almost looked like tears in the air, from which chains sprung forth and covered the doorway, preventing the undead from entering as they dug into the walls.

For a brief moment she let herself hope one of Oliver's League friends had found her, that she was going to be saved.

Then she heard a noise and turned to see the masked man sitting in one of the chairs, and her heart dropped.

She didn't really follow the 'hero' scene that much, but she knew that mask.

"Hello, Mrs Queen. So tell me, would you rather be eaten alive or take your chances with me?" Legion asked almost mockingly as he stood up and walked towards her.

She knew what he'd done to Arsenal, even if she hadn't watched the video herself.

"I'd rather die than let a monster like you take me captive," Moira said with her head held high, backing away towards the window as she took a deep breath.

Turning and running for it, she climbed out of the window and jumped towards the horde below, closing her eyes as she fell.

Her eyes immediately sprung open again as she felt a sharp sensation, seeing the hooked chains digging into her as they pulled her back up to the window, Legion grabbing her and pulling her back inside.

"I'm gonna be honest, that was a rhetorical question. You don't have a choice in the matter," Legion said easily, and she could almost see the smug smile under his mask as he tossed her to the ground. "But don't worry, you'll probably survive this."

— Clark Kent (Superman) —

It had taken him physically grabbing the two bombers out of the air and placing them on the ground to stop them, and even then it would have consequences even if the virus didn't spread.

It had been a presidential order to bomb Star City, and the military weren't happy that he'd stopped them.

Thankfully, Amanda Waller of all people had helped, and he wasn't surprised to know that she'd worked on plans for quarantining an entire city already.

Watching as the high-tech barrier formed, creating a dome over the city, he sighed.

He'd been trying to track down Lex, who had predictably immediately gone to ground when Legion's accusations had been posted online.

Then a giant robot started smashing up Metropolis, which was an unfortunately common occurrence and he was almost certain it was Lex trying to buy himself more time, which drew his attention long enough for this to happen.

Flash was fighting Gorilla Grodd, Wonder Woman had needed to deal with one of Circe's schemes, Green Lantern was needed to deal with Sinestro.

Legion was either incredibly lucky with his timing or something bigger was going on, conspiring to keep the League busy.

Flying into the city to find more survivors, he frowned to himself.

— Vandal Savage —

Watching the chaos, he admired Legion's handiwork with an approving smile. He expected Legion wouldn't wait long before he sought his revenge, and pulling some strings to keep the rest of the League's heavy hitters busy was easy enough, but even he didn't expect things to be this impressive.

The people of Star City were so used to their problems being solved by their beloved Emerald Archer, but he wasn't so beloved anymore was he?

Already they turned on their saviour, cursing him for drawing Legion's ire onto them, or for failing to just put him down when the heroes had the chance.

He'd have to speak to Legion about the recklessness of unleashing such a dangerous weapon, their goal wasn't to wipe out humanity after all, but to help them evolve, but aside from that, the survivors of this chaos would be stronger for it.

Getting a message, he paused as he read the report on the virus from their scientists.

He'd immediately had some of the undead captured after all.

Reading the initial conclusion, he burst out laughing as he raised his glass in a toast to Legion.

'Each 'generation', holds a less potent version of the unknown virus. By only the 'third' generation, the zombie can no longer infect other hosts. As such, a global outbreak is almost impossible. Further testing would be needed to confirm.'

Sending an order for the 'Alpha' zombie to be captured, he sat back with a smile.

Well played, Legion, well played indeed.

— Clark Kent (Superman) —

Dropping the unconscious Red Arrow onto the bed, he briefly glanced at the wound that was already excreting black pus.

They had already worked out that the virus wouldn't spread that far, apparently, it was engineered so that it couldn't cause a complete outbreak.

Any zombie created by the 'Alpha' could turn other people with a bite, but the people they turned couldn't turn anyone.

Thea hadn't been so lucky, the infection obviously already setting in. Once bitten, the infection could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to actually take hold, unless the infected individual died in which case it activated almost immediately after their death.

Legion wasn't completely mad, this was a targeted attack at Star City, not an attempt to 'burn it all down,' as he put it.

But the fact that Legion had the capability to design a virus like this meant he was suddenly one of the most wanted men in the world.

The theory that the Legion they briefly captured was just the face of a large group was looking more and more likely. This didn't match the usual MO of the Legion they knew, but if Legion was a group then they could have a bio-terrorist capable of making viruses like this.

It also meant it was possible that Legion had died or was still badly injured from the powerful explosion, and that other members of 'Legion' were acting in his stead.

He partially hoped that was true, because it meant that this could have happened even if Green Arrow hadn't accidentally freed Legion, if he had noticed the bomb inside the arrow.

A brief lapse in judgement that had cost them all dearly. He could have thrown that arrow into the sun before it detonated, but Oliver had made his explosive arrows look almost identical to his regular arrows to stop his enemies from knowing which ones he was using and he hadn't thought Oliver would go that far.

"Superman," a voice said, shaking him out of his dark thoughts as he turned to face the speaker.

"Waller," he replied, Amanda had offered an unusual olive branch with her support of him stopping the bombs, but he still didn't trust her. "Any luck?"

"No, this virus is… unnatural. One of our scientists claimed it was an insult to biology because it simply doesn't follow the laws of nature," Waller admitted, her eyes narrowing as he reacted ever so slightly.

The virus didn't make sense for their dimension, but he'd heard the same about the technology Legion used for his website.

"You know something," Waller said bluntly, making him pause before he made a decision. Waller helped stop Eiling from trying to nuke Star City, he didn't have to like her to see they were on the same side here.

"Legion might be from a different dimension, but we can't confirm yet. He's extremely good at not leaving any traces," Clark admitted, making her scowl.

"Just what we need, a shame Arrow fucked everything up," Waller said pitilessly. "Do you think Legion was telling the truth about Arsenal?"

He hoped so, he truly did.

"I do," Clark admitted, before narrowing his eyes at her. "You don't know anything about that? I know Lex has worked with Cadmus before, and this isn't the first time you guys have cloned a hero."

The Galatea situation was still fresh in his mind, even with Kara's clone locked away.

"I don't, neither does Emil. Trust me, I checked, we don't need that heat. I don't even know where Luthor is, nobody has seen him in months. I can't deny it's possible he stole the technology and did it himself, but it's nothing Cadmus agreed to," Amanda replied, and despite their history, he trusted her.

Well, as much as he could ever trust Amanda Waller.

"General Eiling-"

"Is an idiot, so is the President for that matter. He jumped straight to bombing the city and fear-mongered the President into agreeing before we even had any real details. They won't try it again," Waller said bluntly, making him nod.

He didn't mention Waller's confidence that she could keep a high-ranking general and the President of the United States in line. He might not like her but he couldn't deny she was very good at what she did.

It was just a shame that what she did was usually focused on weakening the League. He understood their concerns, America really didn't like not having the big stick, and their realisation that the League outgunned them made them extremely nervous.

Not to mention, the recent invasions had shown the world that Earth was a very small pond, filled with goldfish that had convinced themselves they were sharks.

There were a thousand empires out there that could destroy Earth in a day, if it wasn't for the Superheroes protecting it, and the Governments didn't like that at all.

Flying back towards the city, he spotted another group of survivors desperately running from a horde of zombies, speeding up as he went to save them.

The worst had passed, but Legion had proven just how merciless he could be when angered, making him worry for Metropolis.

Could Legion be planning an attack there while he was busy in Star City?

Legion had also proven he knew a lot about Ollie's personal life. Was that information he extracted from Roy or did he know all their identities?

Were his parents safe? A quick glance back showed them still on the Kent farm, making him grateful for just how powerful his vision was, but he couldn't confirm they were truly safe.

Legion had already proven he was very easily distracted, did he have to pause before every crime he stopped to make sure it wasn't just bait? Could he ignore it even if it was bait?

— Thea Queen —

Looking around the empty streets, she clutched her bow carefully as she moved. She passed out on the roof, so why had she woken up in the streets, no bite or undead to be seen?

"Because you never woke up at all," a voice said as she spun around, firing the arrow the moment she spotted Legion's grinning mask.

To her shock, the arrow disintegrated into mist as it struck his chest, making him chuckle.

"Trying to kill me doesn't usually… work," Legion said, making her pause as she considered his words.

"This is a dream," Thea said, making him nod.

"It is, and it isn't. This is real, I am the real Legion, I'm just.. paying you a visit in a way your minders won't notice. You're actually asleep in a private quarantine room, because they know you're going to turn soon," Legion said, and as her arm suddenly started aching, she looked down to see the bite mark reappear, the flesh around it blackened and rotting as she clutched it, biting her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain.

"They- they'll cure me," Thea said, making him laugh.

"No, they won't," Legion said calmly, and as she went to speak, an unmistakable voice cut her off.

"Any luck?" A shadowy Superman asked, hovering in between her and Legion as he looked down at a far older woman.

"No, this virus is… unnatural. One of our scientists claimed it was an insult to biology because it simply doesn't follow the laws of nature," she admitted, making Superman frown as they faded away.

"They haven't got a clue how to cure it, and while they might find a cure eventually, to prepare for possible future attacks, it won't be fast enough to save you," Legion said, her eyes widening as a new scene formed.

Ollie, sitting on a bench, head in his hands as he outright cried, Black Canary trying to comfort him.

"He blames himself, and he knows he's going to lose you as well as Roy. Once the virus takes hold, you will die, and your corpse will wander around trying to feed, Oliver will have no choice but to put you down," Legion said with a pleased tone. "I wonder if his mind will survive the experience… especially when it becomes clear that I grabbed mommy Moira in the chaos."

"You have- let her go, she has nothing to do with-" Thea demanded, making Legion chuckle.

It was then that she realised that her bow was missing, having disappeared from her hands.

"So defenceless, hours from death, and you're still making demands?" Legion asked, making her face flush in anger. "Don't mistake me, I'm impressed. You're terrified of me, I can taste it, but you don't let your fear paralyse you."

Going silent, she glared at him. He wasn't wrong, she was terrified of him. Terrified of dying. Terrified of becoming the next Roy.

"Tell me, would you like a chance to earn your life?" Legion asked, approaching her. "And the life of your dear mother?"

"I'm not going to kill innocent people for you, I know how you work," Thea said with a glare, making him laugh.

"Nothing like that. I simply want you to take part in one of my games, with the cure for your infection and your mother's freedom as your prize," Legion said, making her narrow her eyes. "Will you enjoy it? Of course not, the entire point is that the participants suffer, but I believe you're strong enough to survive the game, to prove you are strong."

"If I say no?" Thea asked, making him chuckle.

"Your mother plays in your place, and you die slowly as your body rots from the inside out," Legion said easily. "I don't particularly care, it would be a disappointment for you to die without a chance to prove your worth, but this world is full of people just waiting to be tested."

Her mother wasn't a fighter, she was a woman on the wrong side of 'middle-aged' who spent most of her time behind a desk. She'd be eaten alive in Legion's 'games'.

"…fine, I'll play," Thea said with a growl.

She tried to ignore that she also had something to gain, to squash the little voice telling her that she was doing this for herself.

"When you wake up, I'll open the portal in your cell. If you get caught before getting to it, I'll take that as you failing the game immediately," Legion said happily and as she went to speak, her vision grew incredibly dark.

Opening her eyes again, she looked around the clinical room she'd been placed inside, a large glass window replacing one of the walls as some doctor looked in at her, making a call.

A foul smell made her gag before she realised that she was the source, the festering wound smelling of rot and death.

Ollie came running into view, staring at her through the glass and she could see the pain in his eyes as he looked at the wound, the way the blackened flesh had moved up to her shoulder.

As a glowing white portal shaped like a door opened on the wall, they both froze, staring at it in confusion.

She recovered first, making her decision as she mouthed 'I'm sorry' to Ollie, running towards the portal as he tried to shout something, watching her run through the portal which promptly closed behind her.

Finding herself face to face with Legion in the flesh this time, in nothing but a hospital gown, she couldn't deny she was scared, even as he gestured to her outfit and weapons.

"Get changed, you'll need them for what comes next," Legion ordered.

"Where's my mother?" Thea asked instead, making him chuckle.

"You'll see. Get changed, or you can play without your bow, in nothing but a flimsy gown," Legion said, making her scowl as she grabbed her clothes.

They were in what seemed like a small wooden hut, and she could see a forest outside the one window.

"Aren't you going to give me some privacy?" Thea asked, watching as he leaned against a table, crossing his arms.

"No, last chance," Legion said, making her shudder as she reached up and undid her gown, letting it drop.

Not wanting to give him a show, she quickly grabbed her Red Arrow costume and pulled it on, wincing as the leather rubbed against her wound.

"One last thing," Legion said, watching as she pulled her trousers up. He hadn't deemed it necessary to give her any underwear, making her outfit a little more uncomfortable than usual.

Moving forwards, she flinched back as he pulled out a needle, but didn't resist as the liquid was injected into her neck.

Almost immediately the pain in her arm, that had been slowly travelling up towards her chest, faded.

"The cure, since it's not fair for you to be forced to play while you're slowly dying," Legion said, making her narrow her eyes.

"What's to stop me from refusing to play, or attacking you?" Thea asked, making him laugh,

"Tell me, what do you see around here?" Legion asked, making her pause.

"A hut, and a forest?" Thea answered, making him nod.

"Do you know what you don't see? Your mother, or a way out. Feel free to sit here until you starve to death, I can even appreciate that kind of stubbornness, I'll be sure to appreciate it while Moira provides me with a different kind of entertainment," Legion deadpanned as she scowled.

Yeah, that's about what she expected.

"Get ready, you won't want to lose this game," Legion said as he turned around, another portal opening up as he stepped through it and left her inside the hut, which she found out was locked, making her sit and wait for the 'game' to start.

It wasn't long before she heard his voice echoing through the forest.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to a very special stream. I'll skip to the fun part, since that's what you're all here for, the games!" Legion said cheerfully, making her frown and make sure her hood was up correctly since this was definitely being broadcast. "The rules are simple, we have two teams who are fighting for freedom and glamourous prizes, such as their lives. On one team, we have Green Arrow's own little sister, Red Arrow! Here to prove she's more than just her brother's sidekick, that she is one of the strong. On the other team, we have… a couple dozen of Star City's worst murderers, rapists and criminals, hand-picked and grabbed out of the prison Green Arrow placed them in before they could be killed by the… little incident I caused to teach Green Arrow an important lesson."

Oh fuck.

"What lesson you may ask? While I imagine many of you think I'm upset he tried to kill me, the truth couldn't be more wrong. I'm thrilled that he tried to end my life, demonstrating his drive and commitment to keeping people safe unlike the pathetic fools treating it all like a game! If Superman had just stopped being such a coward and simply ripped my head off, Star City wouldn't be a zombie-infested hellhole! But while I approve of Green Arrow's resolve, his tactics could use a little work since all he achieved was freeing me. I'm grateful, but if you're going to try and kill me, you better make sure I don't walk away," Legion said happily.

"Now, onto the rules. Our intrepid hero simply needs to rescue our VIP, Moira Queen, from the depths of the castle, and the clutches of the other team before the daybreak. Oh, and she needs to prove her resolve, just like her brother, and put the other team down!" Legion said as her blood ran cold.

"Once the sun rises, they are permitted to execute Moira Queen, and that is their win condition. If they win, they'll be freed back into the world, with some special prizes from yours truly. The game ends when either Moira dies, or the entire other team is slain by Red Arrow!" Legion continued. "Of course, I hear prison can be rough, and some of these men have been locked up for a long time. I suggest you don't get taken alive, Red!"

That bastard…

Stepping out of the hut, she could barely see the castle in the distance.

She saw Legion's game, she could either sit here and refuse to play, in which case she left her mother in the hands of a bunch of sadistic psychopaths who would then be set free, or she could play his game and kill for him.

He won, and she lost either way, but… maybe her mother didn't have to lose.

Wait, Legion said they couldn't kill her before dawn, but did that mean they couldn't hurt her? Legion hadn't said they couldn't…

And did they know that she was the Green Arrow's mother?

— Moira Queen —

"So all we have to do is kill Green Arrow's little sidekick?" one of them said as she tried not to draw attention to herself.

Someone had a sick sense of rumour, leaving her chained to a bed at the top of a tower, a princess for Thea to save.

"Easy enough, I kicked the shit out of her before I got locked up. Would have done it ages ago if her big brother hadn't come to the rescue," another scoffed, grabbing a mace and swinging it experimentally.

"And the first vote is in! The viewers don't like the odds, and have decided to even them… by giving the defenders some better firepower!"

As Legion's words finished, a box of guns appeared in the middle of the group, making them freeze before they laughed, arming themselves with better firepower.

"All we have to do is hold down this tower, and we win," one of them said, making another shake their head.

"Nah, that'd tell her exactly where the hostage is. Take some of the rifles and go to the walls, you'll be able to see her coming, we have enough men to spread out and cover the castle, make this hard for her," one of them suggested, another nodding as they grabbed a high-velocity sniper rifle. "Looks like our loving viewers sent us some pretty good shit. We even have some grenades."

"A couple of us should stick here, make sure she can't run off with the hostage," another said, grabbing a shotgun.

It didn't take long for the band of lunatics and murderers to make a semblance of a plan, sharing the weapons between them and working out who was going where.

Soon enough she was left in the room with a single prisoner, armed with a powerful shotgun as he aimed it at the only entrance to the room they were in.

Legion hadn't made it easy, bars over the window meaning that Thea would have to go up the stairs, which now had a lot of armed and angry criminals waiting for her.

"You know, it would have been smarter for us to just stay in this room," the man left behind said, making her blink.

He'd been the one who had convinced the others that they should split up.

"I've been in prison for seven years, thanks to your brat. Don't look so surprised, it wasn't that hard to work out. I figured out the Green Arrow's identity the moment Legion mentioned 'Thea', which would be the Red Arrow, Thea Queen- well-behaved prisoners get some internet access," he explained as he put the shotgun down. "I still can't walk properly after Ollie put an arrow through my knee, so it makes sense that I'd be the one left here. With you."

Oh...

"Legion said I couldn't be killed until sunrise," Moira said quickly, making him chuckle.

"Oh, I know. Believe me, I know. Our gracious host freed more of us than this group, but some of us… didn't want to play his game, he made examples of them. We all know far too well what will happen if we break his precious rules, and I'd rather go back to prison with another arrow in my leg than risk Legion's wrath," the thug said, making her let out a sigh of relief. "Legion said you couldn't be killed before sunrise."

And there it was, she couldn't be killed until the timer was up, but anything else was fair game.

As the thug came closer, she tried to move away, the shackles preventing her from escaping as he pulled out a medieval-style dagger, slashing a vertical line along her top, cutting into her flesh as he slashed her top and bra, pulling them apart making her freeze as her breasts were revealed.

Oh no, he didn't mean to…

Her answer became clear as the thug cut her skirt apart as well, pulling it away with a smirk.

"Seven years is a long time to not feel the touch of a woman, and since your son is to blame…" he said, undoing his jumpsuit.

"Just a moment," Legion said, making her would-be rapist pause as he went to strip off. "While you're correct that this isn't against the rules, I've decided to hold a bit of a vote on whether this is allowed before sunrise. In half an hour, it'll be decided whether you're allowed to play with the hostage."

So her fate was in the hands of the viewers who'd already voted for the criminals to be given better weapons?

"As you wish, Legion."

— Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) —

Why would Thea willingly go into the portal? Did she know Legion had Moira?

But how? She hadn't mentioned anything before she was attacked, and the moment she woke up she jumped through the portal.

Thea looked surprised when Legion announced the game, but she was obviously there 'willingly', in some capacity.

How had Legion gotten in contact with her?

As the game started, he was forced to watch helplessly as Thea started heading towards the castle, and as the criminals grabbed weapons and got excited about the chance to kill Thea, because Legion had picked the worst of the scum that he'd personally put in prison.

Then gave them all weapons and a chance to hurt him.

And now this… forced to watch as his identity was revealed (though the audience had also already worked it out), and an audience of seemingly sadistic viewers voted on whether his mother could be raped on stream or not.

Another crime that could be placed at his feet, he freed Legion and allowed him to do this; he'd drawn Legion's ire onto Star City.

But it wasn't even ire, Legion respected him for trying to execute him, he was grateful for Oliver's reckless attack that freed him from Superman's grasp.

Legion just saw this as a chance for the people of Star City to prove they were strong, to cull the weak. He probably thought he was doing them a favour.

Watching the vote, constantly changing as the two options raced, he knew a lot of people were voting for Moira to be raped to hurt him, Oliver Queen, Green Arrow… the destroyer of Star City.

Legion's fanboys hated him for attacking their new idol, Legion's haters blamed him for freeing Legion, the people of Star City wanted him to pay for drawing Legion's attention towards them, and the trolls just wanted to see people suffer.

Rape was apparently a step above the torture they'd voted for Alexis Kaye to go through, and a lot of the viewers were hesitant to go for it, which was the only reason it was even close to even, but even still it was looking increasingly like the criminals would be allowed to play with his mother.

And he could do nothing to stop it, because for all the League's technology and magic, they couldn't track the portals Legion used to come and go as he pleased.

So once again, he was forced to watch as his family was made to suffer, only this time it was live and there was still nothing he could do.

All his training, all the villains he'd taken down, and he was still left sitting on his ass, with no more control over the chaos than a single vote, amongst countless.

— Bruce Wayne (Batman) —

Legion had a way to contact people without anyone noticing, and Thea had been showing signs of having a nightmare before she woke up.

She wasn't surprised by the appearance of the portal, and she barely hesitated before moving through it.

She'd even apologised, she knew what was on the other side, that Legion was waiting for her, and she'd gone through anyway.

Another power under Legion's belt, making it increasingly more likely Legion was a group.

It wasn't that unusual for a single metahuman to have multiple powers, one needed to look no further than Superman to see that, but it was rather rare.

He hated how little they knew about Legion, constantly on the defensive.

And despite everything, he couldn't deny the sliver of fear that stabbed into his heart as he glanced at Oliver, wondering if one day he'd be the one sitting there watching as Alfred or Robin were forced to play his games.

Legion was ruthless. He didn't care about secret identities, he didn't hesitate to target their loved ones, and worst of all…

People were supporting him.

Legion already had copycats and fans, and with every attack his influence only grew. They listened to his message and felt it resonate within them.

People had been watching the heroes capture the villains, only for the villains to escape again and again, and now someone was 'calling them out', a villain that was downright praising Green Arrow for being willing to try and kill him.

They thought about how much death and destruction would have been solved if he'd snapped the Joker's neck, if Superman had just disintegrated Lex instead of sending him to a jail he'd bribe his way out of in a week.

Some people had even made spreadsheets showing how many crimes each villain had committed after their first arrest.

Waylon Jones, Killer Croc, killed eight people before he was arrested. He killed fourteen more (that they knew of) between his first escape and second arrest and was currently on his seventh visit to Arkham Asylum.

So people were asking why Waylon should be spared at the expense of his future victims, why his past victims should go unavenged.

They'd done the same for almost all of his villains, and it painted a picture the public hated.

Some people had stirred the pot by claiming the reason he didn't kill his villains was because he wanted to 'play hero', and he couldn't do that with no one to 'play' with.

It couldn't be further from the truth, even if he couldn't imagine what he'd do in a world that didn't need Batman.

But the public didn't want to hear that, because Legion understood a simple truth, the only thing the public loved more than a hero was to see them fall.

Legion was turning the world against them, and he couldn't even work out whether it was deliberate or just a side-effect of Legion's own agenda.

— Thea Queen —

She wasn't as good as Ollie, or even as good as Roy. She might not even be as good as Artemis, as much as that angered her.

But she was still a part of Team Arrow, and scaling a castle wall hadn't even been difficult, with the snipers watching the front entrance she'd been able to sneak in from the side.

"And we have our first fatality! Did I forget to mention the traps? Perhaps you should watch where you step boys," Legion's voice called out, sounding highly amused as she blinked.

Well, better them than her. It sounded cruel but she was here to kill them.

The simple truth was that it was them or her and her mother, trapped in Legion's world. Only one group was leaving, and…

Seeing a man in a prison jumpsuit carrying a shotgun walking down the corridor, she stared down at him from her perch on one of the arches, she pulled out an arrow and took aim.

It wasn't going to be them.

— Felicity Smoak —

This wasn't the first time she'd been kidnapped, it came with being Oliver's tech support. She'd been kidnapped by villains, assassins and gangs.

As far as cells went, the fancy room she'd been locked inside seemed downright luxurious, but somehow she couldn't help but think she'd be safer in the hands of Oliver's older enemies, because Legion…

The video of Roy fresh in her mind, she started to search the room in desperation, trying to find any way to get out before Legion came back from wherever he'd gone.

— Michelle Torres —

Sitting on the bed in the room she and Zoe had been locked in, she already knew exactly why she had been saved from the zombies by this 'Legion'.

She was nobody, a former escort and junkie who managed to go clean and get a dead-end job, she barely had any money, but…

She was the ex-wife of a supervillain, and Zoe was their child. The only thing interesting about her is that Deadshot knocked her up years ago, and this wasn't the first time his enemies had tried to use her and Zoe against the deadly assassin.

Of course, if Legion hadn't saved them, they'd have been eaten alive by a horde of undead.

Only time would tell whether that would have been a kinder fate.

— Markus Gray —

It turns out, causing a city-wide undead apocalypse is a rather efficient method of generating fear.

No shit, you're really on that grind.

Neo's still… working on your 'prize' for impressing her, but shit at this point even I'm almost impressed.

Heh, just almost? I'll have to try harder then.

[Nightfall]

Causes an area to grow incredibly dark and covered in an extremely thick fog which you can see through. While trapped in the darkness, people will hear whispers, distant screams and unnatural. In addition you can see perfectly in the dark.

Range: 0.5 miles

[He's Here]

Your presence can cause lights to start to flicker and dim, the bulbs bursting if you get too close. TV screens and radios will also start to turn to pure static and white noise. The effect grows stronger the closer you are.

[You shouldn't have looked]

When you enter someone's field of view, you can twist and warp their senses, distorting their vision, causing a feeling of vertigo and filling their ears with static which gets more intense as you get closer. This also grows more intense the longer they keep you in their vision.

Oh, I can definitely use this. I'm definitely becoming quite the little horror.

— Bonus Scene — Lex Luthor

He'd long since gotten used to the fact that he could have a flawless plan and things could still go utterly wrong for reasons completely outside his control.

Especially when he played the long-con, such as replacing the sidekick of a member of the Justice League with a clone, without even Batman noticing the swap.

Years of waiting for his plant to get into the League proper, and what happens?

An unknown villain kills him at the finish line, for seemingly no reason beyond because he felt like it.

Then, because things weren't bad enough, the villain reveals the clone's true nature to Superman and Batman, pointing the finger at him.

Technically, he was currently a free man (thanks to his careful manipulation of the American justice system), but that didn't change the fact that Superman and Batman had teamed up to track him down. Batman was bound to find ample evidence to lock him back up by pure chance as they searched for the real Roy Harper.

He'd had the original Roy moved to a different base that had no connection to Lexcorp, Cadmus or the Light. If nothing else it was a bargaining chip he could use if everything went wrong, and he was loath to waste resources like that.

He wouldn't stay in jail of course, but he would also lose his ability to move freely, which would limit him considerably.

He wished he'd never heard the name 'Legion', but nobody could say he couldn't adapt to unexpected situations.

He'd been forced to rebuild his powerbase over and over again after being arrested when his plans went awry, usually thanks to his incompetent underlings or equally uncontrollable circumstances.

Legion was just another thorn in his side that he could turn into a weapon.

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The Guild of Gamers: The Nightmare by The Dark Wolf Shiro

Cartoon X-overs & Justice League Unlimited Xover Rated: M, English, Adventure & Horror, Words: 121k+, Favs: 3k+, Follows: 4k+, Published: Jul 27, 2022 Updated: Feb 17

2,048Chapter 8: Thea's Game

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works, if you recognise it from somewhere else, surprise it isn't mine.

Betad by morde24, Atrius, Hermes, Priapus, Marethyu, Old Man of the Mountain, TheDonFluffles and Mike, God of Lore

The Guild of Gamers: The Nightmare

Chapter 08: Thea's Game

— Oliver Queen —

He didn't want to see this, to watch Legion's sick show, but with the fates of his mother and sister depending on it, he couldn't pull himself away from the computer.

The vote was still ongoing, unnervingly close as edgy assholes used their anonymity to condemn his mother to being violated by some scum he'd locked up.

He should have just killed all these psychopaths, instead of leaving a prison full of people with a grudge against him for Legion to weaponise.

He was reading the comments, and it seems that quite a few of the survivors from Star City were watching, (correctly) blaming him for Star City's destruction and wanting to punish him via his mother.

'What have the Queens ever done for Star City?'

That was a common statement, people hadn't forgotten that his mother played a part in the Undertaking, that if she wasn't so rich she'd likely have been in the same prison as the other contestants.

Even his identity as Green Arrow being exposed didn't help, because they blamed him for everything that was happening, but it wasn't just him.

If Superman hadn't caught that arrow, Legion wouldn't be a problem now, he'd be a smear and Star City would still be standing, not a quarantined hellscape.

It was a dark thought, but he truly believed that. Legion was a tricky bastard but he wasn't an outright fighter, they had him, they could have ended the threat he represented right there and what did they want to do?

Lock him up, because that always worked.

How many villains had escaped from the 'inescapable' Phantom Zone?

Of course, killing him could have done nothing if he truly was a group, not a single person, but Oliver didn't believe that.

The Legion that was always on the stream was definitely the same one they had captured. Maybe he had supporters, but if he did, then why recruit Dollhouse?

Either way, that Legion with his grinning mask was the leader of this nightmare, the spokesman, and putting him down would have set an example for the others.

Shaking his head, he checked the stream again. Legion had set up multiple points of view, one following Thea, one with Moira and the thug that was waiting to be told he could rape her, and several following the various groups of thugs, all while Legion acted as the announcer.

He'd gotten multiple monitors so he could track them all, watching Thea with no small amount of concern.

Thea had never been as brutal as he was when he started his career as a vigilante, but right now?

Watching as she took out another group of thugs, the childish game-like counter on the screen changing to show how many criminals were left, he shook his head.

Even if she won, she wouldn't be the same as he watched her retrieve her arrows from the corpses of the men she ambushed, pausing as she stared down at their bodies for a moment before she continued.

One of the thugs was still alive, trying to crawl away with an arrow through the hand he was formerly holding a shotgun in as Thea walked towards him with an almost predatory grace.

He knew where this was going.

Thea was trying to find Moira before the timer ran out, not trusting the viewers to stop their mother's rape, but she didn't know where they'd stashed her.

The viewers did, there was a helpful map with little icons for every player, another feature that seemed like something out of a game.

Thea was going the wrong way.

Staring down at the final thug, Thea hesitated, the cameras good enough quality to see the way she trembled slightly before she moved and flipped him over, her foot on his throat as she aimed an arrow down at him, demanding answers.

The info-screen changed to show the thug's 'player card', his name, the fact that he had three children (probably eaten by zombies), and his rap sheet.

Seven counts of murder, more attempted murders and assaults, and three rapes, he was genuine scum.

And yet, now he was begging for his life, spilling his guts as Thea glared down at him, but he was also lying.

He was sending her the wrong way, but Thea wasn't a fool.

As Thea took a step back, he let out a sigh of relief before screaming as an arrow pierced his shoulder and pinned him to the ground, Thea having not fallen for his bullshit.

Watching his sister pull the same type of… improvised interrogation he'd done in his youth, he shuddered as he cursed Legion for putting his sister through this.

The chat went wild, watching a hero brutally torture a criminal for information, wondering what he'd taught his little sister.

Even Batman occasionally had to get information like this, but when Batman threw a thug from a rooftop, it wasn't done on livestream with the world watching.

The world was seeing the brutal side of heroism, the side they liked to pretend didn't happen.

But his attention was drawn away as the vote came to an end, his mother's fate was decided.

— Moira Queen —

Legion had somehow set up a screen in this medieval castle to show them the vote, how close it was as each option would repeatedly take the lead before falling behind once more.

She knew her nudity was being live-streamed, shackled to a bed with her body on display, but as the vote came to a close she let out a sigh of relief as the criminal and her would-be rapist let out a curse, giving the screen an angry glare.

"And that's the vote closed, folks. Moira Queen is not to be touched until sunrise, how kind of you folks back home… well fifty-two percent of you anyway," Legion's mocking voice came through the screen. "I wonder if the vote would have been the same if Moira was younger and hotter, but ah well, I suppose we'll never know."

The thug started pacing, limping as he tried to avoid putting weight on one leg, the leg Oliver had apparently put an arrow through, grumbling to himself before he stopped and stared at her.

"Fuck it," he said simply, undoing his belt as her eyes widened, watching him limp towards her.

"But the vote-"

"I don't give a fuck, little Thea is slaughtering the guys out there and I'm probably going to die either way, so I'm going to have some fun before I go," he sneered, climbing onto the bed as she struggled to throw him off as he leaned forwards, his foul breath flooding her senses as he yanked her legs apart.

"Oh my, it seems our contestant doesn't agree with the result," Legion said through the screen, still sounding amused. "That just won't do."

The second part of his sentence wasn't said through the screen, sounding far closer as the thug's eyes widened, chains wrapping around him and yanking him off the bed as Legion casually stood in the corner of the room, one hand extended as hooked chains dug into the criminal's skin, some tearing free as they ripped chunks of flesh away.

"Tut tut, don't you know the importance of following the rules?" Legion asked darkly, his mask staring at them with that unnerving grin. "The people have spoken, my friend. They said Moira wasn't to be touched, consider me the will of the people personified. Rulebreakers need to be punished after all."

As Legion spoke, his tone utterly calm, more chains wrapped around the screaming criminal, but Moira could only let out a sigh of relief when she realised that Legion fully intended to enforce the choice the people made.

The thug tried to apologise, openly crying as hooks dug into his skin and chains tightened around him, but Legion just watched dispassionately, ignoring his begging.

"Ah, the eternal refrain of humanity. Pleading ignorance, begging for mercy," Legion responded ruthlessly as the thugs' limbs were pulled in different directions by the chains, Moira forced to watch as Legion began his punishment. "Oh, no tears please. It's a waste of good suffering."

— Thea Queen —

She didn't have time for mercy, for hesitation, not when her mother was counting on her to take out these scumbags.

This was the last set, defending the entrance to the tower where they'd stashed Moira, she'd questioned several at this point and eventually they all pointed her here.

People didn't look up, even with these tall hallways with plenty of places to hide, they expected her to just wander down the hallway for them to shoot.

Idiots, but it made things simpler for her as she took aim.

There were only three of them, two with assault rifles and one with a shotgun, but they'd made a mistake.

She didn't nock an arrow, instead retrieving something she'd taken from one of the men she'd killed. People had apparently voted for them to be given better weaponry to fight her off with, but that meant they had good equipment that she could take from them.

Instead of an arrow, she pulled a pin and tossed the stolen grenade between the three, watching with uncaring eyes as it went off, with them unable to do more than shout in fear.

Jumping down she ran past the gore, up the stairs as she prepared to fight the last man. Apparently, one thug had remained with Moira, armed with a shotgun, but as she reached the top of the tower she found the door ominously open.

She could see red, and without thinking she rushed forwards expecting to find Moira's corpse from the amount of blood she could see before she froze.

Her mother was there, mostly naked but seemingly physically unharmed as she looked forwards with a haunted stare, but it wasn't her that drew Thea's attention.

It was the remains of the last man, gore painting the walls and floor, even the ceilings, limbs strewn around the room, and more blood than she'd ever seen painting the room.

Even Moira's naked body hadn't escaped the spray, blood splattered on her as she just lay there, staring blankly.

In the middle of the room, hung by countless chains, was the torso and head of the final man, naked and mutilated with the words 'rule breaker' carved into his bare chest, his face twisted into a tortured grimace.

His eyes would have probably looked just as tortured if he still had them, but he didn't. He had no eyes, no ears, and no nose, just a mutilated face with its mouth still open in a silent scream.

She could see his tongue was gone as well, and despite everything she'd done to get here, Thea puked.

Heaving over, Thea expelled the contents of her stomach onto the floor, dry heaving as she tried to not look at the scene, but no matter which way she looked there was more gore.

"He broke the rules, and that earned him a punishment most dire," Legion said, his voice right behind her ear as she leapt forwards, spinning and loosing an arrow on pure instinct as it pierced Legion's chest.

He paused, looking down at it for a moment before he calmly gripped it and ripped it out, the tip coated with blackish blood, which he tossed aside.

"I'll be kind and assume that was an accident," Legion continued, uncaring of the hole in his chest. "But nevertheless, congratulations! You won, you rescued our distressing damsel, put down the bandits, and saved the day, and with such style as well. You should have told me you enjoyed a little enhanced interrogation, we could have exchanged notes!"

As he spoke, Legion tossed a key onto the bed, getting the hint she quickly undid Moira's shackles, worried by how unresponsive her mother was.

"What did you do to her?" Thea asked, making Legion tilt his head in confusion.

"I assure you, I didn't touch her. I just gave her a front-row seat to the punishment of our naughty rule breaker. I guess she's not a fan, but what can you do?" Legion asked, shrugging as she noticed how blood-soaked his outfit was. "She's free to go, I'll even be nice and not return her to the exact spot I grabbed her from, it's kinda zombie infested at the moment."

"So we can leave?" Thea asked, letting out a sigh of relief which was quickly shot down by Legion's chuckle.

"She can leave, that's what we agreed after all," Legion corrected, making Thea freeze.

"No, you said-" Thea started before she paused.

A cure for the infection, and Moira's release. That's what he'd promised her if she won his game.

He never said she could leave.

"I promised you a cure, which I gave you early so you didn't have to fight while infected, I promised to let Moira go, which I am going to. You aren't going to try and break the rules we agreed to, are you?" Legion asked darkly, his voice dropping in pitch as he almost growled the final words. "You know I don't like rule breakers."

If she wasn't standing in the mutilated remains of the last rule breaker, she might have argued, but with him already demonstrating how little damage she could do to him she couldn't bring herself to argue, a deep sense of dread filling her as she wondered exactly what he had planned for her.

At least she saved her mother from Legion's clutches, she could live with that.

— Oliver Queen —

They'd found Moira in the very same cell that Thea had disappeared from, clearly in shock from being forced to watch Legion punish the rule breaker.

He'd live-streamed that as well, a demonstration of what would happen to those who broke the rules of his games.

He'd seen some horrific stuff as the Green Arrow, but Legion was rapidly proving that he wasn't just some regular villain.

For all their schemes, none of his villains had ever managed to do as much damage as Legion, nobody caused as much chaos and pain.

His mother was safe. Traumatised, but safe. She didn't even remember Thea arriving, having retreated into her own mind to try and drown out the screams, but she'd freaked out when she realised Thea had remained behind

The stream had ended, with Legion promising that there was more to follow, Thea being congratulated on her first victory.

First.

Never before had that word caused him such fear.

He knew that the League, for all their magic and technological advantages, had no idea how to get into the dimension where Legion was apparently holding his games, athat the best magical minds of the Justice League had gathered together only to shrug and admit defeat, and that they didn't know how to follow Legion into his secret dimension.

Thea was now trapped there, with an unhinged lunatic who was going to make her play his sick games. Who knew what he planned to do to her, what he planned to make her do?

To make things worse, Star City had sent a message. Come after Legion and he'd follow you home, he'd target your family, and he wasn't going to play with kid gloves or just target you.

If a hero attacked him, they were risking their city being the next Star City, their families being the next to be Legion's contestants.

Metropolis had apparently requested that Superman stayed away from Legion, and it wasn't alone. Zatanna got into an argument with the Las Vegas mayor who didn't want Legion coming to his city, with them threatening to ban her show if she kept helping Batman.

Dinah wasn't worried herself, she had no family left and her city was already a zombie-infested ruin, though she had warned Wildcat of the potential of Legion coming for him, but Ted was a mostly retired hero himself and he wasn't worried.

Even the heroes who didn't have a home city were hesitating, the idea of them following in his footsteps sent a chill down their spine, the idea that even if they won and brought Legion down, there could be a dozen more Legions just waiting to go after their families, their friends.

Legion had quickly found himself being treated with the same levels of caution that was normally reserved for the strongest and most vicious villains.

And that villain had his sister.

And possibly Felicity, his former lover. They might have split up, but he still cared for her, but with the chaos of the city, he genuinely didn't know if she was still alive. There were pockets of survivors trapped in the city that they were still working on rescuing, but Superman had to leave and that slowed things down, without an invincible hero who could ignore the bites and claws of the infected (giant murder robot destroying Metropolis, a nightmare for most heroes, Tuesday for Superman).

He didn't actually know why Legion was targeting him so heavily, because Legion claimed he approved of Oliver trying to kill him, he outright complimented him for it, and yet Legion seemed determined to destroy him utterly.

Why?

He was tempted to say that Legion couldn't escalate any higher but he knew better. That said, how could Legion one-up destroying his city and kidnapping his mother and sister for his twisted games?

— Carrie Cutter (Cupid) —

She didn't know why she'd been grabbed from her prison cell, glaring at Legion as he walked towards her, but she knew this man was her beloved's enemy.

She had some internet access in prison, which she used to keep up to date on what her beloved Oliver was doing, so she'd heard about Legion.

She thought she'd die in prison, she had enhanced senses but that wouldn't save her from the zombies that were swarming her cell, nor when Legion was in the cell with her, her training little match for his strength, especially while she was handcuffed.

Seeing her glaring at him, he paused, tilting his head for a moment.

"Ah, I'm terribly sorry, it was rather rude of me to just grab you like that but I didn't want you to become someone's snack," Legion said as he sat down, gesturing towards the other chair.

She paused before she reluctantly took a seat, knowing she was in a bad situation. He was an enemy of Green Arrow, her beloved, whatever he wanted her for would not end well for her.

"Why did you bother saving me?" Carrie asked, seeing her outfit and bow on the table over to the side, rescued from lock-up?

"Because I'm a fan of your work, and more importantly I believe we both want the same thing," Legion explained, making her pause in confusion.

"You want to kill Green Arrow, why would I-" she started, before he cut in.

"Ah, I think I understand your anger. I'm afraid you're rather mistaken. I don't want Oliver dead, that's the last thing I want, and frankly, if I wanted him dead he'd already be a corpse," Legion explained, making her pause. "No, I want what's best for the Emerald Archer, even if he hasn't realised it yet. Much like how he didn't realise that you were doing what was best for him, killing off his enemies, and he locked you up for it."

She considered his words, but she couldn't see how anything Legion had done was in Oliver's favour.

"How does destroying his city help him?" Carrie asked, making Legion chuckle.

"I want to bring him into the light, I want him to wake up and stop playing the shining hero to please his League buddies. The old Arrow was a true hunter, he didn't hesitate to put down his prey, didn't follow the rules for being a 'hero' set by the sanctimonious white knights. Look at him now, when was the last time he put down his enemy, and for what? To be seen as a hero?" Legion asked, snorting derisively. "You know, if Superman hadn't stopped his arrow, he'd have actually put me down. I brought the old Ollie back to the surface, the real Oliver Queen, and Superman stopped him. Look at how quickly the world turned on him, blaming him for everything I did when it was Superman that saved me, Superman that facilitated my actions, as if I'd have not continued my reign of terror if Oliver hadn't tried to kill me. His fellow heroes are disappointed that he alone had the balls to do what needed to be done, the people he's worked so hard to save curse his name for something out of his control. No, I want Oliver to realise that a predator like him is wasted playing hero."

Legion's voice became more fervent as he spoke, her eyes widening as she listened to his words.

He was right, the Justice League didn't deserve Oliver, that tramp Black Canary certainly didn't. He was wasted as a hero, he could be so much more… if Oliver had understood that then maybe he wouldn't have been so against her actions, maybe he'd have seen that she just wanted to help him.

She killed his villains, just like the Old Green Arrow used to do, before the League dulled his fangs.

"What does that have to do with me?" Carrie asked hesitantly, her glare fading.

"Because unfortunately before I can wake up the real Green Arrow, I need to break this facade he's playing, and I wanted to invite you to join me on this task," Legion explained smoothly, his tone returning to the soft, happy tone he used on his show.

It didn't fit the man who'd committed such violent acts, making it rather unnerving, if she was honest.

"And to achieve my goal, I need to separate him from certain… good influences, starting with a certain songbird," Legion explained, her eyes widening as she immediately caught on.

Black Canary.

"I'm in."

"I thought you might be, my plan is simple. I want to equip you, empower you, and send you after Black Canary, where you can settle that little rivalry. All I ask is that you bring her in alive, not unharmed, but still breathing. I have plans for her, and believe me, she'll wish you gave her the mercy of death," Legion promised, his tone going darker and she swore his eyes flashed a sinister orange behind those tiny holes in his mask.

"Empower?" Carrie asked, making him nod easily.

"I wasn't always so strong, and with your body having already gone through some enhancements you'll make a fine subject," Legion said cheerfully, seeing her hesitation. "I know it's a scary thought, but you'll need the power for what's to come. What's a little risk in the pursuit of love?"

She paused, unsure of herself before she shook her head, smiling to herself. Black Canary would fall, and soon enough Oliver would see just how much she loved him, freed from the shackles of heroism.

Love was a battlefield, and it was time to go back on the offensive.

— Markus Gray —

The fact is, the League is never going to be destroyed by a mere villain. No apocalypse I can brew will make these symbols of hope fall apart, but that's fine.

I don't need to destroy them, I'm going to make the heroes destroy themselves. Oliver is just the lucky first subject, I will break him and remake him in my image, he will be the first member of the Justice League to fall, but he won't be the last.

I've left Thea to stew in her cell, to let the anticipation build until I reveal just what I've got planned for her.

Moving to my lab, which admittedly does look like something you'd expect Frankenstein to be building a monster in, Carrie hesitates before she starts to remove her clothes, the sinister decor not helping her resolve but her obsession with Green Arrow clearly gives her all the wrong kinds of strength.

Carrie is beautiful, a true vixen with amazing curves and fiery red hair, a scar on her chest above one of her perky breasts in the shape of a heart with an arrow through either side, carved into her own skin with one of Ollie' arrows.

Her psychological report made her condition clear, whatever they did to her in the failed super-soldier program she was a part of granted her enhanced reflexes and senses, at the cost of her sanity. She became utterly obsessed with someone, in this case Green Arrow.

One of her many crimes was kidnapping and sexual assault, kidnapping people who vaguely resembled the Emerald Archer and dressing them as him so she could have sex with them, treating them as if they were the Green Arrow, before she inevitably realised they weren't Oliver and murdered them.

She'll do anything to be with him, even let an extra-dimensional villain strap her to a lab table, despite her concerns. Her mind is focused on what she will get, the defeat of Black Canary who helped Ollie take her in, and the love of a broken Green Arrow.

Grabbing one of my needles, filled with a mysterious liquid, I move forwards and inject her with it, making her hiss as she feels the cold metal pierce her skin.

It's just a sedative, she's going to be a member of the Legion after all, there's no need to be unnecessarily cruel to her.

Drug Tinker and Blight Lord give me plenty of options, especially when combined. After some experimentation I think I've made something truly special.

I don't want to share my own super-serum, because if anyone is going to be a discount Albert Wesker it's gonna be me, but when I'm working on other people I have more wiggle room.

Basically I care about the side effects far less.

She's had her body enhanced at the cost of her sanity before, what's once more?

Pulling out the syringe, filled with a nice purple substance, I smile to myself. This definitely shouldn't kill her, and if it does I can probably work with that as well.

Worst case, I'll just make her an alpha zombie and send that after Black Canary, it's not quite the same but it should work either way.

The concept is simple, I made a very generic Super Soldier serum, the whole works. Some minor regeneration, enhanced strength and speed, all for just a touch of madness.

I think it should suppress the parts of the brain that say silly things like 'that's a terrible idea, you'll die'. Self preservation, what's that? Just live in the moment and don't worry about the long term.

For obvious reasons I don't plan to use this myself, as my self preservation is low enough already, and I'm self-aware enough to acknowledge that I'm not exactly a cautious guy.

Injecting her, the reason for the straps becomes apparent as she starts to thrash around. Let's just say my serums aren't exactly designed for comfort.

It'll be interesting (and funny) to see what this does to her already-twisted mind, and she's trapped in my little home dimension, so she's not going anywhere without my permission anyway.

I'll just have to keep her on a tight leash.

Well, tight-ish. Or maybe I'll just drop her nearby Ollie and see what happens, I'll decide later.

Watching her thrash around, I watch as the serum does its job. It only killed two of the test subjects, and I fixed that tiny issue. Turns out fucking with the brain is 'dangerous', and the original version kinda melted essential parts of the brain. Whoopsy-Daisy.

Eh, the test subjects were just going to become contestants in my games anyway. Just some replaceable prisoners, do you know how many prisons there are in America?

It's a lot, which means I have easy access to all the expendable thugs I could ever want, it's like Christmas.

For now, I'll put Carrie in her room and let her sleep off the changes, because I need to go and speak to my prized guest.

The chaos I have caused has given me something very fun, which also makes me suspicious that the system is taking ideas from my own mind because I made a knock-off dead by daylight and…

[Death is Not An Escape]

You and you alone decide when people leave your realm, death will not free them from your clutches. If people die in your pocket dimension, they will resurrect at a place you choose unless you specifically decide to let them move on.

In addition, I've discovered something very useful.

My Map Creation is far more flexible than I originally expected, because I can create simple life in my realms, I can't make anything sapient but I can definitely make wild animals or even get creative and make simple monsters, and more importantly I can also fiddle with the laws of physics in my demi-planes.

For instance, what if I want there to be low gravity? Sure thing, how about gravity that crushes your bones as you own weight kills you? Or maybe I'd like time itself to move slower or faster than usual.

The only limit to map creation is my imagination.

One of my demi-planes is the Prison plane, where I've moved Deadshot's family and Felicity. It's just a gothic prison on a rocky island in the middle of a sea that's always stormy, it always rains and the cold wind bites at the prisoners, hordes of crows and rats are always watching, always waiting.

And right now, time moves at a simple rate of one hour in that plane is one day in their original world, I could keep them locked up for months without them noticing that it's been more than a few days.

I stop it when I have reason to enter, but it effectively leaves them slowed, not realising how much time is passing, until I'm ready to deal with them.

I'm working on a bit of a schedule at the moment so the time trick is very useful indeed. I'll be starting at my new job soon after all, but that also works in my favour because Legion has gathered enough of a reputation that if I go quiet, it will only add to the dread. What is he doing? Probably a nine-to-five shift, but they don't need to know that.

I have plans for some truly wonderful demi-planes as well. I'll have such sights to show my players. I have even started on one of the bigger ones I have planned but for now it's time to get to work on recruiting the first Killer.

My Huntress.

— Thea Queen —

As Legion entered the room, she stood up quickly, well aware of how much danger she was in.

After her victory, she'd been disarmed and forced to change back out of her Red Arrow outfit (he was amused at the knife she had hidden in her trousers) and into what was a mocking version of a prison outfit, black and white stripes, tears in several places and frankly uncomfortable.

He'd watched her change again, she couldn't tell whether he was lustful or just enjoyed making her uncomfortable.

"Hello, Thea, sorry about the wait, I've been… busy," Legion said with a happy tone as she stared at him.

"What do you want with me?" Thea asked, getting to the point as Legion paused, head tilting for a moment.

"No small talk? Ah well," Legion sighed. "I want you to become a full-time participant in my games. The game you won was just a… trial run, and you performed so fantastically I've decided to keep you."

Thea froze at his happy words, almost seeing the grin on his face as her heart sped up.

"Why would I keep killing for you? I got what I wanted and if you're not going to let me leave, why would I play your sick games?" Thea asked angrily, making him chuckle.

"Because the game mode I have planned is simple. A group of survivors trying to complete objectives to escape, while a killer hunts them. I want you to be one of my killers, Thea, but if you decide you don't want to be the hunter, you can always find yourself as the prey," Legion growled, making her shudder. "I'll enjoy myself either way, I won't kill you but that leaves so many ways for us to have fun. You'll play game after game, and every time I catch you, I'll punish you. I wonder how many punishments you'll be able to endure before you decide being the hunter is better than being the prey, how long you'll last until you're begging me to let you switch sides."

As he spoke he got closer and closer until his mask was almost touching her face, one hand reaching up and clutching her chin as he forced her to stare at him.

Thea shuddered at his cruel words, her mind going back to the video of what he did to the clone of Roy, to the gorey remains of the rule breaker who had earned Legion's ire.

"W-who would I be hunting?" Thea asked quietly, making Legion straighten up and move back.

"Don't worry, I'm not cruel enough to make you hunt regular civilians yet. When I grabbed your last playmates from the prison, I helped myself to a lot of the prison's population. I'm going to give them a chance to earn their freedom, if they win one of my games I'll release them into the world," Legion said cheerfully, more criminals.

Criminals that would be released into the world, probably at the place where they'd cause the most chaos, if they won their games

Games that would happen whether she agreed to be the hunter or not.

She knew she was making excuses, to try and avoid Legion's punishment, to avoid being hunted, ashamed at her cowardice. She was supposed to be a hero, and here she was justifying why she'd kill for a villain.

"I-I'll do it," Thea agreed, shame flooding her as Legion clapped.

"Wonderful, I'm sure you'll grow to enjoy your new position. Well, as long as you win," Legion said, making her flinch. "Naturally, if anyone escapes you'll be punished, but I have faith in you."

It was too much to hope she could escape punishment entirely, but she just had to win. She could play his games, and in between them when she wasn't being punished she could try and find a way out of Legion's grasp, maybe even find a way to contact the League.

"Oh this is going to be fun, I'm glad I didn't have to hunt you down and break you first," Legion said happily, before he caught her by surprise as he pulled his mask up slightly, leaning forwards quickly as he captured her lips, making her freeze in place.

She moved to push him away as he kissed her roughly but hesitated, not wanting to incur his wrath.

He pulled back himself in short order, fixing his mask as she tried to memorise his lower face, taking in the first sight of the man behind the mask.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," Legion teased, and she could hear the smirk in his tone. "Don't worry, if you win your games you'll be rewarded, it's not fair for you to be punished if you lose and not get anything if you win after all."

What did Legion see as a reward?

"Now, let's get started. We've got plenty of games to play, so why waste any time? Welcome to the team, Thea, we're so happy to have you."

Gulping, she tried to mentally prepare herself for what was to come, apologising to Oliver and her friends for what she was about to do.

— Markus Gray —

Sending Thea into her first official game, I smile to myself. Thea doesn't know it, but she's not live this time, it's being recorded for later but I can't stream it because of the time fuckery.

Thea still hopes she'll be saved, but how long can she last until that hope starts to break? How many games can she play until she starts to enjoy the hunt, becoming more fervent to avoid failing, to avoid my wrath.

I'm going to sabotage one of her games, she needs a taste of my punishment so she knows exactly what she's fighting to avoid.

She'll think she's been here for weeks, forced to play more and more dangerous games, when everyone else thinks she's been missing for days.

How long until her faith in her fellow heroes falls to pieces? How long until I can put civilians in as survivors and she'll hunt them all the same to avoid my displeasure?

It'll be fun to find out.

But first, my other tool has woken up and it's time to see just how effective my little serum was.

— Dinah Lance (Black Canary) —

Heading into the quarantine zone wasn't done lightly, there was still no cure for the infection after all, but most zombies weren't a major threat if they didn't swarm you.

The alpha zombie had been captured, and none of the others showed the strength or speed that the clone of Roy had possessed, and she knew there were still survivors in the city.

An entire military squad had been wiped out when they tried to retrieve a group of survivors that were holed up in the hospital, the gunshots attracted the swarm and there were more zombies than the men had bullets.

She stuck to the rooftops mostly, most zombies couldn't climb so she could move around pretty much unmolested.

Or that was the plan at least, as a devastating kick to her stomach sent her flying back, her attacker laughing gleefully as she groaned in pain.

She recognised her attacker of course, Cupid wasn't exactly subtle and her outfit was unmistakable, who else would run around in a green sports bra and tight leather pants and call it a costume?

For a moment, she thought Cupid had been turned, but she was very much alive as she dashed forwards with shocking speed, getting to her before Canary could rise from where she'd landed.

Cupid wasn't this strong before, she wasn't this fast, something had changed but she couldn't focus on that as Cupid gripped her hair and yanked her head up just in time for a brutal knee strike to the face.

Cupid hated her because she was dating Ollie, and the lunatic was convinced that she and Ollie belonged together, so the brutality wasn't surprising.

It knocked her onto her back as Cupid mounted her, repeatedly punching her in the face with a savage grin.

"Let's see if Ollie still loves you when I'm done destroying your pretty face," Cupid cackled, but Cupid had apparently forgotten who she was fighting.

Her response was simply a scream, hitting Cupid directly at such close range as she sent the insane villain flying back.

Their fight had gone from the rooftops to the ground level after Cupid had shot the wire of her grappling hook and sent her plummeting down, and her scream was loud.

Immediately she heard the sound of the horde, lured to them by the sound, but Cupid didn't seem to care as she rushed forwards again, an insane grin on her face.

Another canary cry sent her flying back again, but the undead were closing in rapidly, rushing towards them.

"Carrie, stop this. You're going to get us both killed," Dinah tried, unsurprised when Cupid just laughed.

"Oh no, I'm not dying here, and neither are you. We've got plans for you," Cupid cackled, grabbing her crossbow and firing a round at Dinah's leg, barely missing as it grazed her skin, cutting her fishnets and leaving a thin cut on her thigh.

Wait, we?

The sound of something moving towards her with incredible speed made her turn, it sounded far faster than a simple running zombie, but as she turned it collided with her, grabbing her throat and tossing her towards Cupid, who uppercut her and sent her into the air, landing between the two villains with a thud.

"Sorry to interrupt, my dear, but we have places to be and Canary drew the horde. A few thousand zombies are currently heading our way," Legion said cheerfully

"It's fine, we'll have plenty of time to play later, right?" Cupid asked, making Legion nod as he rushed forwards.

She let out another cry, her throat hurting from three consecutive screams, but as something stabbed into her neck, she realised he was just a distraction.

Cupid moved at the same time, a syringe in her hand as she giggled.

"Don't worry, little songbird, we're going to have such fun together," Legion promised as her vision started to darken, seeing the pair staring down at her as she fell to the ground. "I'm sure you'll make such beautiful cries."

— Bonus Scene — Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy)

Someone had broken into her lair.

Despite her living plants, Harley's hyenas, and the other defences, somebody had gotten into her hideout, getting all the way to her bedroom while she was sleeping in it, leaving something on her bed.

This should have infuriated her, this should have scared her, and yet it wasn't fear or anger she felt as she carefully looked over the gift that had been left behind.

"Heya, Pam, what's with the flower? You've been staring at it for ages," Harley asked, making her look up from the flower she was examining.

Harley was staying with her because the Joker was once again in Arkham, and she'd been trying to convince Harley to leave the madman in there but it was little use.

Pamela was not a good person, Harley wasn't a good person, they were villains through and through, she didn't hate the Joker because he was evil, she hated him because he was a manipulative psychopath who was using Harley and would leave her to die without a second of hesitation if it benefited him, or if he just found it funny.

"Somebody… sent it to me, as a gift," Pamela answered, making Harley giggle.

"Someone's trying to get in your panties? They do know how many flowers you already have right?" Harley joked, making Ivy smirk.

"True, but I didn't have this one. It's a type of wild rose that's been extinct for a long time. When this flower could still be found, dinosaurs ruled the earth, not men," Pamela explained with a sly smile, gently touching the beautiful flower as she examined it with her power. "If this is an attempt to court me, it's certainly an effective opening move."

"Huh, where'd they get a dinosaur flower? Who even sent it anyway?" Harley asked, making Ivy pick up the letter she'd found on her pillow, handing it over.

It was short, to the point, just a request for a meeting with her, signed by a name everyone in Gotham had learned recently.

"Fucking Legion is sending you flowers?" Harley asked shrilly, making Ivy nod. "What could that lunatic want with you?"

Harley didn't like Legion, she knew why. People were saying that Legion was a smarter, more effective Joker.

She didn't see it that way, Legion acted like a lunatic but there was a method to his madness whereas the Joker's was simply mad. Legion was aiming for something, she was sure of it.

She just didn't know what, or how it apparently involved her.

"You're not gonna actually meet with him, are you? You don't wanna end up on his show," Harley said, seeming concerned for her but Ivy simply smiled despite her thoughts.

If Legion wanted her dead, she wouldn't have woken up to a flower on her bed but a knife in her heart, he knew where they lived, he got in without anyone noticing. Was that meant to be a message?

Besides, she needed answers. Where did a slasher who was best known for running a sadistic gameshow get his hands on a plant that went extinct during the ice age.

"I think I will, I'd rather meet with him willingly than insult him and have him come for me with less friendly intentions," Pamela said, still looking at the flower as she considered things.

Harley looked concerned, trying to convince her not to meet with Gotham's newest villain, but Harley made a poor voice of reason.

Grabbing her laptop, she opened up Legion's site, watching old streams and studying the mysterious being, trying to work out what he wanted with her.

Plus where he got his hands on this baby, and more importantly, did he have more?

— Markus Gray —

Humming the theme of Jurassic Park, I continue expanding my newest demi-plane, Neo helped me out a little with this one.

The concept of this one is simple, it's the Earth if the Asteroid never happened, if humanity never showed up and ruined the place.

Basically, it's dinosaurs.

I can't wait to start the survival games, grab some people who have lived in cities all their life and drop them in the dinosaur land, see if they can adapt and survive.

But for now, it's just bait.