(S1, EP:10) Marvelous DCstruction

Day Four

At the peak of the mountain, Johnny Blaze sat atop a conveniently-shaped rock, twiddling his thumbs anxiously. Doctor Strange had been hovering in front of him for hours now. The sorcerer's eyes were knit in concentration as mystical energy swirled around his hands.

"By the power of the all-knowing Vishanti, I command thine presence to be revealed, specter!" he cried.

Nothing happened. Strange opened his eyes and was disappointed to find Blaze still there.

"I do not understand. You are able to summon the flames of Hell at command, yet the Rider himself alludes you. This doesn't make any sense. It shouldn't be this way."

Johnny just shrugged. "I've been saying that for years now. I should be out performing as a stuntman back in Illinois, not fighting in a death tournament and wondering if every second will be my last."

As those words sank in, Strange heard a familiar voice call out from behind.

"Hey, Doc! Is this yours?" Blue Beetle jogged over to them, holding out a piece of paper with cryptic writing on it.

Strange looked at the parchment in confusion. He was familiar with the language used but not the enchantment itself.

"Tsieg, resoebe, Tesselfente eis," he muttered quietly to himself.

Suddenly, flames erupted around Blaze in a raging whirlwind. Blue Beetle and Doctor Strange shielded their eyes, backing up slowly.

When the last embers burned away, Johnny Blaze was no longer standing before them. It was the Ghost Rider.

The Thing snored loudly from his bed at the base. Human Torch tossed and turned in the hammock above him. None of the Fantastic Four managed to get much sleep the night prior. Not after that cryptic warning the Hooded Figure gave them.

Mr. Fantastic sat down at his workbench, letting out a deep sigh as he once again went over the schematics of what could have been his greatest invention... if he the proper resources. Alas, the Arena had not been kind to him. All it offered was sticks and stones when what he needed was nuclear reactors and enough Vibranium to recreate Wakanda a hundred times over.

A pair of arms wrapped around him from behind as Invisible Woman leaned her head against his. For a moment, his troubles seemed to melt away, as did everything else. The task ahead seemed daunting, but being surrounded by his family, it reminded him that he wasn't alone.

Green Lantern conjured up a pebble with his ring and skipped it across the water. Aquaman suggested going there to unwind for a bit while waiting for Batman to return. At the time, it seemed like a great idea, but after spending a few minutes staring out into the vastness of the lake, Hal was starting to realize just how boring of an idea this really was.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Aquaman stepped out from the water's depths.

"Hey, I was just about to-" Green Lantern paused. "Are you okay?"

Arthur gave no reply. There was a look in his eyes that suggested he found something far worse than just trash at the bottom of the pond.

"We need to get out of here. Right now."

Tony, Blade, Thor, and Hawkeye silently stalked through the darkest corners of the Arena, hoping to find any tributes that might still be lurking around.

Without warning, Thor suddenly stopped and motioned for the others to do the same. They all looked around, expecting to see someone jump out from the bushes.

"What's the hold up?" Blade asked after a few minutes of impatient waiting.

Thor gazed off into the distance. His expression was unreadable, but it was obvious there was something on his mind.