Mojo cackles before Gwen and Y/n, sweat dripping from his armpits. The pungent smell that emanated from him made the humans gag whilst Ægon stood unfazed. The sheer deplorability of his appearance was beyond words. Naturally, Gwen lazily threw a JPEG into the chapter.
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Mojo was undoubtedly a horrifying figure, the beady eyes, permanent manic grin and long black fingernails scared Y/n to his core. Then again: his body was doing its best impression of a doughball and that mixed with his chair (which he needed to move) evoked pity from them.
Y/n: What are you?
Mojo: What am I? What are you?! I only called for Gwenpool! Oh... physical connection.
Mojo sighs and manoeuvres towards his table where he pushes buttons that bring up files.
Mojo: Since you asked: I am a being originating from the species known as the spineless.
Gwen leans into Y/n and whispers into his ear.
Gwenpool: Three guesses how they got that name.
Mojo: I HEARD THAT!
He calms himself down and moves back in front of them.
Mojo: Are either of you aware of the Contest of Champions?
Gwen nods and Y/n shakes his head.
Mojo: Well, essentially: it is run by a being known as The Grandmaster who draws competitors from across the universe. Now, we take pride in our work here in the Mojoverse which is why we get our fighters from across the entire multiverse!
Y/n: The multiverse?
Mojo scuttles over to Y/n and puts his hand around his shoulder.
Mojo: Yes! Think of it, friend. Norman Osborn's Iron Patriot versus Prince T'Challa's Star-Lord. Victor Von Doom's Iron Man versus Peter Parker's Spider-Man Noir. Anything is possible!
Y/n: Is that what you got Gwen for?
Mojo: Why yes, it is.
Gwenpool: Oh... I don't really want to do that.
Mojo: WELL TOUGH! But as you are a new fighter: I will offer you a chance. If you can defeat six of my fighters, including my prized Ægon...
He gestures to the starry specimen standing before them.
Mojo: Your freedom you shall win.
Y/n: What about my freedom?
Mojo: Ah yes, I don't believe I caught your name...
Y/n: Y/n L/n.
Mojo: Mr. L/n, I have no doubt that you're a major loser and because I feel bad for you: I will not make you fight. We need a new caretaker for the Man-Thing anyway.
Y/n: The what?
Mojo: The Man-Thing. The being who protected the Nexus, the multiverse hub. I managed to take it from him in my younger years and took him along with it as a trophy. You will feed him, spend time with him and such.
Y/n: And if I don't want to?
Mojo: You don't have a choice, my friend.
Ægon pulls a lever on Mojo's table and the floor beneath Y/n opens up. He is swallowed into a chute which leads him away from the room.
Gwenpool: You bring my boyfriend back!
Mojo: Seriously? That guy?
Gwenpool: Hey!
Mojo: You'll get him back if you win, Ægon will take you to your chambers.
Ægon takes her by the arm and forcefully drags her away as Mojo cackles to himself. Beneath them: Y/n continues to fall down the chute before finishing the trip and rolling across a dirt floor. His cuts stung but had stopped bleeding. Flames from torches provided the only illumination in the room, there were no other light sources but the torches did enough; casting a dim orange hue over the room.
Y/n: Hello?
No response. Y/n took the time to look around, the floor was dirt and the walls were composed of large stones. The room was circular and small with only a few feet between Y/n's head and the ceiling. In the centre of the room was a large pit which dipped far into the ground. Y/n stares down it and can see only darkness.
Y/n: Is there anyone down there?
He gets no vocal response, however through the black he sees two red eyes open.
Y/n: Yeah, totally not freaky. Are you the Man-Thing?
Although he can make out no features other than the eyes: Y/n sees the outline of it's head nod, indicating that it was indeed the Man-Thing.
Y/n: Shall I throw a torch down? I can't really see you.
The figure nods again and Y/n leaves to fetch one of the lit torches. Once he has one he carefully drops it down the pit. It is caught by his acquaintance which allows Y/n to make out it's features. It is a hulking swamp monster of at least 8 feet in height. Branches and vines lined it's back and limbs and the grass it was covered in looked rather like fur. It also had a short vine where it's nose should be which obscured it's mouth and made it look as so it had a trunk.
Y/n: Can you talk?
It takes a minute or two but Y/n is patience and gets his response.
Man-Thing: Yes...
His voice was quiet and hoarse, as though he had been screaming. There was something oddly human about the beast as it sat down in a foetal position- cupping it's legs behind it's arms.
Y/n: Are you okay?
Man-Thing: You are going to hurt me. All the others have.
Y/n: Are you a fighter?
Man-Thing: I am a prisoner. Then again: so are all the fighters.
After a few hours of preparation: Gwenpool stands before a gate with all of the weapons she could ever have dreamed of in her bag. She turns to Ægon who was standing behind her.
Gwenpool: Were you nervous your first time?
Ægon says nothing.
Gwenpool: Not much of a talker I guess.
The gate in front of her slowly begins to rise and Ægon pushes her through with his single arm. She finds herself in a modernised coliseum with coloured sands of blue and yellow beneath her. The stadium was lined with fans that both cheered and booed her as she emerged.
Mojo: Welcome to our first fight of the night!
In Y/n's area: a hologram switches on that shows a live feed of the fight.
Y/n: Hey, that's Gwen.
Man-Thing: Who is Gwen?
Y/n: My girlfriend. We got taken here by some Super Mario Galaxy looking dude.
Man-Thing: Ægon...
Y/n: Yeah, that guy.
The sand in the stadium was divided perfectly in the middle. Gwen was on the yellow side and her opponent (who was still in his cage) would emerge on the blue side.
Mojo: May I welcome our challenger: Gwen Poole A.K.A Gwenpool!
Gwen flosses and dabs before the audience which results in the boos slightly overshadowing the cheers.
Mojo: Gwenpool is a skill class fighter who will be going up against another skill class combatant tonight! Just to see what she's capable of, of course. Well! You've met the challenger, why don't I introduce the defender...
