Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics Chapter 5682 - 4706: Desperate Escape (39)
Previously on Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics...
Harley feigned leaning against the wall, ostensibly to rest, but in reality, she was straining to catch the sounds of knocking from next door. The moment Anatoli began his percussive communication, Harley was ready. Sensing activity within the adjacent room, she swiftly tapped out a few words to ascertain his intentions: "Upstairs," "Hand," "Ring," "Attack..."
Upon realizing Harley could comprehend and respond, Anatoli abandoned any pretense and launched into a detailed explanation of his scheme. His rapid-fire knocking, punctuated by brief pauses between long and short beats, gave Harley a headache. 'Is the KGB in the room next door?' she wondered.
Though Harley's tapping was considerably slower, her responses were limited to simple affirmations like "Understood." Anatoli's plan was well-conceived, requiring no significant alterations; they simply needed to execute it at the opportune moment.
Meanwhile, within the confines of the lantern, Greed was meticulously outlining the impending plot twist: "The fourth round is the mole's crucial maneuver; is everyone prepared?"
A chorus of confident nods affirmed their readiness. They initiated the third round, but confusion rippled through the participants as the patterned paper was revealed. "Last round, I chose to move, why didn't it happen?" many exclaimed, bewildered.
A dawning realization struck some players: the votes had been tampered with. Yet, fear of self-incrimination silenced them, forcing them to feign agreement with the displayed outcome. Fortunately, within each team, an astute individual was capable of clarifying the situation, even if initial surprise was voiced.
Thor surveyed the unaltered paper and voiced a questioning "Hmm?" Loki, his gaze flicking towards Thor, remarked, "It appears our decision was prudent; remaining indoors was indeed the wisest course of action, wouldn't you agree?"
Thor regarded Loki with disbelief. They had unequivocally selected the option to venture out in the previous round; how had it transformed into staying home? It was evident that someone had manipulated the votes.
Loki offered a conspiratorial wink, and Thor immediately grasped the implication. While uncertain of precisely what he understood, he inferred from Loki's lack of surprise that everything was proceeding as planned and decided not to exhibit any astonishment himself.
Under the agent's careful orchestration, the third round concluded peacefully, much to Greed's consternation. "How are these individuals so unified?" he mused. "Was the prior hint not sufficiently clear? It shouldn't have been, should it?"
Despite the explicit suggestion against a tie, everyone had opted to remain home. "Are they all holding out hope that someone else will be eliminated, thus avoiding their own demise? Are they all embodying Sloth?" Greed pondered.
However, it was too late to alter the proceedings. The fourth round had already commenced its narrative progression. With a sigh, Greed waved his hand, signaling the transition to the subsequent stage.
Having detected the vote manipulation, a sense of relief washed over the participants, removing any need for strategic adjustments in the fourth round. All unanimously chose to stay indoors, and the agent proceeded as usual to tally the votes. Yet, upon hearing Greed's mention of an action in the fourth round, and lacking script knowledge, the agent was uncertain of the intended action and felt compelled to offer a hint to the players. As he ascended, he resumed his rhythmic knocking.
"Take action," he tapped out, a deliberately ambiguous phrase. This could signal Greed's impending move, or alternatively, encourage any players wishing to act to do so.
From the players' perspective, however, Anatoli interpreted this as a signal that the mole was poised to act. While the precise interpretation might have deviated, the outcome remained accurate, as the mole was indeed preparing to make a move.
During the vote for the rotation direction in the fourth round, as everyone was engrossed in writing their notes, the lights abruptly extinguished.
Batman sprang into action, extending an arm to shove Superman into a corner and shielding him. Superman, taken aback, registered the sudden flare of flames as his reaction caught up.
The lantern overhead erupted in a blaze, accompanied by the cacophony of arguments, screams, curses, and shouts. Batman's heart sank as he realized the mole must have made their move.
The mole's likely intention was to wait until the affluent observers were captivated by the players' predicament, then surreptitiously cut the power, expel the wealthy spectators, and subsequently unlock the players' cells for a reverse escape scenario.
However, for reasons unknown, their plan was discovered, leading to a confrontation that inadvertently ignited the inferno. The entire lantern was now engulfed in flames, and through the transparent ceiling, everyone above could witness the unfolding chaos.
Several figures engaged in a tumultuous shoving match, and suddenly, one individual stumbled, impacting the ceiling before crashing onto the floor below.
Another silhouette appeared to reach for the control panel, but just as they activated a switch, another person knocked them aside. From their vantage point, Loki and Thor heard a faint clicking sound.
Loki's sharp mind instantly deduced the situation. He moved forward to push, and unexpectedly, the door swung open.
Before he could react further, Thor let out a mighty roar and charged forward, his target the unlucky masked individual.
While others could only hold their breath in anxious anticipation within the room, praying the mole would swiftly reach the control panel to unlock the exits, an unforeseen event transpired. The mechanical arm attached to the suspended ring was abruptly yanked downwards into the chamber through an aperture, causing the entire ring structure to tilt precariously. Its rapid and forceful descent led to the ring flipping over. The underside, possessing prodigious force, slammed against the upper rim of the lantern with a resounding crash. With a 'whoosh,' the ceiling and walls of the lantern were dislodged, leaving behind a bare base, a jumble of assorted equipment, and a bewildered group of event organizers. As the upper section of the lantern ascended, two more individuals were pulled down, tumbling off the base and landing directly onto the transparent ceiling of the chamber. The remaining two individuals scrambled towards the employee passage, only to discover it was sealed shut. "Damn it, there’s a mole!!!" Stark exclaimed. Now, their voices audible to everyone else, the others were left speechless. After all this time, they were only just realizing there had been an inside job? Little did they know, the power outage and the fire were part of the predetermined sequence, but the lantern's toppling and the employee passage remaining blocked were entirely unplanned occurrences! The intended progression of the game was as follows: midway through the fourth round, a button would be pressed to extinguish the lights, simultaneously igniting the specially treated lantern walls. These walls, designed to burn for an extended duration, would serve both to heighten the ambiance and provide illumination. Subsequently, the Joker, embodying a wealthy magnate, would be propelled forward. Immediately thereafter, the mole would activate a mechanism to randomly release a group, initiating a chase after the Joker. Everything proceeded as planned up to this point. However, Anatoli and Harley had made thorough preparations. Harley first embraced Pamela, enabling her to extend half an arm and secure a grip on the descending mechanical arm. While their combined strength wasn't enough for a significant pull, they could manage to lower the mechanical arm slightly. It was at this juncture that Anatoli could reach it. He proceeded to affix an iron sign and a chain to the mechanical arm. Grasping the chain himself, he instructed Lucifer to hold onto him. Their collective mass was considerable, and their combined strength surpassed that of the two girls. With a powerful downward pull, the disc directly dislodged the lantern's lid. However, due to an insufficient seal between the lantern and its base, the entire lantern wasn't dislodged. The consequence of merely dislodging the ceiling and walls was that escape remained possible via the employee passage on the floor. Ironically, an agent was positioned within the passage at that precise moment. Before he could retreat, upon hearing the commotion from above, he utilized his own body to barricom the door from below, ensuring no one from above could descend. Observing the unfolding events above, Anatoli initially believed their plan was destined to fail or that they would be unable to abandon everyone. This was because, with the base remaining stationary, the passage was still accessible, at least for two individuals to make an escape. Unexpectedly, entry into the passage proved impossible. Loki, having successfully escaped, cast a backward glance. Given their masked appearances, it was evident that they were still armed. Therefore, the individual communicating with them from within the passage was not the mole operating above. Out of a total of six individuals, at least two moles were present, and potentially even a third. This wealthy man was truly encountering misfortune on his nighttime venture. At this critical moment, the wealthy man, pinned beneath Thor, managed to kick him away and dashed towards the door. Yet, upon looking back, he was utterly stunned. Where had the lantern gone? The massive lantern?! Witnessing the two who had fallen, he uttered a curse and turned to flee. Thor, his gaze fixed intently on him, bellowed, "Don't run!!" "What do we do now?" Stark inquired, a note of desperation in his voice, "If they capture us, we're finished!!!" "Remain calm," Greed, visibly flustered himself, gestured with his hand and stated, "Only one group has escaped so far; with this many of us, surely we can handle just two of them?" The unfortunate conclusion was that they absolutely could not, and to be precise, they were incapable of handling Thor alone. Although they were the architects of these challenges, they were currently portraying roles and were forbidden from utilizing their supernatural abilities. Among this assembly, apart from the Joker, who possessed knowledge of a specific set of grappling techniques effective against Batman, who else had any proficiency in close-quarters combat? Greed's combat style primarily involved the use of a gray mist, Stark relied on his Symbiotic Battle Armor, the Scarecrow operated as a Biochemical Mage, and Mephisto hadn't engaged in combat for centuries. Then, consider Thor, a warrior with millennia of combat experience, exceptionally skilled in close-quarters engagements. His vast experience could likely rival the World Tree in its sheer magnitude. Who among them could possibly stand against him?Battling five opponents simultaneously, he remained unfazed. In past conflicts, he had frequently faced overwhelming odds, with or without the aid of Divine Power. Being surrounded by more than a dozen individuals was commonplace, and he could still manage to fight even when outnumbered by over twenty. These five novices were easily within his capabilities, manageable with just one hand.
While these five were preoccupied with Thor, Loki seized the opportunity, unnoticed. Though not a formidable fighter, Loki possessed a cunning mind. He ingeniously scaled to the topmost section of the arena and then delicately navigated the elevated edge of the ring, successfully landing on the platform where the lantern had initially been situated.
He cautiously observed the machinery present on the platform, uncertain of their functions. Fearing the activation of potential torture devices, he refrained from pressing any buttons at random. His attention was focused on locating what he suspected was the door-opening mechanism. Upon pressing one, Bruce detected a subtle click.
He nudged the door gently, finding that it yielded readily. "Professor, don't leave just yet," Bruce advised.
Shiller regarded him with a questioning look. Bruce elaborated, "There's an employee access route concealed within this support pillar; the door is situated above. I intend to ascertain if I can gain entry."
"Are you aiming to reach the energy room directly?" Shiller inquired.
"Precisely, but I won't make my move immediately. My objective is merely to scout the conditions within the employee passage. That will simplify matters later on."
Shiller offered a nod of assent. Bruce departed without delay. By this time, Loki had descended to aid his brother in combat. Bruce then ascended the ring and reached the platform. He bypassed the machinery entirely, directly accessing the passage door.
The agent had already departed, allowing Bruce to gain entry to the passage and descend via the ladder without hindrance.
Stark, who was actively evading Thor's powerful blows, was utterly dismayed. He broadcasted urgently over the team channel: "He's inside the employee passage! Someone has entered the employee passage!! Intercept him!!!"
His cry was more desperate than a mouse encountering a flood, akin to the horror of a cockroach slithering through a drinking straw. However, Greed perceived this chaos as his chance. With the passage now open, he reasoned, why not make his escape now?
He turned and sprinted away, but what immediately caught Stark's attention behind him was Thor's fist, enormous as a sandbag.
"Bang!"