r/whowouldwin • u/mrcelophane • May 06 '15
Character Scramble! Character Scramble III Championship!
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Hello all and welcome to the championship for the third installment of the Who Would Win Character Scramble! Many of you have probably seen these posts popping up on the subreddit with some regularity and have been wondering what they are.
The Character Scramble is a game that started on this sub a little over half a year ago. The basic premise is that each participant is given a team of random (or "scrambled") characters that were submitted by other participants. Each week, the participants write a Bloodmatch letting us know how their team would beat their opponent's team (determined by best-of-1 brackets) based on special rules. If you would like to participate in next season, please sign up for the email list above to be notified of the sign up topic and more. If you want more information regarding the character Scramble. you can read every post ever made for the scramble by clicking on the hub post link at the top of this post, and feel free to ask any questions you may have in this thread.
Each season follows a different theme which determines the limitations and overall power level of each of the characters allowed. The theme is determined by the champion of the previous season. This season's theme was created by /u/dat_bass1 and was called "The Scramble Ball Run" and involves a race across America for vast sums of money.
Our Heroes (and villains) have traveled from the West Coast and dealt with everything from generic thieves, crossing piranha infested rivers, and taking down super powered foes that required the cooperation of both teams...and that is not even taking into account the fact that a different scramble team was fighting them every week.
Below, I will post the prompt that our two finalists, /u/7thsonofsons and /u/House_of_Usher, were working off of.
When you are ready to vote, USE THIS FORM. It will remain open through the weekend. This post will likely stay stickied till only Friday, so please save/bookmark it if you want to vote but need the weekend to read through these excellent responses.
The finalists have spent a lot of time on these, so please read both posts fully before voting.They may take a little while to go up so please be patient.
The Prompt
FINAL ROUND: MANHATTAN RHAPSODY
It's been a long time coming. A couple of months ago, you signed up for a race across America with an enticing cash prize, dreaming of fame and fortune, and it's been pretty much non-stop action since then. You've finished six stages--each of which presented its own unique set of environmental hazards--covered more than 2000 miles total, and fought what feels like dozens of other contenders along the way. Now, you're finally here, at the beginning of the seventh stage--『The Final Push』--and there are only three other contenders left, besides you and your associates.
Time to settle this the only way it ever could be settled. With an all-out sprint to the finish.
RULES
Fight for the Finish: This is a straight-up race from Brighton Beach to Trinity Church (as always, give it up for MS paint), with a checkpoint at Brooklyn Bridge (you don't have stop, but you do have to cross it). As soon as the starter's pistol is fired, it's on, and the victory condition is having one of your teammates there first.
Weapons Free: The race organizers (that is, those of them who still remain) have pretty much given up and accepted that this whole event has been and will continue to be looked on as a barbaric outrage by critics the world over. You're free to duke it out as you race (in fact, considering that this is a tournament on /r/whowouldwin, you're expected to!).
Mind the Crowd: The sides of the route will, most likely, be packed with adoring fans. It'd be a good idea to be careful of them.
This is for all the marbles: Not only will the winner take home a cool hundred billion dollar cash prize, but, thanks to a bet made between the two competing teams, all the magic idols left in play.
What now?: How will your team split up the prize once one of them wins? How will they use the single wish that assembling all the idols in one place grants? IT'S UP TO YOU, THE AUTHOR, TO DECIDE!
7
u/mrcelophane May 06 '15
Part 3: Brooklyn Bridge
Raiden knew the other team was still close. Slowly but surely, however, Raiden, Jin, and Rex had pulled away, solidifying the lead with their speed advantage. Speedwagon was going nuts.
“As Raiden and his team approach the Brooklyn Bridge, is there anything that can stop them? Is this the end of the race? Are we done here? Speedwagon is ready for a comeback, and here they come!”
Raiden made it about of third of the way across the bridge before he decided to crane his neck back and check on the other team. Seeing Cho, Bolin, and Kanji just arriving, Raiden allowed himself a small chuckle. Jin sidled over to him, looking concerned. “We aren’t out of the woods yet, Raiden. I wouldn’t put it past Cho to have a plan for this too-”
As if on cue, the bridge groaned. Raiden looked back again, noticed the veins of lava rapidly rushing towards him, and ran like hell. Jin made as if to follow, but was struck by a bolt of lightning, temporarily paralyzing him. The Xenomorph met with more success, but, as the lava closed in, dived over the side of the bridge and into the East River below. Jin and Raiden followed suit a second later as the bridge collapsed, its support pillars damaged beyond repair. Raiden prepared himself for a brisk swim.
“Speedwagon cannot believe his eyes! The Brooklyn Bridge, gone in an instant! Struck down by Bolin, master of molten earth! This is truly a magnificent and terrible sight to behold. But what is Cho’s plan? How will the other team cross the river?”
Kanji fist-bumped Bolin so hard Bolin cradled his knuckles. “Ha ha! We showed those stuck-ups what’s what! Bolin, you are the man, sending those pansies into the river Now we’ve got ‘em right where we want ‘em.”
“They’re slower in the water, at least compared to their speed on land,” supplied Cho. “We should be able to catch up.”
“But, how are we going to catch up? In case you hadn’t noticed, I just destroyed the bridge.”
“Well, yes, but that doesn’t rule out a little swimming. Bolin, fire us where I point. Kanji, when I say “throw,” have Take-Mikazuchi throw us midair. After that, follow me. Got it? Good.”
Kanji and Bolin had, by this point, just learned to go with the flow when it came to Cho’s plans. They got it, no questions asked.
Raiden was making some headway, but the currents of the East River kept pushing him off course and his own body-weight necessitated the help of Jin and Rex to even make any headway whatsoever. Having to go through the checkpoint limits our options considerably. We can’t just come ashore anywhere, we have to go through Speedwagon’s precious checkpoint or forfeit, but that means fighting the current, not riding it.
A cry rang out, and Raiden looked up to see Speedwagon on the shore across from him. HOW DOES HE KEEP ON DOING THAT!
“And the race is more stressful than ever! The warriors in the water, desperately swimming against the current to reach the other side, battling the elements to win fame and fortune! But what’s this? I- I can’t believe it!”
Raiden, supported by Jin and Rex, redoubled his pace.
“Do the thing!”
Bolin catapulted the group into the air. At almost the apex of the arc, Cho signalled Kanji, who summoned Take-Mikazuchi. The electrical giant grabbed the three men and threw them forward and upwards, pushing Take-Mikazuchi back and down. Kanji cancelled the summon, and the three landed about halfway across the river, upstream from the checkpoint.
Cho immediately assessed his surroundings and calculated the best possible route to take given the strength, direction, and variability of the river’s current. “Okay, do as I do, and we’ll get there, hold on a sec,” Cho looked over to Raiden, Jin, and Rex, “we’ll get there at about the same time.”
Kanji and Bolin fell in behind Cho. With the current at their back and Cho’s guidance leading them through the worst the East River had to offer, the team made it to the checkpoint just as Raiden pulled himself from the water.
At the checkpoint
Raiden pulled himself out of the East River, drenched and ready to crack skulls. Jin followed him soon afterwards, drawing his sword. The Xenomorph, Rex, crawled out of the water with him, looking distinctly unhappy.
Across from Raiden’s team, Cho, Bolin, and Kanji landed in a heap. Cho got to his feet first, staggering slightly, but quickly regaining his balance. Kanji jumped up immediately, bruised but itching for a fight. Bolin, who had shot all of his teammates out of the river in the first place, landed easily and assumed a combat stance.
Both teams looked at each other. The checkpoint officials and spectators watching the race decided this was a good time to say both teams had passed the checkpoint and backed away from the confrontation. Soon, entire area was deserted except for Speedwagon, who looked on silently. Raiden spoke first. “Okay, I’ve had enough of this. Stop me with a pool of lava, fine, we’ll go around it. Throw a wall of earth in our path, sure, I’ll cut it down. But collapse the Brooklyn Bridge?”
Raiden unsheathed his sword. Jin followed suit, and Rex bared his teeth. “Collapse the Brooklyn Bridge,” continued Raiden, “and that shows that not only are you insane, but that I should have done this back in the cemetery, trap or no trap, chivalry or no chivalry. Amadeus Cho, you are going down and staying down.”
Cho hesitated. “Kanji,” he whispered. “Remember the plan. Trinity Church is only a mile or away.”
Kanji nodded. Cho turned to Raiden. “Fine,” he responded. “You want a brawl? You’ve got one. I’ll happily lay this little dispute to rest.”
Jin shifted uneasily. “No grand scheme, Cho?” he called out. “No master plan? It seems unlike you to not have something in mind? Or do you?”
Cho shrugged noncommittally. “Well, you certainly have me pegged. Bolin, cover, if you will. Kanji, take cover. If they take you out, Take-Mikazuchi vanishes too.”
Bolin raised a boulder above his head, bringing it down between the groups. A massive cloud of dust sprang up between the teams, temporarily obscuring vision. When the smoke cleared, Kanji had been replaced by his Persona, Take-Mikazuchi. Cho crooked a finger at Raiden. “Let’s do this, metal man.”
Speedwagon’s heart almost gave out as he watched the final battle begin. He saw Cho, the spitting image of a certain brilliant impromptu planner Speedwagon had known and raised. He saw Raiden, a man as metallic and proud as von Stroheim. He saw the beauty, the bravery, the sheer will on either side. “Speedwagon… will not say a word. My commentary is unworthy of this final battle. Speedwagon withdraws coolly.”