Log:Overlord - Antarctica, Scene 3

Overlord's Arrival 2018/06/08 	 Chen Overlord Sword Dancer Copycat Griffin Spirit Harbinger 13

A rocky shore of Antarctica. There is snow and ice up the hill, away from the coast. Jutting out of the hill is a large cylindrical object, easily a couple of miles wide. It's closer to a building than anything else. Energy is coming in from various directions in a network...meeting at the central tower.

It's been a long week, fighting off the Engine of the Overlord. Pylons from it have been brought down in many places around the globe, with mixed success. It became clear to SG where the energy was being sent, and they - along with many other hero organizations around the world, sent hero teams to Arena Valley, Antarctica, to investigate. The first team to arrive was the one spearheaded by Spirit from Colonial Bay. The heroes have encountered the Overlord and started to try to cut off his source of power.

Several of the power conduits to the Overlord have been severed, and while the alien himself is tethered, he can't fight to his full extent. But that doesn't mean the heroes have had an easy time of it, either.

Copycat had tried to duplicate the Overlord, with only partial success. Kihzra was cutting cables and avoiding drones trying to stop her. Griffin was also mostly focusing on the cables and dealing with drones. Chen and Spirit were trying to keep Overlord's attention - the former with punching and the latter by deflecting (and being offered great power).

The last panel from the last issue revealed the arrival of the Harbinger, who had only just broken out of Tranquility in the companion mini-series "Harbinger", issue 2.

[NPC]Harbinger charges forward, flying toward his former master. He says something in the alien language, which the heroes can't understand. But the meaning is clear. He's angry. About...something. Up to this point, he had typically used his weapon for energy waves or beams. Not this time. Something about his feelings on the matter requires a hand's on approach. He swings his energy weapon with both hands, attempting to cleave through the Overlord.

[NPC]Overlord actually cries out in pain that time. He growls, and his 'voice' is heard in the heads of everyone in hte area. << You dare strike me?! You will pay for your insolence! >> The massive alien strikes back with a backfist, bringing his arm around in a wide arc.

[GAME] 30d6 Strike

Harbinger is struck...going sideways. And his body smashes through the wall of the pylon, leaving a large hole.

Sword Dancer moves on to the next cable, still dodging drones.

Sword Dancer severs the cable. Nine left, she observes.

Harbinger's decree as he struck Overlord was << It's time for you to pay for destroying my world, Solnok. You have much to answer for! >>

Chen decides to switch to a more dexterous avoidance mode. Because even at her toughest a hit from the Overlord will take her out. Her body morphs into a more supple slender form as she continues to try and distract the Overlord by punching him in the face.

The Overlord does apparently feel the impact, but likely not by much. Certainly not like the last hit he took.

Griffin continues blasting away at the cables, still ignoring the drones & their laser blasts entirely despite being quite awrare of them.

His eyes build up another charge, the energy building up behind his eyes becomes so intense that the veins of his temples can be see for those who happen to be looking his way. He clenches his jaw and his fists.//Haymaker Eyebeams - 16d6. 7/11 base CV before haymaker.

Copycat is still laboring from copying a being so massive. She's strained to her limit, burning up energy faster. She sways a bit, taking a moment to try and gather her strength.

[NPC]The Overlord Drones seem to be more aware of the immediate danger to the operation than the Overlord himself is. A couple more peel off to try to deal with the heroes going after the power conduits. Two are now chasing each hero, attempting to tag them with energy beams.

[GAME] Half move for each, followed by 10d6 Blast vs. ED

Sword Dancer once again avoids the drones' attacks, even as she moves on to the next filament.

Griffin uses +STUN to increase Stun statistic.

[NPC]Overlord tries one last time to nullify Spirit. If that doesnt' work, it will finally be time to deal with the others. The hero does his best to dodge as the alien tries to drain off his energy.

[GAME] 10d6 Drain vs. END (Coupled with an Aid for Overlord)

Spirit manages to avoid the energy siphoning effect. It's somewhat fortunate that his facial expressions can't be seen. An attack like that would be devastating.

Sword Dancer continues with the haircut.

Sword Dancer slices through this one like it wasn't there.

Chen simply continues punching. She's sure she's having little to no effect but maybe, like a wasp buzzing around the face, she can distract and irritate the Overlord and cause him to react sub-optimaly.

The Overlord is struck again, much more solidly this time. He looks over in Chen's direction, << Ah yes. The one with the death wish. I only wish I could deal with more than one of you at a time at this rate. >>

Chen laughs, "Can you hear? That noise outside..? It's dozen more like us fighting they way here. You're out-numbered and defeated. You just haven't realised it yet."

Spirit sees Copycat looks a bit winded. He reaches an arm out and energy siphons off from his own body and toward her, hopefully recharging her.

Griffin doesn't even flinch, much less move after being struck by the drones. His bio-electric field absorbs the laser fire with an irrepressible hunger, causing the SuperSoldier to glow intensely as the energy is consumed.

He uses the energy provided by those blasts to start another cascade of energy within himself to feed into another salvo.

Copycat is bolstered by Spirit's boost, standing straighter as energy courses through her. She lumbers toward Overlord in her unfamiliar, massive form. "She's right, Solnok. You only face a fraction of this world's protectors. More will come, and you will fall. This is the last planet your consume," Copycat warns in the same dire, deep psychic voice of the Overlord. Copycat steps forward, swinging out a massive limb--in something akin to slow motion due to size--to try and sweep through whatever cables she can in her borrowed form.

[NPC]Harbinger comes flying back through the hole he disappeared through, and doesn't slow down. He attempts to plow directly into the Overlord at full speed. Rage is clearly getting the better of him.

[GAME] Full speed Move Through. 30d6.

Copycat's hand sweeps through two cables with a heavy whoosh, and smashes into the last before stopping, leaving the cable connected by a few "threads".

Overlord is actually rocked and knocked back enough that three more cables snap, leaving just one. The massive alien drops to a knee.

[NPC]Overlord says, "'s attention was initially on Chen...but not any longer. Again, his agent is in his face. He reaches out, trying to draw off some of the cosmic power that he granted the Harbinger in the first place."

[GAME] Transform..

The Harbinger is held in place and energy starts to siphon off of his body...

The Overlord hadn't been paying a ton of attention to the heroes behidn him. But now...when the flow of the planet's energy stops entirely...that gets his attention. << What have you done?! You have no idea... >>

Seeing the last cable snap, Copycat nods to Griffin in a signal a teamup the way she does in their training. Even in a much different form, she hopes he'll recognize the wordless signal.

Sword Dancer, finding herself without a cable to sever, joins the main assault. Dropping down onto the Overlord's head she swings at him with all her might.

Sword Dancer's strike hits Overlord's head beneath her feet...and the large alien's head rocks and he cries out in pain when hit. She manages to keep her feet despite that.

Chen continues punching. Because she can't think of anything more useful.

Again, the response is similar to Chen's prior strikes. He feels it...but it's not clear how much.

[NPC]The Harbinger still has much of his power. He steps forward and swings with his halberd at Overlord.

The energy blade doesn't strike as cleanly as the first time. This time, the blade glances off, though the Overlord still cries out.

Spirit flies over to where Copycat is, and tries to give her more of a boost of energy. By direct contact.

Copycat uses +END to increase End statistic.

Spirit sends out a burst of energy for Copycat. He wobbles a bit afterward. "I didn't think that all the way through. Whoa. Did the room start to spin?"

Griffin does indeed notice the signal as he turns to check for her after the last cable is snapped. He was of course checking to make sure she's alright, but part of him beams with pride as she stays on task and thinks tactically. The training has paid dividends!

He smiles and nods at the massive being, who is both the love of his life Copyat and his enemy Solnok the World Consumer. He's gotten used to this strangeness, though it did take him a while.

He holds, waiting for his opportunity to strike.

Copycat stands up even straighter as she gets supercharged, looking refreshed. "Thanks. I feel like I could run a marathon now," she echoes, feeling a taste of true cosmic power. It's a bit intoxicating. She decides to put that energy to use and strides forward towards the Overlord. Spreading out her arms, she tries to grapple with the Overlord from behind to hold him in place for the others.

Griffin's energy sense also registers the massiv einflux of energy into CopySolnok. His first instinct is of course to protect the man who just protected her, but he knows that today is about sacrifice. He'll make sure Spirit's energy is not wasted.

Griffin begins gathering up energy again- planning on executing the same plan against Solnok himself as he used against the cables.

Copycat wraps her arms around the Overlord and pins his arms to his sides, starting to crush in with all her stolen strength. "Now!" she calls out to her partner in heroics.

Griffin begins gathering up energy again- planning on executing the same plan against Solnok himself as he used against the cables.

The Overlord is held...and punched. And he's still upright for the moment. << This affront...will not stand... >>

[NPC]The Overlord tries to break out of Copycat's grasp. He's...much stronger than she is. That's clear.

[GAME] Go for the breakout...then see how much of an action is left.

Overlord manages to break out in a surge of strength, but it took more time than he wanted. << You all do not realize...you are already...dead! >>

Copycat's arms are forced apart. She takes one step back to stay balanced. "What do you mean? That was your whole plan in the first place!"

Sword Dancer swings down into Overlord's face on one of the severed "hair" cables, staight at his eye, stabbing. "You also do not rearrise!"

The drones change tactics and ignore the heroes. Instead, they move to deal with all of the damaged conduits, repairing what they can, even if they can't be reconnected during combat.

Again...the Overlord is hit...and dropped to a knee. He's starting to wobble.

Chen continues with the punching already.

Sword Dancer succeeds in her strike, but ends up dangling rather helplessly from the hair, unable to muster the strength to control her swinging.

The Overlord is looking more punch drunk now...nearly down.

Harbinger swings his halberd overhand, taking care to not hit Kihzra. << You will terrorize planets no longer. >>

The blade cuts the Overlord again, and the alien drops. The Overlord is on his side, propped up on one elbow, << We...concede. >>

<< Thank you for joining in the fight >> Copycat says to Harbinger in his own language. She can take a moment to relax as she looks back to Overlord. "What did you mean by already dead?" she asks, but she tries to filter into her own borrowed mind to find the answer.

Griffin floats effortlessly towards Spirit, his hands alight with energy. His plan is restore what the Commander gave to Copycat.

He sails right on past the enlarged Copycat as she speaks to the Harbinger.

Spirit waves off Griffin, "I'll be fine. I just need a few seconds to recover my energy. I've had far worse."

Chen snarls, "Not good enough." at the Overlord and her hand morphs into a cutting blade that slashes at the Overlord's neck.

Sword Dancer finally gets enough control to leap off to the floor. SHe's still utterly exhausted, though.

"I've got plenty to spare after taking that fist hit from the Big Guy- please, it'll help me out." Griffin says, lying a bit but he thinks the cause is good enough to warrant it. As if to prove hhis point, little lightning bolts of energy begin dancing over his frame.

Chen's blade bounces off of the armor of the Overlord. He feels it, but it doesn't pierce. The Overlord says, << I bear you no ill will, little one. I shall leave. I suspect I shall be...escorted away from this place by my former agent. >>

Chen shouts angrily, "Let you go so you can kill another world. No. You die here and now.

The Harbinger then says...in English (!)... "I will make sure that he pays for what he has done. I do not believe it would be possible for something from Earth to manage to kill this one."

Chen slashes at the Overlord again and again.

Spirit nods to Griffin, "Alright, if you insist."

Copycat looms over the Overlord in case he reverses his decision to concede. "I see now," she says in sudden understanding as some of the Overlord's surface thoughts come into her mind. "Just an empty threat. You're done here." She looks towards the drones, and the structure. "Now, let me see if I can 'remember' how to shut this all down." She taps her massive chin and looks down at Chen. She at least knows that she can't kill the Overlord, or else she might try to intervene.

Sword Dancer says to Overlord, "I am Kihzra, descendant of Brun Godsrrayer. And are many others of power here. Do not assume your kind cannot fall to our brades."

More heroes arrive on site while Chen continues to slice at the large alien. Guerrier is leading a group of European heroes. He looks around at the room. "Wow."

Harbinger says to the heroes, "He must eat to survive. If he is denied his sustenance, he will expire. That is the only way I know of to make sure. And...your prison here was insufficient to hold me. It will certainly not hold the Overlord."

Copycat tilts her massive head up at the cables as the drones try to work. "Stop," she tries ordering them in the Overlord's strange method of speaking. It's worth a shot.

The drones have been working to just contain the energy that was...well...leaking from the cables. After the Overlord surrendered, they went into just a passive/damage control mode. They're not really doing anything to try to reconnect the process.

Griffin does insist, and lays his golden glowing hands on the shoulders of Commander Perrault. He senses the arrival of Guerrier, a fellow Super-Patriot (though sworn protector of another land) & the rest of the Euro-Forces. He smirks. "Well at least we had backup on the way." He says to the Commander before asking in a very casual tone, "As far as operations go- can't ask for much more, amirite?"

Copycat slowly eases herself down on one knee as Chen keeps slashing at the Overlord, understanding some of Chen's feelings on the matter. "He -will- pay for this, Chen. You can stop," she proposes gently.

Spirit nods to Griffin, "...aside from my underestimating my power manipulation." He looks over at the Overlord curiously. Cosmic energy was mentioned earlier by the alien. What exactly IS he?

[To Chen] Sword Dancer says, "Demons and wizards and gods are often hard for sray. Hitting is not enough."

Chen stops, but largely because she's exhausted herself. "Do you recall how many he's killed. He deserves to die." she says.

The Overlord says to Chen, << You are correct. I do. But we are compelled to act as I do by forces you do not understand. >>

Sword Dancer says, "Then maybe should exprain!"

"Says the scalpel to the jackhammer." Griffin says with a light laugh as he slowly amps up the amount of energy fed into Spirit, to restore his reserves. "Still- Its got to be a bit of a headrush having a guy like that offer you a seat next to the throne. I'm glad you stayed with us, man. Who knows how things would have turned out otherwise. I know you're the commander and all- I just wanted to say, it's appreciated. Even if no one else says so." He squeezes the Commander's shoulder with one hand, releasing the other so he can turn towards the Overlord and those surrounding him as he senses there might be answers gleamed from that conversation too.

The Overlord says, << There are eternal forces at work in the cosmos. Beings of great power. Greater than this one. Far greater than this one. We are insignificant to them. Each being in the universe pays homage to one or more of these forces, whether they know it or not. Some of these beings are likely known of here on your world. Others are not. I was compelled by the one who created this one. I was forced to live my life by destroying whole worlds, directed from place to place by a driving urge. >>

The Overlord looks down at Chen again, << This one deserves to die, yes. But cannot. This one can only go dormant. Even in the heat of your very sun, should I be in its core, this one would not die. It cannot. >>

Sword Dancer says, "Cha, have tried diet?"

Amplitude nods to Griffin, "Thank you." He turns to listen to the Overlord speak, though he remains quiet. There's still something gnawing at him about the situation, but he's not sure what it is.

Spirit nods to Griffin, "Thank you." He turns to listen to the Overlord speak, though he remains quiet. There's still something gnawing at him about the situation, but he's not sure what it is.

Sword Dancer says, "Humans too are forced to do things by gods and such. Sometimes must say '&*#-1 ARGUMENT OUT OF RANGE it' and fight gods."

Griffin, meanwhile- is looking at Solnok in horror for the first time since all this started. He's certainly been surprised, shocked & angered- but never horrified. What indeed could horrify one such as Griffin?

Perhaps the fear of becoming like the Consumer- loosing control, and only living to absorb the energies around you with no other purpose. A dream he's had with uncomfortable regularity since he first found out that his abiliteis were tied to how much energy he absorbed.

He must realize this- because after a long moment, he returns his face to a more stoic one- still out of place for it to be only moments after victory.

Harbinger says, with steadily improving English, "I will make sure that he does go dormant. Hopefully to never consume another world."

The Overlord says to Chen, << You will grow tired before you are able to pierce our skin. You are to be commended. >> He turns to look at the others, << All of you are to be commended. Your people is the strongest this one has encountered in a hundred millenia. >>

"We still need to make sure the pylons are stopped. How do we do this?" Copycat asks Overlord.

The Overlord nods. << They already have stopped. There is no more energy flow from them, and the drills are silent. >> Indeed, if one looks outside, the network of energy is nowhere to be seen. That just leaves the pylons themselves.

Sensing Griffin's work on the Commander is done, he squeezes the Commander's shoulder one last time before breaking contact and drifting over to Copycat. He doesn't mind the compliment about Earth's people- he knew that already, despite having spent so little time off world. Still he smirks before he drifts into place behing Copycat.