TOS - Vol 2, Pt 2, Ch 21

The Overlord Saga

Vol II. Versus

Chapter 21: A Decisive Victory

The battle was going poorly. Grabbing a nearby dying soldier, the Soul-Keeper threw the unfortunate knight in front of Blondie as he tried to stab him. As the enemy’s sword impaled the poor soldier, the Soul-Keeper caught Blondie in the back of the head with his staff. “You know, I think I liked it better when you were a stupid Insurgent,” the Soul-Keeper muttered, sending a piercing shock through Blondie’s spine. As Blondie fell to the ground, the Soul-Keeper placed a triumphant foot on his back. However, in the blink of an eye, Blondie had pulled a knife from his belt and had stuck the blade into the Soul-Keeper’s leg. As the Soul-Keeper bent over in pain, Blondie rolled out from under him, grabbing his sword as he did. Victoriously crying out, Blondie held up his sword, pressing it against the Soul-Keeper’s neck.

“NO!” the Animal Tamer yelled, kicking an brigand that was halfway on her sword away from her. “Soul-Keeper!”

“And now, you die!” Blondie yelled, eyes alight with mad glee. The blade glinted in the sunlight, filtered between the trees. The Soul-Keeper looked up, horrified as Blondie’s sword lifted, like some guillotine ready to decapitate him. Frozen in fear, the Soul-Keeper’s heart stopped, the entire world going silent. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Evocator, an arrow protruding painfully from her shoulder. Part of her sleeve was torn and her face was stained with dirt, but she had sent a gush of emerald looking wind at a mounted unit, trying to aid Belarus as she dragged an unconscious Prussia away from the battle. To his right, he saw the Animal Tamer trying to reach him, thrown back as Jester intercepted her, a knife cutting her cheek open. He saw the smurfs being overwhelmed by much taller DIB warriors, being beaten viciously. Fluffy had been subdued, and was laying on his side, barely conscious. The Advisor was jumping over a log, sending a spray of bullets into the DIB ranks, but was on the far side of the battlefield.

‘Am I really going to die here...?’

And there there was a blast. Blondie flew away from the Soul-Keeper, right before his eyes, trailed with smoke and even a few flames. The noise that had taken Blondie had been deafening, rocking the entire ravine. The Soul-Keeper saw Blondie’s blade sticking out of the ground, the sounds of the battlefield flooding his ears once more. “What in the world...?” the Soul-Keeper gasped, looking at where the Lieutenant had launched a missile straight into the DIB officer. “T-thank you! Oh, oh, THANK YOU SO MUCH!” the Soul-Keeper yelled happily. The Lieutenant, despite the dirt and leaves caking his facial hair, and the blood smeared on one side of his face, saluted the Soul-Keeper, then went off to exploding more DIB soldiers.

The Soul-Keeper pulled the dagger from his leg, wincing as it began bleeding. Glancing up, he spied the Evocator run over, despite her own injuries, “Are you okay?” she asked.

“Are YOU okay?” the Soul-Keeper pointed at the arrow with a shaky finger, “I... Oh God, this knife and sword business is too bloody for me.”

“No puking on me!” the Evocator scolded him, “Here, let’s try this! Conjure, peace spirit! Eirene! Blanca!” A mist filled the area, pure white with a soothing, moist feel. As it swirled around the Evocator, it began to take on the shape of some hooded maiden, with a large swan perched on her shoulders. “Heal this guy up!” the Evocator glanced at the healing spirit.

“She looks like Christine...” the Soul-Keeper reached up to touch the spirit, but found that his hand went right through her. “She can heal me up any time!”

On the other side of the battlefield, the Scribe, the Master of Tazers, and the Apprentice had forced Jester away from the wounded Animal Tamer. As the Master of Tazers leaned down to see if the Animal Tamer was well, the Scribe had taken some sort of claymore from a fallen DIB soldier, “BACK! GET BACK, YOU... DISGRACEFUL... THING!”

“Oh, that’ll REALLY show him, Scribe,” the Master of Tazers remarked, helping the Animal Tamer up gently.

“You frizzy-haired little idiot...” Jester sneered, sending a knife flying at the Scribe. The Scribe whacked the dagger away, then charged, dealing Jester a hefty blow to the stomach. Knocking him away, the Scribe huffed and puffed a few moments before straightening himself, wiping the blade clean, then watching as Jester began limping away.

In the mean time, the Apprentice had begun summoning a new song to replace the battle theme she’d been playing (which had been an appropriate Duel of the Fates). As Jester began calling for a retreat, the Apprentice officially changed the song to “Na Na Hey, Kiss Him Goodbye”.

“I... I did it... I really did it...” the Scribe stammered, eyes wide. “I just... Did... Did you see that!?”

“Yes, I saw it... good job,” the Master of Tazers said with usual sarcasm. “Now help clean everything up.”

“Is everyone accounted for?” the Advisor asked as the last DIB soldier fled the ravine. The Lieutenant had dragged out the ragged and bloody form of Blondie from behind a few stones. Bending down, he put a hand around the limp soldier’s wrist, waiting for a few minutes before declaring.

“He’s alive.”

---


The Insurgent Leader couldn’t explain what had made him turn around. But something had. His sense had become sharper in the past few days- there was no rat that moved by him without his knowledge. No whisper that he could not hear. No fart amongst his troops went unheard- and the Insurgent Leader learned that this power made it all the more easy to evade his more gassy soldiers. But the sound of a bowstring being pulled and an arrow launching made him turn. And with his hand held on Muramasa’s hilt, he unsheathed the cursed blade, a flash of sunlight being the only movement that the Twin could see. The arrow fell to the ground, shattered by the blade. Glancing down at the wooden shaft that had almost taken his life, he blinked, before gazing out, directly at the Twin.

“Insurgent Leader...?” Norris asked from his right side, head tilted to the side, “What is it?”

“Maintain the walltop and after the battle, begin a search. Every soldier supporting the newly formed ANF will die. Every innocent is to be taken into question. I will perform the interrogations myself. What we cannot use will be ransacked and burned,” the Insurgent Leader ordered, his voice strangely cold. “Agent, there’s a squadron of ninjas en route to slay me. They’re your priority.”

“Where are you going...!?” Agent stammered.

“To secure the main room and claim this fort as my own,” the Insurgent Leader growled, unable to hide the fact that his left eye was twitching. As he stepped down to the main floor of Ft. Effort he found several of the guards waiting for him. As the Ft. Effort guards ran towards him, he merely willed them away from him, waving his hand and pressing them up against the wall with some invisible force until they passed out. He came across a few Insurgents- primarily the Brigadier (or, as most would know him, Tinkerbell) and Batman. Briefly, he wondered if General Eric was having as much luck as he was. After directing the Insurgents to begin preparing defenses against the newly arrived Twin and her friends, he emerged into what looked like some throne room- minus a throne.

He had taken about seven steps into the room when some movement in the shadows caught his eye. Stopping for a minute, the Insurgent Leader sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I figured you’d slip past Agent,” the Insurgent Leader looked at where the Ninja-Lord emerged from the shadows, katana in hand.

“What’s happened to you?” the Ninja-Lord demanded, eyes narrowed as she watched the Insurgent Leader draw his sword from its sheath. “You’re acting out of malice. So unlike the little hero we all know. From this stance, it looks like the Overlord is less suited for the SVC than you.”

“DIB is not villainous. We’re here to end villainy, Ninja-Lord. Our purpose is to eliminate the SVC and its contributors,” the Insurgent Leader spat, “The False One has reigned for far too long. And I’ve been inadequate in stopping her for far too long. What else was I supposed to do?”

“Don’t you see what the Nemesis did? He murdered the Theurgist, Insurgent Leader!” the Ninja-Lord yelled, holding her katana up at the ready, “You’re not a hero. Because no hero would side with the Nemesis. I’m done talking with you.” The Ninja-Lord sprung forward, swords colliding into each other. As a spray of sparks flew against the tile ground, the Ninja-Lord threw her back into pressing her blade against Muramasa. The Insurgent Leader jumped back, sending a wave of black magic at the Ninja-Lord. Using the wall, the Ninja-Lord jumped high over the spell, flipping, then crossing blades with the Insurgent Leader again.

The Insurgent Leader spun around and tried to catch the Ninja-Lord off-guard. She blocked his every move, her much smaller katana quicker than his larger sword. Realizing this, the Insurgent Leader sheathed Muramasa, lifting a hand and closing his eyes. The room began to fill to black smog, drifting around the ground as mist did, clinging to the Ninja-Lord’s legs, but not hampering her from walking. The Ninja-Lord’s eyes narrowed, forming small slits as she studied the Insurgent Leader. “So you’ve sold yourself,” she muttered, replacing her katana in its holder. Grabbing three shuriken, she held them at the ready in her hand, watching as the mist suddenly surged forward. Wrapping around the Insurgent Leader, the black smog formulated into a snake, its eyes crimson slits amidst the darkness.

Jumping back, the Ninja-Lord let the ninja stars fly at the Insurgent Leader as the mist-snake lunged forward. Snapping its jaws at the Ninja-Lord, it missed by inches. Moving as fast as she could, the Ninja-Lord jumped up on the side of the wall, running along it as the snake began slithering after her. The Insurgent Leader directed it with his arms, aiming a strike at the wall in front of the Ninja-Lord. As the smoke-snake coiled and reached back with its mighty neck, the Ninja-Lord jumped into the air, katana in hand. The snake hit the wall with such a force that it caved in, the Ninja-Lord landing on its other side, between the snake and the Insurgent Leader. Realizing that he was vulnerable, the Insurgent Leader lifted his hands to grab his sword, but it was too late. The Ninja-Lord flashed by him, a mere blur as her katana struck him in the stomach. Upon impact, the smoke-snake vanished.

Staggering back, the Insurgent Leader grabbed the gaping wound in pain, the Ninja-Lord not facing him. Cleverly, the Insurgent Leader bent over, looking rather defeated despite his other hand sneaking to Muramasa’s hilt. ‘Stupid girl... Always trying to foil my plans. And then when she thinks that she’s killed me...’ The Ninja-Lord turned to face the Insurgent Leader, a rather expressionless look in her eyes. However, as she turned, the Insurgent Leader moved as well, Muramasa a mere glint of light as he struck the Ninja-Lord. Some reflex had driven the Ninja-Lord away from the blade, but not in time. She felt the blade pierce her arm, digging all the way through. Shock and excruciating pain ran through her, causing her to fall to the ground.

Gasping for air between shudders, the Ninja-Lord felt her vision fading in and out, the shock overwhelming her, “M-my arm...”

“Did you think that I’d survived for so long if a single stab to my stomach could kill me?” the Insurgent Leader declared, Muramasa held above her, ready to stab her through the chest. He stepped over the severed limb, crimson tainting the soles of his boots. “You will be a testament to DIB’s power... I’m only sorry it had to end this way, Ninja-Lord!”

And he thrust Muramasa forward.

---


The Captain led the way through the forests, carefully glancing over his shoulder at where the massive ferret was clawing through the trees. Running alongside the Captain was the Grasshopper, surprisingly able to keep up with him. She cut a path through the shrubs with her sword, occasionally letting out a small shriek as Mooka would come closer to the fleeing underlings. “We’re almost there!” the Captain shouted, “I thought this stupid thing would have lost us by now!”

“We can’t led it back to the campsite!” the Grasshopper gasped, “We’ll have to kill it.”

“It’ll EAT us!” the Captain yelled, “No, we’ll lure it in and the rest of the army can help us. Maybe it’ll give Fluffy something to munch on.” He grabbed her by the arm and the two continued their mad sprint through the forest, the Captain pulling out a pistol and firing over his shoulder at Mooka.

What seemed like an age, the two skidded to a stop, resting over the remains of the campsite. The Grasshopper clung onto the Captain’s arm as the ferret came barreling out of the timberline, colliding into the two. Tumbling head over heels into the ravine, the Grasshopper was temporarily delirious, shutting her eyes until she finally rested on the ground, in the middle of the camp. As all heads turned to the large ferret standing at the top of the ravine, the Soul-Keeper helped the Grasshopper up onto her feet.

“Looks like you’re back,” the Advisor frowned, glancing at Mooka, “With company.”

“Mooka!” McCoy yelled, breaking through the trees. Though the Grasshopper waited for the Rebel Commander to appear alongside him, she realized that McCoy was alone, standing next to his pet. Mooka reared up, then shrank again, twitched his nose, then scurried up McCoy’s coat, resting on his shoulder.

“What do you want, McCoy?” the Soul-Keeper demanded, staff in hand, “We’ve had about all we can take from DIB today. I suggest you get out of here before you become my next victim in the Dungeon!”

“As terrifying as that sounds... I’m here for the Overlord,” McCoy tipped his hat to the Soul-Keeper, “I just want to talk.” Machine gun resting on his belt, McCoy lifted his hands, though was unable to hide a charming smile. Confused, the Soul-Keeper’s eyes moved from McCoy to the Advisor, wondering what she thought of this. “Can I come down there?” McCoy asked, eyeing the heaps of dead bodies that were being piled on the far side of the ravine.

“If he comes in peace, let him talk,” a voice announced from behind the others. As the Underling Army turned, the Animal Tamer shot upright from where the Evocator was tending to her wounds.

“Overlord!”

Standing on the far side of the ravine while barely able to hold an unconscious Eric upright, the Overlord glanced down at the ruined campsite, still roughed up from her own fight. “Is that Sexist?” the Advisor asked, eyes wide as the Overlord tried to walk a step, but nearly fell over.

“Yes, and he’s quite heavy, so, unless you want me to collapse as well, I suggest we get our more able-bodied Underlings up here.”

The Captain and the Lieutenant climbed the slope and took Eric’s limp form from the Overlord. She leaned against her staff, glancing down at her injuries. In silence, she followed the Captain and the Lieutenant down from the ridge, into the ruined campsite. Walking towards the Soul-Keeper, she put a hand on his shoulder, then nodded to him, “Good work.” And then, she watched as McCoy joined her on the ground, removing his hat politely. Watching McCoy, the Overlord couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy in his presence. “Speak.”

“You’ve captured General Eric and Blondie?” McCoy inquired.

“I was unaware of Blondie’s surrender. But yes, we appear to have,” the Overlord responded evenly.

“The Insurgent Leader has been acting odd lately. He bars himself in his room, reads these odd leather-bound books, and doesn’t speak to anyone except the Nemesis. His behavior is troubling. So I did research,” McCoy responded, glancing at where the Lieutenant and the Captain were tying Eric’s hands. The Overlord waved at them, signaling them to stop.

“Go on.”

“He’s dabbled in dark magic. That much is clear. His eyes are dark, Overlord. He’s not the guy I pledged my gun to. So, I ask... if you understand me... Where do I sign?” McCoy replaced his hat, then folded his arms.

“You wish to ally yourself with me?”

“Yes.”

“As an Underling?”

“Perhaps more like a temporary servant until DIB is destroyed.”

“Why.”

It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. The Overlord glared at McCoy, green eyes bearing into his eyes. McCoy shifted his feet uncertainly, very much aware of how his life was at stake if he answered poorly. “I don’t fight for people that go against their word. You say that you’ll overthrow DIB? Do it, and I’m yours.” The Overlord watched McCoy silently, eyes bright against the grime and dirt that stained her face. Silence swept through the campsite, all eyes resting on the Overlord as she stared blankly at McCoy.

And then she smiled, resting a hand and clasping his shoulder, “You know what, McCoy? I think I like you.”

“What about Fort Effort?” the Soul-Keeper asked, looking at the Overlord. “Ah... I forgot! You weren’t there!” He stomped a foot in frustration, flailing his arms around like usual, “The Twin went to go fight! The Insurgent Leader’s set a campaign against Fort Effort!”

“Oh, so that’s where half my forces went,” the Overlord remarked, “We’ll go find them. Immediately. Those who can still fight are welcome to...” She glanced back at where the Theurgist was drifting a few paces behind the Evocator, watching her as she mended the Animal Tamer’s wounds. She noted the sorrow in his eyes as he reached out to touch one of the cuts on the Evocator’s arm. Jerking her head away, the Overlord took in a deep breath, “McCoy, I’d like to see what you can do with that gun of yours.”

“Happy to oblige, ma’am!” McCoy saluted her.

“Ohhhhhhh snap!” the Soul-Keeper giggled.