Thus I submit to you an arc I call Overlord. In this arc, the events that have been developing throught Volume 2: War Powers start coming together. The X-men mythos has often been defined by big moments with certain characters. None will be bigger in this story. Both Volume 1 and Volume 2 will affect where this massive event leads. In the end, expect a world very different from the world that started out in Volume 2: War Powers. It sets the stage for X-men Supreme Volume 3, which I already have planned out! There are some amazing stories that lie ahead, but the X-men have to make it out of Overlord first! I've provided a brief preview. It should set the stage for the biggest moment in this fanfiction series to date!
“So if this plan succeeds, are you certain Magneto will agree to help me?” asked Exodus.
“If it succeeds? Please, Exodus, you should know by now that Magneto leaves nothing to chance,” scoffed Mystique, “And don’t worry. Whatever this ‘serious issue’ of yours entails, he’ll assist so long as he deems it important.”
“It IS important,” said Exodus strongly, “More important than I can possibly describe.”
“You’ll need to be more specific if you’re to get Magneto’s attention. Why are you so certain he can help you anyways?”
“I’m not. But I’m a broken man with too many conflicting memories to make sense of. What I know will affect mutants more than this endeavor ever will. Only someone like Magneto could possibly understand it.”
“We’ll see about that,” said Mystique skeptically.
Exodus’s expression hardened. Mystique still wasn’t sure what to make of this mysterious man. As powerful as he was, he had to be the worst wreck of a man she had come across since Wolverine. He seemed to suffer from delusions of grandeur, believing he held the key to mutant salvation. She was inclined to believe he was mad, possibly even schizophrenic. If Magneto was to hear him out, hopefully he would come to the same conclusion and put him out of his misery. In the meantime he was a useful ally.
After a few more tweaks, Forge closed up all the wiring panels and stepped back. Tossing aside his welding goggles, he ran up and down the control consoles lining the walls. One by one, he flipped the switches to begin the power-up sequence. Lights all around the machine came on as it gave off a distinct humming noise. The rings around the device started spinning and a light at the tip of the antenna came on.
Once powered up, Forge ran over to the four cold fusion engines he built from the diesel engines Mystique and Exodus smuggled in earlier. He linked all four of them up with heavy duty superconductor wires. He modified them so that they could pack enough energy to power a continent. These were the devices that would give the device the bulk of the power it needed to do its job. Even with these levels of power, they would only get one shot.
“Hold onto your butts!” said Forge, brimming with excitement, “As soon as these puppies charge up, we’re ready to fire!”
“Is the targeting system locked on?” asked Mystique as she checked her watch, “We’ll only have a few minutes window.”
“Locked and in our sights!” affirmed Forge, “Trust me, a few minutes is all we need!”
Forge adjusted the dials on the fusion generators. He also monitored the status of the machine with a remote control he had built into his watch. Several status bars indicated the readiness of the machine. They were still loading while the generators powered up. As the energy grew, the fusion cells started glowing bright blue. The humming grew louder, indicating more energy being concentrated into the device.
As energy flowed into the machine, the rings started glowing in a bright aura of yellowish energy. The base plate started glowing as well, becoming inundated in a hazy greenish halo. The metal tools throughout the area started coming to life, being flung around and about wildly. It indicated the presence of a very powerful magnetic field. Mystique and Exodus were forced to step back further, but Forge ignored the danger and kept monitoring the generators.
“Thirty seconds and we’ll be at full power!” he announced.
“Is it supposed to be this loud?” asked Exodus over the commotion.
“I don’t know! I’ve never built something like this before! But in my experience, noise is a good sign something big is about to go down!”
After adjusting the last few dials, the fusion engines erupted in a burst of bright blue light. It was so bright it nearly knocked Forge off his feet. But he quickly recovered and ran to join Mystique and Exodus behind a barrier of rocks.
By now, the machine was glowing brightly. The rings were spinning at an increasingly fast pace. It got to the point where they were just glowing blurs surrounding the machine. The greenish halo at the bottom plate kept getting brighter as well, pulsing ominously as the energy built up. As the pulse brightened, the tip of the antenna started glowing a similar color. There was so much energy it caused the whole lair to shake. Rocks and equipment were knocked over and entire walls started to collapse.
The window drew closer. Mystique, Exodus, and Forge watched with anticipation as the energy kept growing. It got so intense it caused the top part of the lair to blow open. Rock and metal support beams shattered and were literally shot out through the roof of the lair like a volcano. Now with a gaping hole in the ceiling, they could see the cloudy skies above them. The device now had a clean shot at it’s target.
“It’s charged!” said Forge, “Prepare to fire in 5…4…3…2…1…”
The three mutants were forced to take cover and shield their eyes as the device erupted in a blinding flash of greenish-yellow light. When they opened their eyes and looked up, they saw a concentrated beam of energy shoot out into the sky. It was so powerful it literally thrust away the clouds in it’s way creating a perfect circle in the overcast. The machine let out a low-pitched pounding noise as it fired, causing the structure to shake even more as it unleashed its massive buildup of energy.
Then within the span of two seconds, the glowing faded and the pulse stopped. All four fusion generators sparked and were utterly burnt out. One even caught fire. The structure was still shaking even after the device fell dormant. When all was said and done, the lair was still a mess. But the machine was intact.
There was a heavy silence among them at first. Forge was still gazing in awe at what his creation just did. Mystique and Exodus were quicker to recover.
“Did it work?” asked Exodus.
Forge ran out over the debris and brought up an image on the console. After some quick typing, he got the final status report. What he saw brought a smile to his face.
“It worked,” he grinned, “My machine worked!”
As always, I deeply appreciate the support I've gotten from all you lovely readers out there. I hope it continues. I promise big things with Overlord and I intend to deliver! X-men Supreme has so much potential and I intend to tap it as best I can. To do that I require as much feedback as can be provided. So please take the time to contact me or comment on each issue to let me know how this fanfiction series is doing. Until next time, take care and best wishes everybody! Excelsior!
Jack
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