Chapter 2: A Storm of Superlative Proportions: Part 1: The Party

"So then he said he'd lower TKG's inflation by the end of the month. But here's the bizarre twist - HE DIDN'T! So I evicted him and got his whole business!" Guffawed Commerce's new leader, Cossack.

As none of us got what he was on about, or how it was uplifting that he evicted a man and stole his business; so we just laughed politely. I saw Alec and Ozzy exchange a confused glance, smiling half-heartedly. I didn't blame them, Cossack was a tough act to follow. However he and I had been through a lot together. He'd always been at my side, even before the battle for Zinecraft (the name of a now dead private server me and a few friends used to play on). He was also a nice enough guy once you got to know him. He'd been through a lot with Mo's sudden decision to up sticks and having to take over Commerce.

As for where we were, Gbaman had decided to throw a "little gathering" in his house. He did this every now and then, spending some of the fortune he'd earned from his railway monopoly on the public. We were in the penthouse suite of the R7K citadel. Gba had woken up the morning of Dominus' departure to discover that he was the only resident apart from Rider, Worlds, Ptorre, Bebe, Wise One, and a couple of transient members of the Brotherhood. Therefore, he decided to claim the citadel for himself and throw a party.

We were in Gba's penthouse suite in the citadel, with the rest of VC's elite. Among the guests there were; Gogyst and a small group of Arcation warriors; those Iron-worshiping pirates "Woobly", and their pet iron golem dubbed, "Tommy Wiseau"; Atreidon, now having left the Brotherhood to form his own group called "Mobius"; Ozzy and Alec of La selva; Piethingey and Mj of the Void; Boston; the moderators Cubsfan and Epsilon; WolvesGlare of Vangaard; some members of the THP brotherhood; the Gaian council and a few prominent members; and TKG's new business partners, Key G. Perrson and Walt Ham. Outside, surrounding the Citadel were a series of tents and tables lined with cakes and ale and many other delicacies. This was where the general public dined.

The TKG council were scattered through-out the room. In the centre, with Gba, Ozzy, Alec, Cossack, ABB, Wolves, Gogyst, Pondscum and Vacar; making pleasant conversation whilst drinking ale. Aaron was standing amidst a crowd of people from various groups who were chanting "Chug! Chug! Chug!" as he downed pie after pie. Bokane and Mini were standing on the far side of the room, so drunk they were competing for Woobly's iron golem bodyguard's love. Small was standing in between them, trying to keep them from killing each other. Meanwhile Secret was sitting in the corner in a chair, bow lain across his legs, completely asleep, but still looking intimidating. I blinked and the scene completely changed. He all of a sudden was wearing gold chains, had ginger dreadlocks, a great pink top hat, a tattered white suit, a tattoo on his neck saying "Thug Life" and was surrounded by dancing Testificates. I dismissed this on the drink and the weed smoke billowing from Wolves' pipe.

Cossack and I, despite the shenanigans of our comrades, were here on business. Cossack's job was to look into potential business connections with other groups and gather useful intelligence while they were drunk and or high. Mine was a different task altogether. I was organising a group of people to break into a top secret vault; supposedly containing prototype weapons made by the Tinkerer himself, Fedwin. The reason; Fedwin had been attacked in his apartment and put into a heavy mental coma. When we'd been to visit him he'd said something in his sleep, "Operation Overlord; beneath citadel; 3,15,4,5: 6,5,4,26,23,9,14,12,15,12." To most this was dismissed as blood as blood-loss.

I however was reminded of the times I'd spent listening in on R7K chatter. One thing that stood out was "Operation Overlord". It was a phrase I'd heard over their radio waves many times. Astro had known more about it than me, he'd said something about a bunker beneath the Citadel but hadn't elaborated. "If only he were here," I thought, "He'd know what it meant". But he wasn't there, so I had to work from memory and the Gaian records. There was one file, detailing a number of shadowy transactions and results about some form of test, even naming the operation. However any details were torn out. I barely gave thought to the numbers any thought.

Walt was the one who noticed an order in the chaos. He suggested that it may be a code. With the help of Killer; Abb's brother we found that the numbers translated as "CODE: FEDZWINLOL". Cone to think of it This had also been mentioned on the R7K chatter during the war, I was certain. So I'd told the boys from the Order to sneak in while the party was going on, locate the vault, and find out what the hell was going on.

I received a call on my earpiece. A marvellous piece of machinery, only a range of 3 kilometres without a relay, but still very useful for jobs like this. "Excuse me please Gba I need to take this call." I said, standing up slowly, and walking over to the punch bowl. I held up my sleeve to my mouth. "Yes?"

"The cuckoo has cracked the eggs alpha omega warlord sir!" Came the voice of Linx through the earpiece.

"Linx, cut the bullshit and tell the magic mushroom what he wants!" came the voice of Bokane, still drunk. I knew it had been a bad idea to give him an earpiece and microphone. "I'm so h-happy!" He then slumped against the golem and passed out.

I mouthed sorry to Gba and gestured to Cossack and Small to remove Bokane from the room and put him down to sleep in one of the empty apartments.

"Sorry what did you say Linx? I couldn't understand a word. Bokane was actually right." I began slightly irritably.

"Sorry sir it's just Rb's old manual -"

"Do you really think, anyone actually read that?" I said, chuckling. Rb has spent a lot of time making dummy code books and raid procedures to mess with people.

"No. Sorry sir." He conceded; sounding deflated. "But anyway. We've cracked the vault and are currently entering. Some form of ancient machine Fedwin restored was locking it. What was it a "Computater"? Anyway we put the code into the computater and are looking for any traces of Operation Overlord. But," He paused

"But what?"

"We think someone's been here recently. First thing we noticed were fresh bootprints and that someone appears to have been dragged through. I'm starting to think that someone else is one step ahead of us."

"Keep me posted" I said hurriedly, and hung up the call.

As I returned to making pleasant conversation in the party Linx and his team were preparing for action. There were eight of them. All armed with enchanted combat knives, top of the range bows, and Gaian special forces armour. This was basically just toughened black leather and a black beret but it looked badass. These were The Kingdom's eyes and ears. Every day they waged cloak and dagger warfare with our enemies, but today was their first real operation outside of stirring up trouble in Brotherhood controlled territories and kidnapping Komplex's pets. The team was lead by Linx; with Tejmin, Allison, MPD Awesome, Prippe, Dawz, NC Power and Blaze with him. They entered the room in a wedge formation, arrows knocked, proceeding slowly. They reached a three-way fork in the roads. Down each way was lined with what looked like segments of filing cabinets. However, at the end of the centre path was a second sealed vault door, up a short flight of stairs just four steps high.

Linx cleared his throat and delivered his orders. "Tejmin, you and Blaze head right. Follow the tracks and see who or what was dragged down that way. Allison, MPD and Prippe. You head left, look for Operation Overlord. NC and I will head straight forward and see if we can do the same. Dawz, stay here and cover our back. If you see anyone, fire a flare and identify if they are friend or foe. Everybody clear then? Good. Move out!"

There was the traditional "HOO-HAH!" before they moved out. Creeping along the corridor to the left went Allison and her team. They walked for what seemed like hours; until they found what they were looking for. There it was, A small compartment labelled "Overlord".

"Excellent," said Allison; very pleased with herself. This could spell promotion for her. She tugged at it. "Bugger! Locked!"

"Allow me." Came the cocky, Swedishly accented voice of Prippe. "I will get zis open."

At that he brought his combat knife down on the lock. "Simples. Now let's get zis open! I want to get out of here fast. It gives me the creepz." And he started to tug. At last he got it open and stuck his hand in.

"Wait Prippe! It could be trap-" Then the bomb went off, and the world went white, and then black.

There were reverberations all the way up the citadel. Panic ensued up in the room of the party and some of the rabble outside appeared to be most amused. After two minutes of complete chaos Gba managed to calm everyone down. "Calm down everyone! Calm down! We're built near a fault line; tremors are really common here. Besides, we've had worse Earthquakes on Taco Night!"

This gathered a mixed response of groans and chuckles and then everyone returned to business. Cossack approached me. "I suppose you had something to do with that." He said dryly. "Time to tell me what you're really doing here. Don't give me that bull about being here for the crack of it. I know that's on half the truth."

And so I briefly recounted the story of Fedwin's injury, and his message, and the team that was currently in the bunker beneath the Citadel. "... I don't know what happened down there but it can't be good." I finished, more panic in my voice than I would like.

"I understand." Cossack responded, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "Ring up Linx. I'll get Secret; I assume you've briefed him?"

"Why yes of course. Ah I see he's gotten up."

"What on Earth is he wearing?" Came the disgusted whisper of Cossack as he gestured to Secret to come over. I appears the only things I imagined were the hat and tattoo because the rest was still there. As he jogged over his dreadlocks fell off; thank Notch, it was a wig!

"So it's no just me." I said, smirking.

"Before you ask." Secret began, I have no idea where the clothes came from. I nodded off; and when I woke up I was dressed like this with two Testificates wobbling like jelly in the qua-"

"It was a bomb. The teams cocked up." Interrupted I.

"Well then, that explains it." He replied, realisation entering his eyes. "I suppose you want me to check on them."

"Both will of us will go. Cossack, as you were. You're doing doing great. Make sure to warn the others. Secret, give him your earpiece. We'll grab you Bokane's as we pass the room he's crashed out in."

"I see I've missed quite a bit." He remarked, grinning cheerily. "Ah well, Allons-y!" And we were off. On my last glance back, I saw Cossack striking up a conversation with Wolves, to have fumes exhaled in his face.

And so I called up Linx as we rushed through the empty moonlit hallways of the citadel, footsteps echoing off of the marble walls. I let out a string of curses as the first attempt failed. The second went no better. At last I succeeded on the third attempt. "What's going on down there Linx. We heard the explosion."

"Ah yes. Sorry sir. Glad to see there was no damage to the citadel. Prippe, Allison and MDP found Overlord in a compartment. They opened it u., Prippe stuck his hand in and some form of fireball shot up and hit the ceiling; which only has a very thin layer off earth before reaching the foundations. We were afraid we may have collapsed the tower.

"Well, you didn't. Hooray! Now. Did anything inside survive?"

"The compartment? Nothing. We did however find Killer, and what we believe was Fedwin's workshop here. However, Killer is unconscious. We found him in a half-open compartment, muttering about being "sorry" and having been "tricked". And the workshop is sealed from the inside. We can hear faint sounds of machinery inside. We also think we hear someone approaching every now and then. There's no evidence anyone but us and the people in the vault ."

"This doesn't bode well." Secret grimly remarked into the microphone in his sleeve. "We're on our way."

"Glad to see you're alive and well General!" Said Linx perikily

"Glad to be alive Linx. Glad to be alive." He said, ripping off the ridiculous clothing as he ran, thankfully wearing his armour beneath. He whipped out his bow and hoisted the quiver up nearer to his shoulder. Now, with the fiery beard he had grown, and the straight, chin-length hair, he looked like a true general.

All of a sudden I got a call from Cossack. "Yes Coss?"

"Things are taking a turn for the worse. First, Jolly and Tauto did their version of Taylor Swifts "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", with ubi, beat and ninja as back-up dancers." He shivered and then continued. "And now some ass-wipe in a mask called in his regiment of armed goons and demanded Gba's surrender of the Mods, Atreidon and the Brotherhood members. Gba refused, then the guy started stirring up the commoners into some form of blind rage. Calls himself Overlord. I'm scared!"

"Don't worry. It'll blow over. Idiots like him show up all the time. They never amount to anything." I airily responded.

"Oh shit! They're bridging over the moat; and are climbing up the walls. There's some that have already made it to the lower floors." He was on the verge of complete mania now.

"Keep calm. Just try and hold them back. Throw anything down. What's Gba's plan?"

"He said something about a special group of fireworks. Scaring them off."

"Keep me updated. Bye." I hung up and turned to Secret. "We need to get them out of there."

"Definitely." He replied, exasperated.

And so we ran as fast as we could. Fires were starting outside; the rabble were trying to destroy the various buildings outside. A quick glance through a window revealed the great bank of R7K completely ablaze. I paused to take in the flickering blades of red and orange stabbing through the growing cracks in the sky blue lapis roof. However, this moment of horrendous intrigue was interrupted as a raider with a crude club climbed up and smash open the window. He began to run at me; but before I could even grab the hilt of Amicus, Secret had put and arrow in his temple. I then proceeded to throwing him back through the window; on top of his companions. As we proceeded to run towards the vault. At last we came to the open vault door. What greeted us was the embodiment of chaos.

Along the hall the once pristine metal compartments along the walls were stained with blood; or dented; or blown or ripped out of the wall. The sealed door at the end of the corridor looked as if it had been ripped open. The floor was riddled with craters and blood and scorch marks. Throughout the corridor were the outnumbered members of the Order and these mysterious masked insurgents who were trying to overcome them; as well as the assorted casualties of both sides.

On the small flight of stairs, a tall weedy looking man with a creepy smiley faced mask was throwing explosive bottles throughout the corridor. He had no regard for who he killed, as he laughed maniacally. Viral was obviously having one of his monthly midnight strolls.

Prippe and Killer lay beside the ripped vault door. Prippe clutching his knife feebly, one armed in a sling. MDP was holding back two armed men in ski masks in an attempt to keep them back. However, creeping round her right was another, and they were heading straight for Linx. Secret struck down with two arrows, one to the leg and another to the head. He slumped onto the floor and lay still, darkness covering his eyes before he crumbled to dust and flew back to whatever corner of the Earth he came from.

Linx was combating a large, bulky man wielding a chain with a knife on the end. Linx ducked under the oncoming blade and dispatched his foe with three jabs in the ribs with his blade. He saw us as a goon ran up to me, subsequently being gutted.

"Sir, you've got to stop them. They've gathered some form of arms cache on a mule drawn cart, guarded by this strange Golem. It's far more intelligent and versatile than our Golems, and it has some very dangerous firearms. We don't know what's in the cache, other than the Overlord is in it."

"Any idea what the overlord is?" Inquired Secret, eyes alive with the fire of battle.

"We know that it's some form of potion or elixir that improves soldiers; thanks to a file Killer had hidden inside his coat. But, the file was damaged and we couldn't find much else. There was an interesting story we found about a certain subject 16 who developed a certain blood-lust and turned on the scientists; later escaping. Before he escaped they named his condition Complex 16 and subsequently started called him that. He escaped two weeks aft-"

"We don't have time. Where's this cache?" I interrupted. As interesting a story as this was I was unable to see the use or meaning of it.

"They're heading towards the drawbridge. About eight strong. Well equipped for close quarters combat. We can handle ourselves here."

"Thank you Linx." And so we belted towards the gates, weapons drawn.

The curtains and wallpapers of those old halls were catching fire by the second. The remaining residents of the Citadel and Gba's private security were fighting desperately to keep out the growing horde with any weapons they would find. Stopping only to throw attackers out of our way we turned a corner. There I ran straight into Gogyst; Arcation's leader.

After a brief moment of sword pointing and drawing of bowstrings we recognised each other. Standing in front of us was Gogyst, Walkers, Bokane; now appearing sober and holding a floating ball of light, Ozzy and Walt. We lowered our weapons but were still wary.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Gogyst.

"We think it has something to do with Fedwin. But right now these creeps with a high-tech weapons cache and a superman Golem are heading towards the gate."

"Good, we're heading there too!" Then the outer drawbridge collapsed. Only now did I notice the men holding ropes standing on the other side of the moat. They began to charge and pull down the inner drawbridge. "To stop that..."

We belted down and came to a flight of steps that revealed the caravan; with the Golem staring at the inner drawbridge.

It was a large creature, just a small bit shorter than our golems. The joints were smooth balls, as opposed to our metal coils, which could easily be jammed by an arrow or spear. The top of it's head was smooth, as opposed to the rigid rectangular heads that I was used to. It's chest was plated with diamond. The eyes were what struck me most. There was a life, an awareness in those red pupils. It was unsettling. Then I realised that it had seen us and was preparing to attack.

Gogyst acted first and tackled one of the humans. Walt and Bokane ran after him, leaving myself, Secret, Ozzy and Walkers to fight the Golem. Secret nocked one of his cherished explosive arrows and fired at the Golems neck joint. The arrow exploded, but did little else except leave some scorch marks. I ran up alongside Walkers and we used the high-low tactic. He slid between it's legs and managed to leave a jagged tear in its foot. I jumped up and sliced downwards on it's shoulder. However, the tear in its foot began to weave back together. And my blade left little more then a mild dent on the might iron frame of the Golem.

Time slowed down. The end of it's square fist opened to reveal what looked like a multi-barrelled "Baby Jesus Perk". Then it batted me aside, causing me to indent the stone wall. I collapsed on my back, staring up at the skylight. The moon was shining a bright blue. The sky a murky brown from the flame below. It seemed as if hell itself had opened up down here and it remained the last haven of all that is good. I turned my head and saw it firing. Secret was flying back, his breastplate shattering; blood staining the pieces. Ozzy was lying on the floor clasping his leg. Blood was pooling around him. Walt was struck by a shell in the shoulder, knocking him to the floor.

Gogyst lay on the ground, being brutalised by 4 or so insurgents. Bokane was being held against the wall, being pummelled by a man much larger than he. Walkers made his last stand atop the cache. Finally he fell to the floor, yelling "Vive les poulets!" Then the gate came crashing down and the hordes poured in. All seemed lost, until a small red light shot down the corridor, ricocheting of the walls, whistling like a kettle.

All of a sudden, it exploded into the form of a sparkling red dragon. The hordes retreated in fear, the Golem and cache following close behind. It crawled out after them, roared a tongue of shimmering flame and took flight. The sky filled with the beasts, blue, red, yellow, green, Nyan Cat. A sight of beauty. Gba had succeeded. Then my strength failed me, and I passed out.