Chapter 6   A Twist of Fate   authors: Overlord - red , Veyanne - yellow , Temptress - blue

"Now we have to wait for the right moment. It's close....."
 
"No. The moment has passed. You have lost.", the man in black with a silver cross on his chest stepped out of the shadows. He held his strange gun pointed at the overlord. "I've already set the armageddon countdown. It's too late to stop it now. God's will will soon be done."

The overlord was caught off guard. He couldn't get his dark shield up before the man fired upon him. He exhaled slowly, considering his next move. The room went silent. The man lifted his gun to fire. The sorceress quickly lifted her arm and flicked her wrist. The gun flew out of his hands. He looked up.

The overlord was upon him before he knew what hit him. A scene of unimaginable violence occurred. The sorceress had to look away.

The Overlord grabbed the man's robe and jerked hard while turning around. The priest flew through the air, bend his legs and caught himself against the wall. Immediately the Overlord was on him once more, but this time the priest caught him. He hit the Overlord so hard, that the tall man did a complete backflip. The Overlord rolled on, came back on his legs and launched himself into the stomach of the priest. The man collapsed but clung to the Overlord, trying to immobilize him. They struggled, fighting to come on top, until finally the priest made one final and fatal error: he tried to strangle the Overlord. The high-commander of the Dark Demolition Forces growled and slowly got to his feet. The priest dangled on him, desperately trying to squeeze the neck of the tall man. It was in vain. The Overlord was overcome with tremendous anger and contempt, which made him almost as invulnerable as if he was wearing his black mist-cloke. He took the priest's chest in both hands and squeezed. The priest screamed in pain as his ribs were slowly crushed. But before he would suffocate, the strong fingers were forced between the ribs. The Overlord got hold of three ribs in each hand. Then he stopped crushing the chest and suddenly jerked the ribs sideways, tearing the man's carcass open. Blood sprayed around and the priest uttered a final cry in utter terror before he fell on the floor like a butchered pig. The Overlord looked down and spat on the quivering heart of the priest. Still furious, he turned....

When it was over the overlord turned to the control panel. He hastily typed away on the keyboard. He threw switches and turned knobs. The temptress and sorceress watched helplessly.

"BASTARDS!", shouted the overlord. He grabbed the man in black's gun and fired five shots into the control panel. Then he threw the gun at the video screen, shattering it. Sparks showered the room.

"Umm, this is bad, right?", hazarded the temptress.

The overlord turned to face them. His eyes were burning with rage. His skin was flushed. His expression was one of both fear and hostility. He began to speak. He couldn't. His head dropped. "It's true.", he finally said. His emotions had drained away in an instant. "They've started the final countdown. There's no way to stop armageddon."

Deep inside the sorceress knew that this moment had been inevitable. She told of the overlord's weakness when she was being tortured. She told them that he would always try to save her, forsaking all else to do so. She told them that he would be blinded by his rage
if they made her suffer.

Now she knew how they had taken advantage of his weakness. They needed to buy time to get the armageddon countdown started. They used her as a distraction. It had worked. He came to her. He fought for her. He killed for her. He almost died for her. And all the while the clock was counting down. They had won. She felt renewed shame.

The three stood there in disbelief. The clock was ticking. Only minutes were left. Only minutes until the world was plunged into chaos.

The sorceress stared at the broken console. It was a pile of twisted metal. Then she remembered a passage in an old magic book, "The ones made of metal would be twisted and torn and the false magic would fall into ruin.". It was the spell of the unmaking. It was an ancient and powerful spell. It's effects would be felt across the world. The sorceress felt it was the answer to their dilemma.

"I know a spell which I feel can save us.", she said. "It can destroy all the machines of this world. It will stop armageddon"

The overlord looked at her. Then he looked down at himself. He was half machine. He looked back at the sorceress. "And what of me?"

"Oh no.", she said as hope turned to despair. "I could never do that to you."

The Overlord smiled.

"I don't care what you can do or can't do. But I do care what will happen to you. If my machine-half is destroyed, it will mean that you will both be trapped on this world, which is already in the middle of a chain reaction."

He walked over to the Temptress and touched her cheek.

Her hand instinctively went to his, grasping his fingers tightly...desperately wanting to throw herself into his arms, but holding back.  Her body trembled inside...

"I will not allow you to die here on this planet I once called my home."

The tears welled up in her eyes... she tried to speak, but no words would
come.  A single tear slipped down her cheek.  He wiped it away...

The Overlord looked into her eyes, then turned and walked toward the Temporal-gateway. He stretched out his hand as if he was trying to touch the throbbing light.

"There is another way. This world is beyond salvation, but if we close the portal as planned, at least the earth will remain unharmed."

He started to mumble and the two women could hardly hear his words.

"Can't close it by destroying the machines.... too much energy in the portal, way too much energy.....hmmm .... if only it could be diminished...... "

Suddenly he turned again and looked at both women.

"I'll have to try to destroy this side of the portal from the inside out. I'll try to absorb the energy. I'm not sure if I can absorb enough, but it's our only chance. I only hope the EAC commanders succeed in the destruction of the other side."

He walked away from the light and told them both to come near.

"I'll have to send you back first."

Horror struck her.. she couldn't leave without him, wouldn't...

Slowly the Overlord took off his gloves, which he rarely did. His hands were glowing with white energy. He raised his arms and immediately a large lightning-bolt came down from the ceiling. A fierce wind rose in the middle of the room. The Overlord stretched out his hands, grabbing the white fire-column, splitting it in two. There was darkness between the two lightning streaks and on the other side they could see the moonlit hills back on earth. The Overlord turned to Veyanne.

"Go...."

The sorceress took one look in his eyes then turned away. She knew how he was when he got an idea in his head. There was no stopping him.

As she approached him, their eyes met. It was hard to see her again after all these years, but the Overlord felt quite distinctively that something had changed. She wasn't the same as he remembered her.  He smiled faintly and watched as she went through the crack to the other side.

Then he turned his face toward the Temptress and the Overlord felt once more what had been disturbing him ever since he met her. His heart pounded and his knees grew weak whenever their eyes met, but could he ever really trust love again? He knew he didn't have much choice.

They embraced and their lips met in a passionate kiss. Then he pulled himself free.

She didn't want to let go of him, knowing it may be the last time he held her.

"I can't leave here without you..."

"You really have to go, love. I insist."

"But..."

She fell into his arms... trembling with fear... sobbing hysterically.  She had never experienced emotions so strong before in her entire life. Normally she could handle anything.. almost with certain cruelty, nothing phasing her.  This was different...  She looked up at him, gazing into his eyes... the words came to her this time..

"I love you, my lord."

He gave her his gloves and told her to take care of those, since he wanted them back. Then he pushed her through the crack, checked to see if they were both okay and closed it. The women were left on the hill in the night.....

"He'd rather die than part with his machine half." The sorceress spoke after a long silence. "He'd rather see his home world destroyed."

"Nothing has changed.", her voice drifted into the night.