Official RP Thread: The Evolutionist's Stone (13)

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Setting==

Australia

==Dramatis Personæ==

Samantha Trelaine: Evil Overlord Extraordinaire.
The Mover: Her unwitting telekinetic pawn.
Willis and Phil: Size-Shifter and Telekinetic, Samantha's Goons.
Dane Trelaine: The child of a husband's affair.
Mister Skeleton: Inhumanly curious Astral Being.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Trelaine Manor, Australia==

Samantha Trelaine lay reclining on her couch in the parlor. A servant came in and asked if she needed anything. A second servant handed the first one a note, and waved him off to let Samantha rest. And as soon as the first exited the room, the second let Overlady Trelaine know that the coast was clear.

She yawned pleasantly, "Oh, good. I do hate being disturbed from my thoughts."

"Speaking of which, there are other people who wanted to speak with you."

Samantha rolled her eyes, a bit put off by having to speak to someone in the middle of her thoughts, "Hello? Oh, good, it's you two! I was beginning to wonder when you would get in touch with me. Why, yes, he's here. I made sure of it; sent the Wanderer after him, in fact. No, you can't speak to him, he's in the War Room again. All right, then, you know what to do. I'll send the Wanderer for you, if you like. All right, then. Buh-bye." Click.

She got up from her couch, and went into the observatory. She held out her hand until finally a small and dainty bird landed on her hand. She pulled it close to her face, and nuzzled it on her cheek, and let it flit off to rejoin the rest.

Picked a single flower and placed it in her hair. Her dark hair just above her curvaceous hips, a silk gown trailing behind her and her beauty seemed befitting to the title of Overlady.

And from there she went into the War Room; she demurely tut-tutted Mover's plans for being a bit too brutish. He thought too much like a man, she joked. His ideas needed to be more swift and graceful, even if it required the bother of recruiting nothing but precognitive telekinetics to get it done. Often psychics were cautious, and he needed that. But physicals were brave and powerful, and he needed that as well. He couldn't simply stick with a team of the same old psychic brutes that he would have gone with before.

No, obviously that didn't work. He needed to choose more carefully what supers he recruited. And not only supers would be considered useful in this operation. For sure, the rebels would try to keep their eyes out for any large groups of super activity. But it wasn't common to cross a group of normals that could take out a super. THAT, they would never see coming, Samantha proposed. Most certainly, they would be under even a mind-reader's radar until the very last minute, with the right technology.

On and on, Samantha monologued to herself, mumbling rationale and reason under her breath as she rearranged pieces on the war board, and pointed to places on the map that she deemed important (and explained their importance to no one in particular). The Mover tried to follow her rapid train of thought, but lost her after the first couple sentences. He tried to make sense of the plan she mapped out, and quickly lost his train of thought again. Finally he just raised a hand in the air and asked Samantha what the hell she was talking about.

She stopped in her tracks, remembering again that not everyone thinks like her.

"Oh, right. Well, you see, this is me. And this is you. And this is that dreadful Mistress Lil. And that is the Raven Lady. And that is Lisa-Lee Cade. And this is Chris Parker. And Fred Annullin. And the DeMonte Sisters. And Martin. And Joseph. And Concord..."

"What?" The Mover looked at the map in amazement. Not that he was a stupid man, but it only just began to make sense when SHE explained it, "You mean, this is a map with every--?

"That's right. Every Overlord that I've calculated to pose an immediate threat to you and I. And every one that is in league with us. The neutrals are added only if they are in league with either side I've marked on this map. All in all, quite a few. "

She left the room and came back within a few minutes, and handed the Mover a piece of paper.

"What's this?"

"Well, a rule list, of course. How else would you play a game of Overlords' Chess?"

"Overlords' Chess?"

Samantha stopped to explain, "Well, of course. Every strategist has to know how to play chess. Otherwise, how on Earth would you know what moves to make in combat? What we're talking about here is combat, and there is no better means of combating a foe than by thinking of him in terms of chess. I've marked the capabilities of each piece on the board to move. Where they can go, where they're blocked, by enemies or no man's land. Some can easily jump weaker players. And some appear weak, while being much stronger than normal. Of course, this is a bit more complex than normal chess, but it makes for a hell of a time-passer..."

She looked at the Mover with a wicked glint in her eye, "Shall we play?"

And so it was settled. The Mover would be watching every move Samantha took and taking note. She had become his colleague in the art of cunning, strategy and deception.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

Samantha Trelaine arose from her afternoon rest and immediately knew within herself that she must get back to work. She looked around and bade her most trusted bodyguard to fetch her technopath. A young girl whose name and hair and eye color Overlady Trelaine was sure never to remember, she was still of great use to the empire that the Overlady had forged.

"Yes, Overlady? You wanted my services?" The technopath knelt slightly before the regal woman who summoned her.

"I did. I need you to use your laptop to gain some information on...THESE people." She handed the technopath a piece of paper and a flash drive, "Tap into the government database, get the information I need and save what you find to this flash drive. I want to know as much about these new friends as possible."

The technopath leaned in, "Um, may I be candid, Overlady? Are these actual friends, or are they people you want me to help get rid of?"

The Overlady got a good chuckle out of that one, "I like the way you think...It's especially cute that you think it's any of your business. Just make sure you erase any trace of you being on that site when you're done; maybe even change history files into malware to stop any nosy onlookers. And take Tyson with you to make sure things go smoothly."

Tyson and the technopath exited the Overlady's presence. Samantha arose from her couch, and headed for her bedroom. She was expecting company, and she wanted to look her best.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

"One by one", remarked Samantha smugly,  "they'll fall before my reign one by one. And I know exactly how to make it happen."

She looked out from the balcony that overlooked the city. Perfect, her company was arriving. She hastened to the door and looked through the peep hole to make sure they were who she expected them to be. But just in case...

"Tyson. Could you get the door, please?"

Tyson looked at how close she was to the door and then complied with forced graciousness, restraining the curse word that dangled on the edge of his lips.

"Honey, we're home..." Smiled a familiar face.

"Ah, yes, exactly who I was looking for. Come in, come in." Willis and Phil stepped forward, "Sorry to hear about your friends Bruce and Bruno."

"We're sorry about YOUR loss, Overlady. I know you must still be grieving."

The Overlady assured them that no such grieving would be going on. As of late, it wasn't in her nature to grieve for the dead. She was straight-faced at Ben's funeral, and she was straight-faced at Caleb's memorial. With the revelation of superhumans came the revelation of the afterlife, and the Astral Realms, and that would suffice. Most surely her boy would fare beautifully there. And so that was that.

What she really concerned herself with was how things would be progressing as far as her plan was concerned.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

Willis the size-shifter walked into town with a hateful grin; Phil the telekinetic had one to match. Since the two had no orders from Overlady Trelaine today, they were left to their own devices. That would mean a fun night on the town.

And THAT would mean trouble for everyone else. The two split up for maximum damage, with Willis taking the north and east, and Phil taking the south and west.

Proud of a recent improvement in his power, Willis grew to the size of a four-story building, and trudged off to start some trouble. And as the raging giant stomped about, Phil would go on a telekinetic rampage in the opposite direction. Willis stormed through the town with sadistic relish. If cars couldn't swerve out of the way to avoid him, he would kick them to the side, stomp on them, or pick them up and crash them together midair like a young boy with toy cars.

People he didn't care to step on; they didn't make nearly enough noise. Instead, he would simply pretend to step on them, and enjoy their terror as they fled and hid. A few, he would unfortunately step on for real by mistake, but like all other happy mistakes, he took those in stride.

Meanwhile, Phil would wreak havoc in any way he felt. A simple gesture to the left, and cars would go flying, people would be blasted back, and various other objects would be bent, dented or otherwise damaged. Windows shattered, tires popped, a few arms and legs were broken, until he reached a diner, and decided it was time for a snack.

Telekinetically bursting through the door with a flicker of arrogance easily discernible in his eye, he looked to either side of him. The patrons tried to look as calm and normal as possible as he made his way up to the counter. A waitress stopped in the middle of serving another order to help him.

"He-hello, welcome to Ruth's Diner. How ma-may I help you?" She tried her best to let her cordial warmth outweigh her fear.

He grinned wide, and the hair on her arms were disturbed by his rippling telekinetic power, "I want a burger. Free, if you don't mind."

She rang him up fast as she could, trying her best not to get upset as he telekinetically slid the salt and pepper off the counter. She picked them up with nary a glance in his direction, and hurried off to look busy. Phil cast his gaze about to see who else he could harass.

The heavy-set couple? Too easy. The older broad with her grandkids? Not his style. He wouldn't even go for the group of girls he otherwise would have hassled. No, today, he was in the mood to pick on someone his own size.

The guy in the corner, with the cap and shades would do.

He walked casually over to the dark-haired man, who tried his best to avoid the telekinetic's notice. Without invitation, he slid into the man's booth in the seat across from him. But before he could utter a single smug word, he stopped short.

"Wha--? Izzat you? I must be dreamin'--"

"No, it's me." The man mumbled.

He was clean-shaven, and his skin was unmarred by the burns that had been there weeks ago. He was easily recognizable by his old cohort. Dane Trelaine.

Phil got out only a cordial greeting, and a stammering "Where you been?" before the phone rang. His free time was spent. But Dane stopped him from letting Samantha know of his return. Now was not the time.

The telekinetic Phil stood up, his demeanor changed. The others watched as he walked calmly toward the counter, just as his meal was set down. With nothing more to say, he would take his food to go.

[Zaleramancer]

Meanwhile...


Humans are such endlessly fascinating creatures. They lived such short lives, but burned so brightly. Everyone of them full of memories and bright emotions.

Some more so than others, and these in particular. The entity known as Mister Skeleton watched with detached interest the proceedings, namely Lady Trelaine gauging if The Mover had ceased to be useful. He observed from the Astral Realm, per the Lady's instructions. This suited him perfectly, as the material world weakened him considerably. Using senses that human psychics had barely begun to understand, the Skeleton begin to compare he two speakers.

 The Mover's mind was mostly remarkable for the sheer energy it held. His mind and aura thundered with telekinetic power, sending out waves that rippled through the aether. The Skeleton doubted the Mover even realized how loud his power rang out to those who could hear them- or how useful hearing it could be. The Astral dweller shifted, tilting a psychic ear as it were. The Mover was impatient, he could sense. The fallen Overlord wanted the resources and contacts that Lady Trelaine had promised him when he first arrived. On that thought, Skeleton shifted his attention to the Lady.
 
 Samantha Trelaine's mind was dagger sharp and more agile than a human spider. Though she possessed no superhuman intellect, her skill at planning, scheming, plotting, double crossing and deception was unmatched. Her mind was constantly moving, thinking and above all, plotting her next move.

 The Skeleton continued to observe, realizing with every passing moment that this would play out exactly as Samantha planned. The devious lady played the Mover like a fiddle, comforting and reassuring him at every turn. Resources took time and plans were being made.  Not the plans the Mover favored, either. Deciding that there would be no further reason to watch on, Skeleton drifted away from the pair.

 He turned his mind inward, recalling the events that had brought him to here and now.

 The Astral Plane had been the Skeleton's home for as long as his memory stretched. Dwelling in the silent depths, the then nameless being had enjoyed a fairly.. content existence.  It saw the human spirits only from a great distance, the bright and burning souls that came and went.  At the time, they had been little more than background scenery, something pretty to watch from time to time.
 
 This all changed in a sudden flash. With a roar of power unlike anything he had ever witnessed, a shining soul from above came shrieking down. It hurtled past him, radiating a malice so deep that his very essence shivered. Memories bubbled of the spirit like gases escaping a comet. Images of defeat, of triumph, of torture inflicted, of pleasure gained, of enemies killed and of family members known.. The Malicious soul soon passed, rocketing on.

 The memories remained.

 The nameless being was soon wrought with a new emotion. Curiosity had claimed him.  These humans were so much more interesting than he had ever thought. He hungered for more. For the first time, the being shifted his course to the layers of the Astral realm inhabited by human souls.
 
 The Spirits fled before him, as compared to them he was a vast and terrifying being. The power he wielded shaped the very aether around him, a new first for the being, as he had taken this power as merely normal. The Spirits proved difficult to catch and the memories they gave him were so pale and lifeless. However, he discovered something.. amazing. Their was another world, one of shape and mass, that the humans dwelt in. Perhaps there he would be able to find the vivid images he so craved.
 
 However, entering the world proved.. difficult. His immaterial form could not survive there. The being, however, found a body that seemed vacant. He could sense the soul that belonged there, but it was so far off he doubted it would ever return. And so the Being discovered what it was like to be flesh and blood. To be solid. The limitations were irksome at first, but the vividness of the senses more than made up for it. The gauntness of his new body caused him to be dubbed Mister Skeleton by those that saw him. Finding the concept of a name to be entertaining, he soon adopted the custom.

 Mister Skeleton was rather alone in the world. It was such a complicated place, with so many odd rules and things that he could not begin to fathom. A sudden memory gave him a goal. One of Trelaine's memories. One of his mother. On a whim, Skeleton decided to attempt to find this woman..

Leaving his memories, Mister Skeleton mentally chuckled.

How far he had come. As the meeting between the Mover and Samantha concluded, the Skeleton returned to his original thought..

Humans are such interesting creatures.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"Skeleton...Skeleton!" Overlady Trelaine called him mentally, pleased to no end that she need not strain her voice to beckon the enigmatic Mr. Skeleton.

In the instant the Mover was absent, Mr. Skeleton was present. She smiled warmly, and gestured to him to take a seat, while she brought out the chess board for a game.

The two enjoyed each others' company immensely. Something about Samantha's mind fascinated him, and she was taken with his stoic, sneaky silence. If nothing more than partners in crime, the partnership itself was enough to entertain the both of them.

Skeleton took Samantha's rook, and she chuckled to herself. This time, SHE was the student. It was almost as though Skeleton was fifty moves ahead of her; lucky for her, she loved a challenge.

That in mind, she made her move, and Skeleton looked up, perplexed. Had she truly meant to do that? Skeleton was hesitant, and at last took the move. Not only had she left her queen open to be taken...her mind was now blaring a jazz song: Gato Barbieri's "Europa"!

Skeleton grimaced in perceptible unease.

And in a few more moves, he chuckled in disbelief. Aside from her thoroughly beating him...her ideas for the Mover and those interesting rebel folks back in the United States? Ingenious. He would be glad to be a part of it.

He arose, and the two shook hands. And just in time, dinner was ready.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Dinner was fairly quiet, as per the Overlady's orders.

Two bodyguards at every door, each stone faced and deliberate. Handsome or beautiful, as befit their gender. Some normal, but most super. And each ready to kill at a moment's notice.

The Mover hurried through his food as though it would be snatched away any second. He wasn't messy, but rushed for sure. The Overlady could tell by his body posture and that incredibly irritating munching sound that he had grown accustomed, even in the short time they had lasted, to the violent and angry turmoil that came with dealing with fed-up opposition.

Willis, however, cut into his food nearly noiseless, caring barely to look up at his dining companions. The table was set perfectly as always, and the surroundings were grandiose, as expected. Classical music played. Bach or Mozart, it scarcely mattered which.

And Phil looked to be enjoying himself as well. He cut into his food, occasionally looking up with what smacked of well-executed false pleasantry, but even his falseness was welcome. At least he knew his place. Better to be obedient than cause a scene.

Even Mister Skeleton seemed to be accustomed to the silence and the forced niceness. Smiling was new to him, and so he practiced every few minutes. Pull face muscles back, he told himself internally, just as the humans do...and whenever his new face grew tired of the effort, he would return to amused seriousness.

Only Samantha seemed to truly enjoy the goings on in her palace. It was all too perfect. The Mover was coming along nicely, learning everything she wanted him to learn. Phil and Willis were still cooperating, as long as she left them to be the immature little terrors they were. And Skeleton seemed to fancy her friendship, if that's what it could be called.
 
Now...she thought to herself, all she needed was a figurehead. Somebody to further the illusion that she intended to play nice with the rest of the countries of the world.

Just then, there came a knock at the door. Samantha motioned, and the crew cut nearest the door allowed in the nervous technopath whose name she still couldn't remember. It started with a vowel perhaps.

"Yes?" Samantha spoke blankly to the presence, not taking her eyes off the others, as though looking away would cause her to miss something important, "What is it?"

The technopath was breathless, "Ma-ma'am! Um, er, Mistress! Lady Trelaine! He's here! I almost couldn't believe it, but he's here!"

Samantha was intrigued, "Ah, is he now?" She stood, taking the napkin from her lap, and laying it on the table, "Well, whoever this he is, must be rather impressive, to get you all up in a huff. Let this he in, boys."

And that they did. In stepped a familiar, yet alien face, causing Phil to double-take. The eyes and hair brown, the body slightly more muscular than the Overlady was used to seeing--and she could swear he had grown an inch or so taller--he cocked his head a bit to the side, with a smile of pleasant surprise.

"Hello, Samantha", his voice grated like nails on a chalkboard, but she steeled herself against it, "Glad to see me?"

Samantha smiled curiously through her disdain, plastering over it quickly with deceptive platitudes, "Dane...it's...it's been a while."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

Skeleton remained in the background, surveying the subtle spectacle, entertained, as Dane and Samantha exchanged pleasantries. Even in his short time on the Mortal Plane, he had seen snakes that seemed less insidious and venomous. The two were outwardly cordial, but inwardly, Samantha imagined having Dane psychically disemboweled by Phil's telekinetic power, and Dane imagined having Samantha repeatedly stomped on by a giant-shifted Willis.

Humans are such interesting creatures, the familiar thought rang in Skeleton's mind again.

"So...how have you been?" Samantha crossed her arms, face serious.

"I've seen better days. But you'd be surprised how grateful you become when life is almost taken from you." Dane cracked a faint smile, not even turning to look at the Overlady, "I even stopped being afraid of fire."

"Afraid of fire? Since when?" The Overlady asked, puzzled, "Last I knew, you and fire had quite a love affair going..."

Dane turned to face her. She hadn't known what happened to him, when he fled the carnage of the falling Santa Fe? Surely, he thought, she had to have known, even if she hadn't herself had some part in it. But if not, he supposed, "I...maybe I'll tell you the story some day."

Samantha raised an eyebrow, and he turned around again.

"Well, you look like you've been eating well." Samantha smirked, admiring his physique from behind, "And working out. You know...you look more and more like your father. He was a very handsome man, as I'm sure you remember..."

He turned around again, "Don't patronize me, Samantha." Willis and Phil stepped back, "You know I favor my mother...So, what's the deal? Am I welcome to stay here or not?"

Samantha gestured to one of the doorman, and they signaled some other servants to take the plates from the dinner table, "You're always welcome here, Dane. You are a Trelaine, after all, even if a little Corrigan is mixed in, too. As a matter of fact... I think it's about time that you sit in with Mr. Skeleton and I as we consult with the Mover. I think it's only fair that I show you what I know about ruling. Maybe when you're ready, I can help you lay conquest to a territory of your own. What do you say?"

Dane turned, as Indiana's Overlord walked into the doorway, and asked curiously, "The Mover is here?"

"It's been a while, Dane. How are you?"

The two shook hands, and Samantha looked back to Skeleton with a smile.

Skeleton tented his fingers together and smiled in a way he hoped was warm and pleasant. Samantha was a tangle of pleasantry, deception, cunning, manipulation and disarming beauty. Dane was a mischievous soul who had been snapped to seriousness by some terrible man with an affinity for fire. The Mover was a fallen ruler, and felt he was jilted from his throne like a lover left for a lesser man.

The turnout of their relationships, whether good or bad, promised to prove most fascinating.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

Dane awoke as the sunlight touched him, and gave a sharp gasp. For an instant, he looked around, ready to defend himself, before remembering where he was. Not that it was somehow a comfort, but his burns WERE gone...

He got up, and went down to see what was for breakfast.

There Samantha sat, at the dining table, already waiting for him. At one side of her, Skeleton grinned, vaguely malevolent. At the other side, Willis smiled. Next to Skeleton, the Mover ate diligently, regardless of any guests. Next to Willis, Phil chuckled a bit. Dane had come down in nothing but his boxers.

Before he had even gotten the chance to return to his room, he turned, and was met by a pair of handmaids, offering him some clothes to wear. They tried not to look at him undressed, but he assured them that he was nothing like Caleb. He wasn't offended by commoners finding him attractive. He took his clothes, and in a few minutes would return ready to eat.

"I was expecting you wouldn't be up until noon." Samantha smiled, "Otherwise, I'd have sent up a wake-up call."

"No problem." Dane assured, "Everything tastes good, and I got sleep."

Samantha looked down at her food a second, and then spoke again, "I'm glad to hear it. But, I don't think it's good to be cooped up here all day. It's still early. Why not go out with Willis and Phil to see what Australia has to offer. I think you could stand to go out and mingle with the commoners. Right?"

Dane chuckled.

"Um. Sure, I guess."

Samantha tented her fingers together, and Skeleton turned to her. To his surprise, it really WAS harder to frown than to smile, "What is the matter, Overlady? Your emotions have changed into something more...unpleasant."

Dane cocked an eyebrow at the strange Skeleton, but Samantha caught his attention again. She could stifle it well, but everyone could see she was on the brink...of tears. And when she couldn't stand everyone looking at her, worried and concerned, like when she lost Caleb, and her husband Jason before him, she stood.

"I...I'll be in my room." She straightened her dress, pulled her hair back over her shoulders, and then demurely made her way out of the room.

The others thought to follow her, but Skeleton put up a hand. HE would see about her. Willis, Phil, the Mover and Dane looked at each other. That was certainly awkward. She had never been one to even let out a tear. Especially so suddenly and seemingly without reason.

The Mover chuckled a second, "Well, that was weird."

As his chuckle slowly died of loneliness, he soon fell silent again, and went back to eating. Breakfast was delicious.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

Samantha estimated to herself how long Dane would be gone with a smile. She certainly cared for his safety, and loved the fact that he was around, but it was ridiculous how predictable he and his friends--her servants, Phil and Willis-- were.

They'd likely go to some strip bar, mess with some of the poor defenseless Aussies, find some buddies to drink with, and come back here with either more friends, or more groupies hoping to get in good with the Trelaine Family.

A mess, she thought, shaking her head with a smirk. A maid came in, and saluted her, breaking her away from her thoughts.

"Mistress", she spoke meekly, "They've all been installed. Everywhere you asked, and every system is online."

The Overlady chuckled, "Perfect. And Skeleton? He's prepared?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good." The servant was dismissed. Just as Lady Trelaine was heading upstairs 'to get dressed for exercise', there came a psychic transmission. << The one called Dane and his cohorts are near >>. The doorbell rang and Samantha couldn't help but chuckle. She had to love Skeleton's timing. She headed up, and as Skeleton answered the door, she was already busying herself with trying to look busy.

Phil, Willis and Dane walked in, and she turned, beaming, "Oh! Dane! You're back so soon?"

Dane looked to the others, taking off his jacket and handing it to Willis, "Um, yeah, I'm back. You wanted me for something?"

Samantha descended and the others were silent, unsure of quite what to say. It was only when she had made her way back down the stairs and gotten within feet of Dane that Skeleton spoke.

"The Mover. He is expecting you in the War Room, Overlady, is he not?"

"He certainly is." Samantha put a hand on Dane's shoulder, "And I want you to come with me to the meeting. I think you could learn a thing or two from your fellow sovereigns."

Dane blinked, and looked at the lovely Overlady, not sure he had heard correctly, "Fel-fellow sovereigns?"

"Of course..." Samantha turned him gently and walked with him in the direction of the War Room, Skeleton drifting silently behind them, "Why else did you think I welcomed you into my home? I wouldn't have agreed to it if I didn't see in you some potential for good. Now come along. The Mover and I are about to play Overlords' Chess, and you would do well to try to learn a thing or two."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

When Dane awoke the next morning, he headed downstairs, rather proud of how early he had awoken. Not bad, for having stayed out as long as he did. He sat at the breakfast table, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, and waiting for the breakfast to arrive. When finally it did come, he looked around at the table. Still nobody else had arrived.

He grabbed the servant's hand before she left, "Um...hey, where's everybody else?"

"Oh, sorry, I forgot to tell you. The Overlady took Overlord Mover, Skeleton, Phil and Willis to a meeting, just outside of town. You're expected to meet them there when you finish eating and getting dressed. The chauffeur will be ready whenever you are."

Dane let go of the girl's hand, and analyzed her answer in his head. Samantha was expecting him. How...ominous. What in the world did she have planned for him? It was nearly impossible to imagine, Samantha was so aloof and unreadable. And so he hurried to finish eating, then headed back upstairs to clean up, and then let the maid know to tell the chauffeur he was ready.

Even if he probably wasn't...

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

In an hour's time, Dane would arrive at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Center. He entered cautiously, and looked around to see if anyone was waiting for him. It normally wasn't like him to be so suspicious, but he was dealing with Samantha, and that was plenty enough to set him on his guard. Just what exactly what did she have planned for him? What did she have to discuss with him, that required him to come to the Convention Center? If it was something minor, she could easily have told him back at the Manor, that was for sure.

Low murmuring came from within. Voices. An entire audience, it seemed. Dane inhaled. Exhaled, deeply. Whatever he was getting himself into, he probably couldn't escape now.

He approached, and stopped short again, startled by a sudden outburst from within. His tension eased when he realized the outburst was that of applause. He shook his head and chuckled to himself. He was being so stupid, he realized. Not every little thing Samantha did was some evil, malevolent scheme to trap and kill each and every one of her foes. It simply wasn't possible. Nobody could have a mind who thought like that twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Right?

He resumed his pace, through the corridor that lay before him, up the stairs, further into darkness. At last, the darkness opened out to a large audience, quietly attentive to the scene below. People in old-timey dress, speech like a page out of the Bible...seriously, a play?

"Ah, there you are, Master Trelaine-Corrigan." A voice whispered out of the darkness, startling Dane again. A servant had been told to wait at the door for Dane's arrival.

"F*ck, you scared the sh*t outta me." Dane exhaled, "And no need to be so formal. Just Trelaine is fine for my last name. So, um...what's goin' on here? What play is this?"

The servant pushed her blonde hair back behind her ears, "William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark."

"I know who it's by." Dane snapped, "I'm not stupid."

The servant frowned, "...Of course, sir. My fault."

From the look on the young sovereign's face, she could tell that now was not the time to mention that Overlady Trelaine had actually ordered her to give that little spiel, complete with the play's full name, and the playwright. She only offered a humble gesture for Dane to follow her to where Overlady Trelaine sat with Willis, Phil, the Mover and Mr. Skeleton.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

The play dragged on for hours, with each scene getting more boring than the last. Oh, of course, it was dramatic, but that was just it; Dane hated drama. And the one ghost that it had wasn't the slightest bit vengeful; he didn't kill or maim a single person! In all, it simply didn't speak to Dane; admittedly, it reminded him a bit of The Lion King, but it definitely didn't have anything on Scarface.

He was more than just a little relieved when finally it was over, but he certainly wouldn't let Samantha know that.

"So, uh...that was a pretty good play." He offered, beating Samantha to the punch, "Hey, Skeleton, what was your favorite part?"

Skeleton remained nearly expressionless, "I rather enjoyed the complex layers of human emotion, the themes of subtle treachery, and the various other psychological dysfunctions, easily discernible even in our modern times..."

Dane, Willis and Phil blinked, utterly gobsmacked. Samantha was amused by their sudden silence, and broke it with all the subtlety she had learned in her years as Overlady.

"Yes, I found it quite entertaining as well." She looked to Dane, with a coy smirk, "A bit stuffy, to be sure, but definitely one of Shakespeare's finer works, if you can turn its old meanings into more modern truths..."

"Mistress!" Came a voice from behind the group; Samantha turned around, to see that it was one of her bodyguards, "Rebels. They've started an assault on the Manor."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

It was frightening even for Phil and Willis to witness just how easily Samantha dealt with the opposing forces that attempted to storm her manor. Dane could only watch in dumbstruck disbelief as the Overlady commanded forces left and right to handle the large mob of rebel riff-raff. She made being heartless look easy.

The first wave of retaliation came from heavy artillery and various other weapons from normals. Their lack of superpowers made no difference. Semiautomatic guns, grenades, knives, whatever they saw fit to use, they used. The air was heavy with the sound of violence and anger, heavy with the smell of gunpowder and blood. And the Overlady's fighters came out wild-eyed and rang barbarian battle cries through the air, hateful war shouts, to top off the intimidation.

Even hidden away in the secure bunker on the estate, nearly a football field away from personal harm or injury, Samantha expertly orchestrated the next wave of offense. Dane watched as the supers flooded in next; tanks bashing supers and normals left and right; agiles leaping on foes to take them down; blasters shooting fire, light, psionic energy; fliers swooping down on hapless normals. None seemed touched by fear or doubt, each had a sure hand, killing teen and adult alike.

The rebels' end was nowhere near a pretty one. None were left alive, except those who could regenerate and the two with the fortune to be invulnerable. But, in truth, even that held little fortune for them; they would be held prisoner, interrogated, tortured for what information they might have. And when they could yield no more use to Samantha's empire, they would either be tied up and thrown into some indiscriminate body of water, or set in some bulletproof glass case to suffocate.

When the dust of numerous booms and blasts finally cleared, Skeleton knew that the coast was clear first. He motioned to Samantha, Dane and the others, and led them across the lawn to the front door. He waved a hand, and the door opened effortlessly, as though by a friendly, welcoming butler.

"We should head inside." Skeleton turned back to the others, his weak smile now somewhat appropriate, "I imagine Samantha and The Mover shall want to discuss the implications of this...recent development."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

"Mover..." Samantha straightened her dress, "You and I have been practicing Overlord's chess for a while now. You've gotten quite good, I must say. Especially for how short a time I've been teaching you the rules."

The Mover scratched his head, "Huh. I have been winning a lot more, recently, haven't I? So, uh, did you want to step it up a notch tonight? Maybe let me go up against Skeleton, to see how far I've come along?"

Samantha and Mr. Skeleton shared a telepathic chuckle at the thought, but externally, their faces remained straight as Samantha answered, "Well, no. Actually, I was thinking you might want to do some practice alone tonight. You see...I've been meaning to spend a bit more time with Dane. Dane, darling, would you mind coming with me?"

Dane looked to either side of him, at Phil and Willis, and reluctantly agreed. And Skeleton would lead the way back to the War Room. Though, despite being invited to (relatively) alone time with Samantha, Dane wasn't exactly getting the feeling of quality mom and son time.

"Alright..." Dane straightened himself in the chair of the War Room table, and looked uneasily to Samantha, "You've got me alone now. Did you, maybe, need me for somethi--?"

"Yes, actually, I did." Samantha answered with a smiled, "Or, maybe, not so much needed you, as wanted you. I figure you'll be far more fun to play with than the Mover."

Dane's eyes widened, and he recoiled a bit, before Samantha finished, sensing that her meaning had been lost on him.

"Overlord's chess..." she gestured to the board, with a coy smirk.

"Oh..."

"But you knew that, right?"

"Uh...yeah, of course."

"Good", Samantha began setting up the game pieces, "Because, in all honesty, I find your company far more delightful than that stuffy old Mover. I mean, he's nice and all, in his own socially awkward kind of way, but let's face it; his age, his experience, still hasn't made him any wiser. He's rough, coarse, stubborn, headstrong, and not very good at learning new lessons. I've even gotten to the point of letting him win at our games, to get him out of my hair for a while! But not you. Experience has changed you. All around, it's changed you. Made you more serious. Made you more cautious. Made you more...receptive to teaching. You'll get much more out of Overlord's chess than he ever will. I guarantee it."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

Overlord's Chess with Dane was most revealing. A lot of what Samantha saw in Dane's movements, she already knew, but a lot of it, she didn't. Dane seemed somewhat more proficient at this game than even Samantha had anticipated, starting out. Somewhat more sure...somewhat more ambitious.

"Perhaps I'm making more of his game than I should." Samantha mused, gesturing to the masseuse that he should move a bit higher, "I mean, he didn't win, after all..."

"But he came close, didn't he?"

"He did." Samantha ceded, "But...but, Skeleton, he can't be any kind of prodigy. I've known him since birth. He never showed any sort of ambition. Never liked to compete; never saw winning or losing as a big deal. Could I have missed something in him, even after all these years?"

"He's no prodigy..." Skeleton replied, "Yet. I don't fault you for being unable to perceive his mind, Samantha; your kind have only recently even come across such a capability. But I have sensed what lies within him. I have sensed what it takes to bring that potential out. And I sense that you were right in selecting him..."

"He lost." Samantha narrowed her eyes, "You never said he would lose."

"I never said he would win, either." Skeleton rebutted, "Only that your choice was the right one. Trust me, Samantha. What counts is the effort that he put into playing. If you noticed, his effort was not put forth to win. Only to impress you. To gain your approval..."

Samantha's eyes widened suddenly, and she put up a hand; the masseuse's hands stopped moving. The Overlady turned to face Skeleton, who was now grinning like a madman.

"You...you're right. You're absolutely right. And now that I think about it...I'm kind of shocked I hadn't thought of it, myself." she couldn't help but appreciate the reason behind that wily smile, and smile a bit herself, "I knew there was a reason I kept you around, Skeleton..."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

"I dunno...it was kinda weird." Dane was almost lost in thought, "She looked like part of her was happy to see me lose, and part of her was kinda disappointed."

"I wouldn't put too much thought into it, if I was you." Phil chuckled.

Willis agreed, "Yeah, trying to read her is like trying to guess where Shyamalan is gonna go with one of his movies. Not even the experts can say. Did you hear about that one telepath?"

"Oh, yeah, I remember him! Hey, whatever happened to him? Is he out of the hospital yet?" Phil suddenly remembered the incident.

"What? The hospital?" Dane blinked, "What happened? Did she attack him, or have him jumped?"

Willis and Phil exchanged entertained glances, and Willis shook his head no, "If only the Overlady had been so kind. Nope, ol' Sammy laid the smack-down on him, turning his own telepathy on him. Started thinking the loudest, brightest most random crap she could think. Cannon fire. Fireworks. Nuclear explosions. Death metal rock. And her mind wouldn't let him go. He was damn-near comatose when she finally set him free. Where do think Caleb got the technique from? Samantha is a super among normals; like Batman, but with lipstick. I mean--"

"So nice to know you think so highly of me." The voice came, and Phil and Willis were immobilized, like children caught with their hands in the cookie jar, "But I'm afraid you'll have to continue this conversation some other time. My son and I need to have a word alone, if you don't mind."

The two shot up from their chairs and hurried out of the room to avoid what they knew was insidious hostility, well hidden under a pleasant and gracious smile.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

Dane followed Samantha to the backyard terrace without a word. The palm trees seemed perfectly positioned, shielding their eyes from the sun. Sunlight glittered beautifully off the clear blue water of the pool. The servants would arrive shortly with lemonade and team. Samantha and her stepson sat, and Dane hoped his stepmother would go ahead and tell him what she wanted, so he didn't have to ask.

"You know..." Samantha said, "It's a real shame how our empire had to collapse in America. Don't you think?"

"Well...I dunno. Everybody always says that things happen for a reason." Dane shrugged, "And I do kinda like it here."

Samantha eyed him a second. Studied him. Considered his answer. Certainly not what she expected. Still...

"It is nice." The Overlady agreed, "And so much better, with the option to see any of its sights, any time I please. One of many perks of ruling, I assure you."

"I'm sure."

Samantha smiled a little, "...Dane, you mean to tell me you don't miss America, even a little bit? You don't think about it? Dream about it? Remember any of the good times you had there?"

Immediately, Dane remembered when he first learned to drive. Caleb had a carjacker friend teach him. It was the best thing he had ever experienced, outside of sex. The open driving course was so rough and rugged, he felt like he was in an action movie. And there was all the traveling he did with Caleb for his business trips and vacations. And Caleb never forgot his birthday, even if he only used them for excuses to have lavish parties.

Dane realized that he had gotten carried away. He turned his attention back to Samantha, sure that he had betrayed his true feelings.

"Sure. I guess I had a pretty good time. I can't really complain." Dane replied. And aside from being burned alive and left for dead, by a pyrokinetic madman, he wasn't lying.

"Hm, I guess you're right, son." Samantha turned to receive her tea as the servants approached, "Australia is much nicer. Much more...exotic. Though, I still can't help but think. What would it have been like, if the Trelaines still had stake in America's affairs? What if Caleb had never been deposed so violently? Or never been deposed at all? Or...more realistically...what if the next to succeed him also bore the Trelaine name?"

Dane was about to respond, but Skeleton's voice broke into his thought, from the doorway behind them, "Lady Trelaine, your yoga instructor is here."

"Ah, right on time!" Samantha smiled, "Perfect. Tell him I'll be there in just a second. And could you check on my personal trainer, Skeleton?"

"Gladly, Lady Trelaine."

"Excellent." Samantha leaned over and kissed Dane on the cheek, "Well, Dane, it was nice talking to you, but my yoga teacher is here. We'll continue this talk some other time, okay?"

Her stepson nodded without a word. Samantha smiled, and turned to accompany Skeleton to her lesson. And Dane was left wondering what it was about Samantha's words that had made him feel so very uneasy...

[Celadon's Penultimate]

==Australia==

A strange clatter of sounds disturbed Dane's thoughts. He got up, and headed upstairs. He found that the balcony from Samantha's room was just fine to see the commotion, but it did no good to help him hear any better. He made his way downstairs, and out the front door. Whatever it was, it sounded juicy.

It turned out, some of the townspeople had gotten wind of the massacre that had occurred, just a couple hours earlier. The news people certainly moved quickly, Dane thought with a smirk. He shrank back behind a pillar on the front porch. This was going to be good.

"Just let us take them home!" A man knelt down, teary-eyed, beside a teenager's limp body, "We won't bother you for anything else! Can we please, at least, have that courtesy?"

Mr. Skeleton did not raise his voice, but Dane heard him just fine, "...What? You will do no such thing. Even dead, they are war criminals. Vigilantes. Heinous traitors against the throne. Why, what would Lady Trelaine think, if I allowed them the honor of being back home with families, as though they were innocent?"

"They were innocent!" A girl menaced Phil and Willis, tears streaming down her face, "You two are the criminals! Nothing but two crimin--!"

The girl's mother grabbed her in an embrace, half to console her, half to prevent her from further insulting Overlady Trelaine's henchmen. Dane half-smiled. He could tell even from here; Phil was livid, and Willis was furious. He could almost feel for those folks, their friends and loved ones laying all about on the field, yet to be picked up by Samantha's forces. Almost. He perked back up, hoping not to miss a word.

"Yeah, you better shut her up, lady." Willis narrowed his eyes at the girl, "Or Phil would have done it for you."

He moved forward a step. Another man stepped forward, with caution. Hopefully, the telekinetic didn't intend to go through him.

"Now, wait a minute!" The man spoke up, "Can you really blame that girl for feeling like--?"

The man's question was stifled in his throat, as Phil extended a hand, "I'll blame her for whatever the hell I want. What're you gonna do about it?"

The man struggled uselessly in Phil's telekinetic grip; he rose a foot off of the ground a foot. The stunned look of horror on the civilians' faces made Dane uneasy, but it seemed to tickle Phil and Willis to no end. Though, Skeleton didn't seem to find it so entertaining. He cleared his throat (or simply made a sound like it), and the man fell from Phil's grasp. He would not rise again, despite Phil's frustrated attempts. Thankful for whatever Skeleton had done, he skittered silently back into the crowd. Skeleton turned his attention back to Phil.

"A mind is wasted on your like." Samantha's crony groaned, "You're nearly as bad as The Mover. Honestly. Why don't the two of you go back into the Manor? I'm sure you'll find something much more useful to do there. And as for you...dear citizens...your loved ones' bodies are now under public jurisdiction, so it would be best served by going back into town. I do not, as of yet, have orders to kill you. And should I receive such orders, I'm under no obligation to warn you, or to give you a headstart."