Vol. 2 Iss. 14 - The Invasion of the Setting Sun Begins
General Summary
Night 1 of the Monster Invasion
Metro Force quickly learned the world was under siege by legendary monsters, all seemingly orchestrated by Balor to distract from his larger ritual. New York City faced six concurrent attacks, with five monsters rampaging across the boroughs:
- The Bronx: Nidhogg
- Queens: Hordes of mummies emerging from the sewers
- Central Park: Packs of wolves led by Fenrir
- Brooklyn: The Thunderbird, perched atop the bridge tower
- Flatiron District: The Hydra
- Financial District & Ellis Island: The Kraken lurking in the river
Dispatching Heroes
At Meg n’ Maggie’s, Metro Force strategized with local heroes while Val (Valiant) was away in the Bronx aiding her fellow knights. The team assigned the bar’s heroes to Brooklyn, hoping to contain the Thunderbird. Metro Force then rushed to Queens to halt the flow of mummies.
Queens: Sewers and Hades
On their way, Danny (Agogo) couldn’t resist saving bystanders beset by scattered mummies. Individually, the undead posed little threat, but their sheer numbers overwhelmed neighborhoods. Meanwhile, Trent (Zeus), Malcolm (Warden), and Ella (Cinder) descended into the sewer tunnels to find the source of the invasion.
- Tracking the Summoner: Ella’s flames lit the way, incinerating groups of mummies. Malcolm took a call from Eric, reiterating that Eric must not claim the False Tree in Central Park.
- Confronting Hades: Deep in the tunnels, they discovered Hades, chained yet somehow channeling the undead from another realm. An intense fight left Trent near death from Hades’ lethal gaze. With Ella’s healing, he recovered, and they eventually broke Hades’ chains.
- Silent Departure: The moment the chains snapped, Hades stood unharmed and uttered a grim, “I hate you mortals,” before stepping through a portal. Up above, Danny was close to exhaustion, endlessly battling mummies to protect civilians.
Regrouping topside, Metro Force decided Central Park would be their next battlefield.
Central Park: Wolves and Eric
- Malcolm & Danny warped through the Unplanted Forest, emerging in Central Park. There, they found Eric, covered in blood from defending civilians against Fenrir’s wolf packs. Eric was wracked with guilt and frustration, convinced he could do more if he reclaimed the False Tree.
- Trent & Ella took flight from Astoria but were intercepted over the river by the Thunderbird.
The massive bird snatched Zeus in a sudden talon strike. Unable to withstand its power, both he and Ella were nearly lost:
- Thunderbird’s Nest: Zeus was taken back to the towering nest in Brooklyn. Ella plummeted toward the water, narrowly saved by Candy Kate, one of the local heroes assigned to distract the Thunderbird.
- With only moments to spare, the team regrouped, determined to rescue Trent from the Thunderbird’s lair.
Brooklyn: Showdown on the Tower
Metro Force and the bar heroes converged on the tower:
- Cinder & Local Heroes orchestrated a diversion to lure the Thunderbird away.
- Malcolm used his powers to create an opening in the floor beneath the nest.
- Danny (Agogo) sprinted up the building to retrieve Zeus.
However, inside the nest, Balor unexpectedly stood over the captured Trent, dagger in hand, muttering, “There’s nothing wrong with using the hearts of two heroes, I suppose.” Agogo just managed to grab Zeus and plummet through the hole, escaping to safety.
Believing he could end it all, Malcolm tackled Balor and hurled them both from the tower. The fall was brutal, with Balor stabbing Malcolm repeatedly on the way down. Though Malcolm’s magic restored him upon impact, Balor rose unscathed, still laughing.
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