A/N: I figured that I kept everyone waiting long enough. Sequel to my previous fanfiction crossover, Netherworld vs Stilwater. s/11004571/1/Netherworld-vs-Stilwater
Chapter 1: A long awaited sequel
The Overlord sat upon his obsidian throne. His power was overwhelming. His will, uncontested. His reign, unfair and evil. Once upon a time, he used to live in a world of fantasy that was filled with many magical fairy tale creatures and mystical spellcraft. His father, nearing his death upon contracting a deathly illness, summoned a powerful magic that transported his son into a different realm, and placed a spell of sleep so that 1,000 years later, the inheritor would rise again and don the title of Overlord.
When the new Overlord emerged from his magically induced slumber, he emerged into a world he did not understand, but quickly adapted to. He found himself amidst a city set in the modern age, in a time after the age of industry where technology was commonplace. The Overlord fought and dominated within this new realm, and claimed many lives that had once dared to stand in his way. His greatest challenge was facing off against the notorious and infamous criminal gang known as The Third Street Saints. Their ignorance for authority was evident upon their view over The Overlord's authority. They fought against him, but failed. The modernity of the city of Stilwater had no means of protection against The Overlord's minion horde, his fiery and mind rending magic, and giant axe that can cleave a car engine in twain with a single strike.
The Overlord and the leader of The Saints fought with one another till the Saint's leader saw that there was no mortal means for The Saint's to be able to fight against The Overlord. As a defiant gesture, The Saint's leader refused to submit to The Overlord's rule or his enslavement by way of suicide, and instant cremation.
After the hollow victory over the control of Stilwater, The Overlord instigated several laws that, in short, screwed the entire population of the city. The homeless problem was solved, but it involved killing and converting the squatters into lifeforce. Nearly all jewelry stores no longer sold jewelry made of bronze, silver, gold and diamonds, since much of the precious metals and minerals were stolen/monitored. Instead, the jewelry stores resorted to using steel with bronze, silver, and gold enamel paint, which The Overlord forced them to sell at the same cost in relation to other jewelry competitors outside Stilwater. Instead of diamonds, the jewelry stores were forced to use cubic zirconia gems or glass. Stilwater's police forces, as well as much of the residents of Stilwater, had been commanded to become a new type of peacekeeping force known as 'watchers'. The Watchers are the victims of The Overlords mind rending magic, people who had become enslaved that would actively survey the residents of Stilwater and report to their master of any goodly instances or breaking of the laws The Overlord made. They don't report to their master when any other law not pertaining to The Overlord's assets is broken, like one citizen murdering another citizen. But they will report to him when a citizen murders an enslaved citizen or a watcher, for example.
The Federal government of the United States did everything they could to keep The Overlord a secret to the rest of the country and the world, using media blackout techniques and restricting internet searches, even doing everything possible to make sure that the state of Michigan and its lake to seemingly forget that Stilwater even existed. But even then, The Overlord of Stilwater was not a man to be ignored, as he was reported to be seen on other parts of the country, regarded by government officials to be nothing more than a hoax on several occasions. But it was when 'The Overlord Interviews', that had became incredibly popular over various television talk shows, broke the system of silence that the government had tried to keep under wraps. They had no idea how The Overlord was in New York, New York in one moment, and then was somehow in Los Angeles, California in the next half-hour.
This had prompted a media storm that was unable to be contained, and soon, Stilwater and the overlord that controlled the secret city was a topic of discussion. Eventually, the government had conceded that they had made a deal with said Overlord in the past. The deal was to trade livestock and funds for the safety of the non-enslaved citizens of Stilwater on a monthly basis. Despite the media backlash, much of the attention for all audiences everywhere were focused on the unusual 'minions'.
Soon enough, the little minions eventually got their own spotlight in the internet video series known as 'Minion Movies', which mainly focused on four minions called Mud, Flames, Snake and Heals, which mainly focused on them breaking various objects and killing 'death row prisoners' in 'unique and interesting ways'. Over 15 videos were made, all were flagged and taken down due to 'gratuitous violence' and 'approval of illegal activity'. However, another internet video series was created afterwards, called 'Minion Show', which consisted of several minions and whatever kind of skit they wanted to show to the world. Many of the 'Minion Show' videos were also flagged and taken down due to 'gratuitous violence' and 'approval of illegal activity'. After that, a website was created to dedicate all the flagged and taken down videos, plus a new series, simply called 'Minion Games'. Minion Games had Mud, Flames, Snake and Heals give commentary to four teams of minions who would cause property damage, steal loot and money, and take the 'shiny thing' to the respective team's goal. No score was kept, but generally whichever minion ended up getting the 'shiny thing' in their goal first ended up winning. A type of beer that the minions make became popular due to one of the 'Minion Show' videos that explained how minion-made beer was made.
The aptly named 'Minion Brew' is a mushroom beer that claimed an ABV rating of 66%. Despite the eventual production and sales distribution of the beer, its taste was considered too bitter and had psychotropic properties. It was later discovered that the brew was made in unsanitary conditions, required the use of a toxic mushroom called 'hero's bane', and the contents of the brew was not properly filtered. Even though the minion brew is still being produced, it has been outlawed in several states and much of Canada and Alaska.
Years later, in the present, The Overlord, whose name where a respected and worthy few would learn of as Carlon, was watching a rerun of Grey's Anatomy. The great stalactite tower known as the netherworld tower was the bastion of evil, home to The Overlord and his many hordes of minions. Normally, Carlon would wear his armor and axe most times of the day. Since The Overlord didn't sleep, he would either keep up his appearance in the city he controlled or relax and watch television without it during his free hours. He stood at 7'7", whose eyes could change to various colors that matched his mood. They were currently a silvery white. Were he to become aggressive or angry, they would develop into a more yellow color, where if his emotions become more torrid, would make them orange, reddish-orange, or even neon red on rare occasions. He had red hair that was fashioned into a braid after visiting a hair salon, and was Caucasian in color, save for the blue glowing lines that seem to slowly swirl on his skin.
He was bored.
Not much of an intro after describing the events that happened after Carlon's emergence into this realm.
The netherworld had upgraded somewhat after the years went by. Much of the minion burrows had cable installed into many of the huts. Satellite television was not a viable option when you live underground. Most of the channels that the minions watched mainly consisted of demolition derbies, slapstick comedies, cartoons, violence, and a select few monster/horror movies where the monster/antagonist wins, and MTV. It was also here that the video editing center was located. They didn't have a minion smart enough to figure out how to edit videos so that they wouldn't be flagged or taken down, so they 'hired' an enslaved to do that kind of work for them. Then there was the mount pens. The wolves had their own stables, which had enjoyed the luxury of eating raw or slightly cooked meat. The spiders... seemed comfortable, living off of whatever kind of prey got trapped in their webs. And the salamanders was on a healthy diet of anything organic that can ashen to their flame, wooden furniture or furs, plant or animal.
Also located here is an old relic of the past that has provided minions with plentiful beer. A dwarven beer kettle, now used to mass produce the minion brew beer brand. However, the old relic was not meant to mass produce beer for all minions AND much of North America, so it was decided to get several enslaved to do much of the work, using low quality beer kettles and second rate ingredients. They would sometimes forget to prepare and boil the hero's bane mushrooms before fermenting them into the beer, possibly due to lack of sleep.
The minion master, an ancient minion named Gnarl, wearing black and red rags with a crystal lantern over his head, would often visit the minion burrows to check up on the little gnashers. As per usual, they seem to be up to their own antics, or entertain themselves with whatever they were watching. A scowl scrunched his raisin face. "... Hmm. I think it's time we do something about this idleness."
Gnarl turned and stormed as fast as his elderly legs could carry him, somehow managing to push a minion that was busy with his DS to the ground. Making way to the floating platform that floats between the minion burrows and the throne room, Gnarl jumped onto it, riding it to the throne room, a place Gnarl knows that his master usually resides in during his off time. Once the platform stopped moving, Gnarl scuttled off it and proceeded to approach his overlord. Gnarl stopped once he was right under the hanging and angled widescreen, using the same rack that lets the world map slide over and give The Overlord various points to transport himself to. The Overlord didn't notice Gnarl there.
"... Ahem." Gnarl said, trying to get his masters attention.
The Overlord looked down at his minion master, growling from being disturbed during his free time. "Grr... What, Gnarl?"
"Sire," Gnarl addressed to his master. "I cannot help but feel as though that we have been aloof in our villainy."
"Aloof."
"Yes sire."
"As in, lacking?"
"That is right, sire." Gnarl clasped his fingers.
"... That's all you have to say on this manner?"
"Well... It's just that we haven't exactly done anything evil in the past month, my lord. Not to say that I have been keeping track of your evil deeds, sire."
"No no, I would expect a minion of your position to keep track of such things. But ah... Can this wait? The next season premiere is going to be announced."
"..." Gnarl turned away without saying anything, leaving for the minion burrows.
Carlon watched Gnarl leave the throne room, then continued watching his show once Gnarl stepped on the platform that floated to the minion burrows. Moments pass, but The Overlord felt something in his gut bother him. It wasn't indigestion perse, but it was more akin to... a nagging feeling.
Carlon shifted twice in his seat before remembering that Gnarl had said some things before leaving. Or a lack thereof. Carlon wasn't sure which it was. Carlon later figured out that Gnarl had ended up using reverse psychology on him. Or at least a reverse psychology of some kind, from what Carlon is able to figure out. But what Carlon did figure out is that he was feeling guilt for some reason. Guilt? An overlord? Carlon would not stand for this. He stood up and then proceeded to track down his minion master, either to punish him or give him a stern talking to about the usage of reverse psychology on an overlord.
Soon enough, Carlon emerged in the minion burrows. He pushed passed the enslaved that worked tirelessly making low quality beer for the masses, whilst the minions make the better quality of Minion Brew only for themselves, their master, and the scant amount of supporters to The Overlord's rule. Carlon tried to remember where Gnarl's hut was situated within this mess of twists and turns of burrows. After several wrong turns, Carlon ended up finding a lone blue minion near a flowing river and an arch of stone, who wielded a large scythe, and worn a black cloak and hood. The blue minion had a solemn and gloomy outlook about him. He turned upon hearing footsteps approaching. "... Ah, master! I wondered when you would come back here."
"Mortis." Carlon said. He didn't really like coming down to the minion graveyard. True, if ever his favorite minions succumbed to an untimely death, Mortis would always have the knack to bring them back. He also facilitated in gathering lifeforce from Carlon's harvests, and using that gathered lifeforce to spawn the minions. "Can you tell me where Gnarl is?"
"He's not at your side?" Mortis mused. "Strange. Advisors usually are close to their masters."
"Well... He's not at the moment. When did you see him last?"
Mortis pointed his scythe to a generalized direction. "I can smell his cooking, so he must be at his little hovel."
"Oh. Yeah, I can smell it too, now that you mentioned it." Carlon wrinkled his nose, but braved to go in the direction to where what counted as 'minion cooking' originated.
Mortis watched his master leave. He called out to him before his master was out of earshot. "Remember, sire! There is no equal exchange when it comes to the afterlife. Death is fair to all mortals equally."
Carlon minded not of Mortis's drivel, since it's yet another riddle about death and life or whatever it pertained to. But still, Mortis means well, so Carlon would keep it in mind, in case there was some revelation in the future. Carlon clanked along his way, smelling and following the awful smell of minion cuisine. Various minions stepped out his way and saluted to him, or at least those that were not busy with whatever handheld game they were mashing buttons on.
Eventually, Carlon found the source of the smell. Gnarl's hut was slightly larger than any other minion hut, or even the huts that belonged in The Overlord's horde. The size of the door was not big enough to allow his imposing presence to pass, so he simply knocked on the door.
"I'm busy! If it's you again, Maul, I'll tie your leg to a spider's leg and let whatever happens, watching!" Said a voice from the inside.
"Minion master." Carlon replied.
"Wh- Augh! Uh, wait there a moment!" There was sudden clanging from inside the hut. Seconds later, Gnarl opened door to the entrance of his hut and peered out, looking up to find his master, and here of all places. "... Sire! Uh... I didn't expect you to come down here and see me!"
Carlon remained silent.
"... Well. Uh... Parden me for just a minute!" Gnarl retreated back into his hut, clanging being heard from within again. Nearly 10 seconds earlier than a minute's passing, Gnarl returned with a pot of... Something. Its odor was strongly that of... Something. The smell it was wafting into the air was beyond description, since it had such a pungent essence. Gnarl hobbled out, stirring its contents with a wooden spoon. "I apologize for making you wait. I didn't want my meal to spoil."
Carlon had to cover his nose when it felt as though it was burning off. "Blugh! What even is that?"
Gnarl looked down into his saucepan. "Oh. It's just a goulash. Mushroom and bat wings. My favorite kind of comfort food when there is nothing to do but wait for the next scheme. I could interest you in a nibble, but I think the last time a human tasted my cooking, he turned inside-out."
"Hmm. ... Did you uh... Boil the mushrooms first?" Carlon asked.
Gnarl gave Carlon an inquisitive stare. "Sire, you know better than me that eating a fresh hero's bane would turn any man worth their salt into a blithering idiot. They would chew out their own tongue and prattle on about seeing worms trying to creep into their vision."
"It actually has the opposite effect for minions, however." Carlon pointed out.
Gnarl looked up at Carlon. He then looked back at his saucepan. "Well... Yes... Your point?"
Carlon turned and leaned onto Gnarl's hut, which threatened to topple with a groan. "I was thinking over what you just said, Gnarl. Perhaps we 'may' have been a little more than aloof than I had thought prior."
Gnarl sighed, blowing into his spoonfuls and eating. " *grumch grumch* Bechueen ewe ah me, hire, *ulp* " Gnarl said, chewing and swallowing. "It has been nearly three months since we did any nefarious deeds."
Carlon immediately looked back at Gnarl. "Three months?"
"Yes, sire. *grumch* Hsree onfs." Gnarl said, eating his disgusting home-cooked meal.
Carlon turned away and shook his head. "It couldn't have been three months. Could it? ... *sigh* I must be slipping. ... But what about that time I knocked down that old lady's grocery bag?
"You didn't knock them down, you bumped into her. That didn't count."
"Well... How about that time I forced those people to laugh at the video I made?"
"Putting up the audio of a laugh track during an animal abuse infomercial, though funny in and of itself, is not evil. Plus, you started laughing, which prompted them to laugh. I would hardly consider it evil since they had guffawed just so that they wouldn't risk getting cleaved in twain. Or, would have, since you didn't bring your axe with you that day. *grumch*"
"Gr. ... Alright, how about this: I forced a beggar to eat sand. What isn't evil about that?"
"That was, if my memory serves... eight months ago."
Carlon looked down and shook his head even more. He stopped leaning on Gnarl's hut, turned around and punched it once, forcing a window and door to tilt and become crooked. Gnarl looked up, surprised, and nearly spilling his meal. Carlon growled, agitated yet nonplussed about his recent activity over the past three months. "... Am I seriously losing my edge here?"
"Oh no no no, sire! Not at all! It's just... Well... Uh... It's just that... Uh..." Gnarl stammered, trying to think of an excuse.
"... Right." Carlon said, peering and reaching into Gnarl's hut and pulling something out, then storming away.
Gnarl shook himself from his current thought process, dumbly watched, then followed after Carlon. "S-sire?"
Carlon briskly walked past many minions in his wake, his eyes now glowing a bright and angry orange. He picked up a brown minion along the way, dropping his hat that happened to be a bent hubcap. Carlon followed the various wires along the ground and found the cable box. The Overlord aimed the minion at that very cable box and launched him, the minion powered projectile smashing and destroying Carlon's target. Every minion in the minion burrows screeched and roared their disdain simultaneously as their screens would show static. The Overlord then wielded the pilfered item from Gnarl's house, using it to project his voice to everyone in the burrow. "MINIONS~!"
Every minion stopped what they were doing, either distracting themselves with games or complaining with the television service, and focused onto their master with their undivided attention. The only creatures that didn't give the attention that demanded as such was the enslaved, though in truth their master wanted only the attention of the minions anyway.
Carlon boomed again in Gnarl's megaphone. "Long ago, we have been given the gift to travel to this reality, and do onto it however we wished. And what did we do? We raped the laws! We pillaged resources! We burned all obstacles in our way! Try as they might, the world would do what it can to keep us down and keep us secret. But we rebelled, and we didn't remain quiet!" Carlon started pacing at this point. "To invoke the old adage, quoted from a minion you all know: 'Evil always finds a way.' It's an ancient saying that many of you know and love, but I am feeling as though we have forgotten its meaning. Look at yourselves!" Carlon turned and pointed at the general minion crowd.
Each minion looked at one another in confusion, though they did as their master asked. Not a minion dared not to disobey a direct command from their master when he's angry. Or at all. Minions are obedient like that.
Carlon spoke again. "I bet very little of you would remember the earlier days where we fought in Stilwater for control. Back then, we had reached the pinnacle of fear and awe. When we took Stilwater, the residents knew that we were their masters, and that we would enforce our rule whenever they disobeyed, rebelled, or show disrespect! You. Come here." Carlon pointed at a nearby minion, wearing a purple and white t-shirt that used to belong to a Saint long ago and had a paper bag as a hat, to which responded by accepting and carrying out the command of his master. He was picked up from his neck and raised high, being shown to the audience of minions. "Meager, unwilled, flabby, lazy, and weakened. And this is what you have become!" Carlon threw the minion at the crowd of minions, causing scabby ragdolls to fly around with the thrown minion being in the epicenter of the toss.
After the confusion, the minions gathered around the thrown minion and glared at him. The thrown minion got back up, but was then pummeled to the ground again by the angry mob.
"... The hell are you doing?" Carlon bellowed to the minions.
The minions stopped and looked at their master in confusion. One decided to voice their thoughts on the matter. "You's said dis minion was weak. So we's beating the weak out of him! Make him better minion that way!"
Carlon shook his head. "I was referring to all of you."
The minions stared at their master, then stared at each other for a few seconds, then began rioting against one another.
Carlon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He breathed in and bellowed into his megaphone again. "BUT THERE IS SOMEONE IN HERE THAT IS MORE TO BLAME THAN ANY NUMBER OF YOU, COMBINED!"
All of the minions stopped what they were doing. Carlon reached out an outstretched hand and got ready to point to someone. The minions looked at their masters hand, ready to beat down whichever minion was responsible for The Overlord's current distress and frustration. Once they picked themselves up, they were ready to punish whomever it was.
The Overlord pointed to himself. "Me. I am the one to blame. So settle down now and let me explain."
All of the minions scratched their ears and cocked their heads, but did as their master told them to do and refrained from needless violence. Fun, but needless violence.
"For three months now, we have done nothing. No evil act, no mischievous plan, no nefarious trick. Not even a simple bloody nose on a bystander that looked at us funny!"
"But what about Minion Games? Those is plenty evil, aren't they?" A minion in the minion audience piped up and said.
"That's just a side project, so shut up." The minion looked down to the ground and remained quiet for the moment. "So, as of today, we will plan something diabolical to get us out of this rut. We will remind the world that we are not ones to sit on our hands and do nothing. So, before the end of this week, we will be planning a bank heist. If we fail to do even that, then I, as an overlord, would be embarrassed and ashamed of being called your master. Any questions?"
A minion raised a hand. "Why is my fun box looky like ants and snowflakes?"
"I broke the cable box so that we can have some focus on our evildoing. And to get your undivided attention to tell you about us not being evil enough in the past three months."
Another minion raised his hand. "Cans we be fixings up the cay-bel box?"
"... We'll fix up the cable box after we robbed a bank."
The minion nodded and went back into the crowd.
Carlon looked around at the crowd of minions for any more questions. None. "Alright. I now expect every one of you to be ready to maim and break at a moments notice. Minions in my horde, report to the barracks and start training twice a day. We will get back into shape as we remind the world and ourselves that when it comes to evil, we have no equal!" Carlon shouted and pumped his fist into the air.
All the minions cheered and hooted, prompting to get themselves into a riot again. The minions that have the power to resurrect fallen minions are going to be busy today. Out of the quagmire of minion revelry, Gnarl forced himself out of the mosh and flopped next to Carlon, nearly landing on his heavy metal boot. "Oof! Hoooh. Well, you got them riled up. Now what?"
Carlon dropped the megaphone he 'borrowed' onto Gnarl's back, then turned and walked to the direction of the platform that floated to the throne room. "We plan."
Gnarl stood up, retrieving his megaphone and watched absentminded as his master left. As though by a sudden burst of energy, Gnarl seemed to bound with joy as he followed after his master. There was much evil to be done.
A/N: I think I'll try to experiment and have Carlon replace the leader in The Saints in Saints Row: The Third and its missions, while trying to keep in mind the possible changes that the new timeline would incur.
