ACTION – AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!

Captain America and a human resistance contingent is fighting back to free Washington!

This scene happens at the same time as the Siege to Null Fortress and the extra Worthy fight if taken after the Shield Passes On.

Steve Rogers with his signature shield still marked by his best friend Bucky Barnes’ blood, arrives in Washington where he meets with the human resistance to the Serpent and few Avengers who were still there trying to do their best.

Skadi sits on the WHITE HOUSE RUBBLE, looking at the RUINED CAPITAL and enjoying the FEAR INSTILLED in the population around. The military attempts have already been thwarted by the Serpent’s forces and now no one can stand against his daughter’s power.

OPTIONS WITH THE SCENE

Skadi shouldn’t be the first character they deal with, instead introduce a fight with her horde of robots (5D8) and have them fight against the heroes. A mob of patriots is available here if the characters have interacted with them and unlocked them for assistance.

Skadi instead will Grandstand, trying to support the doom pool growth and maybe placing a MALEVOLENT STORM complication on the scene, so to control the characters better during the fight. She attacks back if engaged.

The scene should end in case the heroes are beaten or the MALEVOLENT STORM is pushed past D12, where the increased level of generalized fear will summon the Serpent and his palace in Manhattan and teleport all the heroes. Roll with the doom pool plus the complication value to inflict stress (any type) to everyone in the scene.

ACTION – LOSS OF FAITH

The Serpent is ready to show his power and rise as the sole sovereign of Midgard.

The Serpent is now at full power and will teleport his NULL FORTRESS through the MALEVOLENT STORM complication, which will dissipate soon after leaving a CRATER IN MIDTOWN behind.

With Iron Man and Thor still missing (they are following their own path in the fight against the Serpent, respectively creating Uru weapons for the Avengers, or fighting against two of the worthy) the Avengers have a worrying lack of firepower compared to the evil Asgardian forces, making this a battle where the heroes are CLEARLY OVERPOWERED.

The battle around the Avengers stops, almost as if to encourage a direct confrontation against the Serpent himself. By the end of the scene, the Serpent will most likely beat them all and join with his Worthy and army to march towards Asgard to conclude his conquer, now that he has the world at his feet! The heroes last image will be of the Serpent Army moving towards Broxton and the Palace slowly floating on top of them.

OPTIONS WITH THE SCENE

Skadi and the remaining Robots, as well as the Corrupted Asgardians, remain aside and make space for the Serpent to test his true power. For this reason, have the Serpent fight on his own against as many heroes, to see them falling beneath his blows.

This scene should clearly indicate how the Earth’s Heroes are not able to beat the Serpent. He will make sure that they will remember this by blatantly kill someone in a cruel way (many Manhattan civilians, a watcher or player character), or destroy a symbol of hope for Earth, like Captain America’s Shield.

In the unlikely case that the heroes will stand a chance against the Serpent, have him lose one affiliation die first and then spend a D10 die to include Skadi in the fight, D8 to include a 3d8 mob of Corrupted Asgardians or a 3d8 mob of Robots.

TRANSITION – ALL HOPE LOST

After the battle, the heroes are left to their own broken hopes and fallen spirits, powerless against the march of the Serpent.

The people of EARTH are BROKEN, since the rise of the Serpent they have lost their houses, their families, friends, heroes and symbols. In this moment all hope is lost and there is nothing that could tip the scale in favor of Midgard’s survival. Few heroes (like Spider-Man, Power Man or some X-Men) will express their need to attend to those whom they love and to get rid of their burdens before the last stand, as for now, EVERYTHING IS LOST. The others will share the idea that continued fighting is useless and they should try to find shelter rather than a way to keep fighting. Cap is broken by the news and wanders by himself to clear his mind. One of the players will find Thor’s body under some BUILDING RUBBLE and few Avengers, could go to Asgard to bring the Son of Odin back to his All-Father, maybe trying a last attempt in convincing him to collaborate. Other stay back to help evacuate Manhattan and put up a resistance in Broxton where most likely the Serpent is active.

Once there, the Avengers and a group of patriots ready to fight to death against the Serpent, are gathered. The number of people is based on how many players have collected resources or unlockables. Just before the actual fight, the Avengers who left to Asgard to help Thor healing his wounds will come back and join the resistance.

RESOURCES

• Combat. You provide help to the militia rounding up the civilians and clearing the collapsing rubble and get helped by them in return by organizing a meeting with Joseph Kelly and Duke Lee, respectively the leaders of human resistance in Washington, Manhattan and Broxton. Once transported there by military planes you will sort out a resistance in front of the tree of life, which for you is tactically the best place to fight as is the last one that the Serpent will need and the first one from where Asgard will strike back.
• Cosmic. You still have connections with Erik Selvig’s team which has been drawn by the clash of cosmic energy in Manhattan. They have improved their knowledge on the Cosmic Spectrum that is emitted by the Serpent weapons and powers, and created a DESTABILISER that will be effective in gain protection and pierce through their armor. They will explain to you that in Broxton there has been an increased activity at the Tree of Life and is likely that something is happening there, they will drive you there.
• Medical. While proving medical help to survivors in Manhattan your attention is brought onto Thor, who had fallen in a battle against two of the Worthy. You manage to speak with him but the damage is too serious to do something by yourself. The rescuers and military allow you to get a lift with a plane or helicopter to go to Broxton as soon as possible and bring Thor to Asgard. You gain a resource (Welcome in Asgard) from Odin as a gift for bringing him back his son which you could use to convince him to help Midgard in the next scene.
• Mystic. Your bond with the Asgardians is strong and you can communicate directly to an Asgardian (Kendra or Hermod). They will tell you Thor has fallen while fighting against two of the Worthy and Odin will provide the same resource that will provide for a Medical one.
• Vehicle. Like the one in combat but you join the resistance with a plane of your own, flown by Captain Red Hawk.

TRANSITION – ODIN’S BLESSING

In Asgard, the situation is tense. Odin is conflicted about his choice of leave Midgard to its destiny but he cannot allow the prophecy to be fulfilled.

In Asgard, Odin is preparing the whole world as a weapon, employing several allies from the Dwarven realms to help him equip his soldiers. Iron Man is with them and helping, he is also creating some weapons to bring back to Midgard and his Avengers as a last resort against the Serpent. The deal is clear but Iron Man knows that without Odinforce those weapons won’t be as powerful as the Serpent’s equivalents.

When Thor is brought to Asgard (if none of the player are there it will be Steve Rogers with a couple of Avengers), Odin is sorry and angry at his son but greets the heroes from Midgard for the immense help. If Captain America is the only one speaking he will lose his temper and throw in Odin’s face that he left all humans and Earth to die to fight his war, giving him time to save himself. Odin could provide a little blessing if a resource is unlocked or could decide to imbue Tony’s weapons with Odinforce (to equal the Worthy Hammers) for this scene already if someone is able to inflict mental or emotional stress on him. Whoever’s here will leave Asgard and come back to Midgard to join whoever is in Broxton for the final stand. If no one convince Odin to help Midgard with his power, Tony will manage to gain the Odinforce blessing just before the Asgardian Army, Thor and Odin are about to leave Asgard to fight against the Serpent. All the resources presented below are just a minor help, a secondary benefit compared to the one achievable by causing emotional or mental stress to Odin and unlocking the Asgardian Imbued weapons before the reinforcements arrive.

Thor recovers in Odin’s rooms and will have a conversation with Odin revealing the prophecy that binds his brother’s blood with the one of his son. Thor is the only one who could kill the Serpent but the prophecy recites that his fall will be unavoidable. The God of Thunder will still decide to save Midgard and this time Odin will allow him to do it by blessing him with his personal Armor and Sword that used against the Serpent when he banished him. With the new weapons and the bless of the All- Father, Thor will be able to fulfill his destiny.

RESOURCES

• Cosmic. Same as Mystic but you ask for the blessing by explaining that the cosmic energy imbuing the Serpent’s weapons and army is similar to the one that Odin and Asgard hold.
• Combat. Same as the others but you will tactically explain why is important to have everything you can muster in order to delay and cripple the Serpent’s forces before Odin’s march.
• Menace. Same as Psych but you will shout your reason to Odin.
• Mystic. Same as Psych but you will ask straightway for his blessing as you understand what Odinforce is.
• Psych. You will convince Odin to help you with his Odinforce as you are going to defend his tree of life until he and his army will be ready to join the fight. He, thanks also to the fact that you saved his son, will accept and pose his blessing onto you.
• Tech. Same again but you will ask to have your weapons imbued or another piece of Tech you created to contain the Odinforce, like the ones that Prof. Selvig has created.