Edited by Shane Lacy Hensley, Teller, Clint Black, Jodi Black,
Ed Wetterman, & Preston DuBose

Cover by Thomas Denmark. Design by Cheyenne Wright

Wendigo Tales is an imprint of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Necessary Evil, all logos, characters, unique creatures, locations, and creations are copyrights of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. All Rights Reserved.

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Necessary Evil:

The Many Faces of Destruction

By Clint Black

“I’ll see what I can do about replenishing your lost members. Until then, you’re the new leader.”

Dr. Destruction cut off communication with the newly promoted commander of the resistance cell. Or so it seemed. In fact, he was still listening. He’d built undetectable video and audio devices into the very equipment he’d provided them.

It was necessary. His “soldiers” were criminals, thieves, and even murderers. Super villains. They were the scum of the Earth. But they were all that was left. The alien invaders had all but destroyed the world’s super heroes.

Dr. Destruction listened quietly. He was the leader of the resistance. Of Omega. Of all his powers, gathering information was the most important.

He listened thoughtfully for a full minute but heard nothing untoward. A quiet cough roused him from his surveillance.

“Professor Stockholm. Right on time. Excellent.”

“Yes, si-sir,” the man stammered. His unease clear in his shaky voice and trembling hands . The man was tall, dressed in a white lab coat over a nondescript brown suit. He was plain and unassuming, a man who would be overlooked if not for the black eye patch bisecting a puckered scar from his forehead to his chin.

Destruction let him tremble for five seconds before continuing. “Our new Omega cell. I presume you heard the results.”

“Yes, sir. We l-lost one. I’m sorry.” The professor swallowed. “I did say it was a possibility.”

“You did.” Dr. Destruction took three deliberate steps towards the other man. “A slight possibility as I recall.”

A sheen of sweat appeared on the man’s head as Destruction moved closer.

“Your work is very important to me, Professor,” the Doctor continued. “I have to deal with many Omega cells, every single one with its own unique individuals and inter-relationships. Knowing the precise psychology of how to deal with each of them, which… face of Dr. Destruction will motivate them the most, is essential to repelling the invaders who have taken over our world. A world that should be mine, I might add.”

The man relaxed almost imperceptibly as the assurance of his importance to Dr. Destruction was validated.

“Of course, every soldier is important to the success of this war. And it is…” He paused, lowering his voice. “…inconvenient to my careful plans to lose even one. Especially, when it’s one of the surviving heroes. Someone willing to fight for the world with so little prodding, unless… you happen to push exactly the wrong buttons with them.”

Dr. Destruction walked slowly around and behind the Professor. “Certainly, we might have to… retrain them to be soldiers instead of heroes. Put them in situations or groups that will harden them to do what needs to be done. But it’s still easier than getting a psychotic to follow orders, never knowing if he might grow bored and kill his team some night.”

He moved past Professor Stockholm, purposefully putting his back to him, as he looked up at the various screens showing Omega cells in their headquarters, homes, vehicles, and on missions.

“Sometimes we lose one. The psychotic can’t be changed. A mole is sacrificed. A mission is suicidal but must succeed. Each one is a decision I make…” Dr. Destruction spun back to face the Professor. “I make. And no one else!”

Sweat ran in rivulets down the Professor’s face as Dr. Destruction strode up to him. Barely an inch away, the Doctor’s gauntleted finger traced down Stockholm’s scar from head to chin.

“I know who gave you this, and an eye for an eye will not be tolerated in my organization unless I am the one taking the eye.” He moved his finger over to the Professor’s remaining good eye to emphasize his point. “You are important, but no one is irreplaceable. In fact, I’ve already contacted your protégé, Ms. Behavior, about a possible job opening.” Dr. Destruction’s voice lowered to a growl. “If you cross me again, I won’t kill you… I. Will. Destroy. You.”

Professor Stockholm nodded fitfully in understanding.

Dr. Destruction lowered his finger, but did not move. “Now, get out of my sight before I change my mind.”

The man left the room quickly, his ego as empty as his eye socket.

The leader of Earth’s resistance watched the door close, shook his head, and then turned to face the opposite wall. He triggered another control in his armor, and the ‘wall’ slid away to reveal a hidden corridor. Standing just inside was a woman dressed in ripped jeans and a torn t-shirt with multi-colored hair.

“Well done, Ms. Behavior. He reacted exactly as you said he would.” Dr. Destruction paused to glance at a newly activated video screen showing Professor Stockholm walking shakily down a hallway. “The job is yours.”

“And my payment?” The woman asked in a sultry and silky voice inconsistent with her punk appearance.

“Guaranteed. Double-check all of the Professor’s psychological evaluations from now on. If he crosses me again, his life is forfeit. And if he doesn’t cross me, then when the war is over… his life is forfeit.” The Doctor added coldly. “Either way, you get your retribution eventually.”

The woman nodded with a ruthless smile.

“Now,” Dr. Destruction said, pointing to the screens. “Let me tell you about some of our operatives and their upcoming missions…”

***

Read more stories of super villains struggling to save the world in Wendigo Tales - Season 2: Necessary Evil!

About the Author

Clint Black is the Savage Worlds Brand Manager for Pinnacle Entertainment Group and the creator of Necessary Evil. He also serves as the Pinnacle forum administrator and resident Savage Worlds “Rules Guru.” Despite living in the foothills of North Carolina, he doesn’t sing a lick of country music so stop sending him demo albums (you want the other guy).

About Necessary Evil

The fate of the world lies with the scum of the earth!

Who will save the day when the world’s super heroes are slaughtered by an unstoppable army of invading aliens?

The super villains!

Necessary Evil is a super powered role playing game for the Savage Worlds game system. It’s also the setting for seven unique Wendigo Tales of villainous heroics in a world dominated by a far greater threat.

Other Titles in Wendigo Tales’ Necessary Evil Line:

Fallen

There’s a mole in Red Jack’s Omega cell. Is it Acrobat, the fallen hero whose mentor died at Red Jack’s hands? The ghostly Horseman? The incomprehensible Golem? The goth necromancer Nepththys? Only one thing is certain: when the truth is revealed, someone will fall. Hard.

Malcontents

Stretch is a super villain down on his luck. He’s behind on alimony and child support, and the occasional job for the resistance might help in the war against the alien invaders, but it doesn’t do much for his bank account. His new assignment is to break into the terrible drone factory—where humans are turned into super-enhanced, zombie-like slaves for the v’sori. But what he finds inside is a little more—and a little more personal—than his next score.

Maps to the Stars

Jenner Tavern rode out the alien invasion doing what he does best: looking out for himself. Now, as the super villain host of the popular death match show Arena!, Jenner thinks he has it made. But a visit from an old accomplice is about to remind him that the past never stays dead and all supers, even a pampered celebrity like Jenner, are expendable in the eyes of Earth’s new alien overlords.

The Tablets of Destiny

A gentleman, a scholar, a thief, and an immortal, The Magister has worked in the shadows so long he has almost forgotten who he is. But no longer. This time the v’sori have gone too far, and they will learn who they have crossed. And the power that resides in the Tablets of Destiny....

Purgatory

Julia Vern did everything she could to hide her identity; to stay out of trouble and avoid the alien invaders who had taken over her city. But there are few secrets Dr. Destruction cannot penetrate. The leader of Earth’s resistance found Julia and has offered her the one thing he knows will make her become the deadly Professor Purgatory once again. He’s found the v’sori who tortured the super villain—and killed her beloved sidekick.

Thicker Than Water

As the Iron Skull, Oscar Baer leads the Graveyard Shift, one of Star City’s most successful supervillain teams. Dr. Destruction has tasked their resistance cell with the first bank heist since the alien v’sori took over the Earth. Is it truly a cash grab or a distraction for something more important? And what will happen when Oscar’s past comes back to haunt him and he has to decide if blood is truly thicker than water.

The Third War

Crusader is the most isolated man in Star City. He spent the years prior to the v’sori invasion racking up an impressive body count of supervillains and street criminals. For his efforts he was hunted by the cops, targeted by the underworld, and reviled by the public as a ruthless vigilante. Since the invasion he’s shifted his focus to shooting aliens, but still takes any opportunity to kill the villains and crooks he comes across. Superheroes and cops consider him a villain, the villains all want him dead, and the v’sori would gladly torture him to death if they could get their hands on him. But that doesn’t stop him from carrying on his own private war for Justice.

Then Crusader learns the v’sori have built a weapon that could kill every super villain on Earth, destroying the resistance in one fell swoop. Forced by circumstance to work with one of his most hated foes — the indestructible strongman Invictus — can he adapt his moral perspective and learn to work with criminals he knows he should kill, or will he let humanity remain under the alien yoke so he can see Justice done?