Before The SMSB: The Dominion of the Dark Lord

***Before The SMSB: The Dominion of the Dark Lord*** is the third prequel of a series of books of the story before 2019. It premiered on November 27, 2017. It is the twenty-sixth installment of the D.I.T. Literary Universe and the fourth installment of Part Four: Truth Eternal. It was written by D. Isaac Thomas. It features Sheriff Bladepoint and Jesse O'Hara.

## Summary

The Empire has commanded the greatest legion in the history of humankind. As various Imperials embraced the forced peace that came with dictatorship, they recorded their thoughts, exploits, and plots that worked so well. When they fell, their knowledge vanished with them forever. Or so it seemed. . . .

Over the years, these writings were passed among numerous beings. Together, these documents, along with several collected objects associated with them, shed light on the philosophy, achievements, and failures of the International Empire.

For years, this collection remained hidden, existing as legend only. But now all who are tempted may delve deep into the Darkness. . . .

Together, the Grand Army reveals the mystery and madness of the New Order — while introducing new characters, history, as well as sinister insights into what it means to be Emperor.

## Plot

On a rainy evening in New York City, [*blank - content needed*] happens. Nine years later, and following their successful operation to destroy Centerpoint Headquarters, Grand Army members Bladepoint, Joseph Abernathy, and Ray emerge from hyperspace upon the Caribbeans, where an ethereal voice tells Bladepoint he has passed a test. Mr. Stupid NoHead is tightening his grip on both the mutants and Fobbles and has chosen young Bethany Donner to carry out a secret mission: to kill Hayden.

Operation: Blitz occurs; Abernathy lures Giles in and is easily subdued. They are rescued by a giant named Karan, who gets Bladepoint to safety.

Several NoHeads enter through the oven in the school kitchens, which Bethany connected to the one in Cynicism Alley; a battle rages throughout Superhero School. After Bethany reveals she was chosen by Mr. Stupid NoHead, Dukakis murders Hayden and beats down Bladepoint, eventually earning her Mr. Stupid NoHead's hand in marriage, albeit a professional and loveless union. After NoHead calls for a truce and demands surrender, the NoHeads ultimately make their leave.

Inside a truck is Jesse O'Hara, a former member of the United States Army, who is joined by scientists from other fields and, as she questions them, she learns that AUD clearly doesn’t know what kind of threat they’re dealing with. They arrive at an AUD Response Base and an agent leads Jesse to a lab. Hours later, Bladepoint and Abernathy infiltrate the Mutamon to rescue Waterston, who quickly becomes an invaluable member of their team.

Years later, Abalan progresses through his trials in leaps and bounds and reaches the apex of his training. His power finally recognized, he is dispatched by Admiral Xod to eliminate several police who survived Operation: Blitz. His first mission is successful, but Xod is still not convinced of Abalan's ability and turns him loose in the polluted Columbia, where he hunts down an insane police officer who has constructed an army of junk monsters and titans. Destroying these with his newfound lightning abilities and killing a large number of scavengers in the process, Abalan ascends an enormous junk tower to find the officer Casey Tartus talking to junk statues of the police council, saying he will defend them against this 'NoHead trash'. After defeating Casey Tartus, Abalan insists that he is ready to confront Mr. Stupid NoHead, but Xod rejects this idea and orders his apprentice to undertake one final test before he can fulfill his 'destiny,' sending Abalan to hunt and kill former Administrator Rachel Bradley. This third test takes place in the country of Tsalla, a gargantuan landscape dominated by enormous mushrooms, plants and the mouth of the oldest living gargoyle. After fighting his way past Tsallian natives trained by Master Rachel Bradley, Abalan makes his way past Beasts and the occasional shaman to the mouth of the gargoyle, making use of his newly discovered repulse abilities. There he encounters the officer in question and defeats both her, her Tsallian allies, and the gargoyle itself. Returning with Rachel Bradley's ominous final words 'The NoHeads... always betray one another, but you'll learn that soon enough' ringing in his ears, Abalan returns to the *Omega Hand.* Xod tells him they will now face Mr. Stupid NoHead, who has just arrived. This turns out to be a trap, as it is quickly revealed that the Emperor already knows their so-called secret and he orders Xod to kill the young mutant to prove his right to live, so Xod blasts him through a window into space.

Apparently dead, Abalan's body is recovered by a medical robot shortly after the incident. He awakens on board an enormous medical station which WINDOW has set on a collision course for the moon. Dorphane Giles instructs him to escape the facility and to begin building an army of dissidents and rebels to distract the Emperor's attention, and allow the two of them an opportunity to attack him by surprise, as Xod has been sentenced to death. Grudgingly accepting this, Abalan fights with EVO troopers who can resist his lightning based abilities and large heavy troopers resembling large robots, then escapes with his pilot Laleh for whom he is developing feelings against the advice of WINDOW.

With Giles' eye on him, Abalan makes a new friend and travels to Mars based on his information about an important contact in the Senate. After battling troopers through a large, well-defended building, Abalan is surprised to discover Waterston, who insists that she will only leave if he destroys the 'Skyhook' transportation project being constructed under slave labor first. Abalan murders the Imperial military leader of the encampment, a hunter of Martians, destroys the Skyhook facility and wins the freedom of the Martian nations. Desiring a target to show that the Empire is vulnerable to those that silently oppose it, Abalan ruthlessly targets the Super Exterminator shipyard over Columbia, South America. Emerging victorious, he joins with the Grand Army to sign the Japanese Treaty, but Giles cuts short the meeting and captures everyone so they can be presented to the Emperor, leaving Abalan and WINDOW for dead.

After a level on the Imperial Palace, Abalan confronts Dorphane Giles, as the captive officers and Mr. Stupid NoHead look on. Giles is defeated, but not yet dead, when Mr. Stupid NoHead attacks General Koda; Abalan must then choose whether to kill his mistress Giles or try to prevent the Emperor from killing the police officers. He interrupts the Emperor's attack, defeating but not killing the latter. Instead, as the officers escape, Abalan, in an act of self-sacrifice, submits himself to the Dark Lord and his nonexistent mercy.

In a Postscript scene, Roger Black, revealed among his friends to be the Gladiator, is shown an ancient mansion by a wealthy woman named Harriet Swenson, after which Master Intelligence, alone, requests to meet with the Gladiator and tells him to shut down his "black knight program" or else he and his "friends" will do it for him.

## Appearances

### Locations

* Earth
	+ China (mentioned)
	+ Great Britain
	+ Italy (mentioned)
	+ United States of America
		- Superhero School
		- Texas
* Neptune (mentioned)
* Uranus (mentioned)

### Events

* First NoHead War
	+ Attack on Centerpoint (flashbacks)
	+ Skirmish at the Caribbeans
* War on Terror
	+ Blackwing Operation
	+ Rescue of Roxanne Waterston
	+ Battle of Axis Base
	+ Battle of the Imperial Palace

### Organizations

* Police Grand Army
* NoHeads
* NoHead Empire
* AUD
* NASA (mentioned)
* United States Armed Forces (mentioned)

### Creatures

* Dogs
* Rabbits

### New characters

* Abalan
* WINDOW
* Laleh Clipso
* Ronald Koda
* Casey Tartus
* Meridan Taran
* Keeko
* Allieano
* Mara Bode

### Mentioned

* China
* G.I. Joe
* Italy
* NSA
* Teen Choice Awards
* United States Armed Forces
* Uranus

## Music

 Radioactive | Imagine Dragons | * End credits.