Vaudevillain

Dylan left work with a spring in his step and ready to take on the world. Work had been smooth sailing today, though the end dragged a bit. Dylan chalked it up to the anticipation he was feeling. He found himself checking the time constantly as he went home, counting down the time until the start.

His phone pinged as he drove, but Dylan didn't check it until he arrived home. He grabbed his phone and stepped out of his car, kicking the door closed with his feet. He walked up to his front door, nose buried in the notifications. Vert had sent an email.

Surprised, Dylan opened up the email as he closed the door shut. He stopped reading as he realized he didn't pull his keys out of the door.

"No reading until I'm sitting," Dylan chided himself.

He opened the door again and pulled his keys out, placing them back in his pocket. He tossed his jacket on his coat rack and jumped onto his couch.

He wondered what Vert wanted from him. As far as he knew, Dylan hadn't done anything against the rules. Maybe it was a survey or a promotional message of some sort.

Dear Superfan39526, the email read.

We here at Vert strive to bring the best and most enjoyable experience to our players. We are always looking for new ideas and experiences to improve on World of Supers, and your success as Dr. Zlo caught our attention. We would love to talk to you about helping make World of Supers even better for players. Would you be willing to discuss more in-depth on Tuesday, the 27th, at 4 PM?

Rick Sanchez,

[email protected]

415-555-2300

"Huh," Dylan blinked.

Vert was reaching out, though Dylan didn't quite believe it. Sure, Dr. Zlo was popular, but not the way Vert would want. Dylan was more famous because he exposed Vert's ineptitude. Of course, nothing in the email said anything about being in the next expansion.

Maybe Vert had some other plan? Dylan shifted his weight around on the couch, getting a bit more comfortable so he could think. Eventually, he decided to hold off on replying. Dylan would run the email by the others, see if they got the same messages. Then he could decide on what to do.

Dylan rolled off the couch, letting his knees hit the carpet under the coffee table nearby. He sprang up and rolled his shoulders before heading to his room. He wanted to get in the game and confirm a few things before they started the event. He hoped Jack had finished the cameras. Dylan wanted to see all the action before he jumped in as the final boss.

The city of Cartis sat on the edge of the South Medis Sea, a gleaming white city leading into the pangean continent of World of Supers. Silver skyscrapers glinted behind the white buildings on the coast, showing the march of progress that comes to all. A circular dock rested behind a seawall extending far past the shore. This structure looked similar to a railway roundhouse but was meant for ships, not trains. Further inland stood the vibrant downtown and the meeting place of anyone looking to join in on Menagerie's event.

Riptide stood on his surfboard, hovering in the sky above the city and taking in the sites. He wasn't exactly needed at this point in time. The surfer's role came later. Right now, Merla was explaining the rules to all the attendees. The hero stood on a soapbox above an increasing crowd.

"Listen up!" Merla started. "I know you're all excited about this, but we've got to go over a few things beforehand!"

The crowd settled down, not wanting to miss their shot to join up with their favorite guild.

Of course, no everyone wanted to listen. "Where's Dr. Zlo!" a voice shouted.

"He'll be here!" Merla said. "But since this is part of our recruitment, we need to make sure everyone gets a fair shot! So!"

Merla clapped her hands together.

"First things first! Everyone will be getting a wristband! If you're a hero, the band will be white, and villains will have black!"

"Why?" someone shouted.

Merla frowned, "I'm getting there! The reason we have the wristbands is so everyone can tell who is participating! Heroes and villains do not, I repeat, do not! Have to fight each other. Villains can team up with heroes to stop Dr. Zlo's plot. Heroes can try to stop them but know that our general thought is heroes and villains face-off, so expect some doubt if you're from the opposite morality."

Merla took a breath, "The wristbands have simple detections and anti-hacking; trying to crack into them will turn them red! Red wristbands are free game for all players!"

Players murmured at her announcement.

"That's right! Anyone caught breaking any rule will see their wristband turn red! That makes you free reputation for anyone else, so make sure you follow the rules. And anyone with a red wristband will be unable to join Menagerie! So make sure you follow the rules."

"That's unfair!" someone shouted. "We should get a warning first, at least!"

"This is your warning!" Merla snapped back. "Menagerie doesn't want players who can't obey even basic rules. Speaking of which, I'm going to go over our basic rules!"

A screen lit up behind Merla. Jack's handiwork, if Riptide remembered right.

"First off!" Merla pointed to the screen, "If you are killed, you must wait five minutes before rejoining your teammates! Your wristband will have a timer, and we have various stations set up with other factions so you can wait with others."

"Second!" Merla shouted before any of the players could interrupt again, "Completing mission stages grants you points! You will be able to use those points later on, and those with the highest amount at the end will hold a higher status in the guild!"

More mutterings came from the crowd, threatening to overwhelm Merla. But the magician held firm.

"Thirdly! You will not get points if you do not have a wristband, and players can treat anyone without a wristband as free game! Lastly! We're all here to have fun. Keep that in mind when we start."

"What are the missions!" a player yelled.

"I can't tell you," Merla said. "That's part of the event. But things should be starting in a few minutes. Spend this time preparing!"

With that, Merla jumped off the soapbox and walked over to a box nearby.

"Wristbands are here! Make sure you grab one!"

Riptide watched as the group of players surged toward Merla like the tide. It gave the player an urge to surf the crowd, but he held off. There would be plenty of time for that later.

The screens crackled to life after a few minutes.

"Crap, right!" Riptide exclaimed. He had to be in his position soon! Jaws and G.W. were waiting near the coast at the edge of the city, and Riptide needed to head there to lead the charge. The surfer cut back on his board and flew over to his waiting minions.

Meanwhile, the screen with the list of rules flickered to reveal the image of Dr. Zlo. The villain leaned on a wide Victorian desk; cane rested lightly in his hand. His other hand twirled his mustache. Flanking the villain were his minions, Cass and Mabel. As the players turned up to look, Dr. Zlo stood and threw his arms wide.

"Hello, citizens of your respective cities! I am Dr. Zlo! Criminal mastermind! I am here to inform you that your city is now held hostage by my staggering genius and villainous helpers! You must prepare a total of ten kilograms of Phlebotinium or face the wrath of the ocean itself!"

Dr. Zlo gestured to Cass, who rolled over a large chair which the villain promptly sat in. "Now, I know that many of you don't respond to gestures. No, you need tangible proof! Very well, behold!"

Dr. Zlo rolled away, and the camera panned to follow. Three spherical devices sat behind the villain, glowing strangely in the light. "These are my Wave Widgets! The very devices that will destroy your precious city if you don't acquiesce to my demands! They will be placed somewhere inside your fair town, and unless you prepare my ransom, they will detonate! Flooding the entire city and destroying it! Muahahaha!"

Dr. Zlo cackled maniacally and gestured to his minions. Cass and Mabel stepped forward, each grabbing one of the devices and carrying them offscreen. The crowd below hung onto every word and watched with rapt attention. This was what they came for!

"We need to find this bomb!" A hero yelled. "Can anyone here use tracking!"

Various shouts of affirmation rang through the crowd, from heroes and villains alike.

"Oh, one last thing," Dr. Zlo said.

The crowd turned to look back at the lounging villain.

"I'm perfectly fine with sharing my reward with anyone who prevents those meddlesome heroes from finding my delightful contraptions. And my other friends around the city would act in kind to anyone who helped them in their tasks."

A hush fell over the crowd at those words. Where before the group prepared to work together, now they stared at each other suspiciously. Heroes stared at villains, villains back at heroes. No one wanted to make the first move.

The stalemate broke as a loudspeaker crackled, and Merla's voice passed over the crowd. "Riptide, known villain and associate of Dr. Zlo, has been spotted at the edge of Cartis! We're not sure what he wants, but the man is currently heading to the harbor! Find and interrogate him! We're going to find out where Dr. Zlo hid his weapons!"

As Merla spoke, the smarter players took the chance to duck out of the crowd and head out on their own. Once the heroine finished her speech, all hell broke loose. Punches, blasts of energy, and other attacks came flying through the crowd. Heroes and villains fell to the mad assault, and only a few lucky players escaped the initial fight.

Merla smiled as the fight started and motioned to a few of the heroes that moved away from the crowd.

"Come with me," she said. "I've faced this surfer before. I'm pretty sure I know where to find him."

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