Vaudevillain

Sweet Dream adjusted the hem of her skirt as she slid into the passenger seat of the last delivery truck. One of the apocalypse trio, Bart, if she remembered right, sat beside her in the driver's seat. He rested his hands on the wheel, squeezing the leather periodically. Ahead of her drove the other cars, each laden with players and NPCs ready to take on the world.

Surprisingly, a lot of the Licor-Icks returned to Sweet Dream over the course of recruiting. She expected more of them to die, mostly from heroes and villains looking to take out easy enemies. She guessed the players around today had more important things to deal with, like all the small robberies going on. It looked like her little distraction was working wonders.

Bart eased the car through a turn with the practiced ease of a professional courier. Caroline looked over at him; he was the only one she'd met with a power directly tied to vehicles, which was why Bart drove the truck instead of a Licor-Ick.

"Leatherface and Fleshgrabber are IRL friends," Bart said, "and we've always had a thing for apocalypse movies. Especially the campy ones where all the enemies are in leather. When you guys announced the event, we thought it would be fun to act as those mooks in the movies. Vert's made a lot of progress on the obstacle course, you know. Making a new character isn't nearly as taxing as it once was."

"Yeah, I've been reading up on it," Sweet Dream said. "I'm in graphic design right now, and from what I can tell, this VR tech is going to change the game. I'm keeping up to date on all the changes. That way, when the software for designing in VR is released, I'll be one of the first adopters."

"Good idea," Bart said. "But don't try to focus only on that. Half the time, your job isn't anywhere close to what you majored in. Take me, for instance. I got a degree in physics, but my current job is a project manager."

"I'll keep it in mind," Sweet Dream said. "But considering how popular this game is getting, I don't see the need to stop working on it just yet."

"This will change entertainment and a few jobs for sure," Bart agreed.

"What kind of jobs?" Sweet Dream asked.

"Almost anything software-focused could change to a VR environment," Bart answered. "H*ll, most developers work from home now. Switching to VR isn't going to change their normal habits."

"Maybe their sleep schedule," Sweet Dream answered.

"Now that you mention it, since we play while sleeping, developers could work during that same time. Wow, that's a lot of free time opened up."

"It makes me wonder why Vert didn't market to businesses in the first place," Sweet Dream said.

"Business is a slow market when it comes to making lifestyle changes," Bart answered. "It took a world pandemic to make working from home a normal thing. I'm not surprised at the lack of interest in VR."

"There's probably a few companies at least," Sweet Dream mused.

"Nah. My bet is Vert is getting military investments."

Sweet Dream shook her head, "No, I thought about that. Most military training is physical. VR can't help with that."

"I'm not thinking about physical training. I'm thinking about mental stress." Bart turned down another street, following the others ahead. "Think about it. This world is practically the exact same as our real one. Why couldn't Vert simulate a warzone, stick the recruits in the middle of an active firefight with bombs dropping and have them make their way across? The army doesn't need to use ammunition for it, and recruits can run through drills while they sleep, leaving more time open for physical training."

Sweet Dream made a face, "That sounds terrible."

Bart shrugged, "Maybe. But this is only speculation."

The apocalyptic villain turned once more, pulling the truck into the parking lot of Bumbo's confections. "Alright, we're here," he said.

The building wasn't anything incredible to look at. It was like any other factory, broad and square. Grey walls gave the factory a dull look, only for the monotony to break at the entrance. A large, white, animatronic marshmallow stood over the revolving doors at the front, waving a hand at everyone who walked inside.

"That is just a little bit too creepy," Sweet Dream remarked.

"Isn't it just terrible," Duchess Krampelle said, opening the truck's door and offering a hand to help Sweet Dream.

The woman took it, letting the other player help her down. "It certainly doesn't help the place's aesthetic," Sweet Dream answered.

"I'm so glad you agree. Personally, I think this entire building needs a little updating. Mostly little splashes of color, or maybe make everything completely black. None of these dreadful clashing tones."

Sweet Dream wasn't sure what Krampelle meant by clashing tones, but maybe it had something to do with the rustic oak furnishing around the entrance. The addition made it look like someone built a large factory behind a quaint storefront, which was probably the case, now that Sweet Dream thought about it. The woman agreed with Krampelle; a solid wood storefront with an animatronic marshmallow and a grey factory behind it did not make for a pleasing image. It was a good thing her character wasn't going to take over the factory. Sweet Dream would rather break it to pieces before doing that.

The other players gathered around, making Sweet Dream feel like a teacher at a school field trip.

"Alright!" she shouted. "Everyone get inside and take out any guards they might have. I don't expect much, but who knows what this place has in store."

"Probably caramels," a villain joked.

"The Licor-Icks and my minions will take the trucks to loading docks in the factory. Make your way there once you've filled up enough, got it?"

"Understood," the Duchess responded.

"Yeah! Time to bust some heads!" Leatherface shouted.

The other villains picked up the cheer, and they dashed into the factory lobby. Sweet Dream stood over them all, feeling every bit a queen leading the troops.

Titan sat in the back of the bus he commissioned from the heroes guild, watching the cars go by as it traveled to the meeting point. Hex and Lill had already gone on ahead, but most of the other heroes had no means of quick transportation. It made Titan wonder if Vert would ever implement a fast travel option. Maybe the world would install teleporters across the planet after the alien invasion ended or something.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Muerta asked.

"I'm wondering what will happen to all the alien technology once we beat back the Quli," Titan answered. "I thought it would be a good idea to install teleporters in multiple locations for easier access to the city."

"Not a bad idea," Muerta answered. "But I doubt anyone that takes that role will perform it out of the goodness of their heart."

"The heroes guild could take care of it."

"I'm not one to trust large institutions," the woman answered.

Titan had found something of a kindred soul in Muerta. Both of them wanted to roleplay their characters. However, the heroine hadn't been sure where to start when it came to such a thing, so Titan offered to help. She gladly took him up on the offer, and the two brainstormed a quick backstory.

Titan wasn't all that familiar with Hispanic traditions, but he knew a lot about European mythology after researching it and making his character. Muerta felt a lot like the ferrymen or the spirits that guided souls to the afterlife. The heroine liked the idea when he presented it to her.

"Dia De Los Muertos has an iffy origin anyway," the heroine said. "Some say the whole idea of it came about as a way to nationalize Mexico. Others think people brought the tradition over from Europe, considering how it so easily matches festivals for the dead over there. I think having a character that guides the souls to and from the afterlife fits right in."

Titan wasn't confident that something like a holiday should be treated so flippantly, but he wasn't going to argue. It wasn't his culture, after all.

"So, how do you guide lost souls?" Titan asked, moving the conversation along.

"With the power of dance and a little supernatural strength," Muerta answered. "In life, I was a dancer and a skilled one at that. As I died, the powers that be gave me a chance to guide others, leading them to their resting place with my dance. But the shadows between life and death hold many dangers. So to help me, I was gifted with a powerful strength." The heroine made a show of flexing a muscle, revealing a toned bicep. "How about yourself?"

"I was born the b*stard son of my father, Kratos, the titan of strength. A former god of strength, the titan coveted Zeus' power and authority, believing himself to be the one to rule. So in secret, he bore children to train into a mighty army. But Hermes caught wind of his attempted coup and informed Zeus. Before Kratos could even make a move, Zeus attacked and cursed Kratos, chaining him to the ground and placing the very world on his shoulders. With his downfall, my father lost his name, becoming Atlas. A new Kratos took his place and has served the pantheon for all eternity."

"That sounds like a villain's origin," Muerta said.

"I grew up hearing nothing about my father," Titan answered. "I didn't believe he was even alive until a half-sibling stumbled across me one day. My mother had hidden my powers, you see. She was a powerful sorceress, which was the reason my father coveted her in the first place. Her magic kept me alive during the worst times, and growing up she taught me the full extent of my father's cruelty. He was no better than Zeus when it came to his methods. I now work to atone for the sins of my father, and one day I hope to show the world just what strength really means."

"An impressive goal," Muerta answered. "If you ever require aid, know you can call on me for assistance."

"Thank you, Muerta."

Titan looked out the window, spying the large animatronic of the candy factory in the distance. Things were quiet now, but Titan knew things were going to heat up shortly.

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