Vaudevillain

Dylan contacted Quartet next, then Mabel for good measure just in case she separated from Cass. The three minions received their orders, each one holing up somewhere inside the city. From the sound of it, all three were dealing with heroes chasing them, but none of his minions were in dire straits.

With his minions squared away, Dylan decided to try and test something. He had the fusion reactor in his inventory, which stayed with him if he died or logged out. It stood to reason that if Dylan left the game, he would keep the fusion reactor in his inventory.

The test was simple enough as well. Dylan only needed to log out and log back in. If anything broke during the process, then it would answer his question.

Dylan logged out of World of Supers with a few quick button presses and instantly went back into the game. He didn't return to the same spot as before, the game still moved him as far away from combat as possible, but Dylan did notice his inventory still held the fusion reactor. Thankful for the good news, Dylan logged out of the game to wait for all the chaos to die down.

The pearly white visage of Tractus fell away as if someone was pulling Dylan, the city shrinking before his eyes as the VIS disconnected him from the game. Dylan removed the helmet from his head, wincing as he took it off too fast and caught a hair in one of the straps.

"Maybe I need a haircut," Dylan mumbled. He stood from his bed, rolling his shoulders and checking the time; six in the morning. He still had plenty of time before work but not enough time for a nap.

"I wonder if anyone else is online?" he asked the air.

John would be, the voice in his head said. The man was always an early riser. Dylan shoved the thought away. His old friend still hadn't apologized, and Dylan wasn't about to go back on his promise. It would send the wrong message to John. He couldn't have his friend thinking he could get away with the things he did without consequences.

Sliding into his chair, Dylan put the thought from his mind. There was probably someone still online willing to play something other than World of Supers. And if not, he would start up another single-player game. Maybe a Narvel game. They were never any good from a gaming standpoint but playing as his favorite superhero was the reason he bought the game in the first place.

Hey, anyone want to play something other than WOS for a bit?

A bunch of fans mobbed me during a crime and I want things to die down before I go back.

Surfsup26:

Heading to morning class now dude

Can't make it sorry.

Superfan39526:

No prob. Hit me up when you're free later if you want to do something.

Surfsup26:

Heck yeah dude!

Dylan smiled warmly at his friends enthusiasm. Surf never let anything get him down. No one else messaged back over NetChat; they were either too busy or offline. Dylan shrugged and opened up one of his other games, playing it for an hour before he had to get ready for work.

Dr. Zlo appeared back in World of Supers later on in the afternoon, after Dylan finished work and prepared some dinner from one of the meal kits someone told him to try out. It was a little too expensive for Dylan's taste, but not bad.

Tractus was the same pearly white as it always was, the previous chaos from Dr. Zlo's fan group of heroes and villains nowhere to be found. The villain straightened his suit jacket, proud of his plan. Though it wouldn't work at all if Dr. Zlo hadn't finished his crime, and it definitely wouldn't work if the thing Dr. Zlo wanted to steal happened to be too big for his inventory. He would have to think of other options to limit outsider interference.

Fights against superheroes were all well and good until you had to deal with more than three or four.

It was something to think about later. Right now, Dr. Zlo needed to find his forces. The villain opened his communicator and contacted his minions.

"Cass, are you there?" he asked.

"I'm here, boss," Cass answered a few seconds later. "Are things safe?"

"They are," Dr. Zlo answered. "Are Mabel and Quartet with you?"

"No, boss," Cass replied. "Mabel and I split after some hero with a giant wrecking ball attacked. I think Mabel dealt with him, but I don't know."

"Alright, make your way to the boat when you can. I don't see anyone nearby."

Dr. Zlo had navigated his way back to the yacht while talking to Cass. Luckily the vessel was still around, anchored to the rubber ground of Tractus and gently swaying on the waves. Of course, Dr. Zlo expected there to be a hero or villain still around, but it had been hours since players saw him in the city, and it was doubtful anyone stayed this long. However, that didn't mean NPCs wouldn't show.

Dr. Zlo jumped down, using his rocket shoes to land safely on the boat. He inspected the area, making sure to cover every nook and cranny before relaxing. He found nothing suspicious aboard, though the paranoid in him said that didn't mean things were safe. As a precaution, Dr. Zlo activated his hat drone and his dueling gloves. Just in case.

Cass arrived with Quartet a bit later, the two bickering like brothers.

"Look, all I'm saying is that your leadership and tactics need work," Quartet told the butler.

"Sending the Jacques in to 'lure them in,' isn't leadership," Cass argued. "And you almost got me killed with them."

"I knew you could handle it," Quartet replied with a wave of his hand.

The two minions looked down to see Dr. Zlo waiting patiently on the yacht. The two bickering minions jumped down, using the rope from before to slide onto the yacht's deck with little trouble. Both turned to Dr. Zlo, questioning looks on their face.

"Boss, tell Quartet he can't call sending troops to die leadership," Cass argued.

"And you tell your butler that sometimes sacrifices must be made," Quartet argued back.

"Now, boys, don't argue just yet. We aren't out of the woods," the three heard Mabel call.

The woman was in the arms of the pearly white hero from before, leaning into his body like a woman in love.

"Ah, good, everyone's here," Dr. Zlo said. "We can be on our way."

Dr. Zlo turned, then paused and looked back up at Mabel, "Mabel, you said we weren't out of the woods, correct? What do you mean?"

"Well, hon," Mabel said. "We still need to leave, and my Pearl here told me Constantine has some kind of underwater vessel."

"Blast," Dr. Zlo complained. "He'll be on our tail, I expect. Can we shake him off?"

Mabel directed Pearl to escort her down, wrapping her arms around his shoulders in the process. The hero glided down the side of the city like a skater on ice, landing with a small bow in the center of the yacht.

"I expect we can do something, hon," Mabel said. "My Pearl here has a few powers that would let us make a quick escape. Like gliding across the water. Isn't that right, Pearl?"

The hero nodded, albeit stiffly.

"Excellent work Mabel," Dr. Zlo answered. "Now, let's be off before–"

"You aren't going anywhere!" Constantine shouted. The sound echoed off the rubber float from Tractus, bouncing back to assail Dr. Zlo a second time.

"Would you stop interrupting me!" Dr. Zlo shouted, whirling to face his foe. "It's quite rude!"

He came face to face with an industrial submarine cresting the waves, enough water falling off the vessel to churn the waters. On top of the submarine stood a robot Constantine, its body enhanced with power and crackling with electricity. Dr. Zlo whistled at the sight.

"Well, it seems you have a few more toys."

"To call my weapons toys," the Constantine spat. "How could one be so arrogant."

The villain took a bow, "Dr. Zlo, the criminal mastermind at your service. Arrogance comes with the position."

Constantine roared, jumping from the submarine to the yacht. The boat almost capsized, only held aloft by Mabel's quick thinking to use her new man's power. The boat slipped over the waves, skipping across the water like a stone. Dr. Zlo and his minions barely held on, water soaking everyone as it splashed on deck.

"Give me back the reactor!" Constantine shouted.

"Come and take it if you can!" Dr. Zlo taunted back. His hat drone lifted off his head, exposing his black hair to the salty wind. The villain's dueling gloves, not subjected to the laws of gravity, were still traveling back to Dr. Zlo. They reached the villain as he fired his monocle, the combination of laser and fists trying to dent the Constantine robot.

Constantine reeled from a punch, but the electricity arcing off his body shocked the gloves. The animated clothing spasmed in the air, then fell onto the yacht in a singed heap. The laser only distracted the automaton, doing no damage that Dr. Zlo could see.

"Quartet, start preparing a large blow. Mabel, I need you to help me distract him while Quartet prepares," Dr. Zlo commanded his minions.

They nodded their understanding as Dr. Zlo turned to Cass. "I need you to use your flamethrower on the highest setting. We're going to pretend you're our main damage for now."

Cass gulped, "Are you sure, boss? That seems a bit dangerous."

"We don't have a choice, Cass," Dr. Zlo argued. "That monstrosity of Constantine's has enough electricity to fry anyone who gets too close. None of my physical gadgets will work, and I can't use the button bombs because they'll break the yacht. Now let's go already!"

Cass pulled out his flamethrower with unsteady hands and aimed it at the rampaging robot.

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