Vaudevillain

As Mabel opened her mouth, one of the guards flung an item forward. It flew straight ahead, landing in Mabel's mouth and causing her to choke.

"Gack!" Exclaimed the minion.

The guard then snapped his fingers, and Dr. Zlo watched as blue lightning coursed through Mabel's body. Her body spasmed as she fell to the ground.

"Ambush!" Dr. Zlo snapped. "Get in positions!"

Egghead turned to the Jacques around it and started gesturing orders. The minions snapped to attention, grouping up in twos and threes as Mabel's mind control fell off the guards. Lug rushed forward, swinging its heavy arms at the guard who attacked Mabel.

"No, wait!" Dr. Zlo shouted. But the villain was too late. The guard tossed another item at Lug, snapping his fingers again. Lug slapped the object out of its way but didn't account for the lightning coursing across the item. The minion spasmed like Mabel, kneeling on the ground in pain.

"Shoulda guessed it would take more than one to take you out," the guard said, taking out another object.

Dr. Zlo acted, using his rocket boots to race forward. The villain blasted the guard with his laser, only to see the beam deflected off a barrier.

"Magical shields," the guard said. "They work so much better than scientific ones, don't you think?"

"I never would have expected another super to be hiding out in a place like this," the villain scoffed. "What, did you want to live vicariously through the heroes of old?"

The other super scoffed, "As if. I just saw you walking inside, and I knew I could take the opportunity. You leave your minions so unprotected."

Dr. Zlo narrowed his eyes, "Well, you won't find me such an easy target."

The guard laughed, "You think so? See, I figure you're just as easy as the rest of them!"

With those words, the guard threw another item into the air, Dr. Zlo only now seeing it was a coin. The villain twisted out of the way, letting the object sail by harmlessly.

"Did you really thi--"

"No," the guard interrupted. "I didn't."

The man snapped his fingers, and Dr. Zlo felt a force strike him in the back and send him shooting downward. The villain winced at the blow, noticing a sliver of his health had depleted from the assault, and more were sure to come if he didn't correct his flight path.

With a kick of his boot, Dr. Zlo spun in place, arresting his momentum to stop him right above the floor.

"A cheap shot," the villain scoffed. "You must be a villain."

"Oh, give it a rest already," the guard said. "I'm just here to beat you down."

"Ha!" Dr. Zlo laughed. "You and the rest of the world! But I am the greatest criminal mastermind the world has ever seen!"

The player (Dylan definitely thought it was a player at least) didn't bother to answer Dr. Zlo's provocation. Instead, the man brought both his hands together in a loud clap! The ground under Dr. Zlo started to shift and twist, sprouting tentacles of earth that raced toward the villain.

Dr. Zlo weaved out of the way, shouting to his Jacques in the process.

"Get them!" the villain shouted.

Egghead saluted, having finally wrangled the last of his makeshift army in line. The minion thrust a hand forward, and the Jacques charged. Dr. Zlo's simplistic minions slammed into the NPC guards working with the player, giving Dylan an inkling that he was fighting a hero.

The Jacques threw flurries of punches and kicks, their hapless moves countered by the guards slightly professional training. But Dr. Zlo had the numbers, and Egghead's command meant that his Jacques outflanked the guards. The ends of each line started to fold as the Jacques beat on guard's backs.

At that moment, the player fighting Dr. Zlo tossed something out of their inventory.

"Let's see how you deal with my own minions," the player said.

A circular object landed on the ground, digging into the stone floor after the player snapped his fingers. A moment later, a golem burst from the earth, wearing a crown of metal that glowed an ominous red.

"The best part is," the player chuckled. "I've got more of them than you!"

With those words, the player opened his inventory and tossed out golem after golem, snapping his fingers each time to let them sprout. Dr. Zlo's eyes widened. How was this player casting so many magical spells? He should have long been out of mana.

"If you think such paltry tricks will stop me, you're mistaken!" Dr. Zlo scoffed. "Witness the might of my newest invention!"

Dr. Zlo thrust his cane forward, performing the steps needed to cast his disintegration spell. A bolt of white static fired straight at the enemy player, forcing the man to roll out of the way. The beam continued past the man, striking various golems and crashing them to the ground.

"Coward!" Dr. Zlo shouted. "Face your doom like a hero!"

"God, that drivel is so annoying," the player responded. "And you're mistaken if you think I was running."

Dr. Zlo realized at that moment that his enemy stood over Mabel, the minion only now recovering.

"Mabel, look out!" Dr. Zlo shouted.

The player sneered, stomping Mabel. But Dr. Zlo's words shook Mabel out of her slight stupor, giving her time to roll out of the way. The stomp dug into the softened floor, giving Mabel enough time to back off.

"Well, my dress is ruined," Mabel said as she looked down.

Black stains dotted Mabel's dress like mold, the result of the player's electrical attack.

"It'll take ages to get these out," the minion sighed.

"Mabel!" Dr. Zlo shouted. "Get Cass and make your way back to Skyline! I'll deal with this interloper!"

"But boss!" Cass shouted.

"No buts!" Dr. Zlo retorted. "The ingredient is too important to lose!"

"You think I'm going to let you leave?" the player said. "Fat chance of that!"

The player attempted to strike at Mabel once more, taking out another coin from his inventory. Dr. Zlo interrupted the attack, racing forward on his rocket shoes and firing his laser. The player was forced to dash out of the way, giving Mabel room to leave.

"Stupid move, idiot," the player said.

Dr. Zlo felt something wrap around his leg, yanking him from the sky and slamming him into the ground. The villain coughed in surprise, seeing his health bar deplete a bit more.

"Bos!" Cass shouted.

"I'm fine!" Dr. Zlo said. "Get the ingredient!"

Dylan knew this fight was going to take a while, and he could tell that this hero was out to get him. Better to get Cass and Mabel out of the way while he still could. He didn't want to lose them now, not after everything they had done together.

Mabel rushed past Cass, jumping into the driver's seat of the Zlomobile.

"Come on!" she shouted.

"But Boss!" Cass complained.

"Mabel!" Dr. Zlo shouted. "I give you permission to control Cass!"

"You heard the man, Cass," Mabel said. "Get your rear in the seat. We're getting out of here."

Cass stiffened at Mabel's words, agonizingly moving toward the car.

"Don't make me leave him," Cass said.

"He'll be fine, hon," Mabel said. "It's not like he'll die or nothing."

"But he needs our help!" Cass shouted.

"I'll be fine!" Dr. Zlo said, taking off his dueling gloves.

The villain's two gloves activated, punching the earthen tentacles. Dr. Zlo's invention triggered, blowing bits of dirt every which way in an explosion. Dr. Zlo lurched forward, the sudden loss of a tentacle sending him flying into the sky. The enemy player flinched from the bits of dirt, giving the villain some time to compose himself.

"I see you like to play rough!" Dr. Zlo said as he hovered above the hero. "Well, two can play at that game!"

The villain pulled out some of his old button bombs, mixing a few of his newer ones in before making sure the Zlomobile had left. Sure enough, Mabel had driven the car toward the opening his hat drone made, escaping out of the museum and back toward the hideout.

"Egghead!" Dr. Zlo shouted. "Get Lug up and prepare yourself!"

The villain turned back to his foe, "Tell me, hero. Have you ever seen a one-man bombing run?"

Dr. Zlo dove, flying over the enemy and dropping his button bombs. His explosives clinked onto the ground, surrounding the enemy player. As they landed, Dr. Zlo activated the self-destruct buttons he'd hidden with the others. For good measure, more than anything else. Dr. Zlo didn't want to leave anything to chance.

The button bombs clinked on the ground as they went off, surrounding the enemy player in a fiery explosion.

"Let's see how you deal with a little heat!" Dr. Zlo cackled.

Seconds later, the second round of buttons exploded, bombarding the building in another concentrated blast.

The villain flew above the explosions, watching for any signs of movement until the buttons finished their work. When the smoke cleared and the world stopped shaking, the only things left were the pockmarks the buttons made on the floor. That and the few cracked pillars still holding up the museum.

"Ha! I knew nothing could beat my genius!" Dr. Zlo gloated.

"Oh, we aren't done," a voice said.

Dr. Zlo whirled to see the player form before step into the museum, with no sign of any damage on him.

"Impossible!" Dr. Zlo shouted. "That explosion was enough o kill you four times over!"

"Then you better try harder," the player replied.

Dr. Zlo sneered. "So far, it doesn't seem like you're worth my time."

"Oh, don't worry," the player said. "We're only getting started."

The player opened their inventory once more, pulling out as many coins as they could carry and scattering them onto the ground around him.

"And what, pray tell, is that supposed to do?" Dr. Zlo said. "If you haven't noticed, I can fly."

The player shook their head, "And I expected a bit more thought from you."

Dr. Zlo watched suspiciously as the player clapped his hands. The coins activated, jumping into the air and spinning.

"So you have tricks," Dr. Zlo said dismissively. "I have some as well!”

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