Vaudevillain

It took a month to rebuild the city of Skyline, even with the help of everyone in Menagerie. This was mainly because Thomas, Dylan, and Jack only recruited crafters they trusted instead of using all of Menagerie. No one wanted a repeat of Skyline, and adding extra hands meant extra holes in security.

Dylan also found himself juggling emails with Vert, building Skyline, and committing crimes for the Viewtube channel. Dr. Zlo had long rebuilt all of his items, putting him back where he was before, sans John. And Dylan had long stopped caring about his old friend.

But finally, at the end of the month, Skyline stood tall over the continent that hosted World of Supers, gleaming in the spotted starlight of space. Menagerie had thought long and hard about the materials to use for the central skyscraper's construction, arguing back and forth on what to use. Eventually, they settled on a mix of magical and technological metals, mixing the two together into an alloy that would protect them from both types of attacks.

Skyline's engine hummed as Dylan walked into the control room, his character's lanky legs making easy strides across the floor. Dextra walked beside him, the two discussing their next steps in the plan for revenge.

"You're set on using my grand shrink ray plan as cover, correct?" Dr. Zlo asked.

"It makes the perfect distraction for our true ambition," Dextra said. "The heroes will be too preoccupied making sure all the world's structures are returned to their proper place. Meaning the heroes' headquarters will lack protection."

"As loathe as I am using one of my grand plans as a distraction, I must admit it makes a certain sense," Dr. Zlo answered with a twirl of his mustache. "I am the foremost criminal mastermind. Now, tell me. How is our death ray coming?"

"We've replaced the villain's symbol on the skyscraper with a platform for the weapon," Dextra said. "All we need to do now is build the thing."

"And determine the best firing time," Dr. Zlo pointed out. "The timing is crucial if we want the moon to come crashing down on the cities."

"Leave that to me," Dextra said. "You worry about building the machine. And make sure nobody finds out about it."

Dr. Zlo scoffed, "As if I would ever be so careless."

"Good," Dextra nodded. "Now, let's see to the masses. I'm sure they're dying to enter the new city."

The two villains made their way out of the engine room and back toward the skyscraper's entrance, making sure to close the hidden doors behind them along the way. Cass and Hans joined the two as they walked out the doors, escorting the villains like medieval lords and ladies. Cass's arm transformed into a drink tray as Dr. Zlo walked near, the butler setting a drink on top before offering it to his boss.

"A drink before you address the crowd?"

"Why not?" Dr. Zlo grabbed the martini glass and downed the liquid in one gulp.

The two villains made their way to a raised soapbox sitting in front of the skyscraper. Dextra walked up gracefully, the player's sharp steps attracting the attention of the masses milling about. Dr. Zlo wasn't nearly as coordinated but made up for it with a cackling laugh and a flourish of his cane.

"Menagerie!" The villain shouted as he arrived. "Welcome to the new Skyline!"

Cheers rang out from the crowd, various players throwing their hands in the air. Dr. Zlo smiled at the sight. There was nothing like a group of minions cheering for your success.

"Alright, settle down," Dextra said. She held her hands up to gather everyone's attention.

The crowd quieted.

"Now," Dextra started. "I'm sure you're all wondering who had it out for our faction, and I assure you that I will answer your concerns. Menagerie was the target of an attack by a disgruntled enemy of Dr. Zlo's. This was a player so dedicated to thwarting the villain that they joined our guild in secret and manipulated players behind the scenes. In doing so, they found an exploit in our defenses–one that we have fixed–and used it to destroy everything we made. I want you all to know that the player has been punished."

The crowd cheered at the news.

"However!" Dextra shouted. "Our faction is still at war! The player was not alone in their anger, making sure to partner up with other factions. These vultures descended as our fair city fell, assaulting our bases as they attempted to pick clean the bones of our faction. But they did not count on your battle prowess!"

The crowd cheered again.

Dextra threw a fist into the air, "You assaulted the factions after Skyline fell, pushing them back while our allies helped us retake resource hill. For that, I commend you! But our work is not done! I declare war against these enemy factions! We shall make these enemies pay for their transgressions! And they shall rue the day they decided to wake the sleeping beast that is Menagerie!"

The crowd erupted into a final cheer, drowning out the rest of the world as the players worked themselves into a fervor.

"No longer are we hero and villain!" Dextra shouted, "But superpowereds with a common enemy!"

Dr. Zlo started to clap, applauding Dextra's evil speech. What better way to unite two disparate groups than to introduce a third that antagonized both? Why, if Dr. Zlo didn't know better, he might assume Dextra orchestrated the entire collapse in order to solidify the faction. Of course, the villain already knew who had been behind the assault, and the gods of the world had seen fit to punish him for his transgressions.

As the crowd died down, Dextra made way for Dr. Zlo. The villain nodded at his companion and stepped forward, drawing the crowd to him with a flourish of his cane.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Heroes and Villains! And all things in between! I am Dr. Zlo! Criminal mastermind! I'm sure you've heard of me."

The crowd cheered in agreement.

"Ah, it is nice to hear exultations instead of screams for once," the villain laughed. "But alas, this is no time to gloat! I have an announcement to make!"

Dr. Zlo paused, letting the air hang heavy with anticipation.

"As many of you know, I am a man of great ambition! I do not sit idle with petty plans that pay paltry sums. No! My goals are lofty! And I do believe it is time that I share my latest and greatest idea with you!"

The crowd waited for Dr. Zlo to continue. The villain paced across the room, building tension before continuing. Dylan had practiced his speech a few times in the mirror earlier today to make sure Dr. Zlo didn't slip up. He couldn't have the villain making a mistake during the biggest speech of his life.

"My notoriety has grown so much that the very gods of this world have deigned to grant me a boon! Yes, Vert itself has come to me to make a deal! They've seen the damage I can do and wish to curtail me! Of course, measly gods are unable to stop the might that is Dr. Zlo! The gods instantly saw that war with me would ruin their very foundations, and so they proposed a deal! They grant me a full pardon, and in turn, I may alter the future of the world as it suits me! Yes, after this meddlesome lich is defeated, Dr. Zlo shall rise to power and conquer the world!"

The crowd erupted in a roar louder than all their previous cheering combined. Dr. Zlo was going to be in the next expansion!

Dylan threw back his head and laughed. He threw his hands in the air and pressed a button on his sleeve. Evil music played in the background, accentuating Dr. Zlo's villainy. Dylan continued to laugh, grateful that Vert let him announce the next expansion to his faction a bit before the official announcement.

Once the crowd died down, Dr. Zlo finished his speech with a bow and walked offstage, letting Dextra take over once more. He logged out of World of Supers, removing the VIS and heading over to his computer.

Dylan still hadn't removed John from his friends list, or from any of his social media, in order to get the most out of his revenge. Vert had sent Dylan an early video of the announcement, showcasing all of Dr. Zlo's evil charisma. With a sneer, he copied the video and pasted it to each of John's socials before banning or blocking the player's profile.

Once finished, Dylan leaned back in his chair. It was a shame he wouldn't get to see John's reaction, but Dylan had a good idea of how John would react to the news.

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