Vaudevillain

Chapter 187: Self-Destructive Tendencies

The earth rumbled near Dr. Zlo, the ground shifting and rolling like bubbling dough. The bearded man stomped the ground, sending a piece of the land to his hands.

"This Panya will end you!" the man shouted.

Panya pulled at the piece of earth, kneading it in his hands to form a smooth ball that reflected the light. The young dragon from before stepped forward, firey armor forming on his arms.

Panya tossed the ball over, "Take it, Jozo!"

The young man grabbed the ball with his hands, drying the earthen ball out and hardening it further. Jozo then tossed it to another elder, this one with a small tree resting on his head.

"Choko!"

The old man caught the earthen ball with the tree, the green leaves sticking to the earth like glue. Choko continued until two layers of leaves covered the ball, then tossed it over to the elderly woman.

"Noka, feed it!"

The woman sent her storm cloud over the ball, nourishing the plants and earth. Branches sprouted from the leaves, winding through each other to form a mesh. Fire appeared like candles at each branch's end, only for Noka's water to snuff them out.

Once a large enough mesh of branches formed, Noka tossed the ball to the last elder.

"Finish it, Ryoshi!"

The last man, his entire body now metallic, clutched the ball in his hands and focused. The branches hardened, turning silver and gold under the light. Veins of metal rushed through the earth, linking the five elements together. The ball erupted with golden light, the whole affair taking only seconds.

Dr. Zlo flinched at the golden light, its brightness enough to blind him. Below him, the five NPCs shouted, "Harmonial Five Elements Assault!"

The sound of trees rustling through the wind reached Dr. Zlo's ears, and realization crossed the man's face. Quickly, Dr. Zlo rocketed further upward, doing his best to put distance between him and the glowing ball. After a second of travel, Dr. Zlo looked down to see the golden light chasing him.

"You can't escape the elements!" The man in fire armor taunted. "It's the same as trying to escape the world!"

Fires erupted from the branches on the ball, forming clouds as flowing water snuffed the flames. The clouds grew, turning black and emitting a rumble. Seeing what was about to happen, Dr. Zlo dove to the ground, making a beeline for the elders.

"Ha! Do you think you can stop it if you take us out?" The earthen man boomed.

"On the contrary!" Dr. Zlo answered. "But you would make excellent cover."

The five Elementalist's eyes widened, and all of them dove out of the way, not wanting to get caught in their own attack. Dr. Zlo ignored them, his real plan something else. The villain released a cloud of nanites, forming them around his body like chainmail armor as he rushed toward the factory.

A moment later, the crack of thunder rang through the battlefield, and a blast of lightning arced out at Dr. Zlo. The strike electrified the nanomachines, crackling in Dr. Zlo's ears like crumpled paper. But the villain's idea held. The nanomachines around Dr. Zlo created a faraday cage, halting any electricity before it reached the villain.

"None can match my genius!" Dr. Zlo boasted.

The elemental ball wound up for a second strike, but Dr. Zlo was already behind the factory doors. With cover between him and the elements, the villain could finally start concocting a plan.

In the distance, Dr. Zlo heard the elders, a heated argument starting to form.

"Choko! Why didn't you stop him with your grasping roots!" yelled Jozo, his armor flaring in intensity.

"And sacrifice himself?" Ryoshi, the metal Elementalist, asked. "We all know what you've done to the last elder, little Jo. Don't think we'll allow it."

"This quibbling is pointless!" the earthen man boomed. "We have to end this Dr. Zlo before he assaults more of the city!"

"Agreed," Noka, the water Elementalist, answered. "He has to pay for stealing our precious artifacts. He and that thief Lupan."

"Well, well," Dr. Zlo murmured. "It seems all isn't quite perfect with these five elders."

"Dude! What is that!" Riptide exclaimed.

Dr. Zlo whirled in surprise, calming down once he saw his companions. "Ah, good. I take it you have the materials?"

Sweet Dream patted her pockets," Right here in our inventory."

"Excellent!"

"Dudes, you gotta let me try to surf that ball!" Riptide exclaimed.

"But we have what we came for," Sweet Dream tried to argue. She knew it was a useless argument; Riptide already made up his mind. But perhaps it could happen, and Sweet Dream could be on her way to more exciting locations than modernized factories in the country.

"I'm not about to let this go," Dr. Zlo answered. "These five elders tried to eliminate me. Me! Don't they know who I am?"

"Probably," Riptide said. "You do announce yourself whenever we arrive, dude."

"Thank you, Riptide I was being rhetorical," Dr. Zlo grumbled.

"Hey, no problem," Riptide answered cheerily. This only made Dr. Zlo grumble more.

"Do you really want to get involved with that?" Sweet Dream pointed. The others looked over, the golden ball now spitting electricity like an overzealous llama. A few bolts smacked against the factory doors, carving deep scorch marks into the metal.

"Heck yeah, Dream!" Riptide answered with gusto. "Surfing that is going to be awesome!"

"Good, Riptide can take care of the ball, and we'll take care of the five interlopers," Dr. Zlo said.

"Two versus five doesn't sound like good odds," Sweet Dream answered.

"Ah," Dr. Zlo said, raising his cane, "but all we have to do is tilt the odds in our favor."

Sweet Dream crossed her arms, "And how do you suppose we do that?"

"Simple, we're villains. We cheat."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Sweet Dream asked.

Dr. Zlo opened his inventory, removing the self-destruct patches he kept on hand, "I think these will suffice."

"And if they don't?"

Dr. Zlo shrugged, "We run, and I get my revenge another day."

Sweet Dream looked down at the self-destruct patches, "Fine. How are we using these?"

The five clan leaders were still arguing when Riptide burst out of the factory, a wave flying behind him as he performed a handstand.

"Cowabunga, dude!"

The leaders whirled, each activating their elemental defenses to block the wave. The conjured water crashed down, sending equipment flying to the sides while Riptide rushed at the golden ball in the sky. Dr. Zlo and Sweet Dream, the woman in her chocolate form, dashed out after the attack, the villains making a beeline for the elders.

"You think to engage me in combat!" Jozo yelled.

The Elementalist's fire brightened, the flames tinging blue at the edges as the Young Dragon's emotions fueled his power.

"You think you're worth engaging?" Sweet Dream countered. She ignored the man, choosing instead to rush at the metallic Elementalist.

"Oh ho!" Ryoshi cheered. "You think yourself my equal?"

Panya jumped in before Sweet Dream could reach Ryoshi, forming a wall of earth to halt her rush.

"Don't get cocky!" the earth Elementalist berated. "Remember, they've already assaulted three of us. We're here to send a message."

Dr. Zlo stopped in front of Jozo, fire reflecting in the villain's monocle, "Are you about to let him tell you what to do? I thought you were the most powerful out of everyone here? Doesn't that make you the leader?"

"You're right it does! And I'll take you myself!" Jozo ran forward, his fire flaring outward to wrap around Dr. Zlo. The villain leaped into the air, activating his rocket shoes and landing a few feet away.

He taunted Jozo with a laser, "Come on. Show me that you can best the greatest criminal mastermind in the world!"

Jozo growled and rushed forward, his companion's calls falling on deaf ears.

"That idiot!" Noka yelled. "We've told him to master that hotheadedness!"

"You know the young," Choko replied as he conjured a ring of trees. "They never listen."

Choko flicked a finger, sending the trees marching off toward Sweet Dream. The villainess was forced back, the four Elementalists working in tandem to box her in.

"Zlo!" she shouted.

"Five seconds!" Dr. Zlo roared.

Sweet Dream nodded, exploding in a wave of chocolate. Globs of the sugary substance fell on the trees, the stone walls, and anything else in the area. Moments later, they formed into small cocoa men and rushed at the enemies. Choko tried to bat some away with his trees, and Noka washed a few away with her clouds, but a few got past. Ryoshi and Panya helped box them in, but even they couldn't catch every small bit of chocolate.

Sweet Dream used the distraction to retreat from the fight, her small form able to slip past the wall of trees. Cameras filled her vision, her new power granting her extra eyes from her cocoa men. The woman directed as many as she could at the elders, jumping behind a piece of factory equipment while she did so.

And not a moment too soon. For Dr. Zlo and Sweet Dream had combined their powers. Self-destruct patches had been placed inside Sweet Dream's chocolate form, the woman conjuring multiple chocolate men to hold the devices. Once their enemies grouped, Dr. Zlo pressed the countdown button while Sweet Dream attacked with her chocolate.

Multiple explosions, each like a kicking bass drum, buffeted Sweet Dream behind her cover while the world lit up. Dr. Zlo and Jozo were blasted away, the two foes taking a bit of damage from the backlash. Riptide hugged his board, the series of explosions unbalancing the villain in his fight against the golden ball.

Caught unawares, the four elders inside the explosion were sent flying. Ryoshi and Panya slammed into the factory, shattering the wall and rolling through the equipment inside. Choko and Noka crashed into the hills far away, breaking small trees as they landed in the distance.

Dr. Zlo stood, wiping the dust off his suit before turning to Jozo and laughing, "Muahahaha! Witness my power!"

Sweet Dream rolled her eyes, "Tone it down a bit. You're a criminal mastermind, not an evil overlord."