“I didn’t either. After the governnt went after you, I thought all the areas where you’d set up communities had been identified.”
“Right,” Pri grunted. “They got the Cabal’s breeding program. We hid the people we cared about. The Cabal didn’t need to know about them, and they didn’t care. They wanted a supply of soldiers descended from us. We made sure they got one, but we kept our families out of sight. This isn’t the first ti that the leadership shifted, and the new people used the Dominators on us. We have backup plans for how to handle it. We needed to know where to aim them.”
“Do you have transportation? We’ve got a jet, but we can’t hold more than fifteen without cramming people into the bathroom and engine room.”
Pri laughed. “We’ll be fine provided you can give us a picture of the place. You could say we have a teleporter on retainer.”
“Is it Chancey?” Chancey had worked with heroes, but when push ca to shove, he’d take anybody’s money.
“Nah,” Pri said, “these are our people. They’re loyal. Chancey’s good, but I want soone who’ll have my back. And no, I’m not telling you anything more about them.”
“That’s fine. I don’t need to know. We’ll bring you in on the planning in a little bit, and you can tell us where you’ll be most useful. For now, though, I’m just glad you want to help.”
Pri t my eyes, “I’m here to free my soldiers from Magnus and the Dominators. I’ll tear down anything that gets in the way of making that happen. I’m glad we’re on the sa side for this one.”
“ too,” I said, noting that he could have said he was happy to help, but instead pointed out that anything in his way would be destroyed. Sure, he’d said he was glad we were on the sa side, but it sounded like it only had as much significance as riding the bus.
But I might have been overanalyzing.
I turned around and walked around the main arena of the lab, checking my progress. I’d set up various machines to create and assemble more bots, as well as replacent ceramic armor bits. With Cabal soldiers on the field on both sides, everyone’s armor would need reinforcent.
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The hisses and hum of the assembly ran in the background as I made my next call to Dr. Transylvania. I half-expected there to be no visuals at all or the padded fabric of a coffin. Finding him in the middle of a dieval castle mid-ritual would have been a strong second choice.
I hadn’t expected that his visuals would include a dieval castle that had been converted into a lab for a combination of magic and powered armor assembly. So yes, stone walls and floors and tapestries, but also loose chanical arms and exoskeletons. Add in symbols and circles on the floor, along with a wooden book stand with an illuminated manuscript and an electronic tablet on it for maximal conflicting tropes, and you have his lab.
Dr. Transylvania wasn’t in armor, and so I saw a man in his thirties with dark hair, brown eyes, a strong jaw, a surprisingly warm smile, and fangs. “I’m happily surprised to receive your call. Would I be correct in guessing that you’re about to go to war with the Nine?”
“Kinda,” I said, “we’re about to go rescue soone from the Nine’s ho base, and it will likely turn into a major battle and maybe, if we’re lucky, endga for at least this version of the Nine.”
Dr. Transylvania laughed, “You’ve noticed that victories don’t last forever. Good. The villains of the story have a way of coming back, sotis as allies.”
I nodded, rembering how he’d faced off against superhero teams and plotted to take over entire countries, sotis successfully.
“Trust ,” I said, “if you’re willing to help, you won’t be the only one.”
Dr. Transylvania smiled, “No doubt. I know your team. You’ve included potential supervillains from the beginning. I approve. I also watch the news, however, so I’m curious. Will we also be joined by Pri or Grand Lake’s forr mayor? I saw that they were in town to fight your mushroom infestation.”
“Just Pri,” I said, “but I guess he’ll be bringing friends.”
Raising an eyebrow, he said, “Really? The rumored secret army? Good. They should have brought it out more often. The Cabal’s leaders beca too comfortable.”
Not sure what I should think of that I reply, “Well, he never said the words ‘secret army,’ but now that you put it that way, it sounds like one—though to keep it hidden, it’s likely more of a secret unit.”
“Excellent,” he glanced to his side, checking sothing outside the cara’s view. “Like Pri, I have additional resources as well. This isn’t a job for the Probationers. I’ll bring them in if I have to, but I have my people, and they’ve been bored lately.”
During Dr. Transylvania’s career as a supervillain, he’d summoned armies of different magical naces in addition to his regular help—a small army of vampires, human servants, and additional undead. From Grandpa’s accounts, the Wizard’s Council wasn’t always able to keep him in line. He’d even infiltrated them by turning mbers a few tis.
“Does this an we’ll need to attack at night?” I asked.
He laughed, “My people would have more options, but it’s not essential.”
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