Social media had more avenues of use and implications than he'd originally deduced.

Hacking into a broadcast and replacing it with his handsome mug was an act he'd done on numerous occasions, the opportunity to not just broadcast over traditional media but also thousands upon thousands of phones and computers was incredibly tempting. He restrained himself, for now. The timing needed to be perfect and he'd not waste it on a weak performance.

Instead, he used his newfound knowledge to fan the flames. In the past few days, videos and pictures of Oni Lee attacking the prt and police flooded online. They were grainy things with unsteady camera work, he sacrificed their quality to give them a feeling of authenticity.

Those alone would not be enough, he created account after account to add commentary and simulate user engagement. The algorithm to facilitate that was currently in its third iteration. He found extra use for his universal translator and integrated them together. After all, the abb was a multi-cultural organization and it would look strange if they did not contribute to the 'discussion'.

As for why it was on the third iteration? He kept having to reset it. He wasn't sure what was going wrong, he regularly fed it mined user data but somehow it kept devolving and generating incoherent ramblings.

Some sites had greater protection than others. Frustratingly, pho happened to be one of them and he found himself relying on a more primitive way to influence it.

As if waiting for that cue, something tapped his leg. He looked down and found the youngest holding up a tablet to him.

His lips pressed into a thin line.

"Spider Mite. I've told you before, it's okay to lie on these things." His words fell on deaf receivers and it held the screen up to him again. With a sigh of defeat, he grabbed it. "Fine but this is the last time."

He filled out the captcha and selected 'I'm not a robot', handing it back to the youngest who took it and skittered away excitedly. The rest of them had no problem bypassing the protections and copy-pasting messages for him.

"Why yes, that sounds very interesting." Minion's voice carried over from the other side of the lair and he couldn't help but overhear. "But you're saying if I bundle the internet we'll get a reduced rate? Oh yes, that would be the unlimited plan we'd want."

He walked over, seeing Minion nodding happily while on the phone. He waved his hand, gaining his attention.

"Minion, who is that?"

"One second please." Minion spoke into the phone before holding it aside with a hand over the microphone. "It's the television company. I'm getting a great deal."

"Setting aside that we don't pay for our current internet" He hadn't gotten around to finding a more permanent solution and the current connection was working fine. "Why do we need cable?"

"It's satellite, there aren't any cable providers that service this area. I figured we'd want it set up so we can dvr our parade crashing if your plan works. But it's a much better value if we bundle phone, internet, and tv. We can also lock in our rate if we commit to a five-year plan."

"We have phones already, you're holding one."

"Call me old-fashioned but a lair doesn't feel like a lair without a landline."

"We're not paying for any of that, let alone whatever rate they're trying to fleece us with. Wait, did you say 'if'?"

"Did I? Slip of the tongue sir, don't mind it. Anyways, we we act now we can get one month of premium status for free."

His blank face told Minion what he thought of that idea.

"I'm not doing a poor job of explaining it." He pressed a button on the phone and held it out. "Peter you're on speakerphone with my boss. Do you mind explaining the benefits of a bundle?"

"No trouble at all, I didn't realize this was a corporate account. Let me pull up those rates."

Megamind snatched the phone and pressed the disconnect button.

"This is about getting your stories isn't it."

"Noooo?" Spider Mite wasn't the only one who needed help lying.

"Didn't you find them online? What's the problem with those."

"I did…but the quality varies and they get posted days, sometimes weeks, after the initial airing. I can't participate in after-episode discussions like that."

He made a note to look into parental controls for internet access. Minion was becoming too distracted by it.

His fishy friend had a sullen look on his face. Well, it wouldn't be too much trouble, and taping the live recording would be useful.

"I know we have a couple dishes that were scavenged. Find me one from storage and I'll see about upgrading it."

"Really sir?! That's great, the channel I want is-"

"That doesn't matter Minion, I'll have it pick up all the channels." It may take extra work but he was never one for half-measures. "Before you started on this little adventure, did you do as I asked and familiarize yourself with the new equipment?"

"Sure did, I don't see why need super flashlights though."

Minion waved one of the pair he made. The exterior looked mundane enough however if one were to take a peak inside they'd see a glimpse of his expertise.

"That's not their name. They're named…." His brain quickly supplied a response. "Megalights" It wasn't a particularly creative one. "It doesn't matter what they're called, what matters is what it does. Go ahead and turn it on-"

He couldn't finish as Minion flicked the switch and his retinas suddenly felt like they were on fire.

"Gah!" He flinched back and covered his eyes. "Don't point that at me!"

"Sir!" "Are you alright"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." He rubbed his aching pupils and blinked them rapidly. "Or I will be, the blindness should wear off in a minute or less."

"Why did you invent a blind gun?"

Problems came in all shapes and sizes. The same went for solutions. There was always a better tool to be made, a better plan to be drafted.

"The smoke bombs were an imperfect solution. They'd interfere with us as much as they did Oni Lee. As long as we tag him with this, he'll be at our mercy. Be warned though, don't use it too quickly in succession. The bulb has a tendency of burning out"

"What a bright idea."

"Minion."

"Yes sir?"

"One, save it for later. Two, dibs."

—

He absentmindedly fiddled with his de-gun while waiting. He'd added a new setting recently and wondered when he would get the opportunity to use it. Maybe tonight, maybe the next night.

They'd been fairly active at interrupting the good guys' patrols but now that the new and improved Spider Bot was back in action they would once again focus their efforts on poking the fire-breathing Gekko.

On the topic of new and improved, the Megamobile had received his stealth package. It had been tricky to get it to work, it wasn't like the invisible car which had an enclosed cab. He ended up expanding the interior and turning it into a sort of convertible, that way he could still feel the rush of the wind when the need struck him.

There was a knock from the outside and he exited the vehicle. Minion was standing to the side, admiring his handiwork. There was a pile of discarded spray paint cans leaning against the wall which proudly displayed a new piece of artwork. A caricature of Lung wearing a diaper and pacifier. It was the sixth one they've added tonight. Each one grew more elaborate as Minion improved in his craft. Minion neared it, shook the can he was carrying, and did a small touch-up in a place where the paint had begun to drip.

"Next time add a bottle and then maybe a mother looking down disappointed at him. He seems like the type to have mommy issues."

"Got it, shall we head to the next spot?" They hadn't chosen this location randomly, he'd pulled every picture he could find on Lung and approximate the location as best he could. Needless to say, he now had a list of locations Lung was known to frequent. He wasn't quite sure why the man would be so partial to a furniture store but that was neither here nor there.

"This your work?" A voice behind startled him and they both turned around to face the unknown speaker.

Who happened to be very recognizable. She floated and wore a one-piece dress. It was stark white and matched her boots. A cape hung lazily over her shoulder and her blonde hair was topped by a tiara. The entire ensemble radiated hero. Indeed when he first saw her picture he suspected she might be Metro Man's daughter. Alas, that was an impossibility. If he hadn't cracked dimensional travel then there was no way anyone else had. Still, their abilities were similar enough that he could be fooled into believing she may have hailed from the same planet as Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes.

"Ho, what do we have here?" He puffed out his chest and stood in a way so that his superiorly designed cape would catch the wind. "A little hero looking to catch evil in the act? Well, I hate to disappoint but we had nothing to do with this doodle-" Minion gasped. "I mean this piece of art."

He couldn't afford to publicize his involvement in the abb's rise and downfall until the big day.

Glory Girl raised a well-manicured eyebrow in his direction.

"I can smell the paint and he's holding a paint can." She pointed at Minion who dropped the can in question and kicked it aside while whistling an innocent tune.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Minion and I were out for a simple stroll when we happened upon it."

"I saw him spray it a couple of seconds ago."

"Schedule an eye exam. Besides, there are two of us and one of you. That means it's we said hero said."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

He didn't mention the Spider Mites covertly placed in the surroundings. Their recordings were proof of their involvement and meant for the montage he would put together later. They were also supposed to warn him in case anyone approached. A task they clearly failed at. He subtly looked past the hero and towards the opposing rooftop. There were supposed to be a set of red eyes looking down at him but they were noticeably absent. He'd have words with whichever Spider Mite was posted there later.

"You promise you're not the ones who did it?" She blinked and tilted her head in questioning.

"Yes, we promise." He replied with one of his arms tucked behind his back, fingers crossed.

"That's too bad then." She pulled out a phone. "Hey big guy, do you mind posing for a picture with your drawing?"

"Absolutely!" Minion, to his exasperation, enthusiastically replied with a smile and thumbs up.

A click was heard and she chuckled while typing away at her phone. "That was almost too easy."

He found himself agreeing with her.

"Minion, do you know what you did wrong."

Minion's eyes went back and forth between them and widened in realization.

"I do sir…" His fins slumped at the declaration.

"We'll need to work on that. We can't have you falling for such trickery."

"You can count on me" Minion perked up with a determined tone. "It won't happen again."

Megamind didn't voice his disbelief in that statement.

"Sorry about that" Glory Girl said while waving the phone. "So what type of tinker are you?"

He wasn't prepared for the casualness of the question. It wasn't the traditional banter but it also wasn't as stiff as the heroes from the bank acted.

"Type? Ha, your words betray how clueless you are to who stands before you. My genius could never be contained by something as simple as a classification system."

She nodded as if expecting the answer.

"You have no idea what they are do you?"

"I know exactly what they are." In the secrecy of his mind, he could admit he did not. He was familiar with the prt classification system but he wasn't aware there were different types of tinkers. Weren't they all just inventors? Masters of science? "But, for argument's sake, what do you think I would be?"

"That depends on your friend there." She seemed to tense and floated slightly back. "Did you make him?"

"Of course I did." Minion would not be the fish he is today without his help. "Everything you see is because of me."

Her eyes widened and she took a greater distance. Her free hand had its fist clenched and her shoulders were square.

"It's true." Minion backed him up. "Before the boss built me my first suit I was a fish in a bowl."

"Wait." She shook her head, blonde hair whipping back and forth. "To be perfectly clear. Did you or did you not create your friend there? Like in a test tube or however you tinkers do it."

Minion looked at him with astonishment, forgetting that it was Megamind's parents who had created him.

"No!" He couldn't help but lose his composure. "I'm not ready to be a father!"

Letting his bots call him daddy was one thing, creating organic life was something entirely else.

"Okay, good." she seemed to relax a tad but still held the fist. "My gut reaction would be controller, because of the robots. With the gun and that car I heard about? Seems like you might fit into a broader category. I'd lean towards Mad Scientist if only because of your get-up."

He did consider himself a scientist, so that was half right.

"What sort of limitations or restrictions do you have? That would help narrow it down."

"Why would I have something like that?" If one considers the laws of physics a limitation then he might have said that. However, what most considered hard rules he found to be suggestions.

There were certain areas where the math did not allow for such circumvention. There was one that called to him and he pushed the thought aside.

"You might not have found it yet." She spoke, heedless of his inner turmoil. "Some tinkers take a while to figure it out if they ever do." She shifted slightly to face Minion. "What about you? Any cool abilities to share?"

"I've been told I'm a great listener."

"That doesn't sound like a Parahuman power."

"But I'm a fish?"

"Touche. You two sorta get a pass because of the whole Case-53 thing but you would not believe the amount of capes who go out without doing any research whatsoever on how powers work. Drives me insane."

The term Case-53 didn't ring any bells to him. Unless that meant they were filing criminal actions against him, but that didn't fit the context.

"You're being oddly helpful." He hedged, still unsure where this was all going.

"I'm a hero." She laughed. Her phone buzzed and she typed something before addressing them again. "Anyways that" She pointed at the mural. "Is actually pretty funny. If it was only that I'd look the other way. I might even commission you to do one of Kaiser and his cronies." Her good cheer bled away as her voice took a more serious tone. "But you two idiots screwed up. You robbed a bank. The bank my family uses. Count your lucky stars my sister wasn't in that day or they'd have to scrape you from the walls. One sec." There was another buzz that she responded to.

There was a dissonance with her words and attire. She may have dressed like one but she didn't speak like a hero.

"You know when I first saw you, I was going to do this whole classic superhero landing. I like to think it makes people reconsider their life decisions but usually they just try to run." There was some sort of tingle that swept over him, he wasn't sure what it was. "Pretty stupid if you ask me, I'm one of the fastest capes in the city and can literally fly. They're not about to get away from me on foot. But hey, what can you expect from people who think crime is a good occupation?"

A lot, in his un-humble opinion.

"That text I got was from my cousin, Crystal, you know her as Laserdream. And guess what? She confirmed you two, or at least he" She gestured at Minion. "Smashed up Thread Paradise on the boardwalk. I was thinking about getting my prom dress made there. Think they'll give me a discount after taking you both down? "

Had Minion's disguise failed? He thought the afro wig, false beard, and red coat to be adequate at the time.

"I don't have a clue what or who you're talking about." He'd never admit to being party to that fiasco. "They sound handsome though. And very villainous."

"Super villainous" Minion added. "the both of them."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far Minion. I'm sure one of them was far more villainous than the other."

"Don't discount the other's involvement. I-he was definitely a part of the villainy going on."

He shot Minion a look who had the decency to recognize the error.

"Girls girls, you're both pretty." She clapped, regaining their attention. "So what's it going to be, hospital or cell? Make it quick, loads of scumbags need putting behind bars tonight."

"Dibs." Minion's whisper surprised him.

"Dibs? No dibs." He responded in a low voice while leaning close to Minion. "Your dibs are overruled. I'm the supervillain here. And you remember what to do if more come, right?"

Minion gave a serious nod. With that reassurance, Megamind stepped forward. One hand held his Megalight and the other his de-gun.

"Shall we begin your exam?" He asked with a smirk.

"Hospital it is then. Ames is going to be thrilled." She said with a shrug and shot towards him.

There was no variation in her approach, she was headed in a straight path toward him. He wasn't impressed, his one and only equal being far faster. His left hand shifted slightly and his finger squeezed. The Megalight shone, earning a yell in alarm and he hopped out of the way of her charge. He used the time of her incapacitation well, firing his de-gun in several locations.

She floated, gaining height while rubbing at her face.

"I may not be board certified but I am a doctor." There was a phase where he thought Dr. Megamind might make an imposing title. It hadn't worked out but in the pursuit he had earned a doctorate online. "The results? Temporary blindness with a bad case of Justice."

There was that tingle again, he tried to parse what it meant but came up empty.

"Neat toy." Glory Girl had recovered faster than he expected. Her head swiveled as she took in projection after projection of him. Each was framed in a different pose. They favored mocking and victorious but there were other variations sprinkled in.

"I know Brokenbay's education system is lacking but I hope they've covered your numbers. In case they haven't let me do the math. There are nineteen copies of me which gives you a measly 5% chance of finding the correct me. Choose wisely."

His cackle had to be aborted as she dove straight at him.

"AH! How did you figure out which one was me so quickly!"

He managed to avoid her sweep and she halted in front of him, throwing a punch.

"None of the other ones were talking, duh." He ducked underneath it. "Now keep still."

He declined that request and with his thumbs, switched the mode of his gun.

"It appears my initial prognosis was missing something." He shifted his shoulder back to avoid a grab. "You're going to have to get someone's notes." A kick nearly brushed his knee. "You're about to be deathly ill."

He fired debilitate point blank. He saw it make contact, what he didn't see was the fist that knocked him up and back a few feet. He remained standing but it was a close thing. That blast should have knocked her out for the count. He might have to consider more drastic options.

"I'm invincible, nothing can hurt me. Seems like you can take a hit as well" She cracked her knuckles. "Good, I won't have to hold back as much."

That tingle came back with a vengeance. There was a thumping making it hard to hear himself think. Was she from that same planet? Did he have to contend with two of them?

The tiara, reflecting the light of the street lamp came for him once more. She collided with him and her momentum carried them both back. They tumbled in a ball of elbows and knees across the pavement until she disentangled herself by flying higher.

That feeling dissipated and his attention snapped back into focus. He'd gotten back on his feet and his right arm held the de-gun at the ready. It was on Death Ray? When had that happened? He couldn't remember switching to it. Moreover, the heat it emitted gave away that he had fired it.

His eyes swept her floating form. Her hair was disheveled and tiara askew. There was red on her knee, indicating a scrape.

He couldn't help himself and laughed.

"You think this is a joke?" She yelled in a harsh voice.

"Incapable of being conquered, overcome, or subdued."He drolled. "I thought I might share the definition of invincible as you seem to have confused it with something else."

She jerked forward only to pull back, showing some restraint. He glanced around furtively, he'd dropped the Megalight during the tumble.

"Do you have any idea how many people I could be helping right now instead of dealing with you?"

That tingle returned. He was prepared and shot himself in the foot, feeling a wave of relaxation. Decompress had a surprising amount of utility. The feeling her aura produced wasn't how it was described on the wiki.

Debilitate wasn't able to get through her defenses but that scrape indicated something had. Death Ray didn't leave scrapes, it didn't leave anything. Whatever defenses she had must have been brought down by his shot, that must be why she was hesitating. From this distance, he wasn't confident in hitting her. He needed to goad her onto the offensive.

"Oh, you poor little hero. Have you finally realized you're not up for the task of taking on a true villain? I can't say I blame you, the quality you've had to deal with so far has been subpar. That said, we should do something about that big head of yours."

"Big head? Seriously? Look who's talking." Her eyes drifted up and away from him. Her sneer transitioned to a smile. "Cousins! Took you long enough."

His gaze followed hers and he saw two figures rapidly approaching.

"Sorry, Vic." Laserdream replied. "Eric tagged along and you know how much of a slowpoke he is.

"Don't put it all on me." The other complained. Megamind recognized him as Shielder. The siblings wore plain clothes, evidently having come in a rush. "We had to scare someone off a lady along the way."

"We can talk later." The slightly ruffled hero said to her cousins.

The trio of capes looked down on them.

"How about you do that math again?" Glory Girl spoke, pointing at each one of them. "Three of us against two of you, I'm liking those odds. I'll be nice and give you another chance to quit."

"Think you've caught me in your web, do you?" As if he'd let them get away with something twice. "Minion! Disappoint them!"

"You two take out the bobblehead. Watch out for that gun of his, it's dangerous"

Glory Girl swooped to Minion but it was too late.

The cube glowed and rapidly expanded, Spider Bot's hulking mass taking up a good portion of the street.

"Spider Bot! Attack!" His gloved hand directed his creation towards the newcomers.

It leaped up and one of its arms lashed out. Glory Girl was swatted out of the sky and through a garage door.

He could shoulder part of the blame here, he had given instructions to the Spider Bot that they'd only call it out of the lair if they were in a fight so it was reasonable that it would pick the thing flying towards it. No matter, there were still other heroes to deal with.

Beams of blue and red were sent in his direction. Minion moved fast, leaping into their path and using his shield to absorb the hit. Setting his gun on destroy, he returned fire. Laserdream flew out of the way but Shielder remained put, erecting a blue forcefield that his attacks splashed against.

Glory Girl rocketed out of the garage and Spider Bot nimbly skittered to the side. Its turret, rather than tracking the caped hero, went for the siblings. In contrast to Megamind's shots, Shielder appeared a great deal more panicked about the rapid-fire blast that came towards him.

Laserdream responded to her brother's yell of alarm with a crimson beam. It impacted Spider Bot, making it skid to the side. Glory Girl followed up and there was a resounding clang as Spider Bot was hurled back.

Its form spun through the air and it clipped the side of a building. Six legs pierced downward, into the earth to arrest its backward movement. The turret fired again and the trio flew evasively.

"Minion, did they forget about us?" He asked while taking some half-hearted shots at the group.

"It appears so sir." Minion sounded dejected. "I thought we'd get a chance to fight together."

A section of the road was upended as Spider Bot used its turbines to avoid Glory Girl's dive.

"Spider Bot seems to be having fun." Minion commented, his mood improving.

It did look to be enjoying itself. He'd have to tune down its aggression level when they got back. He couldn't have his creation stealing his thunder.

If he were being generous, he could view this as a stress test of its improved durability. It was doing an admirable job of shrugging off anything they could throw at it. The chemical treatment he'd given that composite armor was worth every penny.

"Don't forget sir, that takeout place still needs to be tagged."

Minion decided to be the bearer of bad news. As much as he wanted to continue this scrape, they did have more ground to cover today. He'd have to console himself with the promise of his future reward.

"You." He singled out one of the Spider Mites hiding in the dark, making sure it was not the youngest. "Retrieve Spider Bot and head back to the lair once he's done playing."

"The rest of you, load up. I could use some Chinese food."

"It's Thai, but sure thing sir."