Viewers?

The man had said something about viewers, and while Megamind could not see any, he was a world-class supervillain for a reason.

"Greetings!" He opened with jubilance, pushing his chest out. "I am Megamind; welcome to my humble abode, courtesy of the prt. And who might you be?"

Widening eyes betrayed surprise on the man's face. A grin started to form before it was schooled, and he returned to a serious expression.

"Uber!" He announced, his voice deep and reverberating off the walls. He stepped further into the cramped cell and maneuvered to the side, so that the door was between the two of them. "One half of the dynamic duo, Uber and Leet!"

The name tickled Megamind's memory; they were small-time independents in the city. He'd looked into them when considering who to take on as his protege, but their ages had been unclear, and he figured they came as a package deal. Seeing one of them in person, he pegged the man as being in his mid-twenties.

"Say, you wouldn't have seen another tinker around here, would you?" Uber asked, while subtly nudging his head toward the open door.

The vocal chords on him were impressive, and Megamind was not one to give out that kind of praise lightly. It was perfect for narration, being akin to those used in movie trailers.

"Afraid not," Megamind responded. He wasn't due for checkout yet. Through the doorway, he noticed a hovering golden ball. Mounted on it was unmistakably a camera lens. "I'd try the next door over." This was an unexpected boon. As long as that recording made it out of here, there would be ample proof that he had been in custody. It meant his timetable could be moved up should he wish. "Now I appreciate the visit, but you should step to it. Villainy doesn't wait for just anyone."

Himself being the exception, of course. He was tempted to join and have the escape captured on camera, but he was not keen on sharing any of the infamy associated with the breakout.

"Are you sure?" Uber tilted his head with perplexity. "And here I thought you'd be jumping for a collab. Sorry viewers, maybe next time. Now let's bust some of those other cells open and see if we can't find Leet."

Uber, evidently on a tight schedule, hurriedly exited his cell. The door was left open, and Megamind made to shut it. Before that, he peeked through into the hallway, seeing the foam nozzles inert. Either they had been completely shut down, or they had been compromised to believe there were no targets in sight.

The forums had listed Leet as one of the tinkers in the bay, but it had also mentioned he was by far the worst one. His inventions allegedly had an issue with spontaneous combustion. Uber did not look tech-savvy to him, so he must have been using something of Leet's to infiltrate the facility. Perhaps, like him, Leet had been unfairly disparaged and made out to be a fool by the public.

Yes, that seemed likely. As useful as the internet was, he had to remind himself that it was not always honest.

He had just sat back down on his mattress when there was the distinctive sound of tearing metal. That had nothing to do with him, so he laid back with his hands behind his head.

Alarms started blaring, and he eyed the orb above him for any sparks. He'd be more than a little upset if he got a zap from it despite being 'good'.

He thought there might have been yelling, but through the thick door and walls, it was impossible to determine what was being said. His intuition told him it was an argument of some kind.

Rather suddenly, the door was ripped off, and the orb above him lit up. Megamind's hand gripped the mattress, and then he rolled. Lances of electricity impacted the thin piece of bedding he tried to hide behind and traveled through his body, causing his limbs to spasm.

That hurt!

The onslaught didn't stop, and he forced himself to his feet and dove into the hallway. Out of range from the device, he stood back up with a pout on his face.

Had he just been evicted? At least the alarms had been muted, replaced by flashing red lights.

His door was a few meters away and looked to have been hooked before being yanked away. The source was quite obviously the writhing mass of metal hooks and blades attempting to fight its way to the elevator. Its advance was slowed to a halt as the now active nozzles hosed it down like an unruly dog. The sickly yellow foam was expanding, burying the dog and the entire width of the hallway.

"What part of wait did he not get?" A nasally screech came from behind him. It was a scrawny man, wearing prison attire and a white domino mask that didn't hide the acne scars on his face. "And did you seriously not get me a costume?"

Uber was beside him. He raised his gun, and a trigger was squeezed. The sound was reminiscent of a pin being dropped, and he almost missed how the foam dispensers sputtered before losing life.

"Hookwolf, smart, pick one," Uber said derisively. "Can't believe he thought I was a guard. I'm calling that guy back and demanding extra for that." He inclined his head slightly toward Leet while still keeping Hookwolf in frame. "And name a Metal Gear character that you can both pull off and won't bitch about having to portray. I'll wait."

Ah, it was a case of mistaken identity that had caused the confusion. Understandable, but Megamind had to agree with Uber and question Hookwolf's intelligence. Dashing toward those nozzles had been the move of a novice. Although they were now disabled, the damage was already done. The foam continued to expand, blocking their only exit, an elevator at the end of the hall.

"Fuck off, dude," Leet punched his partner's shoulder, only to shake his hand after and mutter a curse. He then pointed an accusatory finger at Megamind. "And you, weren't you staying out of it? Or are you trying to steal our own stream?"

Stream? They were broadcasting live? His estimation of the pair rose. Doing live work was always more dangerous, but with that, the reward increased as well. It hadn't occurred to him that there were others who appreciated that type of media in the bay.

"True villains steal what they want," he said with one arm folded behind his back and the other pointed to the ceiling. "Whether it's candy from a baby or gold bars from a federal reserve, we never ask permission." Megamind wasn't just evil; he was unapologetically evil. It was a key facet of his identity. In front of onlookers, he could allow no cracks to be seen. Not an ounce of hesitation could be shown. "And we certainly don't back down when threatened."

If he wanted to steal their stream, he would. He wasn't particularly inclined to, not at this juncture, but he was more than willing to pretend he was.

"Cool story, bro," Uber interjected, placing a hand on his partner. "But can we have the tinker pissing parade outside?"

Megamind looked back at his cell, the automated defenses still sparkling. It was not very inviting. Fortunately, the ones in this section of the hallway were non-functional. They'd either been roughly ripped out like his door or expertly shot.

"Go ahead and do whatever it was you were planning," Megamind waved a hand, shooing them away. It was a tough decision to shy away from the limelight, but this was not his show, and the duo had piqued his curiosity. "Pretend I'm not even here."

The pair shared a look before shrugging in synchronization. The larger one produced an extra pistol and handed it to the smaller one. He took it and kept his hand out, waiting for more than never came.

"Dude, where's my gear?!" He exclaimed angrily. His eyes switched from his partner to the incoherent yelling from the puddle of expanding foam, his rising panic on display. "This can't be all you brought!"

Uber didn't respond directly, lifting his pistol again and this time destroying the various cameras. Considering they'd brought their own, he'd not mark off for that. This second display of skill, while impressive, wasn't what he honed in on.

"Excellent suppressor," he praised while looking at the nondescript weapon. It looked just like a normal pistol, but if it had been, his ears would be ringing right now. "I designed something similar myself once upon a time."

He wasn't the biggest fan of conventional firearms; lasers and ray guns were more his speed. However, firing a mini-gun at a hero was a rush, so he kept a small selection around. The first time he fired one in the lair, he had hearing issues for hours afterward.

"How'd yo-" Leet shook his head, aborting the question he had about to pose toward Megamind, and turned back to Uber. "Stop messing around; where is my stuff? Or are you trying to get us boned?"

Uber's shoulders rose and he put his hands up in a helpless manner.

"I'm playing stealth. I was supposed to be in and out without raising any alarms. I knew he was a little dumb, but how was I supposed to know Hookwolf would go all Hookwolfy? Just focus on building something to get us out of here."

Leet grumbled under his breath, running a hand through greasy black hair. His eyes danced around the corridor, searching for something.

"Because he's Hookwolf," he bit back sarcastically. "And everyone knows stealth play always devolves to leaving no witnesses." He glanced down both sides of the hall, seemingly evaluating what was on hand. "They keep this place bare bones. Either way, I can't just build something on the fly; you know how I work."

"You really shouldn't let your life be ruled by that spreadsheet." Uber retrieved a grenade from his bandolier, tossing it up and down casually. "How about we just blow our way through then? We're gaining stars while sitting around here and doing nothing."

Megamind looked up, wondering where the stars the man was talking about were.

"That's not going to-" There was a muffled blast as the grenade was tossed into the foam, exploding to no effect. "Work." Leet finished lamely.

Setting aside why he was carrying explosive grenades on a stealth mission, did they actually enter without having a way around the foam? That was the first thing he had considered when planning a jailbreak.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Think the rest can bust through the ceiling?" Uber asked, already unloading several of the cylinders. "Worth a shot, right?"

Far be it for him to criticize blowing up ceilings, but this was turning into a very haphazard attempt at a breakout. Plan A failing was fine; that was sometimes their entire point, but that's why plans B, C, and D existed. Uber must have been the Minion of the pair; that meant Leet should have a well-reasoned way out of here.

The man in question furrowed his brow in thought before replying

"Beats anything I got; start throwing them and we'll find out."

It took him a second to process that statement.

Amateurs, he was dealing with rank amateurs. They had part of it down; knowing the best villains ensured they had an audience. While normally that would be cause for celebration, their execution made it so that those watching would see them as ignorant buffoons, labeling them as jokes.

He decided there was enough of that going around. As the premier supervillain, he could no longer be a mere spectator.

"Stop!" He yelled before Uber could pull the pin, rushing to explain. "If the walls were over a foot thick, then the ceiling and roof likely match it. We'll never get through with that level of explosives."

It would be foolish to reinforce everything besides the ceiling and floor, and while he had a dim view of the prt, they could make a half-decent holding cell.

"I don't see you getting any bright ideas," Leet sneered, not giving his observation the attention it deserved.

He had many, but he wasn't about to spill all of his secrets. Still, some guidance was called for. He'd just limit his involvement. Megamind pointed at the various grenades attached to Uber.

"Dismantle those grenades." When there was no immediate response, he snapped his fingers and pointed toward their current predicament, Hookwolf's entombed form. "Or would you like your stay extended? I'll have to warn you; I've been told the food is horrible."

Leet placed a hand on Uber's shoulder, shaking his head.

"Dude, even I know taking apart explosives is how you get a game over." It was difficult to pick out with his nasally voice, but Megamind was able to identify condescension there.

He found himself comparing the cape to Canary. She was a much better student. His fingers twitched, wanting to do it himself. It wasn't just that either; his very being wanted to steal the spotlight and show these posers how it was done. He restrained himself. If he did that, they would never learn, and the name of villainy would be dragged further through the mud.

How did Lady Photon do it again?

Megamind took a breath, his chest rising. He released it, and with it began rattling off instructions.

"There's no danger as long as it's not armed. Unscrew the cap and pull down the outer casing," he spoke with authority, leaving no room for a rebuttal. "There will be a firing mechanism that ignites the propellent in the tube placed in the center. It's located on the top, so all you have to do is fully pull that out and set it to the side. Everything else should be stable. Don't be afraid to be a little rough."

He'd never dismantled a grenade before, but they were rather mundane creations, it did not take a genius to figure out how they functioned.

"Don't listen to him," Leet argued, continuing to prove he'd make a bad student. "He doesn't know what he's doing."

Uber hesitated and then unscrewed the grenade, earning a betrayed look from his partner.

"Chill bro," Uber tried to placate his partner while working quickly. "His head's not that big for nothing. Hopefully."

Leet threw his hands up and started pacing, muttering under his breath and waving that gun around a bit too much for Megamind's liking.

He focused back on Uber, seeing that he'd started dismantling the object in earnest. The man was a quick study, and while he clearly didn't know what he was looking at, his hands were steady. Megamind guided him through the process, pointing out what the individual pieces were. He noticed that they were not all fragmentation like the first one. There was an incendiary, smoke, and stun grenade as well. That opened a whole well of possibilities.

"You." With all the pieces ready, he gestured to Leet. "Come here."

If it was possible to slouch even further, Leet accomplished and stomped over like a petulant child.

"What do you want?" He asked ungratefully. It was beginning to grate on his nerves, but he pushed those feelings down for now and pointed at the pile of parts.

"Invent a way out of here."

Leet looked at the pieces, and then to him. The cape took a step back.

"I thought you had a plan?!?" He accused loudly, spit flying out of his mouth but thankfully stopping short of Megamind.

"This is my plan," Megamind pointed at Uber. "He's the muscle; you're the brain. That means you need to figure out a way out of here. You have everything you need."

It was a symbiotic relationship. Obviously, the brain mattered much more than the muscle, but he could acknowledge that he would not be where he was without Minion backing him up. He filled gaps Megamind was unwilling or unable to fill himself.

"Dude, I can't." He crossed his arms in an x before sweeping them out. "Stop wasting our time."

Megamind had no idea what level of tinker he was, but if he had schematics downloaded to his brain like the rest, this should be easy.

"You're the one wasting it. There's no room for hesitation in the world of villainy."

Hesitation and fear weren't emotions he felt often, but he had overcome them recently with the teleporter. He'd also helped Canary with hers. Both of them were of a higher caliber than Leet, but he wouldn't be Megamind if he didn't try. This was for the sake of all villains.

"You don't get it." The heat in his voice dimmed, and Leet kicked one of the hollow shells across the hallway. It bounced off the wall, rolling to a stop. "I've already burned these lines. If I try anything, it's going to blow up."

Megamind wasn't sure what these lines were. When he was about to ask for clarification, Uber spoke up.

"Bro, isn't that the point?"

The two shared another look, and Uber held out a hand. It hung there, waiting.

"Shit…fine," Leet slapped the hand. He collapsed to his knees, pawing over the various pieces.

A loop began to play out as Leet would pick up an object, and look prepared to use it for something, only to shake his head and put it back down.

This wasn't getting anywhere. The cape was far too indecisive for his liking. Not only that, but they were looking down the wrong path to begin with. A firmer hand was needed, and Megamind glanced around, finding a loose piece of scrap metal on the floor. It must have been leftovers from when Hookwolf ran down the hallway. Gripping the piece, he went to where Leet was and carved a series of symbols into the floor.

"This is part of the chemical composition of the containment foam." He grabbed one of the tubes lying by the side and shook it. "This is the payload of a smoke grenade. If you roll it on the floor swiftly, you'll separate the contents, and if you're quick enough, you can extract the potassium chlorate. Now work!"

He was being far more generous than he should have been, but time was ticking and he did not want failure to be captured on camera for all to see.

"You want me to work with containment foam? That's dragon's tech; there's no way I can…" he trailed off, staring at what Megamind had etched. Precious seconds passed without a smidge of movement before something seemed to overtake the cape, and he nearly fell over, reaching for a far piece.

He didn't utter a word, working or scrambling, in complete silence. Megamind watched him closely, observing how a tinker worked. With some inside knowledge now, he could follow the process much more closely. It was interesting to see Leet work off the information he provided; it allowed Megamind to refine his own understanding of the material.

Faster than he expected, Leet stood up with a barely held-together device in his hand. He held it closely to himself, almost covetously.

"Uh, Leet?" Uber questioned, slowly prying the device away from his partner. "Why don't I take that?

Leet allowed it to be taken, blinking his eyes and coming out of his daze. So that was what a tinker-fugue state was. He'd read about them recently; they were when a tinker seemed possessed to finish something. Megamind suspected it occurred when the schematics were too complicated for the tinker to follow.

"Pull the pin, throw," Leet said simply, glancing back at their exit. The small mountain of foam had slowed its expansion but was still creeping outward. "Shit, that's way too much. I don't-"

"Just throw it," Megamind interjected, not interested in hearing anymore second-guessing.

Uber didn't need to be told twice, and he pulled the pin. Raising his leg like a baseball pitcher, he lobbed the device, and it flew quickly, sinking into the foam.

With bated breath, they waited. There were no visual changes, and just when Megamind was considering what had gone wrong. A half roar, half curse, was heard.

"Stupid," A metal claw emerged from the yellow subsistence, the chunks of foam flying out. "Tinker bullshit. Taste like fucking crap."

A vaguely wolf-shaped creature fought its way out of the substance. Leet had not created a true dissolver, but he managed to fully halt its expansion and compromise the hardening structure. The result was turning it into a thick type of playdough.

The metal head turned toward them. Megamind did not know much about this Hookwolf, only that he was with the Empire and had gone after the Undersiders.

There was a tenseness in the air, and Megamind was preparing to exchange taunts when the light above the elevator turned green. The great metal doors opened, revealing a collection of costumed kids playing hero.

"Hey, times up!" One of them yelled out in a loud voice. "Oh. Shit. Wrong floor."