AFTERWARDS, WE lay there for a while, just enjoying the touch of each other's bodies. After a few minutes, Roxanne sat up and looked deeply into my eyes. "Are you sure nothing's changed, Carter? You still want me? I mean, you want me as a partner?"

I stroked her cheek and brushed a hair out of her eyes. "Now more than ever."

Her smile came, wider than ever. "We're real partners now."

"In life and in crime."

She kissed me, just as Brutus came trotting through the hole in the wall. He had his head and ears low as if unsure what he would see, but looked at me and Roxanne, and his tail wagged furiously as he barked again and again.

She laughed. "It sounds like he's happy to see us."

"No, he's happy to see you with me. He knows what you mean to me."

Brutus tried to climb onto the bed with us, and only after I stopped breathing from his paw on my chest did he give up. He still seemed to be under the illusion of being the same cute little dog. Instead, he curled up on the floor next to the bed, and I curled up with Roxanne and went to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs. Roxanne stood by a stack of new stuff, including a hot plate, a mini fridge, and a folding table. She had a skillet with strips of bacon and fluffy eggs on the hot plate.

"Where did that come from?" I asked, sitting up.

She carried the skillet to the table and spooned the food onto three plates. "From my place. I brought it over."

I slipped my feet off the bed. "I have half a billion dollars. We can order takeout."

She pouted. "I know, but I wanna cook for you. That's what girlfriends do, right?"

I got up and put my arms around her. "Good ones, yes. Thank you. Although my next step will be to get us a proper home instead of this decaying wreck."

She put one of the plates down on the floor for Brutus and we ate breakfast. I held hands and looked into Roxanne's eyes the whole time like a boy with a schoolyard crush. She seemed to feel the same way, as she looked back into my eyes with a smile.

"Hey," she said after eating, "aren't supervillains supposed to hate each other and be bitter enemies?"

"Perhaps. But we had the obligatory fight and subsequent team up so we can move on."

She picked up her phone and showed it to me. "Did you see this?"

The phone had a promotional photo of Sunflower above the headline, "Sunflower in Hospital After Battle."

I took her phone and skimmed the article. "No, I haven't."

Roxanne added, "Apparently, your glass shower put her in critical condition."

"Excellent. One City's Savior down, four to go."

I went to my computer to call up the schematics and website of Copernicus Junior High School. It took only a few seconds for me to work out the plan. "All right, we'll attack the school here, at the gymnasium. The schedule says there will be a pep rally for the Copernicus Cougars basketball team tomorrow at ten o'clock. We want to have as many students as possible during the attack to boost the chances of one of them being Kid Maximum, so that's when we'll strike. We won't split up this time. We want them to see us coming, the more lead time, the better chance of Kid Maximum attacking us."

I swiped the hologram to change it to a model of the Aristotle Bay Bridge. "If Captain Maximum does try to intervene, we shall blow up this bridge to distract him."

She frowned. "If he doesn't care about Andrews, why would he care about the bridge?"

I pointed at the small figure straddling the east end of the bridge. "Because it has his statue on it. His vanity caused him to abandon a burning elementary school to save it when G.E.C.K.O. attacked it two years ago. But if bombing the bridge fails, we'll bomb the school and escape through the underground sewers here."

Roxanne winced. "Eh, I hope not. It took me forever to get the smell out of my hair."

"I'm sure it won't be necessary, but that's our plan C." I pointed to the power core I had been working on in the corner. "We'll have the robots take Kid Maximum along with four identical mannequins of Kid Maximum, and take off in all directions to throw him off and make our escape."

She lit up. "Hey, you think that'll work?"

"We shall see. If it does, we'll rendezvous back here and make the boy talk. Once he gives us Captain Maximum's weakness, I can build a weapon to kill him at last. With the death of Captain Maximum, the city will be so shocked by the death of its hero that they will submit to me. If not, I will maim and destroy until they submit, and no one will be left to stop me."

Roxanne giggled and bobbed her legs. "You know, you're sexy when you talk all evil."

I smirked. "Glad you like it."

I looked over at my robot factory which produced its tenth robot. "With the added shielding and weapons, we probably won't make more than twenty-three by then."

Roxanne shrugged. "Should be enough to handle one kid, right?"

"I certainly hope so." I looked over at my van. "Since we have some time to kill, I would like to improve on my van. No more being subtle. Let's get this old girl souped up."

We got dressed in our costumes; me in the mad scientist outfit, and her in the Lady Thunder bodysuit. I climbed into the van, and Roxanne and Brutus climbed into the back before I drove out of the warehouse. The Lennox-12 gang members outside came up to the driver's side as I waved them down.

Madman nodded. "Whatchu need, boss?"

"I'm in need of an upgrade to the look and feel of this vehicle. Do you have any suggestions on where we can get the work done quickly?"

Madman grinned. "Yeah, bro. We got just the place. Follow me."

He climbed into his Escalade and drove off through St. Newton while I followed closely behind. He led me to a garage that looked more like a junkyard with a hand painted sign out front that just read "Francisco's."

When I pulled up, a fat guy in grease-stained overalls came waddling out of the front office. He looked me up and down before growling, "Who's this asshole?"

Madman pointed up at me through his car window. "This dude right here's got more money than he knows what to do with, and wanted us to pimp his ride. You up for it, Francisco?"

Francisco looked over my van with beady eyes. "Yeah, I can handle it. When you need it?"

I held up two fingers. "In two hours."

Francisco winced. "Can't do a good job in two hours, man."

"I will pay you one million dollars."

His eyes widened. "You serious?"

"Quite." I held up a bag full of cash. "Now is it possible?"

"Hell yeah, I can do it for a million dollars. Come on in."

Francisco did indeed manage to do the job, because the battered exterior of the shop turned out to be a facade. When opening a door hidden behind a rack of shelves, it turned out that Francisco had a state-of-the-art auto body shop that he used to customize and alter stolen cars. With a heat bay for quick drying paint, nanotechnology, and other equipment, he recreated my van into a sleek vehicle. He also repainted it with a science theme, while keeping the transforming elements that would allow me to change it back into a nondescript vehicle.

On my directions, Francisco also added new equipment like a system that would spray sleeping gas in the back if needed. I figured that would come in handy.

After that, we headed to a nearby clothing warehouse and bought five child-sized mannequins, and got five Kid Maximum uniforms from a costume shop. Dressing the mannequins gained us five decoys that wouldn't stand up to close inspection but hopefully would buy us some time.

From there, I went to the bridge with one of my robots flying overhead. When we reached the bridge, we pulled off the road and onto the shoulder so I could direct my robot to station itself at the base, hidden under a support. It had enough explosives packed inside it to blow the north end of the bridge to pieces in seconds.

After that, Lady Thunder and I returned to my secret lair to enjoy some quality time together. I hope you won't mind me sparing the details of that and going straight to the next day.

We woke up the next morning, and immediately prepared for the attack. I programmed the robots for their flight path to and from the school while Lady Thunder stuffed the mannequins into their Kid Maximum costumes, tied hoods around their heads, and strapped them onto five robots. Then the robots marched into the back of my van on my orders.

I lined up the rest of my robots, and paced in front of them. "Now, we will go to the school, walk inside, and start shooting. If Kid Maximum arrives, none of you will attack him. You will block all the exits and let me and Lady Thunder handle it. However, if Captain Maximum arrives, all of you will attack him at once. Is that clear?"

The robots all raised their hands to their heads in a salute while droning, "Yes, Master."

I nodded to Lady Thunder. We were ready.

We headed out to the cheers of the gang members who didn't know what we were planning but knew it had to be good. The robots soared over our heads as I drove my MasterVan and Lady Thunder rode her Thundercycle to the school.

We attracted a lot of attention which is what we wanted as we made our way through St. Newton and into the school district. When we drove up to Copernicus Junior High, kids were running and screaming before we even pulled up to the front door.

I parked my van on the front lawn, stepped out, and raised my hand to call the robots down from the sky. The flames from their jets charred the grass as they landed next to Lady Thunder who climbed off her motorcycle and took her place by my side.

I smiled as I growled, "School is now in session."

Corny joke, but Lady Thunder laughed.

Sirens rang out over the school as metal plates slammed down on the windows and doors. Of course, every child in St. Newton knew the drill; the school was in lockdown for a supervillain attack, but I knew it would be no match for us.

I held out my hand as I bowed. "Would you do the honors, my lady?"

Lady Thunder pinched her fingers by her hips in a mock curtsy. "Why, of course, my good sir."

She skipped her way up the front steps, hauled back a fist, and punched the metal door, sending it crashing through the door frame in one blow. I followed her through the shattered doorway into the school's main hallway, and my platoon of robot soldiers marched in after me.

The sirens pierced the air as we passed rows of doorways, all sealed with more metal doors. I could hear screaming and crying on the other side but didn't worry about them. I focused on the gymnasium.

Lady Thunder dug her fingers into the metal doors and ripped them from their hinges, and I walked through into the gymnasium that echoed with the sirens and screams of students. I saw teachers and students huddled together, all crying and yelling as I walked towards them. Some wore basketball uniforms, and others band uniforms. Banners stretched across the walls that read, "Go, Copernicus Cougars!" The sound of my robots' metal boots banged louder than the sirens.

I came to a halt and my robots did too. After a moment, I pointed my freeze gun at a speaker mounted on the ceiling and blasted it until it stopped ringing.

I lowered the gun to glare at the students cowering in front of me. "Good morning, children."

One man with a brown suit and a bald head stepped out of the group. He raised his head as he glared at me.

"What is this?" he yelled. "You're attacking a school? Scaring innocent children?"

I gave him a cold smile. "And you are?"

"Principal Stern. Who are you? What do you want with us?"

"I am Mastermind, and I want Kid Maximum."

He blinked, shock and confusion rolling across his face. "Kid Maximum? I-I don't understand. Why would you come here for Kid Maximum?"

"Don't be coy. He's been to this school twelve times in the last year. I believe he's one of the students." I swung my freeze gun at the children who screamed louder and lunged back. "He might even be someone in this room."

Principal Stern shook his head. "I don't think you'll find him here. Now you'd better--"

"I don't have time for this." I pointed a finger at him. "Robots, kill him."

"What? No--"

My robots lowered their arms to point the lasers embedded in their hands, and fired. Their blasts hit Principal Stern and sent him flying back while the crowd of students broke apart like Moses parting the Red Sea. Stern's body hit the floor and lay still with smoke rising from the holes in his chest.

I looked over the quivering mass of students. "Now, if one of you is Kid Maximum or if you know who Kid Maximum is, I suggested you bring him here. Quickly."

I waved to my robots. "Attack!"

As the robots began to fire in all directions, the group of children screamed and broke apart. Some of them ducked behind the bleachers, others behind racks of basketballs and soccer balls, and I kept an eye out for a few kids who ducked through the broken door to slip away. I didn't stop them from escaping, knowing any one of them could be Kid Maximum.

"Destroy everything!" I yelled.

The robots went around, blowing holes in the basketball court and bleachers while children ran in terror and the cries echoed in my ears. Lady Thunder leaped up to grab the basketball hoop and rip it to the ground. Standing in the center of the destruction, I just waited. Either Kid Maximum would show himself or we would have to level the school.

I didn't have to wait long.

One wall of the gymnasium smashed inwards, sending wood and plaster flying across the polished court, and Kid Maximum came running in. His cape flapped behind him as he charged into the gym.

"Looking for me?" he yelled.

I smiled. "Absolutely. Welcome to the party."

"You're not invited," Kid Maximum yelled as he rushed at me.

The robots all took positions in front of the doors and windows as I instructed while Lady Thunder leaped across the gym to land between me and Kid Maximum. She punched him in the chest, sending him tumbling back.

I aimed my freeze gun at his chest while he lay on the floor and fired. He rolled to one side, and the beam made ice form on his left shoulder, instead.

He smashed the ice on his shoulder with his right fist. "Nice try, but I don't go down that easy."

"Oh, yes you will," Lady Thunder roared.

She grabbed his cape and swung him in a circle before letting him go. He crashed into the bleachers, splitting them in half, and causing them to collapse.

Lady Thunder whispered at me, "I thought you said freezing him would stop him."

"I have to freeze the power core in his chest," I hissed back.

"Well, hurry up." She stomped over to the bleachers as Kid Maximum crawled out of the pile of broken wooden seats.

Kid Maximum leaped up to swing a punch at Lady Thunder's chin. The force sent her staggering back, and he followed up with a leap and kick to her stomach. She flew back, crashing into a stack of barbells.

She picked up the heaviest barbell and swung it like a baseball bat, knocking Kid Maximum across the gym into another wall.

As much as I enjoyed watching them fight, I knew the longer we waited, the more likely Captain Maximum would arrive. I kept my gun aimed at his chest the whole time, and when he slammed into the wall, I fired. The beam made ice crystallize on his chest.

"Now I'm mad." He shrugged himself out of the hole in the wall and charged at me. "Time to wrap this up!"

My heart sank as I saw his exoskeleton hadn't stopped him and my plan seemed to have failed.

He took a few steps towards me before his feet stumbled. His arms jerked up and down while his legs collapsed, sending him tumbling to the floor.

He raised his head to look down at himself while his arms and legs quivered. "Wh-what's happening? What've you done to me?"

I laughed. "You're about to take a visit to my lair. Grab him!"

Lady Thunder swept Kid Maximum into her arms and ran for the hole in the wall. He just flailed helplessly in her arms.

I followed, along with the robots. "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Have a good day."

We bolted out of the school while Kid Maximum yelled and tried to wriggle out of Lady Thunder's grip.

"Lemme go," Kid Maximum yelled. "Captain Maximum's gonna kill you for this!"

"I think not." I opened the back of my van and Lady Thunder threw him in.

At the same time, I held up my hand with the fingers up to the five robots inside. "Decoys, go!"

The five robots carrying the Kid Maximum mannequins climbed out, fired their jets, and took off in five directions in the sky.

I jumped into the driver's seat and took off while Lady Thunder roared off in her Thundercycle. We both went in opposite directions and would meet up at my warehouse.

Within a couple of blocks, I switched the van's appearance to its more mundane version, and kept my eyes on the skies. I also checked the robots and their scanners showed no Captain Maximum or City's Saviors. It looked like we had gotten away.

"You fucking asshole," Kid Maximum yelled from the back. "Captain Maximum is gonna rip your spine out of your ass and use it to beat the shit out of you!"

I turned and flipped the switch on the roof. "Oh, do be quiet, child."

The ceiling sprayed sleeping gas while closing the divider between the back of the van and the driver's seat. I listened to him cough through the clouds of smoke for a few seconds before a thump and silence.

I drove him back to the warehouse to find Lady Thunder and the decoy robots already waiting.

Lady Thunder swept me into her arms and spun me around when I came inside. "We did it! We did it! We got away!"

When she set me down, I chuckled. "Indeed. In fact, it seems the decoy and the robot bomb at the bridge weren't needed, after all. Better to have and not need than need and not have, eh? Robots, bring out our guest."

The robots opened the back of the van and dragged out Kid Maximum, who still lay limp from the gas. I ordered them to strap him onto a chair, and grabbed my tools to get to work on his exoskeleton.

I took a moment to savor my victory. We had done it. We had Kid Maximum. Now would come the next phase in the plan: making him talk.