An ambitious plan

We whirled around the room, raking into my pockets and into my cloak, which was spread out on the floor, everything that wasn't nailed down, and what was nailed down we didn't hesitate to tear off and take for ourselves. In the process I even had to get rid of some consumables, like napalm grenades (not all of them, of course), metal cards, smoke bombs, a couple of folding police batons, sticks of dynamite and batarangs. All these things can be crafted or bought later without any problems, and complex high-tech devices from the secret supervillain's lair are not on the road.

With the countdown hinting at an imminent explosion or some other health-threatening bullshit, our behavior might seem odd, but there was really no great danger. Thanks to the acid we'd used, the locks on the hatch didn't work, which I'd made sure of first, so we could safely escape the death trap at any time.

If you look at it this way, it might seem silly to put various timers in a prominent place. Like, it is much better not to make any notifications at all to catch the intruder by surprise, but there is a small problem. As a recent event that happened to me shows, the owner himself can be taken by surprise, and instead of getting away or turning off the timer, he will simply be unaware of the threat. It's a good thing I didn't order anything lethal for the above-ground part of the mansion, although that's relative, too, because that nasty gas mixture could make a normal person's heart race.

"Seven minutes to go," Harley reported cheerfully, stuffing the hard drive she had ripped from her computer into a tiny skirt pocket.

"One more minute and we're out of here," I unhooked the cane with the hidden blade that had caught my eye from the stand. I didn't know why, but I was starting to really like these things.

After packing all the things we were interested in, we got out of the room and discovered that the house was under siege. The master bedroom was in the center of the structure, so I was completely unaware that all the windows, in addition to the heavy bars, now had thick metal shutters, turning the building into one big trap.

Luckily, I had a solution to this problem, though I didn't like it much. I had to use the precious acid again to melt my way to freedom. There might be a secret exit somewhere, but I didn't have time to look for it, so I had to use the tried-and-true method.

In fact, it was a good thing that I didn't invent anything, because our friendly company managed to get out into the fresh air at the very last seconds. I was even a little stunned by the explosion, and the flames that burst out of the doorway burned the bag of goodies. Luckily, the fabric of my cloak was resistant to temperatures and didn't suffer much, taking all the damage on its own.

"Phew, that was close," the helmet's glass reflected a slightly askew house that had suddenly become a huge crematorium.

Yeah, there's something wrong with my head, since I'm almost not worried that a second ago I was on the verge of death, thinking more about the health of the beauties standing on the sides, and how I'm going to deal with the trophies.

"What are you doing here?" The voice behind us made our magnificent team turn around a hundred and eighty degrees and prepare for a fight.

Ah, false alarm, it's just the Dark Knight paying a friendly visit.

"Why is it that when something happens in town, I find the three of you at the scene?" Bats asked sternly, seeing that none of us was eager to start a conversation.

"Mm-hmm," I stepped forward, grabbing my prey as I went. - Professor McGonagall, we found the Chamber of Secrets, but instead of Salazar's monster, there was a death trap inside, and we only barely escaped.

Okay, judging by the funny twitch in my eye, I just said the wrong thing.

"Don't mind me, Betsy," Sailor gently stroked my helmet. - The knight was the last one out, and he got hit a little by the explosion. Martha was a member of the Court of Owls, so we did find a secret room in the house, and a trap, too," she finished with a shuffle of her foot and a charming dip of her eyes. If it weren't for the cute, maniacal smile of adrenaline, she could have been mistaken for a goody-goody.

"Um," the superhero continued to squint at us.

Hmm, I'd like to point out that the updated design of his mask looks just fine. Now it's made not of ceramic, but of some kind of rubber, tightly fitting to the face, with something like a glossy white cloth covering his eyes. Of course, this thing has become worse in terms of protection, but it reflects emotions so well!

"What's in the bag?

"Presents for the kids," I replied in a flash.

~Zwiak~

One of the daggers with a funny pattern on the blade fell to the ground. The mask's eyes squinted even more, finally turning Bats into a Chinese man.

"Oops," I quickly shoved the weapon back in. - We're all kids at heart. Oh, come on, Sun, give him the disk. We're not likely to be able to decipher it in the near future.

"Okie, here you go," the girl flipped the data storage, which Gotham's protector deftly caught and tucked away somewhere behind his belt.

"Well, shall we go? The only toys left are the ones you're not interested in, honestly.

The ungrateful Mouse simply turned away, shot a batclaw at a nearby building, and was out of sight in a second.

"He doesn't seem to be in the mood," Batgirl remarked.

"A lot has happened while he was gone, and I doubt our long-eared friend is very happy about it," I said, giving the dark cloaked silhouette a thoughtful glance.

In the distance I could hear the approaching sound of a fire siren, which meant it was time to get out.

Bats was doing just fine without our help, so we didn't spend much time wandering around the city. After sorting the trophies into the ones that weren't bugged (or else) and all the others, our magnificent trio stashed some of the arsenal in a rented warehouse in the east of the city, and then went home, agreeing to meet at the library at five o'clock. The mansion would be undergoing renovations, and our presence would be undesirable.

***

It was very hard to get up. I felt as if I had been unloading coal cars all night. It's been a long time since my body felt so broken and weak. So much for the sharp increase due to the curve of the System...

But despite my body not being in the best condition, I got over myself and went to the gym. Even though most of the techniques weren't working, that didn't stop me from working out a little, and then meditating, learning how to breathe properly and channel prana to heal the wounds, which had lessened considerably since the previous session. I did this until breakfast, and then Natalie arrived to discuss the details of the repairs.

While Harley was lazily fiddling with her trophies when she woke up, the woman and I had to walk around the mansion and the surrounding area, mapping out the future work front, and it turned out to be much bigger than I had originally thought. The electromagnetic pulse was very strong. I could see why Bats had been so bold to whistle the device, ignoring everything else, including the bastard's body.

In the end, the sudden promenade didn't end until twelve in the afternoon, and after the billing, my eyes went to my forehead.

"How much do you want?!

"Twenty million, Mr. Arkham," the manager replied with a kindly smile, sitting at the kitchen table across the room.

"But... But why is it so expensive?

I was really surprised by the amount. The whole mansion, with its considerable territory and repairs, had cost me only eighty.

"Urgency, customized project, fairly expensive materials, and the benefit ran out.

"What's the perk?" I look suspiciously at a pleased Natalie.

"Its unofficial name is "A Trip of a Lifetime". You pay only for the equipment and materials, but there is also delivery and, directly, the work itself. We offer such conditions to our new customers, while the old ones have to pay a lot of money for our services.

It makes sense. The VSO has impressive construction capabilities, instant cargo delivery, interesting technologies, and other cool perks that are worth paying for, and not just in money. But the balance of power with such an approach will be very badly shaken. For example, some fucked-up bastard who robbed a couple of banks could build a high-tech Tower of Death right in the center of Gotham, causing a mini-apocalypse. And so, the USO helped a little at first, creating a cozy superhero or supervillain lair, and then you can maintain and equip it yourself as you like. You want something cooler and more advanced or just to replenish your stock of materials? Be kind enough to pay full price. Now it's clear why many villains prefer to make do with their own resources, organizing smuggling routes and other perversions: after all, they know how to count money.

"Hmmm... Well that can't be helped, I'll write you a check.

I thoughtfully looked out of the window at a frail figure with an umbrella, who was calmly walking toward the exit along the cobblestone path, completely oblivious to the strong gusts of wind.

Eh, it's a shame about the money, because we still haven't earned a damn thing, but the USO really know their stuff. In addition, I managed to get a small bonus in the form of chemical reagents, because of the delay in the construction of the shelter, which the construction company was supposed to put into operation a day ago, but did not have time because of some serious quarrels between the management. The news, of course, is not the most pleasant, but the manager assured me that the clients would not be greatly affected by this problem, and at least all existing contracts would be successfully closed.

"She smells of ash, fire, and suffering," a pleasant voice suddenly sounded above my head.

~Booh~

"Damn it, Abby, stop sneaking up on me! I was about to have a heart attack!" I was outraged, rubbing my bruised elbow.

"Okay," she smiled a little, tucking the dense dark bark inside her body, which was a kind of armor, and I knew she wasn't going to stop.

"Okay, I'll pretend I believe you. So what were you saying about Natalie?

"I doubt she's human, but who exactly, I have no idea," the dryad shrugged.

"A sorceress I know said that the VSO employs a subspecies of devils. So maybe she's a succubus of some sort, though she doesn't seem like it. Oh, could you check with the other keepers? Maybe they've even heard something about the WDF?" I asked, heading toward the lab where Harley was fiddling with the miniature cameras from Martha's house.

Not to say that I was very concerned about this issue, as they say: "It works - don't touch it", but I wonder who is behind all this, and what are the true goals of these individuals?

"I highly doubt any of the keepers other than the murdered Alec would have heard of this company, but I'll ask.

After picking up the blond cutie, the three of us, as usual, sat in the movie hall, watching another "masterpiece" of the local cinema. After that Abby went back to her forest, promising to come back only when we called her, so that she wouldn't accidentally cross paths with the VSO workers and violate the terms of the contract.

Having finished with the household chores, I went with my faithful companion to Leroy's place, on the way visiting an electronics store to buy smartphones to replace the ones that had failed.

When I inserted the SIM card, I found a message from Alan with the coordinates of the warehouse. I didn't know if the lawyer had done it on purpose, but the money was now located one garage away from where Dershowitz's relatives had been held hostage. After setting a reminder to pick up the money tonight, I was finally able to watch the local news while Harley took over as driver.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed, showing the blonde a shot of a familiar room with a huge steam plant, on the floor of which many naked green-haired lunatics lay huddled. - That's why Bats was so passive about Michael's death. Henry blew his brains out with a revolver. Ha-ha-ha, probably couldn't take the lecture from our mouse friend.

It was good news, because there was only one Hugo patient left, but it was also bad news, because the First was going to be all over me. Maybe I should hide out at Abby's side until Gloomy Mouse caught the bastard. Or should I go on a bait-and-switch hunt?

Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha, oddly enough, I like the last option much better, and I even got a couple of great ideas on how to pull this off to my advantage.

After watching the local news, I took a quick look at what was going on in the rest of the world. Surprisingly, America was relatively quiet, except for the minor heroics of a sunny boy who saved another falling airplane, and the escape of prisoners, who then for some reason self-immolated in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. At least that's the explanation the local police department gave, without emphasizing the large feathers found at the scene of the fight and the fact that some of the walls were damaged as if they had been hit with a battering ram. Hehehehehe, it seems only Bats and Superman have a high regard for human life, while the rest of the superheroes aren't so sensitive. But to be honest, I didn't expect this from Eagle, considering her habitat is usually limited to Africa.

***

"Okay, first you take the dog, and then you give the gift back," I instructed Leroy, standing by the parked car.

"In case of trouble, you fall to your knees and beg not to turn yourself into a toad," Harley cut in with sage advice.

"Are you serious!!!" wondered the older man.

"Naturally," the blonde nodded, smiling. - Toads suck, so pick something like a raccoon or a kitten. Cats are good.

"Hmmm, you're not lying... Or you believe what you're saying. Jay, you got anything to say?" He squinted at me, lifting his dark glasses to show off his whitish eyes.

"Well..." I shrugged, deciding not to withhold information. - Our friend is a wizard, probably one of the top ten wizards on Earth. Why else do you think we're afraid to go near her house?

The old man became visibly nervous, pulling on his tracksuit.

"Why don't you text her, see how she's feeling? A letter is nice, but it's too old-fashioned even for an old wreck like me.

"She changed her number, so that's not an option," I shook my head negatively. - Besides, you're the one who needs the dog back.

"Eh," he sighed heavily, squaring his powerful shoulders. - Okay, I'd even go to the demons for Sugar. And here's some woman. Give me the present.

"Don't say that to her, or you'll be a real toad. Here," I handed him a gym bag with a colorful box and a bunch of ammo hidden inside.

"Hm... - my companion looked at me in surprise, shaking his burden a little. - A gun. My respect, at least someone knows how to give a good gift to a girl.

"Yeah, move it.

I glanced at the briskly striding figure and ducked into the salon, starting the broadcast on my phone from the hidden camera sewn into my tracksuit.

There wasn't much hope for her, but what if?

"Suddenly" didn't work. As soon as Leroy passed through the black wrought iron gates that opened, the image disappeared and reappeared only when he left the territory happily clutching a slightly fat Saharka.

As we drove Smith back to his temporary shelter, I asked the old man about the meeting at Shadow Peak. It had gone rather well, for our gift had been accepted and not even burned in the fires of hell. And if Leroy's words were to be believed, the sorceress was very happy about the attention, though she tried to quickly suppress the feeling, replacing it with fear.

"What do you think?" I asked my faithful companion when we dropped off the perfectly happy passenger and his equally happy four-legged friend at the right house.

"She probably thinks she's still being affected by the Eternal, so she panics. It'll be a couple more days before Zee realizes these are her real feelings.

"Are you sure?" I asked, pulling out onto the road.

"Well, according to that clever book, my thinking should coincide with that of the patroness, and I wouldn't do such a thing. It's cheating, and it's not interesting at all.

Soon we arrived at the library where Mousey was already waiting for us.

"Jay, Jay, Jay!" Barbara's joyful whirlwind of joy came over me. - You gotta see this!

Hmm, usually Harley's the one with the enthusiasm. I wonder what could have gotten the redhead so excited.

The girl dragged me and the blonde almost in tow to her laptop and after a couple of clicks demonstrated several open browser tabs.

"Uh, patents? Did you manage to register Tower Defense?" I asked interestedly.

"No!" she indecently jabbed her finger at the "no results found" line. - There!

"Uh, I don't get it. Why don't you put it into words?

"I was looking for references for "Towers" and discovered that there are no patents on superhero images! We can register them all to ourselves! Totally!

Mousey was shining like a light bulb and I felt a little sorry to upset her.

"I'm afraid we might get shorted on the head for something like this. There are tons of merch sellers out there, and they're not going to like paying some leftist guy who's also a former super criminal. And the general public won't be too happy about it.

"Remember, you told me about the charity fund you were planning to add to the game?" The redhead said slyly.

"It's a lousy idea, Alan already explained to me that the money won't reach its destination. More precisely, no one will be able to prove that the money has reached the recipient, which means that the tax authorities will have the legal right to pull us to the ground for financial fraud.

"Oh, no!" I was given a superior look with a cute little snub nose. - I've been thinking, there's a lot of damage left over from the fights with the supers, so maybe the proceeds should be used to clean up the aftermath.

"Hmm... I'll have to consult with Alan. But if it works out, even a couple percent of the total would be cosmic.