Part 14 (2/2)
”Yes, it would have been.” He frowned for the first time since we met him. ”However, after the Multiplier's blunder, I came up with the same idea as you, my little friend.”
”I try to choose my friends more carefully,” I shot back.
”So I see.” He gave my helpless teammates a sinister smile. ”But, as I was saying, we did both think alike in this case. I sent the Sneak over to Indestructo Industries to see if he could pinpoint more precisely where the three cards were. The rest of the story you know.”
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THE OOMPHLIFIER.
A secret device invented by Professor Brain-Drain, the Oomphlifier magnifies its possessor's power by nearly a million times. In order to do this, it must be fully charged with pure brainpower, making it impractical for most citizens of Superopolis.
”Except your reason for making the duplicates in the first place,” I said.
”Oh, haven't I told you?” He laughed softly to himself. ”I can explain that at the same time I tell you about this machine you're all strapped to.”
He stepped over to where Tadpole was trapped and lowered the dome onto his head. As he pressed a b.u.t.ton on it, the needle of the gauge set into the metal helmet rose to its midway point.
”You see, I have created a new Oomphlifier,” he explained as he removed a small, handheld device from the pocket of his lab coat.
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”It already has a small charge of brainpower in it, but I need to give it a super charging. That's where this amazing machine comes in.” He tapped the gauge on Tadpole's dome. ”One of the many things it can do is measure the intelligence of anyone strapped to it. In this case it indicates that your friend here is of average intelligence-not bad but nothing special.”
Tadpole shot the Professor an insulted glare, but he had already moved on to Plasma Girl.
”I call it the Brain Capacitor. In a way, it's a mechanical version of my own power. This device will sap an individual's intelligence and then store it for other purposes-purposes such as charging the Oomphlifier, for example. And once it's fully charged, I will give it to the Multiplier so that he can produce cards for me at an exponential rate.”
”I overheard the Sneak saying that you were going to create millions of them,” I accused.
”Did he say millions?” Brain-Drain asked. He lowered the dome over Plasma Girl's head. ”I'm planning on making billions billions!”
”But why?”
”Why?” he said calmly as he pressed the b.u.t.ton to turn on the indicator gauge. ”Because Superopolis should know that I'm not someone to be overlooked. For nearly a decade, I have remained quietly in the background, allowing the city's image of me to be formed solely by that cretinous Amazing Indestructo. For a while, it was fine. I had my inventions and my artistic pursuits.”
”That doesn't sound very villainous,” I responded.
”Oh, don't be so certain.” His mouth turned up in a sinister smile. ”A good evil plan can be very inventive and artistic.”
This guy was seriously creepy, I decided.
”But frankly,” he continued, ”I dropped out of the spotlight because I was bored. Plotting against the half-witted denizens of Superopolis is hardly a challenge. Then these cards were issued. AI had the audacity to release millions of them into the market, but relegated me to a mere three. Even a recluse doesn't like to be ignored, so I decided to make sure that I'm not taken for granted. Besides, now is a perfect time for the good citizens of Superopolis to become reacquainted with me, since other long-term plans will soon be coming to fruition.”
I was incredibly curious as to what he meant by ”long-term plans,” but then he paused to inspect the arrow on Plasma Girl's helmet. I heard him make an approving noise.
”This one is quite a bit above average. That's very good!”
”What about the cards?” I insisted.
”Oh, yes, the cards,” he replied as he moved on to Halogen Boy. Hal watched nervously as the dome was lowered over his head. ”I'll produce as many as I need-maybe even trillions of them! And then I will drop them all over Superopolis. The first ones will simply clog the streets. Then they'll fill up the sewers. Next they'll spill out into the ocean. And then I'll drop even more. They'll start piling up like snowflakes in a blizzard. There will be mountains of them and- ”Well, this is a disappointment,” Professor BrainDrain grumbled as he examined the needle on Halogen Boy's indicator gauge. ”This one isn't going to be any use at all. Well, no matter, where was I ... ?”
”Mountains of them,” Halogen Boy prompted him, apparently unaware that he had just been insulted.
”Oh, yes. There will be mountains of cards until the very life of Superopolis is choked off by them. And the last thing everyone sees as they suffocate will be my face looking back at them.”
”You're insane,” I cried.
”Now that's a bit unfair,” Professor Brain-Drain complained. ”After all, I couldn't do it without your help.”
”What do you mean?” I demanded. I was pretty sure I knew exactly what he meant but I hoped I was wrong.
”Isn't it obvious?” he said as he lowered the dome onto my head. ”The energy for charging the Oomphlifier, and thus duplicating the cards, is going to be drained directly from the brains of you four kids.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN.
A New Deal
I looked up with horror as the brain-draining metal dome was lowered onto my head. Once the Professor had my noggin in his diabolical helmet there would be nothing stopping him from turning on his machine, draining the intelligence from all four of us, and transferring it to the Oomphlifier, which the Multiplier would then use to make trillions of collector cards under which he would drown all Superopolis-all the while leaving me and my teammates as brainless Dumbots.
Luckily, just then, the doorbell rang.
”Great nattering neurons,” the Professor muttered as he halted with the helmet only an inch from my head. ”Who is it now? Well, I do have an extra seat available.”
He headed toward the door, leaving the Oomphlifier sitting on a table across from us.
”Maybe it's Stench with help,” said Halogen Boy.
”Why would heroes coming to our rescue ring the doorbell?” Tadpole asked. He had a point.
”All I know is that we have to get out of here,” Plasma Girl whispered with a shudder. ”We don't want to end up like them them.”
We looked around at the half dozen Deadly Dumbots who were once again looking more like statues than brain-drained actors. They were arranged about us in a semicircle, and it was clear that even if we could get out of our restraints, they would capture us again in an instant.
”Do any of you feel your powers returning?” I asked hopefully.
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