93. Sublimino
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At the exit from the Castle, two disgruntled girls were waiting for me, who diligently ignored me.
Gwen basically did not look at me, thereby showing her resentment and anger. And Ashley just remained silent and looked at me with an apologetic smile. Looks like Ashley decided to support her friend and I was boycotted. As I told Hope earlier, it could have been a lot worse.
- You don't have to talk to me all you want, but I must remind you that tomorrow is Grandpa's birthday. I hope you have prepared a gift. - I said calmly.
Judging by their widened eyes, Gwen had forgotten about birthday altogether, and Ashley didn't even know about it. Now, at least they know and won't offend the old man.
- I see my reminder came in handy. I'll buy a cake, and you try to find presents by tomorrow. - I said with a sigh and teleported us by dint of the Infinity Tattoo.
As soon as we arrived at our parking lot, the girls said nothing and left for the bus, defiantly ignoring me.
- Meow! - Nebula meowed as she approached and deftly jumped into my arms.
- You're just glad to see me, aren't you? - stroking the tigress, I ask.
- I see my advice didn't help much. - said Grandpa, coming up to me. He had witnessed the behavior of the girls, so he already understood everything.
- No, the advice was not superfluous. It was just too late and I had already screwed up. - I said honestly.
- Hmm… Well, I can only wish you good luck. Although you brought this trouble upon yourself. – patted me on the shoulder, without the slightest sympathy, said Max.
- Your sincere support means a lot to me. - I said with sarcasm in my voice.
- I'm sure it is. - with a huge smile, Max said and stroked Nebula a little, who did not like it too much.
- Ehh… Okay. Don't worry, I certainly screwed up and offended the girls, but I'll fix it. Promise. - I said seriously.
- I really hope for it. After all, Gwen is my granddaughter and Ashley is like a granddaughter to me, so I really care about them. If I hadn't raised you myself, you'd have been punched in the face by now for hurting my girls. - Max said, while squeezing my shoulder hard to show the seriousness of his words.
- I would have done the same myself if I were you, but now, unfortunately, I am in my place, and all that remains for me is to clean up the mess that I myself made. - Trying to show my sincerity as much as possible, I said.
- It's good that you understand that. Lex, you're a smart guy and I know you can figure it out, so I won't pry into this whole situation, but if you need help, I'll always help. And not only to you. - Max said sincerely and patted me on the back.
- Thank you Grandpa for being so understanding. - With a smile, I said.
- Otherwise, by the way, I am the coolest grandfather in the world and you are very lucky to have me. Hahahaha… - Grandfather said laughing heartily.
- And do not say. - I involuntarily said, knowing perfectly well that his words were true.
- Okay, get on the bus, we're leaving in five minutes. - Grandpa said as he got on the bus.
- Hmm ... Well, what do you think? - lowering my head, I asked the cat that was now nestled in my arms.
- Meow! - Nebula mewed, rubbing her head against my chest.
- I guess that's how you show me your support, right? Well, thanks. Although, you should probably get some kind of translator from the cat language so that you can speak normally, right? - I asked my tigress, heading to the RV.
In response, I received another "Meow!", clearly agreeing with my idea.
***
It's been almost five hours since we hit the road and we've just entered the state of Minnesota. All this time, the bus kept a quiet atmosphere.
Grandpa sat behind the wheel and tried not to shine while Gwen and Ashley studiously ignored my presence and went about their business. I, all this time, to the envy of the girls, played with Nebula. The tigress clearly liked my attention and she had fun with all her heart.
I didn't have any plans for the near future, I figured out the Cobrasapiens ship, so now all that remains is to wait until the analyzer finishes examining the DNA of the Circus Freak Trio and searching for the Alpha Gene in the DNA of my aliens. So, with peace of mind, I could mess around.
The girls persuaded Grandfather to visit a large shopping center located in Minneapolis, under the pretext that it was time for them to take a break from constant travel and enjoy the benefits of civilization.
Although, of course, they just want to find gifts for Max. I didn't mind stopping as I had a small case at this mall.
When we finally arrived at the center, I fed Nebula to the full so that she would immediately go to bed and not miss me while I was gone. The girls, immediately after the bus stopped, jumped out and ran to the mall, leaving Grandpa and me behind.
- Well, what are you going to do? - Grandfather asked as we walked slowly towards the entrance.
- I'm going to catch one dwarf. - I said honestly.
- Found some villain again, huh? Okay, you can be as heroic as you want, but be careful. If you need help, call us right away. - Max said, knowing full well my habits.
- Don't worry, Grandpa. I'm always careful. In addition, this is an ordinary person who has received dangerous technology in his hands. Nothing special. - I said frankly.
- As you say. - Max said with a sigh, and then added: - Sometimes I feel sorry that you are so independent. You always do everything alone...
- Well, that's what I am. I just don't want to involve you in my problems any more. And if I really need help, I will always be honest about it. - I said honestly.
- Okay, do as you please. Go have fun. In the meantime, I'll look for parts for the bus. - Max said as he entered the mall.
- Good luck. - I said, and then turned my gaze to the clock tower of the mall.
Using my x-ray vision, I saw that inside the tower, just behind the giant clock face, was a small room that served as the workplace of a hypnotist who was now constructing something. While no one saw, I turned into a Big Chill and, becoming invisible, flew to the tower.
Passing through the dial itself, I found myself inside the tower and saw a large clock mechanism, as well as parts scattered all over the place to build another clock.
At the only table in the room sat a short man in his fifties, dressed in a red tailcoat. He wore purple sunglasses on his face and had a noticeable bald spot on his head that he was desperately trying to cover with the rest of his hair.
It was Sublimino, one of Ben 10's villains who was even a member of the Negative 10, a team of villains who wanted to destroy Ben and his family. Sublimino himself is an ordinary person, but he has a pocket watch that allows him to hypnotize people and force them to do almost any order.
Using this hypnosis, Sublimino robbed this mall. Each time, he hypnotized more and more people, and his appetite grew and he wanted more and more money.
Although, apparently, he is only at the beginning of his plans now and is only building a giant clock that he wants to use to hypnotize all the visitors and employees of the mall at once. In general, a typical second-rate villain for one series. Nothing special.
I might not have paid any attention to him, sooner or later, greed would have killed him and even despite the hypnosis, the police would definitely be able to catch Sublimino. But since we ended up in this mall, I decided to stop him before he caused any trouble.
Moreover, under the influence of hypnosis, its victims, ordinary people, did bad things, thereby destroying their own lives. And that's not good, so I really should intervene.
- Hey. - I said, in an eerie Necrofridian voice, distracting Sublimino from his work.
Hearing my voice, the hypnotist jerked sharply and turned back. But since I'm still invisible, he didn't find anyone, which frightened the poor dwarf even more.
- Who is there? Come out. - Sublimino shouted, pulling his hypno-watch out of his breast pocket.
Flying closer to him, I landed on the floor and folded my wings into a cloak, became visible.
- Boo! - I shouted, startling the shorty.
- Ahh ... Don't get close! - the hypnotist shouted in fright, pointing his watch at me.
- Thank you. - I said, and snatched the watch from Sublimino, thanks to my intangibility.
- What… - the hypnotist said, but I interrupted him when I grabbed him by the throat and raised him to the level of my eyes.
- Now, let's talk. - I said softly, while exhaling cold steam from my mouth to create an even more frightening atmosphere.
- I... I... I'll tell you everything, just don't kill me, please. - Almost crying in fear, Sublimino shouted.
- I did not doubt it. - I said threateningly, and then added: - So, how many people have you already hypnotized?
- Where from… - Sublimino began to ask a question, but he was stopped by my cold fingers, squeezing his neck harder. Therefore, the hypnotist quickly corrected himself and began to tell what I wanted: - About 20. Several visitors, mostly pensioners, and the manager of the mall.
- Is that how? And at what stage is your plan? - I asked.
Taught last time, Sublimino answered honestly, with a noticeable obsession in his voice: - Tonight, I was going to test the hypnosis and wanted to send some hypnotized people to rob some shops.
If all goes well, tomorrow I was going to put on a show where I would hypnotize even more people to help me set up a big clock in the mall's central square. The next day, there would be another show, which, this time, would subjugate all the people in the mall to me and he would become mine. And everything that is here would also be mine.
- Clearly. And this big watch acts as a transmitter that amplifies the work of your hypno-clock? - I asked confidently that I was right.
To my question, Sublimino only nodded meekly.
- And now, the most interesting. Where did you get this magic watch? - I asked, bringing my face closer to Sublimino.
But the dwarf, unexpectedly, found the courage and refused to answer, while trying to escape from my grip.
- SPEAK! - With anger in my voice, I shouted to bring even more horror.
- Okey, okey. They were given to me by an inventor. He finds fragments of alien technology all over the country, and creates various gadgets and weapons from them, after which he sells them on the black market. - shouted the failed hypnotist, fearing me to death.
- And why would he be so generous? - I asked.
- He said he just wanted to test how his new invention worked and told me to use the watch however I wanted. And I…
- And you, decided to rob a mall, with the help of hypnotized buyers. You do realize you could just use your hypno-watch on the guards. With their help, you could clean out the entire mall in one day. And no one would stop it. - I said.
Sublimino's eyes widened in shock and he just uttered: - What?
- Okay, it doesn't matter. How can I find your inventor? And don't you dare LIE TO ME. - I asked, finally shouting for persuasiveness.
- I don't know. I honestly don't know. He contacted me himself. The only thing I know is that everyone calls him Artisan. - Sublimino shouted.
- Artisan, you mean? Okay. - I said to myself, and then used my telepathy to check the short man's words.
Sublimino never once lied and indeed he never met this Artisan. All their communication took place through a home phone, and the watch came as a parcel. Well, this is very interesting.
Looks like the government isn't the only one collecting alien spacecraft wreckage. I need to find this artisan. Inventions like this clock should not be allowed to end up in the hands of bastards like Sublimino.
- Okay, now I understand everything. - I said and lowered the hypnotist.
- Will you let me go? - Sublimino asked in a trembling voice.
- Certainly. You can go. - I said and pointed to the exit.
- Thank you, thank you. I will never commit any crime again, Mr. Legion, I promise. - said the hypnotist, quickly running down.
- F***ing media. - I involuntarily said. Now even a rogue like this dwarf knows about me and can understand that I am Legion only by the Omnitrix symbol on my chest, although I have never used the Big Chill form in public.
- Ehh… At least that way, I inspire more fear. - I said, consoling myself, after which, I became incorporeal and went downstairs.
As soon as Sublimino reached the end of the stairs, I was already waiting for him. And I must say, Sublimino's face full of horror was quite funny.
- But…but…you said you would let me go. - shaking with fear, said the hypnotist.
- And I'll let go. You can go. - I said and missed the shorty.
Looking at me very suspiciously, Sublimino slowly walked towards the door, but my voice stopped him:
- Unfortunately, there is only one way for you. To jail.
Raising my left hand, I showed him the hypno-watch, and despite Sublimino's attempts to stop me, I pressed the button. A wave of light hit from the clock, which hypnotized the former hypnotist and he froze in place. Even the sunglasses didn't save him.
- Now, you will go to the police and voluntarily surrender to them, telling them about all your sins. You understood me? - I said, looking at the short man's absent gaze.
- Yes, Master. - Sublimino said in an emotionless voice.
- Very well, now you can go. - I said.
Sublimino carried out my order and, leaving the tower, went to the city. Apparently at the police station.
I wasn't sure the hypnosis wouldn't wear off, so I sent one of my scout drones to follow Sublimino and make sure it worked.
- A handy thing. - I involuntarily said, squeezing the watch in my hand and watching Sublimino's back move away.
- Okay, I'll deal with that later. - I said and putting the hypno-clock in inventory, flew to the bus.
Grandpa and the girls hadn't returned yet, so I took out my laptop and turned on a random movie to pass the time while waiting.