1.9

Mrs. Alcott was curious.

It was Sunday and she hadn't been expecting any visitors, but the doorbell was ringing. Insistently.

"All right, all right, I'm coming, slow your horses…"

She opened the door and there, on her doorstep, stood a known villain, plain as day, two Techno Bots, as they'd begun to be known as, standing behind her, guns strapped across their backs.

The Techno Queen smiled politely at her and reached out with her hand for handshake. Mrs. Alcott was too shocked to resist.

"Mrs. Alcott," the villain known for her booming voice and maniacal cackling said warmly, "I believe I've met your daughter? It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Mrs. Alcott made a faint gurgling noise.

"Oh, you're inviting me inside? Too kind, Mrs. Alcott, too kind."

The Techno Queen gently moved her out of her way, and then walked into the Alcott family household as if she owned it. Mrs. Alcott belatedly remembered that she had children who were in this house and ran after the villain, although she restrained herself from full on screaming due to the fact that this was the woman who had saved her daughter. Still.

"Um, excuse me but-"

"TECHNO BOTS, go and prepare tea and cakes." The Techno Queen roared casually.

Mrs. Alcott was shocked into silence. The Techno Bots entered her kitchen and she just couldn't bring herself to stop them. She heard footsteps run down the stairs, and then she saw her precious little girl skid around the corner, catch a glimpse of the Techno Queen and gasp with delight.

"THE TECHNO QUEEN!" she yelled.

"Dinah! Inside voice!" Mrs. Alcott reprimanded on reflex.

"Dinah! Such, a pleasure to see you again." The Techno Queen said.

Mrs. Alcott wondered if she was in the Twilight Zone.

"Come with me," the Techno Queen said, marching confidently towards the terrace.

Dinah followed, and so Mrs. Alcott did so as well. The Techno Queen opened the terrace door and following right behind the three of them were the two Techno Bots. One of them was carrying three foldup chairs and a table and a table cloth. It set the items down and ran back into the house. The second Bot set down some plates, cups and saucers, and cutlery. The second Bot rain back outside again, this time bearing a cake and a kettle of tea. How had they done that so fast?

"Please, take a seat." The Techno Queen said sweetly, as if she were making the offer to guests.

This is supposed to be my house, a part of her said indignantly.

They sat. The Techno Queen talked as poured tea into their cups and handed them plates with slices of cake on them.

"I'd introduce you to my new teammates, THE DASTARDLY TECHIES, but they're back at the base, preparing. How are you faring, Dinah?"

"Fine," Dinah smiled at the Techno Queen.

"Good, good. Me too, although I've been having some late nights recently, making TECHNO BOTS and weapons for them all the time. As you've probably noticed, in the wake of Kaiser's absence, the E88 have sunk to infighting, and the ABB and Merchants have been acting up, grabbing for territory. The White Hats are stretched thin as they are, trying to prevent as much damage as possible. They've had some success, capturing Bakuda, Othala and Victor, Mush… But I feel like I should help fix the problem I've created. So in a week or so, I'll be simultaneously letting out several hundred TECHNO BOTS that will automatically neutralize anyone they recognize as E88, ABB, or Merchants. It's gonna be a blast."

She winked at them. "Our little secret, eh?"

Mrs. Alcott sipped her tea intently, not making eye contact.

"Anyways, I should stop beating around the bush and cut to the chase for why I'm here, hmm? THE DASTARDLY TECHIES should be done by now, anyways."

And then the Techno Queen stood up, struck a villainous pose, and pointed dramatically at Dinah.

"Dinah Alcott!" she roared. "Despair and mourn, for here I am, THE TECHNO QUEEN, to kidnap you!"

Mrs. Alcott would have gasped, except she was too dumbfounded by the sudden personality shift to react. Dinah was shoveling the rest of the cake slice into her mouth, like she did with her cereal when she was running late for school.

"Mrs. Alcott, I expect that you will notify the Wards of this, but it will be in vain! For you will never find my secret super villainous base! MWAHAHAHA!" she then proceeded to wait until Dinah was finished with her cake, pulled her close to her side, and after the Techno Bots ran to her side they all disappeared with a poof of smoke.

As the smoke disappeared, a single piece of paper remained where they had just stood. Mrs. Alcott picked it up. On it, in a loopy, extravagant cursive, an address was written, and a phone number.

When she dialed it the Wards private line answered her.