The World's Smartest...

The World's Smartest

"8:45am...Another fine day for Science."

Dexter spoke those words as he sat up from his bed and stretched his arms outward, yawning a greeting to the new day as he's done the days before. It was another hot summer morning, but the temperature didn't bother the young genius as he would be inside for most of the day, thanks to Summer School Tutoring. As he finished yawning, his bed suddenly lifted itself in a 60-degree angle, and the red-haired teen found himself sliding down through his floor into a transportation tube, which ended right in the heart of his Laboratory.

"Good Morning, Dexter." An automated female voice greeted.

"Good Morning, Computer." Dexter greeted back as he exited the tube only to step foot into another one just 15 feet away. This one wasn't for transportation however, for as the door sealed shut, a vacuum quickly ripped the pajamas from the young man's body. And almost as quickly they were replaced by a dress shirt with tie, a gray vest, lab coat, black dress pants with matching shoes & a pair of purple gloves; his typical attire.

"Hmm, a 0.7 second delay…I must do some calibrations." He surmised as the tube reopened, allowing him to step out. "How are my experiments going?"

Immediately, calculations began to populate the huge computer screen near the center of the room. "Your Holographi-tron is in its final stages, the GS-5000 has just advanced into its 2nd stage…and your Cappuccino Machine will be up & running when you get home."

"Excellent." Dexter replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must take my leave for my annual classes."

Grabbing his book bag off of a nearby counter, he slung it over his shoulder as he stepped into yet another transportation tube; this one launching him upward and depositing him right next to the staircase, giving him a clear path to the front door. As he passed the front door, he spotted his mother dutifully washing the dishes and wished her well.

"Goodbye, mother."

"Dexter!"

He immediately stopped in his tracks, hearing the hurt in her voice. He had hoped to avoid this part of the morning, but as with every other he had to wait for her to walk over from the kitchen, lean down and place a big, wet kiss on his forehead. He thanked his stars his classmates weren't able to see such a scene.

"Bye, Honey! Have fun spreading knowledge!" She wished him cheerfully as he proceeded out the door. He strolled down the walkway from his home, the sunlight greeting him warmly as he grinned over the lovely weather, a perfect 80 degrees; not too hot to risk sunburn, but not cold enough for a chill to occur. That grin would vacate his face however, as a thought quickly crossed his mind; there was something out of the ordinary this morning, and he knew that it would arrive to right itself.

Turning down the block, he noticed the bus stop at the corner with several people already waiting there. He had to reach that destination; a crowd would help to prevent the attack. So like a rocket he took off, making a sharp turn off the walkway and onto the sidewalk towards his goal. But Dexter was never the athletic type, and with each step he took he could feel a presence getting closer & closer. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over him, and imminent doom came crashing down in an all-too familiar fashion.

"HIII, DEXTER!"

Those words were accompanied by an impact which slammed the bespectacled red-head to the pavement. Once again he fell victim to his sister Dee-Dee's pounce. "I expected you to attack me once I left my Laboratory."

"Eh, I'm tryna change things up." Dee-Dee responded.

"Shouldn't you be in your college class now?"

"Shouldn't YOU be actually acting like a teenager?" She countered. "Gee-osh Dexter, Summer School!? As if you didn't have enough pluses next to the A's on your report card!"

As Dee-Dee climbed off of her brother, Dexter stood up and brushed himself off. "Unlike foolish lollygaggers and daydreamers like you, I choose to use my summer vacation time more constructively."

Dee-Dee simply huffed. "Don'cha ever take time to stop and smell the roses?"

"No, because I am allergic." Dexter answered flatly. "Now if you will excuse me…"

Dexter tried to walk away from his sister, but even though his feet move, he remained in place; thanks to Dee-Dee's iron grip on his shoulder. "Don't you realize you may not have these moments again? It's summer vacation Dexter, take some time off and enjoy it for Pete's Sake! There's more to life than just being the smartest, you know!"

The red-headed brainiac took a moment to think over the words his sister relayed to him, and then gave his reply. "I severely & sincerely doubt that. Knowledge is the key to life and I plan on keeping ownership of it. Now good day, sister."

"But Dex—!"

"I said Good Day, woman!"

As he turned and proceeded towards the bus stop, Dee-Dee simply responded with a raspberry before storming off in the other direction. She had valuable goof-off time which she wasn't going to waste trying to change the mind of her bookworm brother. Dexter was glad for it as well, as his mode of transportation had just arrived to take him off to school. As has become routine for him, he climbed onto the bus, paid his fare and made a beeline for his usual window seat, which was shared by his good friend Douglas E. Mordecai III.

"Good morning, Douglas." Dexter greeted as he took the seat right next to him. "I take it you are prepared to continue your tutoring of the masses, today?"

"As always, good buddy." Douglas replied. "Ah, another glorious day for spreading our knowledge and expanding young minds."

"Of course." Dexter agreed. "It is the only logical way one must spend their day."

Turning his gaze towards the window, he looked out on the passing scenery as the bus was already cruising down the road towards its destination, Newton High School. Some of the sights Dexter witnessed on his journey were those of young children playing outside; riding their bikes, playing ball or just chasing each other around. For a moment it reminded Dexter of the times Dee-Dee dragged him out of his Lab to take part in those activities. They were fun, but as he grew older he began to realize they weren't beneficial to his expanse of knowledge. They were a waste of time and provided no scholarly benefit...so he stopped. His focus became solely on his Lab experiments and his school work, with the only physical activity being mandatory Gym Classes; the only "blemish" on his report card as he averaged a C+ in that class. He then passed a group of teenagers heading out towards the beach; some around his age, and a few he even recognized. They didn't even glance at the bus as it passed them, wanting nothing to do with school as they enjoyed their vacation. This time Dexter did not reflect, nor did he wish himself to be in their position. He simply scoffed at their actions as he shook his head.

"Wasteful..." He said to himself about their actions. Not one ounce of envy in his veins.

The bus reached its destination and Dexter departed and entered the school, beginning his typical summer day. Greeted by her favorite teacher Miss Wimple as he entered the classroom, he proceeded to spread his knowledge to those students who were sentenced to Summer Classes, whether they wanted it or not. Though it was an opportunity he enjoyed, it wasn't perfect. Dexter loathed the moments where he had to 'dumb it down' for his students, as he couldn't understand how it could be so hard to understand Quadratic Equations. He dutifully performed his tutoring tasks hour after hour, only ceasing for the mandatory 50-minute lunch break; where he had a simple bologna sandwich with a carton of milk he purchased from the cafeteria. His attention to detail was remarkable as most of the students in his class were already fast asleep, head in their hands and thankful for the AC that keeps them from the sweltering heat outside. The ones that couldn't sleep simply looked at Dexter in awe, surprised that he could be so interested in actually being here. Near the end of the class, one student slowly worked up the nerve to ask Dexter for a favor; one the young genius was anticipating since it has been asked of him every day since summer school began.

"Hey, smart dude. Can I use your thingy to play a game called—?"

"No."

"Well, can I surf the—?"

"No."

"How abou—?"

"No."

Word for word it was how the conversation carried out, no matter who asked him. Dexter wasn't eager to lend out his devices to just anyone, especially those who'd use it for leisure instead of knowledge. It was bad enough Dee-Dee found ways to get her hands on them. The class went on until the final bell rung, signaling the end of the day at 3:30pm. Shutting off his tablet, Dexter carefully deposited it into his book bag, slung it over his back and made his exit from the class, being sure to wish Miss Wimple a good day before departing. As he walked towards the exit where the school bus awaited, he spotted a group of teens gathered around the TV just outside of the Teacher's Lounge. Curiosity peaked within him as he walked over for a quick glance of just what gathered everyone's attention. What he saw on the screen was a scene out of a typical action movie. Dozens of Cop Cars littered the streets in front of the First National Bank, which was the sight for a Hostage situation as feared Supervillain Comrade Red held the customers in there against their will.

"Release the hostages!" A police chief on the scene demanded. "We have the building surrounded, there's nowhere to run!"

"Niet!" He replied in a thick Russian accent. "I require the money in this bank to fund my operation to aid the Motherland! And no one shall stop me from that!"

"That's what you think, red menace!"

Suddenly, descending from the blue sky came a muscular figure decked out proudly in the colors of the American Flag. As he landed in the middle of the street, the cops & the crowd cheerfully called out his named. "IT'S MAJOR GLORY!"

"Major Glory..." Dexter said to himself, a small grin growing on his face as he recalled back to the adventures he saw of him, and the few he experienced with him.

"Your evil isn't welcomed here, Comrade Red!" Glory boomed. "Besides, you need to fill out a bank slip before making a withdrawal in America!"

"Then allow me to make a deposit...with THIS!"

Suddenly, the Soviet villain reached into his red coat and pulled out a technologically-advanced cannon, before shooting it at Major Glory. The cannon fired a red energy net which completely engulfed the Star-Spangled hero, dropping him to the ground as he found himself helpless to break free. Feeling victory within his grasp, Comrade Red stepped outside of the bank, approaching his arch-rival while keeping his weapon aimed at the officers, keeping them at bay.

He laughed mockingly as he walked up to him. "The Mighty Major, reduced to a simple Private at my feet! Is THIS the might that America has to stand against me!?"

"No, Comrade..." The Major struggled out as he fought to free himself. "...THIS IS!"

Turning to his foe, Major Glory called upon his Heat Vision and aimed it at Comrade Red's hand, effectively disarming him. He then summoned his Super Strength and broke free of the net, before going on the offensive. Before Comrade could react, he was hit with a right hook, then a left, before being finished off with Major Glory's patented U.S. Uppercut, which put the Russian menace on his back for the count, and freed his hostages.

A wild cheer ran through the crowd, both there and at Dexter's school. It was also followed by a familiar yet still uplifting chant. "USA! USA! USA!"

Reporters on the scene immediately flocked to Major Glory, their microphones swarming him as they began to praise his work on the scene. "Now, now, just doing my patriotic duty!" He responded, his teeth gleaming as brightly as the sun.

"Major Glory, any idea on where Comrade Red obtained the weapon he used on you?"

"Hmm, no idea..." He replied as he picked up the cannon to closely examine it. "It doesn't seem Russian, in fact it appears to have been made right here in the good ol' U.S.A." As the camera zoomed it to show close-ups of the weapon, Dexter's eyes began to widen as his heart skipped a beat. "One thing is for sure though, whoever created this weapon for him...is truly unpatriotic!"

"That is my technology..." Dexter uttered almost breathlessly. "That...that is my invention."

It horrified him to see it on TV, and used by one of the sworn foes of freedom & liberty, but it was instantly recognizable by the young genius. It was originally created to assist him with lab work in the high areas; it was to be deployed if he should ever fall from great heights to catch him in an electronic net. But faulty wiring that couldn't be fixed even by his mind caused the nets to emit out a slight shock when in contact with human skin. It was the reason he locked the invention away. But the malfunction never was powerful enough to hurt another human, and especially wasn't strong enough to down one of the mightiest heroes in the world.

"Hey Dexter!"

The redheaded brainiac was brought out of his train of thought by his friend Mordecai. "Some sight, huh? Looks like Major Glory saved the day again." He said. "But boy, I'd love to get my hands on that weapon Comrade Red had. At least to get some schematics."

He turned to his friend, but instead of seeing the same inquisitive interest on his face, he saw worry and concern, along with the unmistakable glare of determination in his eyes. "Excuse me; I need to look into something..."

And with that, he hurriedly marched towards the bus, leaving his friend waiting in the school hallway. "O-OK, Dexter...see you tomorrow?"

The ride home from school was not as typical as it was earlier that morning. Dexter barely even acknowledge the window on the bus as his thoughts began running a mile a minute. How could one of his inventions make it into evil hands? How could his genius have been exploited to this degree? These questions and dozens more swarmed his head to the point where he nearly missed his stop, right in front of his house. Hopping off of the bus, he quickly marched up the pathway to his door and entered his home. And no sooner than when he closed the door did he hear his mother's voice.

"Hi, Dexter! Dinner's in an hour!"

"Thank you, mother." He replied, not stopping his pace as he ascended the steps towards the upstairs hallway to his room. There was no sign of Dee-Dee, a development he was grateful for, especially at this moment. Stepping into his room, he closed the door behind himself before moving to the middle of the room. A moment later, a hole appeared underneath the young genius and he was transported via air tube from his bedroom into his vast laboratory, where he didn't waste any time as he exited the transportation tube.

"Good evening, Dexter. Do you wish—?"

"Not now, computer." He interrupted. "I need you to pull up the schematics of the Neuro-Net Launcher I created 2 years ago."

"Of course, Dexter." The disembodied voice replied, showing him a blueprint of his invention on a holographic screen which popped up in front of him. Immediately he examined the details to his machine, comparing them to the memory of the weapon he saw earlier that day. And his fear was confirmed as it was almost an identical facsimile.

"No..."

"Is everything alright, Dexter?"

"It is fine." He replied, almost coldly as he went over to his workbench. In the middle was his recent work, a pair of Giga-Gauntlets he uses to help with the heavy-lifting operations within the Lab. Slipping them on, he clenched his fists tightly, which activated them and sent several sparks of electricity sparking across them. He then walked over to a gigantic steel door which stood out on the side wall of his Lab and, using the gauntlets, slowly opened the door, which lead to the interior of a Vault. As light slowly crept into the steel holding, Dexter's fears grew worse upon sight of what was inside.

Half of his inventions were gone. The entire vault area had the appearance of being ransacked; boxes, screws, scrap metal & debris strewn everywhere. He quickly rushed in to examine the scene closer, spotting that most of the technology that was missing had the capability to be weaponized. Someone had broken into his Laboratory, and was now using Dexter's greatest inventions for evil.

"This can't be..." He said to himself. "How did this happen? Who could've broken in!? Computer: set security protocols to Delta Magnum Red!"

"Acknowledged."

Immediately the system began configuring the new settings, implementing lasers, floor traps and electrified barriers placed at the entrances & exits. All the while Dexter exited his vault while in deep thought, contemplating who could've swiped his greatest works of genius from right under his nose. The first name to come up was his sister Dee-Dee, but he quickly dismissed her for two reasons; his sensors would've immediately detected her presence near the vault and, even if she had gotten inside, she would've more likely destroyed all of his inventions within, not steal them. The second name belonged to his arch-foe Mandark, who more than had a motive for this. But Dexter had not seen his intellectual rival for over two years, after the Great Suburban Bot Brawl which saw half of their city in ruins, and Mandark being sent to Peaceful Shrine Reform School by his parents.

Eliminating those possibilities however left Dexter even more frustrated. Outside of Mandark he hasn't made any enemies, especially those on par with his intelligence to even risk such a heist. Even with his great genius, he found himself helpless in this situation, unable to even know who has his works or what they'll be used for next. It angered the young genius, so much so that as he turned to the workbench he had been at earlier, his anger caused him to raise his clenched fist and slam it down with tremendous force onto it. The table bent inward, the steel giving as if it were play-doh, complete with the indentation of the Gauntlet's fist left on the surface.

Noticing the damage he did in his bout of rage, Dexter took a cautious step back, before staring at his fist almost in disbelief. In all truth this was the most emotion he had shown in years. He felt his blood boiling over what could happen with his legacy, how it could be traced back to him and how it would affect his family. And he wasn't about to stand aside while it happened. It was then that he noticed it in this distance, a tall glass chamber sitting off to the side of the Main Control Panel in the room. But Dexter was more interested at what was inside the chamber; a relic of his past, and a possible aid that could be used to stop whoever has stolen his inventions.

"Computer, I need some alterations to be made. I shall be going out tonight."

It was an extended waiting period for Dexter, as he had to endure the seemingly endless dinner filled with his mother and father tossing pet names back & forth at each other like a table-tennis match, and Dee-Dee fawning over the reboot of her childhood favorite cartoon, Pony Puff Princesses: Enchanted Companionship. But as he finished his last bite of chicken on the plate, he immediately excused himself from the table and rushed up the stairs. A quick trip into his Lab was made so he could wear the appropriate apparel for his mission tonight. A black armored suit which also covered part of his face, purple gloves and matching cape, and a silver utility belt wrapped around him with a 'D' belt buckle. Upon sight he felt that the final piece of the costume was unnecessary & flashy, but decided not to make any further alterations due to lack of time.

It was child's play for him to sneak out of the house, as it was movie night and his family knew he much more preferred to stay in his room with his studies. Not before long he found himself at the District Police Station where Comrade Red was being held until his prison transport arrived in the morning. Most of the station was dark as most of the officers had gone home for the night. But a few still remained, including one manning the head desk in the lobby. It was no trouble for Dexter though, as he used the stealth feature on his suit to navigate through the near-vacant Precinct; pass the officers enjoying their donuts and watching the latest Reality Show on the station's TV. He then ventured past the lock-up area, where he noticed several super villains being held for their crimes. The likes of Death Hellen, The Disgruntled Postman & Mental Mouse inhabited those cells; fearsome foes who terrorized the populace before being caught by the Justice League.

Eventually Dexter made it to his destination, Evidence Lock-Up. Using an electronic key in his utility belt, he easily breached the door and ventured inside, looking for the weapon Comrade Red used earlier. After a minute of searching, he found the weapon sitting on a shelf. He then proceeded to examine it, using a portable electro-scanner which emitted a red laser light which rolled over the cannon, recording every bit of information inside & outside of it. Once done, the device emitted a holographic screen which showed the schematics.

"Interesting..."

KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM MMMMMMMMMMMMM!

The explosion rattled the entire Precinct, snapping Dexter from his analysis and capturing his attention. Activating his cloak, he peered out from the doorway to see the commotion, and got his answer. The entire side wall had been reduced to rubble, leaving the prisoners with an open door to freedom. And it was all thanks to cause of the explosion, Doctor Diablos.

"Gentlemen, I am here to give you liberation from your holdings!" He boasted. "Go, be free...and wreak as much Havoc as earthly possible!"

This was completely unanticipated by the young genius. What was a simple infiltration to check out his possibly pilfered Tech has turned into a jailbreak, with some of the most dangerous villains now loose on the street. First instinct was for Dexter to take action and stop them, but logic soon took control as he began to think of ways he could escape without being noticed.

"What am I doing!?" He silently asked himself. "I am a man of science. I am only here to retrieve my invention and—!"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

It sounded as if an innocent woman had crossed their paths at the wrong time. And even though he looked only to see a muscle-bound blonde man running for his life against Mental Mouse, Dexter knew he couldn't stay out of this any longer, not when he had the means to put a stop to it. Now was definitely not a time for logic...action must be taken.

Reaching inside his bag, he pulled out the invention he had used just earlier that night; the Giga Gauntlets. He then slipped them on before doing a quick calculation of the measurements of the door & hinges.

"7.3 inches, so I shall have to strike from 40 degrees..."

Once done, he reared back with his right fist and laid a haymaker into the door which sent it flying off of its hinges, smacking into Mental Mouse and knocking him out. The evil Doctor heard the impact and turned to see what the commotion was. What he saw was the young genius standing in the doorway.

"WHO DARES!?"

"I dare..." Dexter responded. "For Justice! I cannot believe I just said that."

"Then for Justice...you will die!"

Rising up on his hover-glider, Diablos summoned up his henchdemons, who immediately charged the young genius, looking for blood. They quickly swarmed Dexter, putting him on the defensive as he raised his Gauntlets up for protection. Eventually he would be forced to attack, which he did with all his might. He swung wildly with lefts and rights, luckily connecting with them as demon after demon began to dissipate; losing their form as they faded away. Dexter's sloppy offense would come back to betray him though, as one demon was able to connect with a hard kick to his gut...

"GAAAAAHHHH!"

...allowing another to follow up with a vicious scratch to his shoulder. It caused the redheaded brainiac to stumble back against the wall, where they surrounded him with a half-circle. His mind began racing a mile a minute, thinking of any possibility, any opening he could use to get out of this situation. And he found it; a crack in the wall which lead to the opening made by Doctor Diablos. Raising his Gauntlet-covered hand, he slammed it down onto the crack, which caused everyone to stumble. He then rushed out of through the hole in the wall as half of the Police Station came crashing down on Diablos & his demons, issuing their defeat. Moments later several officers in uniform arrived to see the wreckage.

"What the—Diablos must've released the prisoners!" One of them said.

"And he must've been caught in the falling debris." Another one surmised as he dug the villain out from the rubble. "Great, we traded one villain for several!"

"At least we got him...hey, didn't you see a skinny kid in black fighting inside, too?"

"Yeah, where'd he go?"

The classroom felt very uninteresting the next day; the posters of great scientists & philosophers that adorned the wall were lifeless to Dexter today; about as uninteresting as being forced to attend one of Dee-Dee past Ballet recitals. No, as he sat in class on this day, his electronic tablet wasn't taking notes on the lesson plan, but instead online, currently showing Dexter pages from multiple news sites which were showing footage of the breakout last night, and Dexter's intervention. He couldn't explain it, but he found himself captivated by the events of last night. So much so he didn't even notice his fellow student watching along with him from over his shoulder.

"Whoa, that was some heavy stuff that happened last night, Smart Dude."

Noticing his presence, Dexter decided to be more hospitable this time around. "Yes, it was indeed...Heavy."

"Class, may I have your attention..."

Hearing the teacher's call, Dexter placed his tablet on his desk and turned his eyes to the front of the room, where he saw Ms. Wimple standing alongside another student in class, a young redheaded female with a ponytail flowing down her back, tied in a bright crimson bow.

"I would like you to welcome our newest tutor for the summer. She's part of a special exchange program with a fellow city. This is Ms..."

"Blossom." The young woman finished for her. "Blossom Utonium."