A villainous education

People are sheep.

This was lesson one, the very first thing that Concepto had learned under the tutelage of Psycho-Tyrant, his mentor in all things. To realize that the mass could be herded through various ways into thinking certain things, acting in specific manners and reacting in a pattern that could be repeated ad infinitum was to get out of the mold. A person smart enough to understand how the machine worked could make it work to its advantage, the villainous sidekick thought, as he had yet to prove himself to his morally challenging tutor.

The test was simple: get in a crowded area, corrupt some people without being seen or arrested, then get out of there. Concepto, in his general appreciation of such a simple task, had a plethora of choice left for him. He could lose himself in a mall, check out some people in an airport, go into a hospital and make it so weakened people would agree with him unconditionally. All those ideas, though, were far too easy or symbolically unsatisfying. To prey on the weak or to simply go in a place where mindlessness roamed freely was no fun. No, the young sidekick had a much better idea in mind.

He would go in a school.

Dropping out of the failure that was the system of education a few years back, the young teenagers had learned far more with Psycho-Tyrant about how the world worked than with anyone else. Why bother with geography when you could learn how to hack any system in the world? What kind of purpose could one accomplish with low-grade math when it was so simple to mess around with the laws of the universe? With his super powers, it was easy to have his ways, a fact that the so-called super-villain that served as his mentor made him remember daily. If you can go and get what you want, then you should do so, which was lesson number two of his tutelage. The cult of self was all that really mattered in this crazy world. Me, myself, and I.

With these nefarious thoughts in his mind, Concepto then went on to enter the grounds of a nearby high school. The name not being particularly important to him, he did not bother to look up as he simply entered the building, looking at all the students that could potentially become his victims if he so wished it. Apparently arriving during lunch break, he had a plethora of choice available to him, from every stereotypes to the more eccentric teenagers.

Looking around, he was glad to see that no one questioned just why he was here, his powers working wonderfully amongst lesser people. His ability to manipulate perceptions through concepts, a power so awfully-defined it was painful, made it easy to lose himself in the high number of young people there. He was young, so naturally it was alright for him to be there, right? With these ideas being projected around him, nobody would ask who this new kid was and just focus on their own things.

With the cover of semi-anonymity to help him, Concepto then went on to look at his potential targets. Jocks, bullies, nerds, goth kids, annoying popular girls, they were all there ripe for the picking, yet Concepto did not seem to take any interest in any single target or group, as if all these sheep were fade and uninteresting for him. Listening in, he tried to perhaps see some ironic insight or something that could hold his interest for a few minutes.

''The last lizard legend game was so sweet, man...''

''Tysha looks so fat, it's disgusting. Ughhh...''

''That shirt makes you look gay, bro...''

''Is Lyndsey still with those weirdoes from the drama club?''

That last one actually intriguing him, the young super-villain went on to listen more. Somehow, there were would-be actors in this school, people who liked to pretend that they were somebody else. Finding this sweetly ironic, Concepto then went on to find this Lyndsey and the others that shared a flair for the dramatic, hoping that they'd meet his impossible standards.

Entering the little classroom that they had allocated for practice and other such things related to their pastime, the villainous teenager soon saw that there were only three girls there. One, was someone who could pass for a cheerleader kind of girl: long blonde hair, thin disposition, dressed in revealing clothes, the whole thing. Another, though, was a touch fatter, her dark skin being curvaceous, yet in a meaning that people usually never associated with the word as she wore clothings as if she was ashamed of her general physique. The last one, though, looked like the shy librarian type: overly dressed, long braided hair, thick glasses, shy demeanor, the whole deal. Seeing that those three disparate personalities could somehow co-exist in the same group made it almost sweet, yet Concepto had no time for friendship and petty things like drama. He had to do a task and prove himself worthy of further teachings.

Those three girls would only be his targets, and nothing more.

Entering the classroom, Concepto went on to remember the third lesson he had learned: to be unsuspicious and friendly. People had a rather stupid fixation on how ''evil'' looked and acting in a generally different manner could alleviate fears and worries if done right. Powering up with concepts of friendliness and warmth, he then meekly approached the three girls, creating the facsimile of a shy person. ''Sorry to bother you all, but is this the drama club?'' he asked, looking down as if he was an innocent and weak little lamb lost in this big scary school.

Apparently giving a very persuasive performance, the bulkier one went straight at him, acting like a mother hen all of a sudden. ''Yes, you are. Would you like to join?'' she said getting straight to business, her colorful character already on display as she placed her arm around his shoulder as if he was already a close friend.

''Don't push him too much Becky. I mean...maybe he doesn't want to join?'' the shy girl retorted, already proving how right Concepto was about his assessment of her personality.

''Don't worry, Laura, he wouldn't have asked if he didn't entertain the notion. Let's just introduce ourselves first,'' the blonde girl said, her polite demeanor proving that perhaps the young villain had been wrong in his vision of what she was. ''Hi, I'm Lyndsey, this is Becky and she's Laura. What is your name?'' she said, smiling in a comforting manner as she approached the seemingly innocent and meek looking boy.

''Peter...'' he lied, coming up with a name on the spot as he then went a little closer to the group. ''I said one can overcome shyness in this group and I'd, well, like to do that,'' he explained, using how people conceived meekness and shyness to add to this whole charade of his as the illusion was perfect.

''Well, you came to the right place, Peter. After a few months here, you'll end up crazy like us and you won't be afraid to do insane little things like play a fictional character in front of everyone, I guarantee you that,'' Becky claimed, looking at him with a joking smile, amused by her own temperament as she went on to look for props and costumes for the shy boy to try on.

''A-actually, I was here to try something first, if you don't mind? Perhaps, after that, you might want to show me just how to properly act?'' he said, trying to get everyone's attention although he was only talking to Lyndsey by the looks of it. With the three girls intrigued by this mysterious offer, each one of them went on to look at him as he was looking through one of his pocket, searching for a particular item as he then showed it to them.

The object in question, as it turned out, was a pocket watch. Looking like an ancient model, a round one that was kept clean and shiny, hooked on a small golden chain, the watch was a pretty little sight. However, Concepto had a much more sinister plan in mind with this as he then began to wave the watch back and forth before their eyes, allowing the slow movement to go unimpeded as he held the chain up with his right hand. ''Some people said that hypnosis is fake, but I think it's real. Could you help me find out if I'm right or not?'' he asked in a gentle manner, keeping the motion steady so that the three girls could go on and see the incessant movements of his pocket watch.

Using his powers once more, Concepto went deep within the reach of which ideas were connected to hypnosis. In fiction, it was used to completely enslave others, to bring them under the hypnotists will in order to do their bidding. Of course, reality would say otherwise, but the general idea behind hypnotism was much more connected to fiction than reality. With this firmly in his mind, he swung the watch back and forth as he observed the reactions in front of him.

Becky, ever the energetic one, was the first one to fall as her eyes began to produce circles of black and white. Her idea of hypnosis connected to this depiction, this was how she represented the basic idea behind the concept as her jaw slacked and she began to slowly bend forward, her eyes almost magnetically attracted by the swinging watch. She was apparently recognizing hypnosis and knew what it meant, yet was rather ignorant of the general science behind it, thus made for an easy prey.

Lyndsey, on the other hand, stood her ground as her eyes began to glaze over. Keeping a calmer and less comical approach to the whole thing, this seemed to indicate that she knew a little more than Becky, yet not much as she was still falling under a trance without him having to say a single word.

Laura, though, seemed to watch it, yet she was not showing any symptoms yet. Perhaps she'd need further encouragement, the young villain thought, as he then approached her, bringing the watch much closer to her face. ''Are you getting sleepy from the motions? Are your eyes tired and your mind growing hazier and lazier by the second?'' Concepto asked, keeping in with the character he created as he made sure that the shy girl could not look away from the swinging watch.

As Becky and Lyndsey went on to keep their eyes glued on the swaying object, the villainous sidekick went on to press his advantage as the shy teenager was apparently unable to look away, too fascinated with the watch to resist in any meaningful manner. ''I...I kind of am...'' she answered, her hesitation sealing her fate as Concepto continued his assault on her free will.

''Then, wouldn't it be good to just surrender? To let this happens as you grow to accept that you're going to feel asleep? Wouldn't it be nice to just let it all go?'' he suggested, placing his hand on her cheek in a gentle manner, emphasizing on his role in the induction and making her focus doubly so on the entrancing object. With Laura now unable to cope with the powers of persuasion combined with the conceptual control of reality, her eyes turned into a myriad of colors as the braided girl went to turn her shyness into a wide smile of bliss, accepting that she was now hypnotized. With this now being done, the villain then went on to abandon the meek character he had created as he closed the door behind him, ensuring that no one would bother his plans for the time being.

''Very well, my lovely slaves...I have a little scenario for you to play out,'' he announced, motioning for them to come near him.

''Yes, master,'' they said in unison, their mind seemingly joined in their ecstatic trance as they went on their knees before the powerful boy who had claimed their will for himself.

''I will be a powerful sultan, one who has bought you three as slaves. Now, you will completely get into character as you will dance and entertain your beautiful savior, showering him with appreciation...understood?'' he asked, sitting down comfortably as he had a wicked grin on his face, ready for the fun to begin.

''Yes master!'' they all chirped as their character were beginning to appear in their mindset. Becky, the first one to understand this, held her shirt higher as she revealed her plump stomach, dancing as she made it jiggle wildly. Like a belly dancer, she tried to look graceful, yet only ended up being bizarrely alluring in her confidence, as if her attempt made it all the more endearing. As much as Becky was into it, Lyndsey had a different approach as she played a more demure, yet still seductive person as her gaze was fiery with controlled passion. Lifting her shirt to produce the effect of a belly dancer like Becky, she did so with less energy, yet more focus as her beauty did not go unnoticed by the villainous boy.

The only one who did not really do like the others, though, was Laura, who lifted her shirt up, yet never seemed to dance or do anything like the other two as she fanned him with a bunch of papers. ''I would not want my sultan to get too hot,'' she explained, as if she knew that Concepto would find her actions odd when compared to the other two. Taken aback by this bizarre turn of events, he nonetheless indulged himself as he went on to observe them making fools of themselves. In truth, he knew how harem girls were actually treated and how their own little follies were based on racist stereotypes, yet this performance of theirs was too entertaining to stop as he clapped his hands, ready for something.

''Is there anything else we can do for you, great master?'' Becky went on to ask, getting on all four as if praying before the hypnotic god, her eyes still showing black and white circles.

''Anything you want, we will do,'' further said Lyndsey, who mimicked her friend as her glazed eyes fixed the ground, as if she was unworthy to even look up at Concepto.

''Command us,'' added Laura, who kept on fanning him as her joyful expression made her look like she was greatly anticipating any orders he'd have for them.

''Very well. For your next roles...I want you three to be super-villains. Go on and give me your best shots!'' he said with energy, already looking forward to whatever idiocy they would cook up.

Lyndsey, this time around, went faster than Becky as she then took a particularly snappy tone, her pose supposedly intimidating as she looked at Concepto with a nasty look. ''I am Pyrowoman! I will burn down orphanages and laugh at the tears of the children!'' she said with energy, as if her version was close to reality.

Becky, not one to be left undone, took a rather assertive position as she then went to look at Lyndsey as if she was a mere amateur. ''I am Queen Frigid. I will freeze the planet solid and reign over the icy domain left with an iron fist!'' she said with controlled anger, believing to be this character she just created.

Laughing loudly, Concepto could not believe how childish these concepts were. As if taken straight out of a simple moralistic version of a bad children's cartoon, these were pure genius as far as stupidity went, as none of the super-villains he hanged with were to tacky and obvious. No real back story, no actual motivation or grey area in terms of morality. They were terrible human being and as such, they had to be evil to an extreme degree. Greatly amused by this, he then turned to Laura, who was doing nothing beside him. ''And you? Who are you supposed to be?''

''I'm nobody. I'm a person you don't know who will control the market, get rich by being manipulative and stay unpunished because nobody will know that I was controlling everything. I'm a super villain, master,'' she said calmly, her character exuding confidence in a reserved fashion as she looked down at the sitting form of her master.

Greatly surprised by this rather intelligent point-of-view, Concepto then went on to have newfound respect for this shy girl. Perhaps, in some way, there were some actual gems amongst the sheep. With this set in mind, the young villain nonetheless went on to indulge himself further. Turning them into firemen, then politicians, then athletes and so forth, Concepto amused himself as he filmed everything, recording a proof of his achievement as he heard a bell ring, indicating that those people had to go to their class. His laughter dying down, it was time for him to go as he rose from his chair, motioning for the three girls to then get closer. ''I will snap my fingers and you will remember none of this. You will wake up, go to your class and act like normal. However, when a shy boy named Peter arrives here, you will remember him as a friend and won't be threatened by his presence. Now...go,'' he said, snapping his fingers as he quickly went away from the classroom, then from the school altogether as he smirked happily. Taking out his phone, he then composed a private number as he continued walking away from this place of education.

''Yeah, it's me. Look, I have a video I have to show you. I did as you asked and I think I made good on what I promised. In this, I think you might find your next case, like you did with me...Yeah, I think this one shows promise...Okay, I'll talk to you later...''

Closing down his phone, Concepto walked away as he gazed once more at this school. With the fun he just had and with what his mentor might do, he knew he'd return eventually.

With this thought making him smile, the young super-villain walked on, ready for his next crime...