Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Roxanne once told Megamind that good would always rise up against evil. What she didn't point out, but Minion had certainly realized by this point, was that evil was just as likely to pop up to challenge a new hero.

Granted, most of them were petty crooks that were quickly caught and tossed into prison where Megamind's "uncles" were quick to inform him that messing with their "little Syx" was not tolerated. Honestly, the modern criminal was nowhere as competent or as reliable as their predecessors. Minion was at least satisfied that they offered the distractions for his friend. The more talented thieves and criminal elements were often less satisfying for the former-villain since they weren't as likely to play their part effectively. Megamind still loved playing the game of hero versus villain, even if he was on a different side. Unfortunately, he would spend a lot of their conflicts mocking their inability to match his past performances as a super-villain. He could always out-think them both because of his astounding intellect and his experience on the other side of the game.

But then there were those that were equally deserving of the title of a super-villain as Megamind once did. Or perhaps the term was even more appropriate for them. They were just as flashy and extravagant with their plans, but they never seemed to be as concerned with the safety of kidnapped damsels or the general public. Those who were sprouting up in Metro City were at least inexperienced and easily stopped since they rarely suffered superpower-causing accidents. But those from outside the city, those who gained their reputation and knowledge by facing their own opponents and a police force who could actually do something for themselves, were real trouble. They could make Titan (or Tighten) look like an amateur. Well, he was an amateur, but they really made it obvious that he didn't have any clue what he was doing.

And the loss of Metro Man's presence to defend the city and the lack of a resident villain left a vacancy that others were all too happy to fill. They knew that Metro Man was practically unbeatable and that Megamind spent his whole life losing. So it seemed like a perfect target city for them to invade; one with the assumed to have a less-than-formidable protector.

When competent super-villains came to visit, Megamind would finally have an opponent worthy of his skills. But it also concerned the Minion every single time. Most villains don't necessary follow the "don't kill the opponent" that heroes do. They rarely follow any type of rules beyond "victory at any cost." The battles against Metro Man would always end with a trip back to prison. A battle against an out-of-town villain could end up with even the durable and experienced Megamind seriously hurt or worse. And that was one thing that Minion couldn't stand to see.

So, when yet another super-villain decided to make a bigger name for themselves by attacking the new hero of Metro City, it wasn't surprising. Merely concerning. This one, calling himself Dr. Brainstorm, was some type of troublemaker from the east coast. Frizzy white hair that looked like he was just electrocuted, a white lab coat, goggles, and nothing close to a real doctorate, he was apparently a perfect foil for Megamind. The man specialized in using his inventions to terrorize and rob the population while also having a flair for the dramatic. Needless to say, the blue-skinned protector of the city was excited to go against someone else who depended on brains instead of brawn.

After so many years of hosting climactic good-versus-evil battles of one kind or another and Tighten's more recent demonstration of what the worst case scenario could turn out like, the population of Metro City knew exactly what to do when a deranged super-villain showed up in the middle of their hometown with a trio of giant robots and a couple of ray-guns to challenge "the traitor to all villainy" to a showdown. Mass evacuations to safer sections of the city began, traffic was detoured, and the news station was contacted. Meanwhile, Megamind summoned up a large portion of the Brainbots to accompany him while diverting the rest to help ensure that no innocent citizens were caught in the coming crossfire. Anyone still crazy enough to stay behind and end up in danger tended to be dehydrated for their own safety. A smokescreen and rock music was added to the surroundings, setting the mood for the coming battle.

From his place in the giant robot designed to face Tighten, Minion assumed he was relatively safe as Megamind dealt with his opponent in the Spiderbot. After all, the smokescreen and Brainbots were providing an effective cover to work with and Dr. Brainstorm only had three giant robots himself. Granted, they were larger than the mecha that the two of them were using, but the grey shapes with the sleek designs and glowing red eyes weren't anything that couldn't be handled. All that he needed to do was disable the machines quickly while Megamind focused on the man in charge. In a way, everything to that point was almost routine for the new protectors of Metro City.

Unfortunately, the man's AI was far more effective than he or Megamind originally assumed. Two of the robots, fast humanoid things that moved more like large ninja than machines, fired blasts from their eyes at joints and other vulnerable points to disable the mecha Minion was using. The quick and precise shots hit their mark with the accuracy that came with advanced targeting systems. The third robot focused on attempting something similar against the more nimble Spiderbot while the wild-haired villain firing almost randomly in Megamind's direction through the black smoke.

As Minion tried to regain control of the mecha, the aggressive robots switched to physical blows. It wasn't easy. Their AIs seemed designed to target weak points, knocking their opponent around the control cockpit as they struck. He couldn't keep upright and in place, so he couldn't use the systems to block or dodge the swift strikes that continued to rain down.

"Code: Get out of there, Minion," shouted Megamind, apparently spotting his friend's predicament.

"Code: They already took out the ejection," he called back as the huge dome shattered from the blows and the large mecha collapsed to the ground.

He assumed that the two robots would turn their attention to the Brainbots swarming around them now that the larger threat was neutralized. He was only half right. One began swatting the small mechanical beings out of the air like flies, though they were able to dodge at least some of the strikes due to their size and agility. The other aggressive machine, however, apparently still considered Minion's smaller robotic suit as a target.

The first blow to his "body" sent him flying through the air to crash into a brick wall with a crunch and knocked the fish roughly against his tank walls. He couldn't recover or respond quick enough to get out of the way before another fast and merciless strike sent him across the street into another building. He also couldn't stop his small body from slamming against the protective dome of his suit.

He could hear a few clanks as bricks and mortar bounced off the metal frame, but the hydraulics of the speedy robot moving was of far more concern. Minion tried to climb to his feet, but the impacts were leaving him disoriented and sore. A third hit produced a crunch of metal in addition to the normal sounds of his robotic body crashing against his demolished surroundings. That hit broke something vital and it only took a split second for the disoriented Minion to realize what it was

Even his weak attempts to move out of the way and regain control of his simian "body" halted. There was no way to make it work; the twin antennas on the back of the robotic figure were too damaged now to receive the fish's mental commands. He was utterly at their mercy now; just a fish trapped in a bowl. Another strike and he heard the sputtering sounds of the filter and aerator failing and a sharp crack of glass starting to break before he smacked into the bottom of his containment. The giant robot was breaking him down systematically. And not just the mechanical suit that contained him.

His whole body, his small and far more fragile body that resided in the mechanical one, hurt. The impacts against the sides were brutal. He couldn't think straight or even figure out which way was up. He couldn't be certain, but it sounded like someone was calling his name. He knew that voice. It was an important one. He knew he needed to pay attention to that voice, that it was the most important thing in the world, but he couldn't focus. His head was swimming, but his body was too tired to try.

Another harsh and unforgiving force hit and the crack in the glass widened, grew, and shattered. Water rushed out and tugged him towards the sharp edges before the one more strike found its target. The alien fish was sent flying out of his home, tumbling and bouncing across broken pavement and rubble. The hot and dry pavement.

He heard someone yelling his name again, followed swiftly by the sounds of blasts, crashes, and an evil laugh. Minion wanted to open his eyes and see what was happening, but he couldn't concentrate on anything. His whole body ached and hurt. His thoughts were scrambled and he couldn't focus on anything. And breathing felt uncomfortable.

"…And there has been no sign of Dr. Brainstorm or our hero, Megamind, since the thicker smoke cleared," Roxanne reported, trying to keep her tone neutral. "Citizens are warned to stay out of the area due to the damage to the surrounding buildings and in case Dr. Brainstorm is still present. We'll bring you more information as it becomes available."

The woman gave the gesture and her replacement cameraman cut the feed. John was far less creepy than Hal. He was obedient to her instructions and helpful. And he was absolutely married to another woman and unlikely to become a super-anything in an attempt to woo her. Roxanne liked John. If she suggested something crazy, he would follow her plan. And he knew when to be quiet when she was clearly worried about her boyfriend.

Megamind should be here by now. He should be with her, trying to show off to her with tales of his latest acts of heroics. Positive feedback might still be relatively new, but he loved having her be proud of him. After a lifetime of being treated like an outcast, he deserved a chance to be accepted for who he was. He loved trying to impress her. There were days she wondered how long he'd been in love with her since he'd been acting like that since he was the villain.

She'd known for a long time that he wasn't quite as dangerous he liked to pretend. His "death traps" that Megamind would always attach her were more of an annoyance than a threat. The worst she'd ever experienced was a slice through one of her sweater sleeves when one his "death traps" broke loose and snagged the cloth as it fell. And even that small event resulted in a brief moment of panic where he tried to make sure she wasn't hurt while trying to cover up his reaction by pretending to be more concerned with the condition of his broken "death trap." By the end, she couldn't even bother trying to act scared of him during the kidnappings.

Honestly, she might have been angry and hurt about the Bernard deception, but she was happy for the chance it gave her to get to know the real Megamind underneath all his showmanship and "evilness." There was so much she'd never noticed or suspected about him. He was actually rather innocent of the world outside of prison and the ongoing "game" of good versus evil. He was stubborn and never gave up. He was smart, quick on his feet, and brave enough to face opponents that could rip him apart without effort. Once you got past the whole super-villain façade, Megamind was probably the sweetest person she knew next to Minion.

What did it say about her and Metro City that sweetest people in her life was an alien piranha/anglerfish in a robot gorilla body and a giant-headed, blue-skinned, former super-villain? It definitely went back to the idea of not judging a book by its cover. Of course, it could also mean some rather discouraging things about the rest of the population's demeanor, but she was too optimistic to follow that line of thought.

But she knew Megamind. He should be here. Unless something went wrong. Even if her boyfriend could invent anything, could escape from anything, and never gave up, something could still go wrong. He could be in trouble.

"Why don't you head back to the station, John," she suggested, staring towards the thin tendrils of smoke rising in the distance.

The young man glanced back and forth between Roxanne and the distant destruction, uncertainty etched across his face. Even if he was new to the job, he clearly knew what she was considering. It wasn't that great a leap of logic, after all. He could also tell she wasn't doing it to go chasing an exciting story. While she wasn't unknown for taking risks for her job, she was also known for taking similar risks to do the right thing. Whether that was facing down a furious Tighten or searching for her boyfriend, she would do it because it was the right thing to do. And because she needed to know if Megamind was all right.

"Do you have your cell phone?" John asked simply. When she nodded, he sighed and ran his hand through his dark hair, "Fine. Be careful and call someone for help if you get in over your head."

She gave him a quick smile. Then she straightened out the blue dress she wore for the report and took off towards the destruction zone, feeling especially thankful for her decision to wear flats instead of heels that morning.

Everything hurt. Minion wouldn't consider his head clear yet, but his thoughts weren't quite as scrambled anymore from all the impacts. He could think a little again and he was able to figure out what was happening. The smoke screen had dissipated at some point while his pounded head was still a mess, leaving the demolished landscape exposed to the sun once more. That meant it was at least five to ten minutes since the battle started. That wasn't good.

He was drying out. Slowly, but surely… He was lying on the pavement with the sun shining down on him, continuing the familiar steps of the water cycle by evaporating the liquid.

And he was alone. He was completely alone. He couldn't even hear the familiar bowg from Brainbots. There was only silence and the sound of his breathing.

He remembered a long time ago, back when Megamind was still a child and when they still called him Syx, his friend found a book about fish in the prison library. Even if they both knew that there was no guarantee that information based on Earth-based fish wouldn't necessary have anything to do with one from a different planet, it was the closest thing they had. And Syx liked to read. He liked to learn. And he liked to share the things he was reading. Pleasant memories of the blue-skinned boy balancing Minion's orb in his lap trickled through his mind as his battered body grew more uncomfortably dry and breathing became harder. He wasn't as smart as his friend, but he could still remember the clear print and descriptions on the page as the young Syx read to the curious fish.

Gills, unlike lungs, allowed a gaseous exchange to take place across the surface of highly vascular comb-like filaments, the gill lamellae, by use of a one-way current of water. The comb-like structure increases the surface area so that enough oxygen can be absorbed and the density of the water prevents the gills from collapsing and lying on top of each other. He remembered the description very well and it was a little unnerving. Out of water, the gills collapse like wet tissue paper and very little surface area is left exposed for gas exchange. Most fish, therefore, can only survive a short time out of water before oxygen deficiency catches up with them and they asphyxiate. Some fish taken out of water and then reintroduced before death still die, because their gills will stick closed after being exposed to dry air for more than a few seconds... so they can go back into the water, but they still can't open their gills...

Minion tried to keep his eyes open. He tried to listen for anyone who might wander near him, anyone who might be able to help. The alien fish knew something was wrong, that Megamind should be there and that him being gone meant something bad. But he was just too tired and sore to think about what could have happened. He couldn't even really yell for help at the moment assuming someone did wander by. Breathing was getting harder and he was so tired. His eyes kept slipping closed and all he could see was the memory of him resting in Syx's cell as his young friend read that book.

Some fish were a little hardier when it came to surviving out of water and they'd discovered early on that Minion could survive for a while without it. He definitely didn't lose all ability to breathe properly in a few seconds. But he wasn't like the lungfish either. He still depended on gills. They determined he was closer to the catfish. They could "breathe" out of water for a little while because their gills were more ridged. They didn't completely collapse like other types of fish. It took longer for asphyxiation to occur.

That was why he survived the Tighten fiasco and why Megamind wasn't worried. He knew the fish could remain out of water for a while. Though the longest they'd ever risked it was eighteen minutes and that was more of an accident than a real decision to test those boundaries. And something told Minion he was quickly approaching that mark.

The memories were so vivid. He could see the young Syx moving his fingers excitedly over pictures and descriptions as clearly as if it was only yesterday rather than years ago. Each word was clear in his mind while every other thought grew faintly foggy.

The gills of vertebrates typically develop in the walls of the pharynx, along a series of gill slits opening to the bony fish, the gills lie in a branchial chamber covered by a bony operculum. The great majority of bony fish species have five pairs of gills, although a few have lost some over the course of evolution. The operculum can be important in adjusting the pressure of water inside of the pharynx to allow proper ventilation of the gills, so bony fish do not have to rely on ram ventilation (and hence near constant motion) to breathe. Valves inside the mouth keep the water from escaping. Most species employ a countercurrent exchange system to enhance the diffusion of substances in and out of the gill, with blood and water flowing in opposite directions to each other. When a fish breathes, it draws in a mouthful of water at regular intervals. Then it draws the sides of its throat together, forcing the water through the gill openings, so it passes over the gills to the outside.

But it didn't work right without water. Minion could feel himself trying, his body going through the instinctive motions. His mouth and gills were straining for water that wasn't there, gasping at the dry air that just wasn't good enough. There was oxygen all around him, but he might as well be trying to breathe through a mouth full of cotton for all the good it was doing him. Each labored breath was beginning to burn the more delicate tissues of his gills and he was feeling so light-headed… Every passing moment made it even harder to keep it up. His small, fragile body was aching, battered, struggling for the oxygen it needed in a form he could use, and absolutely tired. And he was alone.

A small, distant part of him realized what was going on. He could make the connection between what he was feeling and that memory from Megamind's childhood. He was gradually suffocating to death. And unless something changed almost immediately, he wasn't going to be able to keep up the labored and almost-useless breathing. It was too hard and it wasn't even working. He couldn't keep going, couldn't keep fighting against the hostile environment.

He was dying.

Oddly, the part of him that realized that fact felt rather disconnected from the rest of him. It was like he noticed something happening to a character in one of those daytime soap operas. It felt distant and unimportant. The rest of his thoughts were generally okay and even pleasant, even with the exhaustion and pain. The lack of oxygen to his body probably had something to do with it.

The memory began to feel more and more real to him than the hot, dry, and painfully draining reality of him lying on the broken pavement. Minion could almost feel the cool water of his orb as it sat there in Syx's lap. The boy, not yet scorn by his peers, bullied by the super-powered Wayne, or determined to be a super-villain, was smiling as he read the book. Occasionally the Warden would wander by the cell to glance at his most unusual prisoner, trying to hide the small smile that threatened to appear under his mustache. This was a good time. Syx, not yet Megamind, was happy and mostly content. And as long as his friend was happy and safe, Minion was happy. As the memory of that day felt more real, the sensations from his battered, struggling to breathe, drying out, exhausted body seemed to just fade out of his mind…

Even without wearing high heels, Roxanne was stumbling and tripping as she neared the last known location of her boyfriend. Apparently multiple giant robots fighting it out was a little more destructive than just one machine versus Metro Man. Or else both Metro Man and Megamind used to pull their punches, so to speak, when it came to property damage. After all, none of those past fights resulted in the loss of human life. Why would be hard to believe they also tried to keep other forms of damage to a minimum? Dr. Brainstorm apparently didn't share that sort of restraint.

The pavement was torn up and sections of buildings were smashed or half-collapsed as she moved further. The Brainbots would have their hands (or rather, claws) full when it came time to do repairs. Especially since, judging by the increasing amount of pieces that were scattered, their numbers were greatly reduced. They could be repaired in time, but the broken little robots with personalities like puppies did little to comfort her as she proceeded.

Climbing over yet another chunk of rubble, she caught sight of something that took her breath away. Crushed and broken was a giant robot. Specifically, the giant robot that Megamind built to face Tighten in originally. She should know. Roxanne was a bit of an expert. In fact, she remembered almost all of her boyfriend's inventions, death traps, and doomsday devices. Granted, Metro Man might be able to list most of them, but most of the rest of the city's population didn't have the opportunity to see them up close so often.

Roxanne knew that her boyfriend and Minion went to the fight with the giant robot and the Spiderbot, but she couldn't remember which one was driving which. Oddly, the arachnid-based machine was nowhere in sight. Only the demolished remnants of the humanoid one remained. When she peered into the broken cockpit, she didn't know whether or not to be happy that it was deserted. She wanted to find Megamind and Minion, but she also wanted them to be in better condition than the crushed machinery would suggest. Hoping it wasn't an ill-omen, she continued forward.

The next shocking sight almost broke her heart. Smashed, cracked, and empty on the fragmented sidewalk was Minion's robotic suit. She'd seen it damaged before in the battle against Tighten, but this was even worse. It looked like a dented tin can with fur. And Minion wasn't in his shattered dome.

Roxanne could barely remember ever seeing the fish outside of a larger body. It was hard sometimes to even remember that he wasn't actually a huge simian when he was baking cookies, suggesting outfits, or discussing chick flicks with her. Honestly, Minion was the closest thing she possessed to a girl friend to hang out with and he was the best one she'd ever spent a girl's night with. Again, that was either a sign of how special he and Megamind were or a poor reflection on the rest of the population. Or just a sign of how limited her social circle was.

She'd been afraid to risk calling out before in case Dr. Brainstorm was around. It would be stupid to give away her position if there was a dangerous villain lurking nearby. Now the absence of Minion from his robot suit and the complete lack of any hint of Megamind threw that earlier caution to the wind. She'd take her chances with the evil scientist.

As Roxanne opened her mouth, she noticed a thin line of splash marks from where the small dome shattered and tossed its contents out. It was as if someone tossed a bucket of water and then waited for it to begin evaporating. Something between instinct and horrified realization took over. She didn't even think as she broke into a sprint, stumbling and tripping over the rough terrain as something deep down told her to hurry.

Climbing over a broken lamppost, at least ten yards from the smashed robot suit, she caught a glimpse of color. Not the bright blue of her boyfriend, but the murky green of his best friend. It was a shade that was supposed to be surrounded by water and behind a clear protective barrier. Not on pavement.

"Minion," she whispered, her pace quickening. "Please be acting like a drama queen again. Please be okay."

As much as Roxanne hoped that it was another case of the fish turning out to be fine after something clearly dangerous that left him out of water, the first clear look she had of him destroyed that fantasy. He was lying there, eyes closed and still. Far too still.

Outside of his robotic suit, he seemed so small. Beyond being outside of water, he was also clearly hurt. Whatever happened to result in him drying out in the middle of the broken street didn't just destroy the mechanical suit. Minion looked battered, scales torn loose and what looked like the start of bruises. She didn't even know that fish could get bruises.

The woman dropped to her knees next to him, horrified for a moment that it was already too late. Then she saw the smallest hint of movement, a slight twitch of his mouth that suggested he was still at least trying to breathe.

"Hang in there, Minion," she murmured in a hopefully comforting voice as she carefully reached over to him. "It'll be all right."

Her mother used to have a koi pond. Roxanne remembered a few times growing up when the colorful fish went over the miniature waterfall and ended up on land. One of the first things she learned about them was that touching them with dry hands or roughly handling them could remove the protective layer of slime and scales. It was like taking sandpaper to someone's skin and could leave them vulnerable to bacteria, parasites, and other problems. But as much as she would prefer to do things right, every instinct screamed at her that he didn't have any time left. She carefully scooped up the alien fish in her arms and ran for the closest semi-intact building, hoping that she would find what she needed.

In addition to her mother's pond, Roxanne remembered her father taking her and her brother fishing during her childhood. She was never the happiest with that particular activity and, after meeting the polite and sweet kidnapping assistant to Megamind the first time, she couldn't even consider going on another fishing trip. She couldn't even eat sushi anymore. She liked the little guy too much to be comfortable with that. Everyone liked him. Minion simply had that effect on people.

But she still recalled some of the lessons her father taught her concerning proper cast and release strategies. They never kept the fish and ate them. For her father, fishing was for sport and it was important to always have fish to catch next time. Whatever they caught on a hook was always returned to the lake afterwards, but the fish weren't always in the best condition after being reeled in. Sometimes they needed to help make sure that their catch recovered properly, just like sometimes her mother's koi did after their trip over the waterfall.

The lights still seemed to be working in the office building she'd entered, which she was thankful for. The continued presence of electricity gave her hope for other utilities. Specifically, she desperately hoped the plumbing would be equally intact. Cradling her fragile burden with one arm, she started throwing open doors in search of anywhere with access to water.

Every moment that passed made it less likely she'd succeed. The clock was ticking, but Roxanne was absolutely determined to find a way to save him. She couldn't fail them. She couldn't.

She didn't want to even consider the idea of failure. Not only would it completely shatter Megamind to lose his oldest and closest friend (and she refused to consider what might be happening to her missing boyfriend), but she cared about the fish too. She'd always got along with Minion, even back when he and Megamind were "evil." And even though he'd seemed nervous about her dating Megamind initially, he was thrilled once she assured him that she didn't plan to break the big-headed former villain's heart and that she didn't want to do anything to destroy Minion's friendship with him either. He was such a wonderful and friendly person that she'd yet to meet anyone who didn't get along with him. She dealt with plenty of people on a daily basis and she rarely met any human with as truly nice as the extraterrestrial fish currently slipping away in her hands.

Then, she received a lucky break. The woman opened a door to reveal a janitor's closet, complete with a large sink. It was probably used to get mop water, but Roxanne couldn't care less at the moment. She threw the lever quickly before grabbing paper towels from a shelf and started stuffing them into the drain to keep the water from immediately pouring back out. There was probably a proper plug for the sink, but she didn't have time to search for it.

"Just hold on a little longer," she begged softly as she watched the water level rise, trying to ignore the tremor in her voice. "Don't give up yet."

As soon as there was enough water for her to be certain that her impromptu-plug would hold, Roxanne gently transferred him into the sink. She hoped that it would be enough to simply get him into water, but she already suspected it was too late for that. As she feared, the far too still figure didn't even react to the change. Her mother, who researched everything she could to keep her koi healthy and safe, used to always share her knowledge about taking care of her colorful fish. Trying to remain calm and remember the details, Roxanne went over one of those lessons in her head as quickly as possible.

If a fish's metabolism was so deeply compromised by lack of oxygen that they lose the instinct to swim, or lose the ability to regulate the flow of water over the gills, they'll die unless proactive measures are taken. Applying that knowledge to a close friend rather than just a pet goldfish or a bass attached to her father's fishing rod terrified her. It meant that Minion, her polite and considerate friend, was so close to death that even trying to breathe or move was beyond him. Biting her bottom lip to keep from crying, she forced herself to focus.

Her father, when he caught a fish that ended up in a rather bad state by the time he pulled it off the hook, would hold it gently with its mouth open facing upstream or by moving it gently through the water until it reacted and tried to swim away. She remembered sort of what the explanation for what that trick was. Moving the fish through the water with its mouth open will, most of the time, initiate enough water flow so that the fish can regain its consciousness and swim off to recover. It was about the closest someone could come to doing CPR for a fish. And, considering she couldn't even see the slight movement of his mouth anymore, it was exactly what Minion needed. If it wasn't already too late…

Carefully and trying not to harm the battered fish any further, Roxanne gently moved him through the water in the same manner that he would be swimming. She kept her movement smooth and careful, trying not to do any further damage to his battered body even as she tried to save him. For several moments, she couldn't tell any difference and all her fears that he was actually gone began to bubble back up. The woman could feel tears trying to form in the corners of her eyes and a tight lump formed in her throat at the thought of failing her friend when he needed her.

Then she saw his gills flutter slightly, something she'd not seen before. She held her breath, watching more closely as she moved him through the water. When she saw them move a second time, she gave a relieved laugh and blinked away the forming tears. He was still alive and breathing.

"It's all right," she sighed, trying to calm down now that the emergency was at least less serious than before. "You're going to be all right."

She focused on moving him slowly through the water as the faucet continued to fill the sink, trying to keep her mind from turning towards her growing concerns about her missing boyfriend. There was no way in the world Megamind would leave Minion dying on the pavement. He'd never let that happen. There was only one explanation for her finding Minion in that condition. Something must have happened to Megamind to keep the blue-skinned hero from saving his friend.

She knew he was in trouble. She knew that her boyfriend needed help, but she also knew that he could escape from almost anything and that he could bounce back from any problem. And he was the city's superhero. Roxanne kept reminding herself of that fact. While she didn't know for certain if there was anything she could do to find and help Megamind, she did know that Minion needed her assistance now. The woman remained leaning over the sink, moving him and ensuring that the fish was breathing properly. She could only hope that she would still have both Minion and Megamind at the end of the day.

Chapter Text

Making a name for yourself among the super-villain community can be a real challenge. Dr. Brainstorm understood that better than most. And it wasn't just a matter of pride, though that was sometimes enough of a reason. There was an actual benefit to being well-known among other criminals. More infamous villains could generally get better deals on the black market, find more goons to hire (or at least more effective ones), and could arrange more effective team-ups against a common foe.

One way to become truly infamous was to have the most impressive and unstoppable hero to face, someone that all other villains would hesitate to do battle against. The more extraordinary the hero, the more amazing the villain who faced them regularly would have to be. Another way would be to be the best at what they do. The strongest, the fastest, the stealthiest, the deadliest, the richest, the most successful, and the most unique super-villains were the ones who ended up being whispered about with admiration by their colleagues and feared by those who defend the innocent.

He wasn't any of those things. His opponent was a joke and generally the police themselves were more of a nuisance than the hero of his hometown. Without a more impressive hero, he wouldn't be able to gain the necessary attention. And with no chance to become truly infamous, he couldn't gain those perks.

So Dr. Brainstorm branched out, traveling around to different cities to face new heroes and to gather more effective tools to fulfill his goals. He was brilliant, talented, and an effective foe for the average guardian of a city, yet he couldn't claim to be infamous enough to be satisfied. He couldn't gather the necessary attention to make a big name within the super-villain community. He quickly discovered that his path to infamy was blocked by one individual.

Megamind.

Yes, that super-villain's existence was a thorn in his side long before he had the opportunity to meet him face-to-face. Even if he never left his city and never truly succeeded in his plans, everyone knew who he was and considered him the greatest of them all to an extent. He possessed the most powerful and unstoppable opponent, Metro Man, as his personal rival and battled him numerous times over the years. He was certainly the smartest criminal, especially when it came to building and designing his inventions. No one, good or evil, could ever measure up to his technological creativity and skills. And it would take a very special villain to be considered more unique and note-worthy than the giant-headed, blue-skinned, extraterrestrial that resided in Metro City. Dr. Brainstorm knew that all other intellectual villains would have to stand in Megamind's shadow forever.

Then, as if to make things worse, Megamind finally succeeded in disposing of his opponent and taking over the city. He defeated an unstoppable, super-powered, practically-invulnerable superhero. He forced the entire population of a decent-sized city to turn over control to him without the local authorities firing a single shot. He kept control and possession of the city without any outside hero or the American government even making the attempt to free the population. Abruptly no other villain could measure up to him. It didn't matter what your mode of operation was. If you weren't able to defeat your opponent and take over a city, you were still less impressive than that big-headed criminal from Metro City. He was officially the best super-villain in the world.

That would have annoyed Dr. Brainstorm enough, but then things got worse. That Titan or Tighten or however you spelled the name popped up and the entire hero-villain dynamic shifted. It was insane. The world's most impressive and infamous super-villain abruptly became the city's new hero. He was perfectly content turning his back on years of villainy and crime in order to be a selfless goody-goody. The population of Metro City forgiving him for the past was a little more understandable; the mindless mass of the public were easy to sway with the right skills. But for someone with so much talent and power to just give it up in order to start playing by the rules was unbelievable. It was an insult to all those who steal, kidnap, threaten, and even murder for personal gain. It could give the regular citizens the foolish idea that a little kindness and understanding could change anyone from bad to good. Most villains aren't looking for kindness so much as they are looking for cash and power.

So choosing Metro City as his next target served multiple purposes for Dr. Brainstorm. Not only did it offer him the opportunity to bring down the former greatest super-villain that he'd always strived to measure up to, but he could also send a very clear message to the rest of the criminal population that changing sides was a form of betrayal and would not be tolerate. In addition, choosing to face Megamind directly rather than merely attacking his city offered more unique opportunities that Dr. Brainstorm intended to exploit. Hence the reason he'd programmed his stolen robots to merely incapacitate and capture the blue-skinned alien while every other target was to be destroyed. He needed his precious goose alive if he wanted to collect the golden eggs, after all.

Setting up a secret lair, especially one that he only planned to use for a short time period, was normally a challenge. However, there were a surprising number of large and usefully-located abandoned warehouse buildings available in the city. Additionally, there were some enlarged underground tunnels with access to the street level and a few deserted factories that no one seemed to care about. It was no wonder that the place could so easily support a rather flashy super-villain for so long. Dozens of villains could hide out in the city quite easily if it wasn't for the fact that no one in the past would even think of moving to Metro Man's turf to start a crime spree. Dr. Brainstorm wouldn't be surprised if Megamind actually renovated a few of the locations over the years for his own use before switching to another base of operations. It was almost too easy to set up a few things in a rather old warehouse.

Knocking out the former villain for capture was far easier than Dr. Brainstorm expected. The man went into the battle knowing that years of being the bad guy would have left Megamind very knowledgeable of the normal tricks, strategies, and general behaviors that a super-villain might attempt. That was why he was proving extremely effective as a hero in most encounters. It was simply hard to surprise him. He and Metro Man had countless battles over the years and the experience showed. Younger, hot-headed crooks would never give the more experienced Megamind trouble and even Dr. Brainstorm had to admit the blue-skinned alien had fought more battles than him.

But the difference between a bad guy and a good one quickly became apparent when the giant ninja-based robots attacked his companion: the hero cares about people beyond themselves. Attacking a random adoring citizen, a love interest, or even just another hired minion would always make a hero react. And a distracted good guy was easier to disable in combat. Dr. Brainstorm was a little surprised by how strongly the former-villain reacted to the attack on his assistant, but apparently the hero-mindset sunk in rather quickly. It was so very simple at that point to disarm the arachnid-based robot and to knock Megamind out. Then, with the target acquired, he activated his machines' stealth cloak and retreated unseen with both the resident hero and his mostly-intact creation.

Ninja robots did have their uses after all and stealthy retreats were only slightly more important than sneak attacks.

Storing the arachnid-based machine in a corner of the large base of operations next to his three functional robots, Dr. Brainstorm ensured that his captive was in his specially-prepared holding cell. Megamind might be well-known for his ability to escape imprisonment, but even he might have difficulties getting out of a large glass tube. It about the size of one of those sci-fi teleporter pads he saw on television and Dr. Brainstorm picked it out specifically because there were no corners or crevices to hide in. His prisoner would always be in plain view. He also ensured that the cell was empty of anything remotely helpful and that all of Megamind's inventions were removed immediately upon arrival. His de-gun, his intriguing-looking watch, and anything else that he might scavenge into a useful device was currently sitting on a table about ten feet away. He was taking no chances.

It was a bit of work to reach this stage, but it was worth it. All his preparations had led to success. Now, as he watched the former villain climbing to his feet while rubbing his giant blue head slightly, Dr. Brainstorm felt ready to put the next step in his simple plan into action.

"You didn't have to hit me so hard," Megamind muttered, his eyes glancing around the room as he spoke.

"Well, you did face Metro Man and that red-headed fellow in the past," the white-haired man responded. "I wasn't certain how much force it would take to bring you along quietly since you survived their super strength, but I did program my robots to make the calculations for me. There shouldn't be any permanent damage. I'd hate to risk something happening to such a valuable resource."

He gave a small and diabolical chuckle, one that tended to make most of Dr. Brainstorm's captives shiver. All it did this time was make the alien roll his eyes slightly.

"You call that an evil laugh? Please, I could pull off a better one as a child."

The man retorted swiftly, "But you aren't so evil now, are you? Actually, I have my doubts about how much of a super-villain you ever truly were. You always seemed rather soft and I find it interesting that no innocent bystanders were ever harmed in even your most destructive battles. Isn't that amazing? You could always put on quite a show, but that was all it ever really seemed to be: a show."

"What can I say? Just because I was a super-villain didn't mean I had to be uncivilized about it. There's a difference between being a super-villain and some common criminal with no self-control." There was a patronizing smirk directed toward Dr. Brainstorm before he continued, "Metro Man was always my only real obstacle, so there was no reason to involve anyone else in the fight of good versus evil beyond the occasional hostage to get the ball rolling."

Glaring at Megamind through the glass, the man said, "Here is how it is going to work. You work for me now. I give you a pen and paper and you design inventions for me. After I look over the plans to ensure you didn't create an elaborate trick to sabotage me, I'll have them constructed and use them in my own crimes."

"Wait, wait, wait," interrupted the former villain, forming his hands into a T in front of him. "Time out. Are you telling me you're going to steal someone else's creations rather than develop your own? Seriously? Were your robots your work or did you steal them too? I know you're a criminal, but really? Plagee-aris-em is just a new low."

"Do you mean 'plagiarism'?" Dr. Brainstorm frowned in confusion.

"You're a criminal based on the use of technology and gadgets," he continued, throwing his hands up in the air in disgust. "You could at least have the common decency to use your own work instead of someone else's. That's just an insult to the rest of the intellectual world. And how can you feel any sense of accomplishment when you aren't even failing or succeeding with your own creations? You're no better than a common street thug."

Groaning, he ordered, "Spare me the moral speech, Megamind. I don't want to hear it. It makes far more sense to let someone else do the work and to collect the reward yourself. You're brilliant and very talented at creating amazing devices, so I'd be a fool to let such a valuable resource be squandered helping the mindless masses of this city. You're the goose that lays the golden eggs. You're so much more profitable serving as my personal reservoir of ideas than out there wasting your skills on the unworthy."

"Give me one good reason," he responded.

"Because you're the good guy now," Dr. Brainstorm answered simply. "You're one of those poor and pathetic people who care about those far less important than you. If I decided to go blow up an office building filled with hard-working people, you'd be upset about it. You care about the fate of your pretty little reporter who I am still trying to figure out how you convinced to ignore all those past death traps. I mean, really, did you brainwash her or something?" He shook his head in confusion at the insane choices of women. "Anyway, you care about her. You even seem to care about your little follower that was trying to help you out earlier."

While he'd started directing a rather hateful glare at the man when he mentioned the reporter, Megamind seemed to have turned a slightly paler shade of blue at the last sentence. The white-haired man congratulated himself silently for bringing up the fish in a robotic suit. He'd faintly known about the odd assistant; the news reports always showed it assisting in the past both during Megamind's time as a hero and villain. It was rare that a villain found a truly useful minion that showed a hint of competency, but most would still quickly get over the loss of such a helper. Good help might be hard to find, but cheap and easy-to-replace help was simple enough for those on the wrong side of the law.

But his observations of how distracted Megamind became when the tide of battle turned against his assistant and his assumptions about the soft-hearted nature of the former so-called super-villain left little doubt in Dr. Brainstorm's mind that he would react this way. It was further proof that Megamind was trapped in the annoying hero-mindset. A sentient fish in a mechanical simian body might be more difficult to replace than most minions, but no true villain would give the underling a second thought. Why worry about the hired help? Concern for the pretty reporter, he could understand since even a villain could get lonely and bored. But a minion? Only the bleeding-heart heroes would bother with it.

"Where is he?" asked Megamind quietly, staring at him with an unreadable expression. "What did you do?"

"I don't know how much you saw or remember of our battle," he remarked casually. "You did suffer a slight blow to the head."

Placing his hands behind his back, he began to casually walk in a circle around the glass container. Dr. Brainstorm knew that he wasn't as overly-dramatic as some villains and he certainly didn't bother with music during his crimes, but he knew how to make an impression with less flamboyant actions. Circling a trapped victim like a predator could be in some ways a better method of making a point than fireworks and explosions.

"From what I noticed before I left, I believe that both your rather large battle robot and the smaller robot suit were smashed beyond repair. Otherwise, I might have brought those inventions along with your mechanical spider thing," he explained. "As for the fish itself, I think I saw it get tossed out of the little tank when it broke. I didn't notice where it landed or if anything happened after that. It would have been about," he casually checked his watch, "forty or forty-five minutes ago, I believe. I'd guess that the cowardly and useless citizens of the city won't even consider approaching the area for another fifteen minutes at a minimum. Now, I'm not an expert on the biology of fish, let alone intelligent fish, but I would probably guess that you're going to be in the market for a new minion if you ever get out of here."

That particular statement caused the trapped Megamind to stagger back as if struck hard enough to knock the wind out of him, which Dr. Brainstorm considered to be a rather strong reaction to the loss of an underling. Bleeding-hearted heroes. Wasting their energy on such unworthy causes. He'd never understand their obsession with the lives of less important people.

Still, the man finished with the calm remark, "Just remember that if you can't find yourself motivated to let me pick your giant brain for ideas, I can always bring in your lovely little reporter to keep us company. After all, you should know how easy it is to kidnap her."

Without waiting to see how his captive would react, the man turned around and headed towards the disabled spider-based robot. He wanted to take a look at how it was constructed and what made it work. And how he could improve it for his needs. Besides, it would probably be more effective to allow Megamind to reflect on what exactly the stakes were. Heroes were so predictable. Threaten something important enough and offer absolutely no alternative, they'll sacrifice their freedom or life for the "greater good." That was why it was a job for fools. Villains only have to look out for themselves.

After it became clear that Minion was at least breathing on his own even if he still seemed to be unconscious, Roxanne risked letting go and letting him float in the sink by himself. While she was happy to see that he wasn't dead, the fact he wasn't awake yet allowed other concerns to start emerging. She knew he wasn't in the best condition. Scales torn loose and forming bruises were fairly clear evidence of that. She didn't know what else could be wrong with him that she couldn't see.

Drying her hands on more of the paper towels in the closet, she went over the possibilities and her options. The fact he'd clearly been battered around enough to hurt him could mean that there could be damage below the surface. After all, if a human wandered into the a hospital looking as pounded as him, doctors would probably start worrying about internal bleeding or something. At least, that's what her experience from watching television informed her. Or what if there was some kind of damage from him not breathing for so long? And if he was seriously hurt, what could she do about that?

She had enough concerns about what she'd do if Megamind needed medical help and he was at least humanoid. The general plan was to drag her boyfriend to the prison and let the doctors who work there take a look at him. After all, they'd been patching him up after battles with Metro Man for years and they knew the most about what to expect from him. That's where she and a concerned Minion took him after the battle against Tighten to ensure that he was all right after being punched and tossed around like that. Plus, the people at the prison wouldn't do something stupid like try to turn him into a science experiment, though that particular "men in black" conspiracy thing was a lot less likely now that he was the city's hero.

But what was she supposed to do with Minion if he didn't wake up soon? She was near the end of her knowledge of how to treat a distressed fish. Who could she go to for help with him? A normal doctor wouldn't have a clue about how to help a fish, even one who was as intelligent and self-aware as any human. She wasn't even sure that a veterinarian would be able to do anything. She didn't remember ever seeing her mother drag one of her poor koi fish off to the vet when they were in trouble. Most vets dealt with mammals and even the ones that handled more exotic species took care of birds and reptiles, not alien fish. Roxanne honestly didn't know of anyone who might be able to help. There wasn't exactly a xeno-ichthyologist listed in the phone book after all.

She ran her hand through her short hair, a style chosen years ago for being easier to deal with when having a hero fly her to safety was a regular occurrence. What was she going to do if there was something else wrong with Minion? What if there was some kind of internal injury she couldn't see, like broken bones or something was ruptured? What if he was bleeding to death internally or he was brain damaged? She got him back into water and breathing, but what if that simply wasn't enough? What if she'd only slowed down his demise rather than actually saved him?

Part of her wanted to go find her boyfriend. Not only was she worried about where he might be and what could have happened to him, but he was probably the only person on the entire planet that might actually know how to help Minion if he was seriously injured. She didn't know for certain, but it was a possibility. She recalled not that long ago sitting on her couch watching a movie on Lifetime with him and she'd finally decided to ask about the thing attached to his head. In that very cheerful and helpful way that he always answers her questions, Minion explained that it was a neural implant that allowed him to control his larger mechanical bodies. When she asked when exactly Megamind added that, the fish quickly corrected that it was attached before they arrived on Earth by one of the scientists on the planet. He couldn't remember a lot about their original planet since he was apparently only a little older than Megamind, but Minion believed that it was commonly done so that his people could interact with the world while lacking hands. All Megamind did was later devise robotic suits that could work with the neural implant already in place. Maybe whatever her boyfriend did to figure out how the neural implant worked would give him the knowledge to be able to tell what his friend's condition might be.

But as worried to death as she was about why she still hadn't heard a word from Megamind and her hope that he might know how to help Minion further, she couldn't leave. She couldn't leave her friend hurt and alone in a strange place. And until she knew how badly he was still hurt, she didn't want to risk trying to move him somehow unless absolutely necessary.

The woman stared down at the sink, the water still running in order to compensate for her improvised plug being imperfect. Supposedly watching fish was relaxing. It was just one of those facts that people stated. Her mother used to comment about it, inviting her daughter to watch her koi swim around the pond. At the momen, she felt anything but relaxed.

But then, it wasn't like she was dealing with an ordinary fish. Other than making it easier for him to move around and to provide some heavy muscle for Megamind, the reason that Minion inhabited a large and biped suit was probably because it made it a little harder for people to dismiss him as just a clever pet or something. A tall, broad-shouldered humanoid (well, simian) figure somehow earned more respect than a fish the size of a cantaloupe in a bowl. It helped humanize him to other people. It made it easier for others to accept him. But he was still Minion either way. He was still the same person, even when he didn't have access to opposable thumbs.

Honestly, it was rather thoughtless of people to judge by appearances. The entire city did it from the start. Even before they had the chance to really know them, everyone loved Metro Man, thought Megamind was nothing but trouble, and barely noticed Minion. And yet all three had similar origins. The automatic reactions were simply due to how the citizens perceived them based on how they looked. Only later did some of those opinions change. Only later did their actions and personalities have a stronger influence on how the world saw them.

Closing her eyes in frustration, Roxanne slumped forward until her head was resting on the side of sink. She hated feeling helpless. At least, she hated it when there was a real problem that needed to be solved now. Being the damsel in distress while Metro Man and Megamind prance around was one thing. Having the city conquered, having Tighten attack, or watching a battered Minion in the hopes he would be all right was quite another. Roxanne wanted more than anything to be able to help. She wanted to do something to make certain that her friend would be all right. But the two skills she used in the past to try and make a difference, her unwavering certainty in the idea of good will always rise up against evil and her communication skills that she used daily in her job, weren't going to help her with this. There was literally nothing she could do to really help Minion except wait and see what happened.

Waking up hurt. His head and body throbbed and ached, perhaps even more clearly than before. And he still felt so tired. But even considering everything else, Minion felt better than the last time he was awake and his sluggish thoughts struggled to find an explanation for why that was. As he took a breath and tried to think straight, the answer appeared. He could breathe. Even better, he could breathe easily and without effort. The hot, dry, and oxygen-starved sensation was gone. There was no need to fight the useless air; he could relax as water flowed through his tired gills.

Minion enjoyed several moments of unhindered breathing before wondering how he ended up back in water. His last clear memory involved slowly dying on the pavement with no hope of reaching help. The fact he wasn't dead meant someone or something intervened. Curiosity urged him to investigate, so the fish tried to take the first step by opening his eyes. The effort of accomplishing that small task and adding light to his already in-progress headache made him groan involuntarily.

"Minion?" a familiar and soft voice said, apparently in response to his reaction. "Please tell me you're awake."

Forcing himself to take note of his surroundings, he realized that he definitely wasn't anywhere he'd ever been before. He seemed to be in a large sink and he could make out shelves with cleaning products above him. More importantly, he could see a woman peering down at him with an expression somewhere between concerned and relieved.

Swimming tiredly the short distance to the water's surface, he poked his head out enough to ask, "Ms. Ritchi? Are you all right? Where are we?"

While he found the exhausted croak of his voice to be mildly concerning, Roxanne gave a weak and choked giggle. It almost sounded like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. When she used one of her hands to wipe her eyes, Minion realized she really was on the verge of tears.

"I'm fine," she finally responded. "Just don't ever do something like that again. And I'm the one who should be asking if you're all right. You scared me to death."

"Sorry," he apologized immediately. "And I'm all right."

She raised an eyebrow, "How about we try honesty now? Because while you aren't really one to complain, you currently look like you decided to go boxing against a shark. So you're not really 'all right.'"

He certainly felt like he'd tried to do something that crazy and he knew he would probably fall back asleep soon simply because even thinking felt exhausting, but he also knew that he would heal. Most of the pain was on the surface rather than any deeper or more serious injuries. It hurt, but he wasn't badly hurt. Still, she was clearly worried and wouldn't be happy without a more complete answer.

"I'm fine. Tired, sore, and very happy to be in water again, but fine," he stated. "Promise."

Some of the tension in her shoulders, but not all, seemed to drain away at his words. She'd been very worried apparently and he felt bad for upsetting her like that. She gave him a weak smile.

"That's good. I wasn't sure who I could go to if you needed medical help of some kind. Most doctors aren't equipped to handle aquatic patients."

"That's true," he agreed. "I remember back when he built my second ro…"

Minion trailed of as he realized what was missing and felt horrible it took him this long to notice. Without the distraction of dying to hold his attention, he could focus on more important things such as his primary purpose in life. And that purpose wasn't present and was in danger the last time his fuzzy memories could recall. His tired and sore body forced itself back into a state of alertness.

"Sir?" he called, already feeling panic building. "Where is he, Ms. Ritchi?"

The expression on her face was all he needed to see to know that she held no good news. Minion sunk back below the surface in order to take a deep breath, trying to keep calm and completely failing. He'd failed. He let this happen. He was supposed to protect and help him. He couldn't just stay there. He needed to find Megamind and make sure he was safe. He couldn't fail him. He couldn't.

Anything could happen to Megamind without him there. He could be hurt. Or lost. Or worse. The alien fish knew he would be swimming in frantic circles out of worry if he possessed the strength and he was already twitching his fins anxiously, causing him to move back and forth in the sink. He needed to get out there and find him. If anything happened to him, Minion knew he would never forgive himself. Even the small amount of swimming back and forth in the water was using up his energy born of worry, but he couldn't force himself to stop. Rational thought was being shoved aside. It all boiled down to one simple idea: he had to do something to help Megamind.

A pair of hands reached down and pulled him to the surface, forcing him to meet Roxanne's gaze as she spoke.

"Calm down, Minion. Please. I'm worried about him too, but you're not going to do anyone any good if you give yourself a heart attack. There was nothing you could do then and even if your robo-suit wasn't destroyed, there is no possible way that you're in any condition to charge out to find him."

"But I have to," he responded, trying to wiggle out of her gentle grip. He wasn't really thinking about what he would do if he got free, but he couldn't seem to escape anyway. The burst of strength from the idea of Megamind in danger was fading back into an even greater exhaustion. He whispered sadly, "I have to help him."

"We do," she corrected. "We'll figure something out. Now, I need you to think. You know Megamind's inventions best next to him. Is there anything he's created that we can use to track him down? Anything at all?"

"Maybe," Minion mumbled, his eyes growing heavy once again. He was just so tired. "It would be back at the lair."

Letting him go, Roxanne responded, "Okay, we'll head back there, grab some ray guns, turn them sideways, and make that Dr. Brainstorm guy wish he never even thought of coming to Metro City."

While not normally one for revenge schemes since that was generally Megamind's expertise, the exhausted and sore fish couldn't help giving a tired smile at her statement before he felt himself slipping back into unconsciousness.

Chapter Text

Roxanne was often thankful for the high tolerance most of the city's population possessed for strangeness. It was helpful when she vanished from her job or while running errands due to random kidnappings. Everyone was used to the idea of strangely-dressed people snatching up people from the streets in the same way most cities were used to the idea of traffic jams: annoying, but normal. If they were less tolerant of weird events happening around them, she'd probably be searching for a new grocery store on practically a weekly basis during Megamind's time as a super-villain. The people of Metro City accepted such things and the dramatic battles of good versus evil interrupting their morning commutes with practiced ease. That was simply the way things were.

So when a woman wandered out of the destroyed part of the city carrying a bucket of water from the janitor's closet and tried to hail a cab, there was not even a glance of confusion from the driver when she requested he take her to the abandoned building with a fake observatory on it. She made certain to give the man a very generous tip afterwards anyway.

Happily, Minion stayed asleep the entire trip across town. Now that she was certain that he wasn't about to expire because she couldn't help him, she was glad to see him rest after everything. He needed his rest. It also meant that only one of them would have to spend the entire car ride worrying about Megamind.

She'd been able to shove those feelings aside before, focusing solely on what she could actually control and affect, but now she couldn't distract herself away from horrifying thoughts about what could be happening to her big-headed boyfriend. She couldn't even start imagining what might be happening or could have happened.

Slipping through the holographic entrance to the lair, she was greeted by the energetic and somehow anxious-sounding Brainbots that remained behind instead of helping at the battle. There weren't many of them, but she quickly tried to calm down the small flock. The Brainbots were now programmed to obey her when they lacked input from "Daddy" or "Uncle Minion," so all it took was a hurried assurance that "Mommy" (she'd nearly laughed at the blushing Megamind when she confronted him about that title with his creations) would fix everything and instructions to locate a better container than a bucket for Minion for some order to return.

With surprising efficiency, the Brainbots managed to transfer the alien fish into the smooth globe they brought with minimal bowging. Roxanne couldn't see how they got him inside the object since there didn't seem to be any lid or seam to indicate an opening. One moment, Minion was in the bucket and apparently starting to wake up again. Then she blinked and he was floating in the clear orb.

"So how do we find him?" she asked, deciding to focus on her missing boyfriend rather than the minor mystery of the fishbowl.

The reminder of Megamind's absence forced any remaining weariness from the alien fish as he directed the Brainbots to carry him to the wall of screens. She knew that her boyfriend probably had an actual and dramatic-sounding name for this corner of the lair, but she still mentally called it the wall of screens for convenience.

"If he still has the holowatch, we should be able to track it," he explained. "That feature was added to help us meet up after a jailbreak, but Sir kept the tracker in place even afterwards. It should take us straight to him. As long as the watch is still with him…"

Refusing to let Minion dwell on the idea of them not finding Megamind (and not allowing herself to consider it as a possibility), Roxanne had him quickly talk her through the activation of the tracking beacon. Surprisingly (or perhaps not so surprisingly), the process was fairly straightforward and easy. A dot appeared on one of the screens, showing a location not relatively far from the Lair. Apparently there were only so many places to hide if you were a super-villain.

"Guess that's my cue," she muttered, mentally preparing to rescue her blue boyfriend.

"Wait," called the alien fish, rolling the globe forward slightly.

Inwardly flinching at the idea of taking the injured Minion with her and all the problems that could occur, she knew she couldn't do it. She couldn't risk him getting hurt again or worse. She'd never forgive herself. She wasn't even sure Megamind would ever forgive her either. But she also knew that the alien fish was just as desperate to save Megamind as she was. But she couldn't risk it.

Roxanne began awkwardly, "Look, normally I would welcome all the back-up I could find. I have more experience as the rescuee rather than the rescuer. And no one in their right mind would doubt that you can take care of yourself and Megamind. But between the fact you've had an undeniably rough day and there is a complete lack of thumbs or legs for you to use at the moment, could you please stay here and let me take care of him for once? You know I'll do everything in my power to make sure he'll be all right. But you also know that both me and Megamind would hate for something to happen to you. So can you trust me to do this while you stay here where it's safe? Please?"

"I do trust you," he replied softly. "I… I know you'll bring him back. I was just going to make a small suggestion."

"What is it?"

The alien fish abruptly looked a little embarrassed, "Well, I was working on something for you as a surprise. I thought the two of you might have fun with matching costumes for Halloween since apparently lots of couples do that sort of thing."

"Halloween isn't for several months."

"I know, but I had such a good idea that I thought both of you might like," he continued. If a fish could blush, Roxanne had the feeling that Minion would be bright red at the moment. "I really like making costumes for him, but it was nice making one for someone else for once. And, well, if you're going to rescue someone from a villain, you have to do it right. You have to make the right first impression."

She gave the tired fish a small smile, "Yeah, I know what you mean. What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I know you don't wear as much leather or as many spikes as he prefers…"

Any other day that he might find himself confined against his will, Megamind would immediately turn his brilliant mind to the mundane task of planning an escape. It wasn't as if he didn't have experience with the task. Breaking out of a location was child's play.

But for once, his brain was betraying the former super-villain. He couldn't focus on escaping. He couldn't even think of proper ways to punish Brainstorm (the man didn't deserve the title of "doctor" in his villainous name). Instead, all Megamind could think about was how he'd failed. And while failing in general wasn't a new concept, his failures rarely resulted in drastic consequences. Failing as a super-villain just meant a short trip to jail and this was his first failure as a hero. And it wasn't just a regular failure. It was a loss.

The blue former villain stood in the clear tube, leaning against the curved surface for support and staring at the ground while his brilliant mind faltered with reality. Minion, his sidekick, his faithful minion, a constant and reliable part of his life since infancy, and his best friend, was almost certainly gone. He knew exactly what would happen to a fish left on a hot sidewalk alone and with no chance of help. It didn't take a vast intellect to figure out the result. After a lifetime of having Minion help and protect him to the best of his ability, Megamind was helpless to save him in return when Minion needed him the most. Even the idea of Brainstorm keeping the blue genius prisoner as a source of brilliant inventions did little to distract him from his regretful misery.

Could he have altered the design of Minion's robotic body to be more durable? Could he have designed the larger robots better so they could have beaten Brainstorm's? Should he have dealt with the challenge alone? Should he have kept Minion away from the battle at all costs?

Could he have found a way to save his friend? Could he have prevented this from happening?

Movement out of the corner of his eye briefly drew Megamind out of his thoughts. It took a moment to figure out what it could be. After all, Brainstorm was still busy poking around the Spiderbot and the giant ninja robots were turned off. That didn't leave many options and he somehow doubted that a stray cat was responsible. The minor mystery was mildly intriguing.

When he finally spotted the movement a second time, it startled Megamind enough that he stopped leaning against the curved wall and pressed his face against the smooth surface for a better look. Of all the possibilities he'd briefly considered, what he saw didn't even make the list. Floating quietly in the background with a socket wrench in its claws was a Brainbot. He only saw it for a few seconds before it disappeared from sight behind the metal leg of Brainstorm's stolen ninja robot. Questions about what his Brainbot might be doing in the frizzy-haired villain's lair flickered through his head, but no immediate answers materialized.

"So, have you considered my offer?" asked Brainstorm, interrupting Megamind's contemplation about his invention's presence. "It isn't as if you have much choice in the matter, but I thought I should check to make sure you understand what is at stake."

Instantly all curiosity was pushed aside by the reminder that this man left Minion to die without even a spark of guilt and threatened to target Roxanne or innocent bystanders if necessary. Megamind had no intentions of letting him get away with this. If there was any justice in the world, Brainstorm would end up with Hal for a cellmate. Those two deserved each other.

"You have to admit your employee benefits could do with some work," he responded as he glared at the man, not in the mood for proper witty banter.

"I'll keep that in mind," smirked Brainstorm.

Then, before either the villain or the former super-villain could react, a loud sound began blasting from all directions. As the frizzy-haired man flailed around in shock and confusion, Megamind couldn't help laughing slightly in recognition of the opening of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck." It was number twelve on his dramatic entrance theme music list, though he tended to use an even louder volume for his appearances.

And the promised dramatic entrance was quickly fulfilled as a figure slowly stepped into the room. Fashioned from a dark-blue fabric, the outfit included a skirt of the perfect length to draw attention to the legs and the black boots that reached her knees while still being loose enough not to hinder movement. The top lacked the flowing movement of the skirt and instead clung close to the body in order to leave nothing to the imagination. The sleeves were only about three-fourths the length of her arms and ended in draping cuffs made from a black fabric that shimmered and sparked with every motion. The low neckline, while certainly distracting, wasn't enough to keep someone's gaze from reaching the face. A dark-red lipstick and a bluish-purple eye-shadow drew attention to the frown and furious glare being directed at Brainstorm. From the confident stride to the simple-but-effective outfit to the spare dehydration gun from his lair that was pointed steadily at the frizzy-haired villain, everything about her presence screamed "beautiful, but dangerous" rather than "professional damsel in distress."

Staring at her with slack-jawed interest, Megamind immediately decided it was a tragedy that Roxanne missed the opportunity to be his Evil Empress co-ruler back in his villainy days since she clearly had loads of potential and natural talent at the role. He also decided that he must never forget her birthday because being on the wrong side of that glare currently seemed like a terrifying idea.

"Well, this is an amusing scene," chuckled Brainstorm. "The damsel comes to rescue the hero in distress."

She gave him a very fake smile that reminded Megamind more of a shark than a friendly reporter, "People do enjoy a nice twist on classic stories on occasion."

"I'm afraid this one doesn't have a happy ending for you though," he smirked again, snapping his fingers.

On the signal, the towering robot ninjas sprang to life. With swift movements, the mechanical creations prepared to strike down the unflinching woman. A warning for her to get out of danger swiftly died in Megamind's throat as the robots collapsed into pieces with a series of crashes that managed to drown out the sounds of AC/DC. Brainstorm was left sputtering as Roxanne smiled smugly at the destruction.

"I wouldn't want to spoil the ending of the story by reading ahead, but I think you're wrong," she said, snapping her own fingers.

With a series of cheerful bowgs, a small collection of Brainbots flew into view, circled them all briefly, and then moved to framed her on both sides. In an almost coordinated move, they dropped their loads just as the music stopped. Pinging softly as they hit the concrete was hundreds of screws, nuts, and bolts. The small pieces of metal that were necessary to hold together machinery and easily ignored were now dumped in a pile as a silent explanation for why Brainstorm no longer had any large-scale protection.

"To be honest, I've never been a hero or a super-villain," Roxanne commented casually, stepping forward. "But that doesn't mean I don't know the game. I know what you need to have if you want to do things right, if you don't want to make the wrong choices in this life."

Brainstorm reached for a weapon that should have been at his side, but no longer rested there. Megamind couldn't help watching his girlfriend in awe and fascination, silently imagining how amazing it would have been to have her as an evil co-ruler.

"First, always plan out a way to take away an opponent's advantage," she remarked, barely looking as another Brainbot flew into view and dropped Brainstorm's missing weapon. "Second, never underestimate the power that can be gained from proper presentation. Distractions and intimidation can be useful, after all. And I think I've proven that."

"Definitely," agreed Megamind.

Roxanne took her gaze off Brainstorm momentarily to give her boyfriend a reassuring smile. She then held out the hand not pointing her borrowed weapon, allowing yet another Brainbot to drop off Megamind's confiscated holowatch and dehydration gun. He was very impressed by that one. He never saw anyone go near the table Brainstorm left them on. His Brainbots were apparently stealthier than he thought.

"Third and most important, never do anything unforgivable," she stated firmly. "Don't do something that makes them hate you. Because you will eventually lose and you'll be depending on them to be merciful."

"And I'm guess you consider kidnapping your boyfriend as 'unforgivable'," said Brainstorm.

He meant it to sound confident and patronizing. But the clear concern on his face at being defenseless and how he kept stepping backwards from the slowly approaching woman ruined the illusion. Brainstorm was scared of her. And Megamind was enjoying the show and wondering if he should be taking notes. Who knew that a career of performing for a camera combined with extensive experience as a kidnapping victim could prepare her so well to play the part of the intimidating super-villain?

"A little thing like that? Of course not," she said, looking far too cheerful for it not to be fake. "As long as you didn't hurt him, there's nothing wrong with the occasional kidnapping. It did wonders for my career. No, it is when you start hurting people I like that you cross the line."

The fake smile evaporated and her glare intensified. Between her appearance and the look she was directing at Brainstorm, the frizzy-haired man probably expected her to attack. Megamind kept waiting for her to develop laser vision. Roxanne was serious ticked off. And yet, even as unnerving as his angry girlfriend seemed, he felt absolutely no pity for the villain held at gunpoint.

"You're actually very lucky for two reasons," she said sharply. "First, I'm not a bad guy. I'm not even a villain. I'm a reporter. I don't hurt people. And second, I'm far more concerned with getting everyone back home and safe than I am with dealing with you properly. Otherwise I'd be using my boyfriend's dehydration gun to turn you into a nice little blue cube and ship you off to a desert."

"Please," Brainstorm said, rolling his eyes in an attempt to appear in control of the situation. "You're just a damsel in distress trying to play the part of the hero for once. You don't have the nerve to do anything of the sort."

"I wouldn't bet on it," muttered Megamind.

"I've never been afraid to stand up against a villain," she said, her death glare still on full-power. "And I might be a forgiving person, but almost killing Minion is not okay with me."

For a moment, all the feelings of loss and guilt that Roxanne's dramatic entrance shoved aside came flooding back in full force. Then, he paid closer attention to her actual word choices. One word in particular stood out and left him breathless.

Almost.

A single word that completely altered the meaning of the sentence and provided hope. If there was one thing he could trust, it was that Roxanne could make a disastrous situation less of a disaster. If there was a chance that…

"Is he all right?" Megamind asked, almost surprised at how timid and strained his voice sounded at the question.

Once again, she gave him a small reassuring smile, "I left him back at the Lair. He's almost certainly worrying about you, but I promise that he's sitting in that round orb fishbowl thing waiting for us to get back."

Relief rushed through the former villain and he leaned back against the smooth container for support. Minion was okay. He was alive. Somehow, some way, his friend didn't die alone after the destruction of his robotic suit. The details didn't matter for the moment. He was safe.

"All this fuss over a henchman," grumbled Brainstorm, rolling his eyes again. "You hero types really are pathetic."

"And that's enough talking from you today," Roxanne commented, firing the weapon finally.

A small blue cube dropped to the ground and one of the Brainbots quickly retrieved it with a soft bowg. She gave the dehydrated villain a final harsh look before turning back to her boyfriend with a softer expression on her face.

"Let's get you out of there and head back to the Lair," she smiled.

He didn't mean to fall back asleep. He'd been worrying about Megamind and Roxanne ever since she left on her rescue mission. Minion knew she was smart and that she could hold her own in a situation, especially armed with the spare dehydration gun and all the remaining Brainbots. But that didn't mean something bad couldn't happen to her. She didn't have experience in this role. And it wasn't easy rescuing someone or staging a breakout. And what if Megamind was already hurt or if he wasn't near the holowatch? Anything could go wrong. Minion couldn't help wondering about what would happen to them. But his sore and tired body won out and sleep eventually claimed him.

The first thing that pierced through his state of unconsciousness was the returning Brainbots. Their excited bowging was hard to ignore. But Minion was thankful for the impromptu wakeup call. It gave him a chance to shake off the lingering symptoms of weariness as two more figures slipped through the secret entrance and entered the main section of the Lair.

"Sir," he called out to them as he spotted Megamind. "You're back. Are you all right? You aren't hurt, are you?"

At the alien fish's voice, the blue figure dashed across the room with an expression of undisguised relief. Briefly, a look of concern shifted across his features as the hero began to look over the damage to Minion's battered body. The fish briefly opened his mouth to reassure Megamind that he was fine, but stopped in surprise as he realized he wore the exact same expression. Minion even realized he was doing the same thing, glancing over the blue-skinned hero for any harm that might have befallen him during his absence.

While not exactly happy that he'd apparently worried Megamind, it was kind of nice to know that someone was concerned about his safety just as much as he was about the former villain. He rarely worried about himself since Megamind would always be his primary focus, but maybe he should be more concerned about his own well-being since it seemed to bother him so much. Minion knew that Megamind did care about him and Roxanne certainly made it clear she valued his friendship. Maybe he could be occasionally a little selfish and enjoy others worrying about him. After all, Roxanne could obviously take care of Megamind effectively and between the two of them keeping an eye on him, maybe Minion could afford to let someone take care of him from time to time. And, to be completely honest, the alien fish really wouldn't mind someone else taking care of things at least until he felt less like he'd been pounded to a pulp.

"Minion, you fantastic fish," smiled Megamind. "I can't tell you how good it is to see you."