Fic: Rain on the Just (13/15)

[sharelle]

Title: Rain on the Just (13/15)
Author: Rummi (sharelle)
Characters / Pairing: Ensemble / Megamind/Roxanne
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Excessive italics. (Sorry. Sometimes there are chapters that don't use any at all. Apparently, they were all saving themselves for this one. *G*)
Word Count: 8,057

Summary: A former villain and a former hero each try to adapt to the new destinies they've chosen. It's not always easy . . . especially when a new danger threatens to blow everything apart.

Previous chapters can be found here. (Or at FF.Net.)



Author's Notes: Before anything else, I simply must direct everyone to this magnificent piece of fanart by cyrrus25. Not only is it completely wonderful, but it was like she reached directly into my head and plucked out exactly what Owen looks like! (In all his unhinged glory!) Thank you, thank you, a million times, sweetie! This chapter is for you!

What was supposed to have been a relatively short section, actually turned out to be one of the longer ones for this story. But the beta-ing excellence of ray_wing came through yet again! I must also raise my virtual wine glass and toast the fantabulous dani_kin for her input and insight when it came to some of the finer details and content. Without these two ladies, this story would probably be okay. However, with their assistance it never fails to become something I can feel truly proud of!

Two chapters left after this! I hope you all enjoy!

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Rain on the Just

by Rummi

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Chapter 13 - Storm Front


Most of the time, Roxanne barely noticed the idiosyncrasies in Megamind's speech anymore. By now, his eccentric manner of pronouncing things had simply become part of his package. In fact, Roxanne had actually stopped consciously registering many of his little quirks years ago - long before he had even become a hero. They simply processed through her brain, just like anything else.

She had learned over the years that some of his most blatant mispronunciations actually served a purpose. Metrocity, for instance, had probably started out as a genuine mistake - an easily-corrected mistake since, at some point during his youth, Megamind had certainly heard the correct way of saying Metro City. However, somewhere along the line it had also become apparent that mangling the name of their hometown was one of the quickest ways to push Metro Man's buttons. So he did. And after years, the word simply stuck. He even seemed to have convinced himself that his pronunciation was the right one.

Other errors in his diction were more subtle, and probably genuinely unintentional. An oddly emphasized syllable here, a slightly different roll of the tongue there - simple, everyday words often had a very unique twist when they were part of his vocabulary. Whenever Roxanne actually thought about it - which was rare nowadays - it served as an occasional reminder of just how far removed Megamind had been from the interactions most people took for granted. And it was especially strange to consider how some of the most common aspects of everyday conversation he had simply never had an occasion to use. Ever. Not even with Minion.

But for the most part, Roxanne hardly noticed any of this anymore. And even when she did, she never dreamed of correcting him. It was part of his identity, after all, and she had no desire to change anything about him. Nowadays, if she actually did manage to catch one of his little foibles, she registered it mentally with a fond smile - knowing it was just a part of who he was.

There simply wasn't anyone else like him on Earth. In more ways than one.

In recent months, however, there were a few words that Megamind had begun making a conscious effort to use correctly - among them, common greetings. He had a tendency to over-enunciate the word "hello", for example, simply because he put so much careful thought and effort into getting it right. Roxanne always noticed when he did that.

And she noticed it even more acutely when he didn't . . .

* * *

"Ollo, Owen."

A cold, ominous shiver swept across Roxanne's skin as Megamind's greeting sounded in her ears. Her heart began to pound mercilessly against her ribcage. Something about hearing that old pronunciation again unnerved her.

Megamind took another deliberate step into the room. A few large slabs of stonework intermittently broke away from the edges of the massive hole he had created in the hallway behind him. They smacked loudly against the ground as they joined the debris piles littering the floor. A snap of electricity crackled, and a ruptured wire spit a small shower of sparks in an arc over his head. The rhythm of falling rain spattered just outside the new, gaping entryway, underscored by the occasional roll of thunder.

Roxanne stared wide-eyed at the aftermath of the explosion. It looked as though Megamind had actually blown one whole end of the building away. She had had no idea his dehydration gun was capable of that much destruction, even on its strongest setting.

Roxanne's heart thrummed rapidly within her chest. Her gaze refocused on Megamind's face. His expression was as dark as the tone he had spoken in as he glared at Owen with burning eyes. And his clothes . . .

Oh, God, his clothes.

He was wearing an ordinary dress shirt and dark trousers. The damp, rumpled fabrics hung from his thin frame in wrinkled folds. The image of Megamind's typical flamboyance shrouded beneath such an ordinary exterior would have given Roxanne pause under any circumstances. Now, however, the tableau struck her with even more frightening urgency.

Because he had been dressed for their evening.

He had actually gotten a suit.

And he was still wearing it.

The absence of Megamind's customary leather, spikes, and cape made his stature seem so much smaller. His larger-than-life exterior had always served as a kind of armor. But now, he stood there without it - wearing only a dark, furious expression, and draped in the disheveled remains of what would have been his evening plans.

Roxanne tore her eyes away from Megamind and frantically craned her neck to search the area behind him. A flash of lightning briefly illuminated the park outside and Roxanne strained to catch even the briefest glimpse of a hulking robotic form lingering at his master's back. She searched for a telltale glint of lightning upon metal, . . . a momentary flash of synthetic fur, . . . a large looming shadow among the copse of trees . . .

She gripped the bars tightly, desperately willing any of that to appear.

But it didn't.

Minion wasn't there.

Oh, God, she thought. Roxanne's gaze focused back on Megamind's face - and the shockingly strident look in his haunted and furious emerald eyes. She shook her head. Oh, no.

Owen's demeanor had also visibly changed. A few short moments ago, he had been looming menacingly over Roxanne, his face angry and flushed. But as Megamind began striding toward them through the settling dust, the young villain had gone completely pale - his complexion draining of nearly all its color.

Roxanne took her focus off Megamind momentarily and glanced to her right. She observed Owen as he watched Megamind approach. The young man's unblinking eyes were impossibly wide, and his Adam's apple plunged low in his throat. He fluttered the fingers of one hand nervously near the entrance to one of the many pockets of his cargo pants. The subtle movement caught Roxanne's attention and her stomach turned anxiously. She had witnessed Owen slip several objects into his various pockets. An image of the small revolver he had brandished earlier flashed warningly through her mind.

She turned her attention back to Megamind as he came to a halt a few short feet away. He was still glaring at the young man beside her. She did not want to distract Megamind's focus, especially if Owen should suddenly panic and grab for a concealed weapon, but she still needed to warn him. Roxanne swallowed hard.

"Megamind," she said, in a voice that came out more strained than she had intended.

He glanced at her and, again, his features softened slightly. "Are you all right?" he asked. His voice was noticeably tight and tense. He spared quick glances back at Owen, even as his eyes concentrated on her.

Roxanne nodded affirmatively. "He has a gun," she warned him quickly - without preamble so he wouldn't focus needlessly on her. She would be all right; he needed to worry about Owen.

Megamind nodded curtly in response, then fixed his eyes steadily back on the villain in front of him. "I know," he replied. His fingers tightened upon the filigreed grip of his weapon. His expression hardened again as he regarded the young man coldly. "Isn't that right, Owen?"

If possible, Owen's face blanched even further. Roxanne observed him as he fought again to swallow. "M-Mr. Mind," he stammered. "I . . . I can explain."

Megamind raised an eyebrow, but his face completely lacked any of the casual amusement that Roxanne was so accustomed to seeing there. "Oh," he said. "Is that so?"

Roxanne had never heard such a steely edge to his voice before. Nor had she ever witnessed his animated nature reduced to such terse, clipped responses. The combination sent another deep shiver over her skin. If Megamind had acted like this back when he had been a villain, Roxanne could very easily have found him terrifying.

Now, however, her mounting fear was for a completely different reason: whatever had happened to cause this, Megamind was furious. He didn't appear to be thinking clearly either. He wasn't himself. Roxanne had never seen him like this - as though a swell of emotions was building up inside him like a geyser. Sooner or later, he would blow just as surely.

Roxanne would not let that happen. Not if she could help it.

Megamind tilted his head as he regarded Owen. He took a slow step forward. "Go on," he said. "I'm listening." There was an odd lilt to his voice that seemed deceptively pleasant.

He took another step forward, forcing Owen into a clumsy, instinctive retreat. The young man staggered back a step, withdrawing toward the wall adjacent to Roxanne's cell. "I . . ." he began, but faded out quickly as he took another nervous step backward.

Roxanne watched Owen's hand automatically pat his pocket. The vague gesture caused her heart to speed up. Then she, too, began to move - slowly and discreetly - along the bars of her cell. She drew closer to Owen's side.

Megamind advanced again, fingers tensing upon his weapon. "No, really," he continued, almost buoyantly, "I'd like to hear this explanation." The deep scowl on his face contradicted the lightness in his tone. He continued to walk forward, dehydration gun aloft. "Come now, Owen," he coaxed. "After all the time you've been coming to my lair? You've spent months trying to get my attention . . ."

Owen backed up until his quivering body was nearly against the wall.

Roxanne inched along the row of bars that held her, carefully keeping her eyes on both men.

Megamind stopped advancing an arm's length from Owen. The dehydration gun shuddered slightly in his fist.

". . . You have my attention now."

In the blink of an eye, Megamind's left hand shot forward, his long fingers fisting tightly around the folds of Owen's cape collar. He used it to shove the young man's shoulder hard against the wall and immediately brought his weapon up between them. Owen cried out in alarm as the bulbous muzzle of the dehydration gun jammed upward against the soft underside of his jaw.

"Megamind!"

Roxanne moved before she realized she was doing it. In fact, her mind barely registered anything at all until she was suddenly reaching forward, her arm stretched beyond the bars, with one hand wrapped tightly around Megamind's thin, blue wrist. For a frozen, breathless moment, the three individuals remained in an immobile standoff. The air around them crackled with a palpable electric tension.

Owen, wide-eyed and pale, cowered with his back against the stone wall of the old zoo. At his full height, the lanky young man was probably a head taller than Megamind, but those proportions seemed skewed as Megamind loomed over Owen's cringing, shrinking form.

Megamind's eyes were acid-bright and burning as he held the dehydration gun on Owen. His teeth were bared and his features were set into a vicious snarl. He hadn't moved since Roxanne had grabbed his wrist, but she could still feel rigid muscles jump and twitch beneath the surface of his bare, blue skin, even through the layer of the makeshift bandage that encircled her hand. It reinforced for her just how much strength he truly had in his deceptively thin body.

When Megamind had been evil, Roxanne had had countless, less than impressive encounters with him over the years. It was easy to forget, therefore, just how inexplicably intimidating the other residents of Metro City had found him. Now, however, as she watched Owen quiver in Megamind's grip, she was getting a reminder of that. And the fact that the young man had actually admired the person who was currently menacing him had to make it that much worse.

But Roxanne now knew it was Megamind, the villain, who Owen had admired so much. And despite Owen's outward terror, deep down this was probably exactly what he wanted. She couldn't allow this to go on.

"Megamind," Roxanne said again - this time in a breathless whisper. Her fingers tightened possessively around the arm that brandished the gun.

For another few moments, Megamind continued to stare Owen down, his entire body heaving with every heavy breath he took. Then he blinked, his body shuddered, and the muscles in his face relaxed ever so slightly. A moment later, his eyes were on Roxanne.

She looked up at him pleadingly - attempting to anchor him to her, both with her touch and with her gaze. If he was merely planning to dehydrate Owen and drop him off at the nearest police station, there wouldn't be an issue. However, judging by what had happened to the wall at the far end of the building, the gun's current setting was decidedly stronger. Regardless of what Owen had done, Roxanne couldn't let Megamind just destroy him, even if he did deserve it.

Because this wasn't about Owen at all.

She squeezed Megamind's wrist tighter. Please, she thought as she shook her head insistently, holding his eyes with hers. Don't let him drag you down with him.

Megamind blinked again as he focused on Roxanne's face. His gaze flickered down to the bandage surrounding her hand and his brow furrowed. Then he looked back up at her eyes. He visibly swallowed.

A moment later, the insistent drone of a sharp, electronic beep broke the silence.

"Mr. Mind. You . . . you need to back off now."

Both Megamind and Roxanne turned their faces back to Owen. The young man still appeared unnerved and shaken, but he was looking back at them now with a slight renewal of the stony aggression Roxanne had seen in him earlier. He scowled and licked at his dry lips anxiously.

Roxanne noticed something in his opposite hand, and her stomach twisted. He must have reached for it while she and Megamind had been focused on each other.

A second glance told her it was not the pistol she had feared. While that small knowledge was mildly reassuring, it didn't completely banish the churning in Roxanne's gut. Because what he was holding was a cell phone. Owen's thumb twitched as it hovered over the SEND button.

"Mr. Mind," he repeated warningly. A little more strength was evident in his quivering voice. "You need to back off. Now."

Megamind's scowl returned, but Roxanne could see that he seemed to have taken some control over the mindless fury that had previously been radiating off him. However, he still didn't move. His fingers slightly tightened their hold upon Owen's cape as he pressed the young man's shoulder to the wall, and the dehydration gun remained in its position at the young villain's neck.

"I mean it, Mr. Mind." Owen's voice was trembling, but increasingly insistent. He attempted to swallow past the obstruction that Megamind's weapon created against his throat. "I have seven numbers programmed into the speed dial of this phone. I've already used six of them."

Megamind sneered at the young man. "Oh, really?" he finally murmured. His voice sounded thick after not using it for several minutes. "Another bomb? I can't recall any other relevant locations that fit your pattern, Owen. And I already know you didn't hide one in my lair during your . . . visit." He narrowed his eyes, spitting that last word out with a snarl. He increased the pressure from the weapon in his hand. "Deviating from one's plan is a sloppy, rookie move," he said. "Where, may I ask, is this seventh mysterious target?"

Owen merely held his gaze.

Megamind released a breath of air that sounded like a genuine chuckle. It morphed into a fully-formed mockery of a robust laugh, which he indulged in for an eerie moment. "Oh, you're kidding, right?" Megamind asked, sounding both amused and appalled. "You put it here? You do realize this is your own hideout, don't you?"

Owen's lips twitched. He almost seemed to shrug. "I didn't exactly have the opportunity to put it anywhere else."

Megamind brought his face very near to Owen's. "And if I think you're bluffing?" he hissed.

Owen swallowed again. Beads of perspiration began to condense along his forehead. "Like I told Ms. Ritchi," he muttered coldly, "it's not like I have anything else to lose."

Megamind regarded the young villain for what felt like an eternal moment. Roxanne felt the tight sinews of muscle continue to twitch beneath the pressure of her hand. Then, with a small shove, he released Owen's shoulder. He lowered his weapon to his side and backed up a step.

"Keep going," Owen said as he straightened a bit. "A little more."

Megamind glanced at Roxanne, took a strained, full-body breath, and backed up again.
As he retreated, his wrist consequently slipped out of her grasp.

Owen pushed himself away from the wall at his back and staggered woodenly to his full height again. Roxanne noticed that he still seemed to be trembling slightly. He held up the phone in his grasp.

"I need you to put the dehydration gun on the floor, Mr. Mind," Owen ordered, managing to force a bit more authority into his voice. "And I want you to kick it away." He shifted awkwardly, his other hand fidgeting at his side. "I just want to talk. That's all."

Megamind scowled at the young villain, his fingers automatically tightening upon his weapon's grip.

Owen's thin lips pursed angrily. He spared a glance for Roxanne as his thumb twitched over the SEND button on the phone. "Now," he warned.

Megamind sneered at Owen one final time. Then he bent down to place his dehydration gun on the dusty concrete floor. With one foot he brushed the weapon away from him, sending it sliding across the stone. It came to rest a few feet down the hallway.

He raised his eyes again, a deep frown creasing his features. "You wanted to talk, Owen?" he asked. "So talk."

Owen frowned back. He shifted the phone to his other hand and reached behind him for the weapon he had leaned against the wall earlier. His fingers closed around the grip and he quickly hoisted it up. Only then did he snap the cell phone shut and slide it back into his pocket.

Megamind raised his eyebrow at the young man brandishing the stolen weapon. His lips quirked into an odd smile. "That one isn't lethal, you know," he said. "The sonic pulse it releases can knock someone to the ground, but that's pretty much it."

Roxanne's eyes widened at that. When Owen had pulled that gun on her in the café, she hadn't known what its function was.

Neither, apparently, had Wayne.

"I read your database," Owen replied. "I know what it does." He shrugged. "I know what a lot of them do. I told you, I just want to talk." Owen held the large gun ready with both hands and rocked onto the balls of his feet, glancing around anxiously. "W-what else did you bring?" he asked, unable to completely banish the nerves in his voice.

Megamind raised an eyebrow again. He displayed his empty, blue hands for a moment, then allowed his arms to drop back to his sides. "From where I'm standing, Owen, you're the one with the upper hand right now," he pointed out. "In fact . . ." His voice lowered again as his gaze focused on the sonic cannon in Owen's hands, before purposely shifting to Roxanne. ". . . seems you have quite a few things that belong to me."

Roxanne watched as Owen squirmed uncomfortably beside her. He narrowed his eyes at Megamind. "You expect me to believe that you only brought the dehydration gun?" he challenged. "That doesn't seem like the Megamind I know."

Roxanne had to admit, she had thought the same thing. When Megamind had faced Hal, he'd brought every brainbot in his arsenal. And they had just been part of the distraction. Owen was hardly superhuman; he wasn't even a true super villain. Many of Megamind's weapons would probably be able to stop him easily. Part of Roxanne expected Megamind to be hiding an ace like that up his sleeve.

Megamind's lips twitched into a humorless smirk. "Who says I only brought the dehydration gun?" he countered. "After snooping through my database, you should know quite well that I have a plethORa of equipment capable of putting a decisive end to your treacherous plans." Megamind crossed his arms with a pointed look. "My battle-bot, for instance, could turn this place into a footprint if I chose," he continued with a small shrug. "For all you know, it could be just outside," he said with a toss of his head, indicating the large hole behind him. "Waiting for my signal."

Owen's eyes also briefly shifted to the missing far wall of the building, and the darkened park beyond. He shifted on his feet and adjusted his grip on the weapon in his hands.

Megamind focused his gaze forward again to stare directly into Owen's face. He uncrossed his arms, his smirk hardened into a scowl, and his eyes flashed. "Then again," he added darkly. "After everything you've done, Owen, maybe I just decided I'd rather deal with you myself."

Owen visibly shuddered at that. He clutched the sonic cannon as he fumbled to hold it at the ready. "Look, Mr. Mind, I'm sorry," he spluttered hurriedly. "I'm sorry about what happened with Minion. That wasn't supposed to-"

"Do not . . . say his name again," Megamind interrupted, his eyes flashing murderously. His voice suddenly pitched much lower than it had been, and his empty hands tightened into quivering fists at his sides.

Roxanne felt her gut twist as his words rang in her ears. She felt a prickling sensation begin to burn behind her eyes, but she quickly stomped down her own emotional reactions. Instead, she gave the bars a forceful but ineffectual tug. Naturally, they didn't budge, but she knew she had to do something to stop this somehow. She could see that Megamind was clinging precariously to control, even through his anger, but she could also see the desperation building with every trembling clench of his fists. Roxanne would not allow Owen to use Minion's fate as the trigger that pushed him over the edge.

Owen faltered. His hands tightened on the weapon he was holding as he attempted to collect himself and try again. "I'm just-" he stammered. "I'm sorry. I wasn't planning on hurting anyone. Really."

"Oh. How benevolent of you," Megamind said as his lip curled in distaste. "This from the person who brought a handgun into my home. And used it."

Roxanne gasped softly, feeling her body tremble in spite of herself. Her heart gave a small, anguished leap.

Megamind began to move slightly - making a few angry paces in front of Owen as he continued to speak. "Not to mention all the places around the city that you either destroyed or tried to destroy," he said. "For someone who claims not to want to hurt anyone, Owen, you certainly leave a lot of destruction in your wake."

Megamind reached into one of the pockets of his trousers and Owen immediately tensed. He raised the gun in a knee-jerk reaction and made a small noise of protest. However, when Megamind brought his hand out again, he was only holding one of Owen's calling cards. The young man relaxed his aim, but the tension never left his body.

Roxanne looked from Megamind's burning green eyes to the flaming beetle image on the card that had been found at the scenes of the numerous bombings. It matched the image the young villain currently displayed on his chest. Megamind held the card up briefly between two fingers, then tossed it to the floor at Owen's feet.

"I admit," he mused harshly, "as a villain, your methods caught me unawares at first, Owen." He gave the young man a bitter sneer. "It's not often that I'm caught with my pants on the ground, as they say." Megamind's scowl deepened. "But that still doesn't make you anything more than a rank ama-tour who got a lucky break while I was busy looking the other way."

Megamind risked taking a renewed step forward. He raised his empty hands in front of him, framing Owen as though through a camera lens as he advanced. "But I knew our villain would come out of the woodwork to force a confrontation eventually," he said. Then he held Owen's gaze. His hands lowered to his sides and clenched into fists once more. "So? What are we waiting for?"

Owen shifted on his feet. He held the weapon up, but made no effort to actually aim it. "What?"

Megamind raised a curious eyebrow. "Well, this is how it's done," he pointed out coldly. He raised his arms slightly to indicate their surroundings. "This is how the game is played: the villain and the hero . . . the final showdown . . . the battle royal-é . . . Megamind versus the Beetle-Bomber in an epic clash of good and evil. In other words: I crash through a wall, then I proceed to kick your butt. Come now," he said. "Is this not the glorious rivalry you expected?"

Owen shuddered in response. "I didn't want to fight you, Mr. Mind," he insisted.

"After what you've done, Owen, I don't see how you have a choice," Megamind growled.

Owen swallowed.

"So," Megamind concluded, "what's say you put my sonic cannon down. That way I won't be forced to call in my numerous reinforcements." His eyes narrowed in a glare of pure malice. "Because I've really been looking forward to rearranging your genetic makeup with my bare hands."

Roxanne had heard Megamind promise all manner of violence before. But in the past, it had always been infused with such larger-than-life bluster and bravado. She'd never heard him do it with such unadulterated venom before - both in his voice and in his face.

He meant it. He really did. He meant every word of it.

She couldn't let this go on.

Roxanne pulled herself flush against the cage bars. "Megamind," she interjected quickly, "listen to me. This . . ." She made an open-handed gesture toward them. "This is exactly what he wants."

Megamind blinked. The deep, angry lines in his face smoothed out a bit as he turned his head to face her. The abrupt transformation in his demeanor was mildly and momentarily reassuring. The Megamind she knew was always changing his mannerisms on a dime. He was still in there.

"What?" he asked. "Seriously?" His back straightened a little and he regarded Owen with suspicious, narrowed eyes. "And people said I was masochistic."

Roxanne continued to grip the bars and peered at him insistently until he met her eyes again. "No. He's not hoping you'll pummel him; he doesn't want to fight you. That's just it," she clarified. "He was never really looking for a rival; he was looking for a mentor."

Megamind merely blinked at her again for a moment, then turned back to Owen. His face pinched into an incredulous, squinty-eyed stare. "Wait . . ." he said. "What?"

His tight fists unclenched slightly at his sides. "That's what this has been about?" Megamind asked. "You've got to be kidding me. All this time . . . with all the blueprints, the inventions, the visits to the lair, and the bombings . . ." He narrowed his eyes again. "And all you've wanted were tips? On villainy?"

Owen didn't answer, but his hands shifted their grip on his weapon.

"There's actually more to it than that," Roxanne said. She looked Megamind in the eyes. "Apparently, he seems to think your talents are wasted on heroism."

For a moment, Megamind's only response was to blink, yet again. "I see," he finally mused. His voice was calmer now, but still steely. His lip curled up into an obvious sneer as he refocused on Owen. "And you wanted to, what?" he asked, taking another deliberate step forward. "Erase my grievous mistake by destroying all those buildings?" He scoffed. "Wipe out the steps along my 'path to righteousness'?"

Owen shifted his weight, and Megamind advanced again.

"Or perhaps you wished to remind me of all the fun I'm missing?"

Owen moved back to maintain the tense distance between them. Megamind pressed forward yet again.

"Or maybe you'd even hoped to . . ." He placed one hand gently upon his chest, his face feigning a wide, doe-eyed look. ". . . team up one day?" Megamind cocked his head. "Is that what you wanted?"

Owen licked his lips anxiously, his shoulders rising and falling in heavy breaths.

Megamind's eyes suddenly darkened with renewed rage, and Roxanne felt the skin prickle along the back of her neck.

"Perhaps," he snarled, "you should have thought of that before you shot my best friend."

This time when he moved, it was a deliberate charge.

"Megamind!"

The loud crack of an impact echoed through the hallway and a tangible surge of energy swelled through the empty air like a wave through water. Roxanne watched helplessly as Megamind was popped backward off his feet with a sudden, startled yell. He landed flat on his back several feet away and slid an additional few before coming to a jarring halt against a pile of rubble.

Owen lowered the sonic cannon slowly. Roxanne stared at him, wide-eyed. After listening to the guy rant about what an idol Megamind had been, she never would have imagined he would actually pull the trigger. Judging by the shocked expression on Owen's face, he was probably having similar thoughts.

Megamind groaned as he shoved himself upright and glared.

"Ow," he growled through clenched teeth.

At first, Owen's eyes had gone huge. His chest heaved in sharp, panting breaths. Then, after a moment, his breathing began to even out. He swallowed, straightened, and stared at what he had just done with a hint of awe in his face.

"I said I didn't want to fight you," Owen finally said. "Not that I wouldn't."

His hands shifted to settle more assertively on the weapon and his body seemed to relax even more. His head tilted to the side as he regarded the scene before him. He glanced from Megamind to the weapon in his hands. Then the young man squared his shoulders, raised his chin, and stiffened his posture imperiously.

"And I should probably tell you," he announced, "the name is Fire Bug now."

Megamind snorted derisively as he leveraged one hand against his knee to raise himself off the floor. "Personally," he replied with a grunt as he got his legs beneath him again, "I prefer Beetle-Bomber." He shrugged. "But whatever."

Owen regarded him. His current advantage seemed to have infused him with a renewed sense of the arrogance he had displayed back at the café. His face, however, was conspicuously blank and expressionless. For a moment he simply stared at Megamind, then his eyes glanced slowly to his right and his left - cautiously and guardedly scrutinizing the area around him. He tilted his head curiously as though he was listening to something.

Roxanne eyed him suspiciously. His actions prompted her to glance around as well, cocking her head to listen. All she could hear, however, was the rhythmic patter of the rain outside. Whatever had caught Owen's attention, she couldn't hear it.

A moment later, Owen refocused his eyes on Megamind. His expression was still vague and unreadable. Then, without warning, he raised the sonic rifle and fired again.

Megamind's eyes widened briefly. He crossed his arms in front of him in a split-second attempt to brace himself. When the pulse hit him a second time, the force of it spun him like a top before dropping him hard amidst the rubble.

"Hey!" Roxanne cried out indignantly. She reached ineffectually outward through the bars and felt an awful stab of worry as Megamind, again, landed among the debris strewn through the hallway.

Megamind let out another angry groan. "Okay," he grunted, holding one arm against his body briefly as he once again pushed himself up. He swayed noticeably on his feet. "Now you're asking for it."

The clothes he was wearing weren't holding up as well as his usual leather. They were already torn and dirty in several places; the seam of one sleeve had split open, revealing a slice of blue shoulder. Megamind staggered slightly, gritting his teeth and balling his fists as he glared at Owen. "I think it's safe to say you're getting the hang of this fighting thing now."

Owen lowered the sonic cannon and continued to look impassively at Megamind. He tilted his head again. "You didn't really bring any reinforcements, did you?" he asked coolly. "Or they'd be in here by now, wouldn't they?"

It was the calmest Roxanne had heard him speak all afternoon, and the sound sent a shiver down her spine.

Megamind bristled. "I wouldn't be so sure," he retorted, shuffling to stand solidly on his feet. "Maybe I just want to get warmed up before the real show starts."

Owen shrugged. "Okay," he said. He raised the gun again.

Megamind's body reflexively tensed, but he stood his ground.

"You know," Owen mused curiously, "I find it hard to believe that your 'backup' would just keep waiting around." He raised an eyebrow. "So go ahead," he prompted. "Start the show."

Then, without warning, he turned on his heel and pointed the gun at Roxanne instead, taking aim. "Call them in."

With a growl, Megamind automatically began to stagger forward. His expression had once again gone dark and furious.

Owen fitted the weapon to his shoulder and cast a sidelong glance back in Megamind's direction. He continued to keep the gun trained threateningly on Roxanne.

Immediately Megamind froze, just a few feet short, visibly seething.

Roxanne scowled at the young man brandishing the weapon at her. She had backed away from the bars and shifted her weight to the balls of her bare feet, getting ready to try and dodge if Owen pulled the trigger. The entire time her mind was whirling: Was Owen right? Had Megamind really come alone? Why? Where were the brainbots? What about his other inventions?

Megamind was never this reckless - never this hasty - not since becoming a hero. Why was he-?

Then it hit her.

Oh, God.

Minion.

Whatever had happened to Minion, it seemed to have caused Megamind to abandon the logic and levelheadedness he normally displayed since becoming the city's hero.

He really wasn't thinking.

The implications of that left Roxanne shaken. Megamind's brain was his biggest asset. If this overwhelming anger was affecting his ability to use it clearly, there was no telling what might happen.

When Owen spoke again, he refocused his eyes on Roxanne through the scope of the weapon.

"I realize this one's not necessarily dangerous," he said, indicating the gun. "But I'm guessing it still probably hurts to get hit over and over." Finally, he glanced back at Megamind. "That was why I took this one, though," he insisted. The calmness in his voice wavered, but only slightly. "I said I didn't actually want to fight you." He shook his head. "But after what happened with Min-"

Megamind stiffened like an angry dog, and Owen backtracked. Some of his calm noticeably wavered.

"After what happened this afternoon," he quickly amended, "I knew I would need something to help make you listen. But I didn't want to hurt you. I swear I only wanted to talk to you - without interruptions, without distractions."

Owen straightened his shoulders and finally lowered his aim. He gripped the weapon with more confidence as he turned back to fully face Megamind. "And if you really had brought backup, it probably would have been here by now. So I'm guessing we're finally going to get that opportunity."

"You've been talking quite a lot already, Owen," Megamind retorted. "So far, I haven't heard much worth listening to." He seemed to have steadied himself and was now standing much more solidly on his feet. "As Evil Monologues go, yours could use a little work."

"But that's just it!" Owen droned in reply. His demeanor seemed to shift completely as he relaxed his hold on his weapon, allowing the muzzle to droop below his waist. He threw one hand up into the air in exasperation. "This wasn't how it was supposed to happen at all," he groused as his arm flopped back down and swung limply beside him. "This was never supposed to be a confrontation. Not with you. All of this - everything I did - I was only trying to help."

One of Megamind's eyebrows arched high onto his considerable forehead. It didn't diminish the rage in his expression, however. "Riiight," he drawled.

"Everything was going pretty well, until today," Owen continued by way of an explanation. "Then it all went so wrong." He began to pace back and forth, rapidly and agitatedly. "And I'm not saying that what happened this afternoon was . . . all his fault," he added, carefully avoiding Megamind's eyes as he tip-toed around the subject of Minion.

Megamind tightened his fists, but didn't move otherwise.

"I knew you'd come after me after that. I knew there would be no way to avoid it. And yeah, okay, I panicked. But I swear I didn't go to your lair today to hurt anyone - especially him," Owen asserted vehemently. "I mean that. Forcing a fight with you was never what I wanted. But I didn't have a choice. You have to believe that everything I've done has been to help you."

Roxanne's eyes shifted from one man to the other. Owen continued to pace and ramble erratically, continuing along the downward spiral Roxanne had first witnessed earlier today.

The more Owen spoke, the more enraged Megamind seemed to become. His body was furious, tense, and quivering - as though he was physically grappling with the urge to rush forward the remaining feet and tear Owen apart, and the need to finally get some answers from the young villain.

Roxanne eyes fell momentarily upon the sonic cannon, which was now hanging, disregarded, in the grip of only one hand as Owen paced and ranted. Cautiously, she approached the side of her cage again, keeping her eyes on the weapon the entire time. Owen seemed to be so wrapped up in his tirade that he wasn't really paying attention to her.

Her breaths came shallowly and she kept her attention fixed on him as she slowly closed in.

Owen continued to speak, seemingly oblivious to Roxanne's movements. "After what happened today, everything went downhill. It wasn't fair," he went on. "I had spent so much time planning how I was finally going to approach you. If I got thrown out of the lair, it would have ruined everything. I couldn't let that happen."

Roxanne watched as Owen absently drew nearer to where she was standing. She wrapped her hands tightly around the bars and glanced quickly and insistently at Megamind. He must have felt her gaze on him because his eyes immediately flickered to her as well. His expression did not change as their eyes met; it remained hard and angry, and Roxanne's stomach twisted uncomfortably. Even though she knew his anger wasn't directed at her, coming face-to-face with it still caused a strange, unpleasant chill to prickle her skin. She wasn't used to seeing him like this.

Her eyes darted urgently to the gun in Owen's hand, and Megamind's eyes followed. Another brief look passed between them, then he straightened and quickly refocused his attention fully on the young villain. Roxanne tightened her grip on the bars, held her breath, and waited.

Maybe Megamind hadn't initially been thinking as clearly as he usually did in a crisis. Maybe, because of what had happened, he had lacked the presence of mind to bring his arsenal with him when he had left the lair. But Owen was dead wrong to assume that Megamind didn't have any backup.

He did have backup. He had Roxanne.

And she and Megamind worked very well together.

They always had.

Owen, for his part, was still ranting. He risked glancing up again, his eyes darting to look sporadically at Megamind's face. His voice remained pleading. "If I had just been able to talk to you - to show you what you needed to see - we could have avoided all this. I could have come clean with you about the bombs, and I wouldn't have needed to borrow your stuff to try and make up for what I . . ." He swallowed. "What I did."

Megamind glowered irately. "There is no making up for what you did," he spat - his voice low and dangerous. He took a deliberate step forward, forcing Owen to once again retreat back a step.

Roxanne stiffened and her heart sped up as Owen drew just a little closer to her. She bit her bottom lip and let go of the bars with one hand, then slid cautiously down into a crouch.

The disregarded sonic cannon hung down the length of Owen's side. It was just shy of an arm's reach away from Roxanne. If Megamind could only force him back another step or two . . .

Roxanne's fingers twitched as she began to slide them slowly through the bars.

Owen, however, did not seem to notice her. He stood stationary now and fully locked his eyes with Megamind. The expression on his face was increasingly beseeching and insistent. "You can't imagine what I've been going through since it happened!" he claimed adamantly. The flat palm of his free hand struck the center of his own chest. His fingertips dug slightly into the spandex in the area over his heart, distorting the image of the flaming beetle. "You can't know what it's like!" he insisted. "To want so much to impress this one particular person - to finally be ready to show him what you're capable of. And then to have it all fall apart and leave you facing an inevitable confrontation with him instead!"

Megamind's mouth twisted strangely at that, but his fierce expression never wavered. "Oh, yes." He regarded Owen through angry, narrowed eyes. "Yes, I can imagine how difficult all this must be for you," he droned in a biting deadpan.

Megamind took another calculated step forward, discreetly herding Owen toward the side of Roxanne's cell. Roxanne's searching fingers hovered in the empty space between her and the weapon. She watched Owen's profile for any sign that he had noticed her movements. She needed him to come just one step closer, but the more Megamind advanced, the more it increased the chances that Owen would feel threatened enough to want to use the gun again.

"So, let me get this straight," Megamind continued. His voice was slightly lighter - perhaps to hold Owen's attention completely on him. "All this has been about a grudge?" He scoffed derisively and rolled his entire large head in a full rotation on his shoulders. "I mean, don't get me wrong, Owen, if I was still evil I'd be weirdly flattered. You wanted a mentor in crime, and you're all bitter and angry because I'm a hero now?" Megamind raised his arms out to his sides, as though he was making a presentation of himself. "So why not just come after me?" he asked. "Why take it out on this city and the people I care about?"

Owen squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "That's not it," he insisted. His free hand fisted tightly at his side. "This was never about me trying to get revenge because I felt betrayed." He opened his eyes and fixed them squarely on Megamind. "I'm not angry with you," he said, gesturing forward with both hands (and consequently snatching the weapon away from Roxanne's reaching fingers).

She blew a puff of air up toward her bangs in frustration.

"I'm angry," Owen clarified, "because you switched sides under false pretenses. I'm angry on your behalf, Mr. Mind. I'm angry because you don't realize that you should be the one who's angry! This city and the people in it . . . they used you because for some reason they can't function without a hero. And they made you into something you're not in the process. This isn't you. It never was."

Megamind scowled. "And you think you know who I am?" He risked another small step forward.

"I do," Owen replied. "Because I'm the same."

He allowed his arms to slouch back down to his sides, looking as though he was physically deflating. Roxanne took the opportunity to begin reaching cautiously forward again.

"I know what it's like to have other people not get me," Owen continued. "I know how it feels to have everybody else think they're better than I am." His face contorted into a bitter scowl. "And to know that they're wrong.

"Metro City is a big place, Mr. Mind," he went on, gesturing out to the area beyond the large hole Megamind had created when he arrived. "You can't possibly think that that Metro-Meathead was the only one who had fans. You-" He raised his empty hand imploringly in front of him. "You inspired me. It made me realize that I was different for a reason, and for years I knew you'd be the only one who might really understand me. I'd planned it out so perfectly. And then, just when I was finally ready to follow my own destiny - to show you what I could do - to show you what an asset I could be to you - this city forced you to change."

Megamind raised an eyebrow at the young man. "You do realize that Titan was my own doing, Owen," he said. "It was my responsibility to take care of him."

Owen's face scrunched up into a frustrated grimace. His empty hand fisted into his hair and a chaos of curls poked up between his fingers. "No, no, no. See? That's what I'm talking about!" He shook his head and released his hair. The haphazard tendrils continued to stick up erratically around his goggles. "Of course you had to take care of him! You're the super villain! Metro City was yours. Why wouldn't you take back your territory?" He released a loud, aggravated groan. "But slapping a label of 'responsibility' on it? That was their doing!" Owen said as he jammed his thumb aggressively behind him, as though implicating the entire city in a fit of indignation. "So yeah, I'm angry about that, Mr. Mind. Because when you lost sight of who you are, I lost my own purpose. I was supposed to be like you!"

Megamind scowled. "Like me?" he hissed. His body tensed and waves of anger seemed to radiate off him. "Even if what you're saying is true, you think that attacking Minion, kidnapping Roxanne Ritchi, and terrorizing the citizens of a city I've sworn to protect is going to make me see things your way? I'm not a villain anymore, Owen. It was a decision I made. Nothing will change that."

For as dire as the situation was, hearing those simple words from him made Roxanne's heart swell. Megamind was furious and he was grieving, and he had every right to be, but hearing his resolve about his own heroism lifted a weight from Roxanne - a weight she had felt growing increasingly larger since this confrontation had begun.

But it would be all right now.

He wouldn't be dragged down over this.

Megamind never gave up; he wouldn't give up this time, either.

Owen, on the other hand, made a derisive noise. "You think the people of this city - who you're so worried about protecting - actually care? About you?" He scoffed resentfully. "Please. They're sheep. They're lemmings. All of them. You know as well as I do that there isn't a single independent thought among them. One minute they're collectively booing you because you're the convenient villain; the next minute they're all cheering for you because you stepped in the fill the shoes of their old hero."

Owen threw his arm out toward the dark park beyond the building's walls, indicating the city once again. "Oh, and they need a hero, Mr. Mind. You know it, and I know it. They're lost without one. You've seen how they latch onto the first convenient champion to come along." He sneered disdainfully. "You think it actually matters to them whose statue is standing over the entrance to that museum?" he asked, pointing randomly into the empty space behind him. "For about five seconds, it could have been Titan, for crying out loud. So don't tell me the people of this city are actually capable of determining what's really evil and what's not. Or that they care."

Megamind glared hotly at the young man. His eyes were twin points of furious green fire.

Owen held up his free hand in a placating gesture. "I'm not saying you don't deserve to be respected," he mollified. "Or better yet, feared. I'm just saying you need to consider the source. They're just using you. Because you became the thing they needed at a time when they needed it."

Roxanne's fingertips suddenly brushed the barrel of the gun. She kept her eyes on Owen as she tried to stretch the remaining inches through the bars.

"And as for our Ms. Ritchi," Owen scoffed. "She's the worst of them all."

Roxanne froze as Owen said her name. Her eyes shot up toward him. For a moment she thought he had noticed her. When she realized what he had actually said, she had to physically hold herself back from spluttering at him in righteous indignation.

Megamind, however, did it for her. "What are you talking about?" he demanded as he took one final step toward Owen.

The young villain backed up automatically. The barrel of the gun settled securely into Roxanne's grip.

"I really hate that I have to be the one to tell you," Owen said anxiously, "because I know what they say about shooting the messenger. And I know you're already mad enough at me, but you really should know-"

At that moment, Roxanne tugged hard on the weapon in his fist, trying to wrench it free.

"HEY!" Owen shouted reflexively as he overbalanced and stumbled in the direction that Roxanne had yanked the gun. He didn't let go of it completely, however, and after about a second of disorientation, he grabbed onto it with his other hand, too. Roxanne quickly did the same, and soon found herself grappling with him over it.

Megamind darted forward the remaining feet. He made a beeline for Roxanne's side and reached out to grab the gun as well. Owen looked up as Megamind reached them, his eyes wide and wild with sudden panic.

"No, no!" he reflexively stammered, and he twisted the aim of the weapon with all his might. Roxanne refused to let go, even as Owen's abrupt tug slammed her forward against the cage bars. But it was enough for Owen to locate the trigger and pull it quickly.

By that time, Megamind had reached them, and the range was point-blank.

"Megamind!" Roxanne cried out as the surge of energy hit him squarely in the chest. He yelped as he flew backwards and tumbled head over feet across the hard surface of the floor. He came to a halt, face-down, a short distance away.

Roxanne continued to maintain her grip on the gun and turned her wide eyes back to Owen. He took advantage of her shock and twisted the weapon again. The new angle put pressure against the cut on her hand, and Roxanne reflexively cried out again. Owen still wasn't able to wrench the gun from her grasp, but he was able to alter the aim. When he pulled the trigger the second time, Roxanne felt as though a wrecking ball had struck her solidly in the stomach. Her feet left the floor briefly and she was propelled backward, tumbling over and over until she finally came to a rest on the other side of her cage. She struggled for several seconds to get her breath back.

When she was able to move, she looked up to see that Owen had flown backwards as well. The inertia from the blast must have added to the force he had already been exerting to wrestle the gun away from her. As he hit the floor, the sonic cannon went skidding off behind him, its barrel slamming loudly into the bars of another cage - ringing them like a gong.

Megamind groaned, planted his hands beneath him, and pushed himself up off his chest.

Owen rolled over onto his side and the two men stared at each other from across the floor for what felt like a solid minute. Then Megamind scrambled to his feet with a heavy grunt, wrapping one arm around his torso, and made a break for where the weapon had landed.

Owen, too, attempted to clamber into a standing position, stumbling awkwardly as he did so. His hand came down on his own cape and he nearly clotheslined himself in his attempt to get up. Abruptly, he gave up the race for the gun, and shoved his hand deep into one of his side pockets instead.

"Stop!" he shouted, holding up what he had retrieved.

Megamind froze and stared at the young man, who was panting and frantic. Roxanne had made it to her hands and knees and saw what Owen had removed from his pocket: it was one of the remote controls she had seen him charge up earlier.

"No, no, no, no," Owen intoned distractedly. "You're just making it all worse! Stop making it worse!" His body wavered as he tried clumsily to straighten himself, and Roxanne had a difficult time determining if his words were directed at her or at Megamind.

Or maybe he was even addressing himself.

Megamind, however, had abandoned his dash for the gun. He stood there, one arm still wrapped around his own chest, and squinting incredulously at the remote in Owen's hand. He blinked. "Doesn't that go to my-?"

Owen's shoulders were rising and falling heavily. "I wanted to make everything up to you," he said. "After today I knew it would be hard for you to see things my way, but I still had to try." Owen brought the remote down in front of his chest and began manipulating the small joystick on the front. "You have to believe that I only ever wanted to help you, Mr. Mind. And I realize I have a long way to go toward ever earning your trust - especially after what happened . . . with Minion-"

He pressed a button on the control device, and the light on top changed from orange to red.

"-So I got you the only thing I could think of that would be big enough to make up for it."

A door opened at the far end of the hallway. It was a large, metal entryway - like a hangar door - and it rattled and banged from years of neglect as it slowly slid open. It was similar to the door in Roxanne's cell, but much, much larger. There were no longer any bars surrounding it, but its sheer size hinted that it had once connected the inner and outer areas of what used to be an elephant enclosure.

What was coming through the door now, however, was not an elephant.

Owen went back to manipulating the remote in his hand as the spider-bot crawled silently into the room. Megamind turned to face the approaching machine. His lip curled and his eyes widened as he watched his creation advance under the control of someone else. Normally, Megamind's inventions all seemed to have their own personalities, but right now - just as it had back in the café - the spider-bot's demeanor was more like a will-less, soulless robot. The life that Megamind usually infused it with was missing.

It crawled up to Megamind and halted just a few feet in front of him. Roxanne could tell by the look on Megamind's face that he was horrified. Roxanne, for her part, wanted nothing more than for the mechanical arachnid to just recognize him . . . for it to do something - anything - familiar. But instead, it merely stood there, like an emotionless sentinel - vacant and empty - until a large claw emerged from a hatch on one side of the robot's chassis.

Megamind tensed and drew back a step, his wide eyes fixed on the spider-bot, but the claw did not attack him. Instead it reached backward into the space behind its own driver's seat.

Owen manipulated the remote for another moment and pressed a button. "I got you something," he repeated softly.

The claw lifted a large, heavy-looking bundle out from within the cockpit area. It sagged like a bulky, oversized sack of potatoes and was completely coated in a milky-white film that conformed perfectly to the object's shape.

Roxanne got to her feet and stared, feeling cold and inexorably shaken by what she was witnessing.

The spider-bot's claw hovered out in front of it briefly. Then Owen pressed a button on the remote and the claw opened, releasing its bundle.

Megamind's eyes widened even further as Wayne Scott was dumped into a graceless heap directly at his feet.




Click here for Chapter 14 Part 1.