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sharelleTitle: Rain on the Just (14/15)
Author: Rummi (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sharelle)
Characters / Pairing: Ensemble / Megamind/Roxanne
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Drama, betrayal, and super-villainy.
Word Count: 10,660 total (4,546 this section)
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: Very often when I write a story, I begin with a solid visual of the ending. So, as is customary with me, many of the scenes in this chapter have been bouncing around my head since this fic's inception. I was so happy to finally write them - and yet so anxious for them to be perfect that working them over took a very long time. The chapter ended up being much more lengthy than I had originally intended (the longest chapter of the story, in fact), but I'm actually very happy with the way it turned out. I really hope my readers like it, too!
As usual, so much credit goes to the lovely ladies who took the time to look this over for me. This story is truly better because of them. I don't know what I would do without you,ray_wing and dani_kin. Your help, your advice, your reassurance, your spot-checking, and your creative consulting are appreciated far beyond words. Dani, I'm particularly grateful for your assistance in streamlining this massive chapter. ♥
Due to its length, this chapter is split into two parts. The link to Part 2 is at the bottom.
After this, one more chapter remains! I hope you enjoy!
Rain on the Just
by Rummi
Chapter 14 - Boiling Point (Part 1)
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- William Shakespeare
(Romeo & Juliet Act V, Scene iii)
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Roxanne was only distantly aware of the spider-bot silently crawling outside again, retreating back to the open-air section of the old elephant paddock. Wayne had been dumped half onto his side, where he briefly remained in a motionless, hunched pile. A moment later, he attempted to twist his torso and push himself into a more upright position. As he moved, beads of rainwater rolled across the surface of the boa plasma in strange, shimmery rivulets. They puddled on the floor around Wayne's body. He and the spider-bot must have been outside this entire time.
At first Megamind didn't move. He stood frozen and staring at the oversized offering that now lay at his feet. Roxanne could see that his eyes were still wide and his expression still aghast, but after a few moments of watching him, she also began to see a flicker of something else in his face.
Something very familiar.
Her gaze quickly shifted back to Wayne. Although Roxanne was relieved to finally see him again, it was obvious that he wasn't faring any better than he had been the last time she had seen him. The boa plasma was still molded to every inch of his body, and every movement he made appeared strenuous and difficult - as though he was physically wrestling against his own super strength just to do something as simple as raise his head. Seeing him like this was both surreal and scary for Roxanne. In many ways, it was even worse than the memory of a flayed skeleton strewn upon the fake observatory floor.
Because this time, it wasn't just a charade.
This time, it really was Metro Man - sprawled at the feet of his former nemesis, slumped in an undignified heap, and struggling just to move.
Wayne grunted with exertion as, inch-by-inch, he fought to twist and lift his body. If anything, he seemed to be struggling even more than he had before. The time spent trapped inside that substance must have really been taking its toll. His gritted teeth and the strain in his chiseled jaw betrayed the effort he was expending to just push himself up from his position on the floor. His head drooped and his hair created a shaggy curtain over his eyes. His shoulders sloped tensely as he tried to get one arm propped beneath him.
After what felt like an endless stretch of time, Megamind finally moved. He approached Wayne slowly, never once taking his eyes off him.
Roxanne watched as the new expression she had seen flicker across Megamind's face a moment ago began to become much clearer - much more defined. She knew that look; she knew it very well. She had seen it on him countless times before - back when he had still been a villain, as well as since he had become a hero. On Megamind's expressive face, it was unmistakable.
It was a look of utter fascination.
Megamind stopped directly in front of Wayne's prone form and, after a brief pause, crouched slowly down to his former rival's level. He barely blinked as he took in every facet of what was in front of him. His head cocked to the side and his huge, inquisitive green eyes flitted back and forth rapidly. They roved over every detail before them, gazing curiously and clinically as Wayne continued his strenuous efforts to raise himself.
After another moment of intense scrutiny, Megamind sank all the way to one knee and leaned forward against his arm. Then he reached out, placed his other hand beneath Wayne's scruffy chin, and guided the former hero's head upward so they were finally looking each other squarely in the face.
Roxanne's lips parted and she inhaled a small, startled breath. She recalled the day, not very long ago, when Megamind had first demonstrated the effects of the paradox gun to her. He had said that once an object was encased in the cloudy plasma its movements were extremely limited, but that external forces could act upon it without much difficulty. Roxanne could now truly see what he had meant by that. Up to this point, Wayne's own movements had been strained, difficult, and tense, however when Megamind had reached forward and raised his chin, the action looked almost as effortless as . . .
Well, . . . as effortless as anything Metro Man, himself, had ever done.
Megamind said nothing at first, but continued to stare, captivated. He tilted Wayne's head from one side to the other, examining him closely - almost scientifically - and looking every bit as spellbound as he had the day he and Roxanne had first discovered Wayne alive in the bunker beneath the old schoolhouse by the lake.
Wayne, on the other hand, had no choice but to yield to the movement of Megamind's hand. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but all he seemed capable of right now was heavy, labored breathing. Roxanne wasn't surprised; he had been fighting the boa plasma for hours.
After another moment, Megamind reached forward with his other hand and took hold of one of Wayne's arms. He slid the limb forward so it could serve as a support for Wayne's upper body, propping him up off the floor so he wouldn't fall forward again.
Roxanne couldn't help but think of an artist molding clay as she watched Megamind easily manipulate Wayne's body position - in a way that Wayne, even with all his super strength, had been unable to do for himself a moment ago.
For another minute or so, Megamind's huge, fascinated eyes drank in every detail of the tableau before him. Then he paused, his head once again tilting curiously. He looked Wayne fully in the face again and finally spoke.
His words, however, were not directed at Wayne.
"What is he doing here?" he asked Owen pointedly.
Owen's body gave an awkward shift. He looked back and forth in slight confusion, mutely gesturing with his open hand for a moment, then his arms dropped unceremoniously to his sides. The hand holding the spider-bot's remote just sort of sagged beside his hip. He looked puzzled.
"Why is he here?" he replied incredulously. Clearly Megamind's question wasn't the one he had been expecting. "Well . . . I mean, it's . . ." Owen's lips twisted bemusedly and his features set into an odd, perplexed squint. "I-it's Metro Man," he concluded, as though that were explanation enough, and motioned feebly forward with both hands.
Megamind finally turned his head to the baffled young man, giving him a measured, peevish look over his shoulder. His previously wide eyes had narrowed into a stern glare.
"I can see that it's Metro Man," he retorted edgily. "That wasn't what I asked." Megamind rose to his feet again and faced Owen directly, leaving Wayne propped heavily against his own arm. "What I fail to see is how his presence here factors into your city-wide grudge."
Owen looked taken aback. He blinked in silence for a moment. Then his mouth began to move wordlessly, like a stranded fish. It was several seconds before he was able to force any sound out. "But I thought you . . . I-I mean he was-" he stammered, ineffectually fidgeting with the spider-bot's remote control as he spoke. "He's your enemy."
Megamind arched one eyebrow impassively. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the flustered young man. "Again," he droned coldly, "I'm very much aware of who he is. If there's a point to all this, though, Owen, I'm still waiting to hear it."
Owen shifted again, and Roxanne could see his face growing steadily paler. "I-I told you," he stuttered uncomfortably. "I needed to make up for . . . for what I did. I needed something big - something important. So . . ." Owen gestured insistently toward Wayne's large, hunched form on the floor. His voice began to rise with what sounded like hints of panic. "He's yours," he insisted. "I-I got him for you."
Megamind sneered. His green eyes reignited with unmistakable flashing traces of intense anger. He took a step forward and surveyed the young man icily. "So what you mean to say is: this was your purpose in stealing my belongings," he said. It wasn't a question.
Owen instantly blanched. "Oh," he gasped as some sort of realization seemed to dawn on him. The hand that was gripping the spider-bot's remote began to tremble. "No, Mr. Mind. I wasn't trying to take a victory away from you, I just . . ." He swallowed hard. "I-I thought you'd be pleased." His voice had gotten very small.
Owen slid the remote control back into one of his side pockets - possibly so it wouldn't clatter out of his grip - and took a slow, nervous step forward. He cleared his throat in what was probably an attempt to force some strength back into his voice. He raised his empty hands entreatingly out in front of him.
"This was the only thing I could think of to give you to . . ." Owen winced. ". . . to make things up to you. I wanted to prove to you: I really am on your side."
His pleading hands curled into fists as he continued to hold them toward Megamind. "Your sworn enemy is completely at your mercy," he said breathlessly. "I may have found him for you, but it was all because of you that he was defeated." Owen's eyes brightened slightly as he spoke. "You know it, I know it, and soon the whole city will know it, too. You finally did it!"
Roxanne watched as the young man struggled to vindicate himself. His throat worked anxiously as he attempted to swallow down some of the obvious dread that had begun building up inside him.
"I read the notations you made in your database - especially the ones about the paradox gun," he explained. "I saw your theory about what it could do - even to someone with Metro Man's powers. And you were right. It worked! Just like you said it would!"
Roxanne could see Owen's eyes begin to spark back to life as he continued and it caused her stomach to turn uneasily. His initial panic was beginning to ebb away, his face was growing more and more elated, and his brown eyes were becoming bright and manic.
"I pulled the trigger," he confirmed, "but you . . . you made it all possible. It was your genius that finally put Metro Man in his place, once and for all. You're the one who actually defeated him, Mr. Mind . . ." Owen straightened his shoulders and a small, self-satisfied smile returned to his face. "And I was the one who helped you."
Megamind didn't respond to that. He merely continued to stare Owen down, just as he had been doing for the past several minutes. Owen's excessive flattery had clearly done nothing to quell the anger that seemed to be coming off Megamind's lean shoulders in waves.
Owen's excited smile faltered and weakened until it finally slipped entirely from his face. His body twitched nervously and his lip curled. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he muttered, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Then his voice began to rise. "What did I do wrong?" He instinctively backed up a step.
Megamind did not respond.
"I was only trying to help," Owen insisted adamantly, his voice pitching higher as he went on. His empty fists began to clench and unclench at his sides. "And I only did it because there was no way for you to have known-"
Then he stopped. He blinked. And a shadow of sudden suspicion crossed his features.
"Mr. Mind, you-" He paused and glanced back and forth between Megamind and the crumpled form of Metro Man. Megamind had completely turned his back to the hero at his feet, and had not acknowledged him since he had begun speaking to Owen. The young villain's head gave a twitchy little shake and he narrowed his gaze. "You knew, didn't you?" he said. His voice had become raspy. "You knew Metro Man wasn't really dead."
Megamind glared at the young man. A small, dour smirk began to twist at the corner of his lips. "Of course I knew," he replied matter-of-factly. "What do you take me for?"
At that, Owen's wide eyes seemed to go slightly out of focus with shock. He stared vacantly into the middle distance between him and Megamind. His thoughts must have been racing because at least a dozen different expressions flickered across his face in only a few short seconds. Then his brows knitted together and his confusion turned sharply into a very clear, very pronounced, anger.
"But," he countered, "all this time?" His eyes focused back on Megamind's face and his voice rose stridently with indignation. His shoulders began to rise and fall in quick, large movements. "He's been hiding right in front of you! For a whole year! And you're saying you knew?"
Megamind's shoulders straightened slightly and he almost seemed to give them a nonchalant shrug. "Of course," he repeated. He raised an index finger to tap it pointedly against his own temple. "I'm a super genius, Owen. There's very little I don't know."
Owen fumed. His hands tightened into quivering fists at his sides. Roxanne imagined that the young villain was quite literally witnessing the last vestiges of his plan crumble to pieces right in front of him. His citywide bombings had been stopped, he hadn't been able to coerce Megamind into returning to villainy, and now his attempt to use Wayne as a bargaining chip - a "gift" to help make amends - was a complete failure.
Roxanne grinned knowingly.
The "Fire Bug" was about to go down in flames.
Owen's body was quaking with barely contained fury as he locked eyes with Megamind across the short distance between them. Traces of hurt, anger, frustration, and betrayal flashed in quick succession over his face. He took a deep, heavy breath in through his nose, like a bull mustering itself up for a final charge.
"I see," the young man hissed bitterly. Then he shrugged. "So I guess that means you also knew about his little afternoon trysts with your girlfriend."
Megamind sniffed derisively.
"Naturally, I-"
Then he stopped, blinked, and stiffened.
"What?"
"What?" Roxanne also said, at nearly the exact same moment. But while Megamind's voice had suddenly gone quiet, hers was sharp and astonished as she stared, wide-eyed, at Owen.
Owen, on the other hand, slowly began to regain some of his lost composure. The anger in his face smoothed out a bit as he glanced from Megamind to Roxanne and back again. His eyes narrowed archly and a small, scornful smile started to curl on the corner of his lips.
"Oh," he said in a tone that was both innocent and scathing. "Guess that one slipped past you, huh?"
Roxanne's features melted into a scowl, but only briefly. Once she had shaken off the initial shock of what he had just said, part of her almost wanted to laugh. The young villain had been dropping hints all afternoon about revealing some sort of "truth" to Megamind - presumably about her. Now that the revelation had come out, however, it seemed almost too ridiculous for words.
That was it? That was Owen's last-ditch effort to win Megamind over? He was trying to make it seem as though she had secretly been seeing Wayne?
Roxanne's lips curved into a wry smirk and she audibly scoffed.
Megamind knew full well that she and Wayne had never been a couple, so Owen wasn't going to get anywhere with this plan either.
Megamind's body gave a visible little shake. He may have been slightly slower to recover from Owen's announcement than Roxanne had been, but eventually he, too, had banished any residual surprise that had been evident on his face. Once again, he was frowning balefully at the young villain. He crossed his arms over his chest and arched one eyebrow in irritation. "Don't be ridiculous," he said.
"Right," Owen countered. He shrugged contemptuously. "I guess it could just be a coincidence that I happened to find them both in the same place at the same time today." He crossed his arms over his own chest, mirroring Megmind's posture, then he crooked one finger against his chin in mock thoughtfulness. "But how to explain all those other times . . ." He also raised his eyebrow as his voice trailed off suggestively.
At that, Roxanne began to see red. She had heard enough. She was perfectly happy to let Owen's absurd claims crash and burn on their own, but she simply wouldn't stand here and allow him to make blatant, ugly insinuations about her - or about Wayne, for that matter. And she absolutely refused to allow him to attempt to use her as a means of getting under Megamind's skin.
She was finished being the villain's bait.
She reached forward and gripped the bars tightly. "That's the big revelation you've been threatening to make?" she spat indignantly, shaking her head. "You are so far off-base, Owen, it's not even funny."
"I'm sorry." The young villain faced her challengingly. "Is it customary to canoodle in public with one's presumed-dead ex during lunch break?" One of Owen's hands slid down his side and disappeared into his pocket again. "Because I've gotta say, it strikes me as a little suspicious." His voice purposely emphasized the last word, playfully but contemptuously.
Roxanne glared daggers at him. "Oh, you've really got some nerve, you know that?" she snarled. "But here's a news flash for you, Fire Bug: Megamind and I both knew Metro Man wasn't dead - for a long time, in fact." She clutched the bars tighter and looked Owen directly in the eyes. "So you can come up with all the vicious fabrications you want," she sneered, "but nothing you say is ever going to work."
Owen's lips twisted into a disdainful grin. "Oh, I don't need to say anything, Ms. Ritchi," he replied. There was a click-clack sound from across the room as the projector he had set up earlier sprang to life. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Not when these say about a thousand words a piece."
Owen's nasty smirk widened as he drew his hand from his pocket and held up the small, thumb-sized remote control he had used previously to turn the machine on. At first, there was only bright, white light illuminating the screen. Then, with another click-clack, an image slid into place.
Roxanne's eyes focused on it. A moment later, her stomach gave a distinct twist.
On the screen was an enlarged photograph of both her and Wayne, sitting together at the Café Beanery. Roxanne barely blinked as she studied the frozen image of her own face casting an earnest, glowing smile in her companion's direction. She was leaning across the surface of the small table between them, covering his large hand gently with her small one. Her expression radiated sincere affection, which Wayne returned in kind. His smile, beneath the shadow of his fedora, was lopsided, sweet, and far more genuine than the former, toothy grin of his heroic alter-ego.
At the sight of the picture, Roxanne suddenly couldn't breathe. She remembered that day very well. After all, the first time she had encountered Wayne at the café hadn't been that long ago. By itself, this captured moment was innocent and innocuous. If Roxanne remembered correctly, she and Wayne had even been discussing Megamind at the time - which would probably explain the faint blush dusting her cheeks in the photo. However, the method by which Owen had chosen to present it-
. . . Highlighting the openness of her smile, the happy shine in her blue eyes, the intimacy of their touching hands, the unguarded warmth in Wayne's honest face as he looked back at her . . .
-Owen had managed to turn it into something perverse.
Super-villainy. The thought struck Roxanne like a sledgehammer. It's all about presentation.
Owen clicked onto another slide. This one was similar to the first, but Roxanne noticed that her outfit was different. It was the one she had been wearing the day of the Metro Tower bombing. The new image depicted her and Wayne, once again sitting together, and leaning conspiratorially toward each other from across the table. On Roxanne's face was a bright, playful grin.
The next slide showed her once again in her original outfit. (Another from the first day, apparently.) Roxanne was lightly squeezing Wayne's arm and her eyes were slanted into a beguiling, sultry gaze - as though the camera had captured the image just as she had been batting her eyes dramatically. The frozen moment made her look excessively flirtatious.
The click-clack sound of the projector continued to echo through the hallway as Owen pressed his thumb upon the remote and the picture changed yet again.
By now, Roxanne's face was burning and her entire body was trembling with abject fury over Owen's outrageous new attempt at manipulation. Yet through it all, Megamind had yet to say a word. As Roxanne turned her head to finally meet his eyes, she expected to see his expression mirroring the incredulousness in her own.
What she saw instead was like a punch to the gut.
He wasn't even looking at her. His huge, green eyes were intensely fixated on the screen in a stunned, unblinking stare. His lips were parted slightly and he looked positively aghast as he stood across from her, silently frozen to the spot.
Roxanne's stomach turned. She had been so certain that his reactions would reflect hers: anger, indignation, and outrage over the sheer impossibility of Owen's claims. She wouldn't even have been surprised if, after a beat, Megamind had struck an overly-dramatic stance, as he was prone to do, smirked widely, and shot down Owen's last-ditch effort with a robust laugh and some well-placed banter.
But she hadn't expected this. Not this silent, desolate shock. Not after the months she and Megamind had spent together. Not after he had changed so much . . . after everything he had done for this city . . . after what he and Roxanne had shared. He had to know how much she cared for him. He had to know she would never . . .
But as she looked at him now, her heart spasmed with what felt like a very palpable stab of pain. Right before her eyes, Megamind's larger-than-life confidence had suddenly vanished. Every buried anxiety he had ever felt seemed to flash inexorably through his over-bright eyes. Every suppressed insecurity he had ever suffered as a result of his isolated and solitary life played across his expressive face in horrific detail.
The weight of it made Roxanne feel physically ill.
And as Megamind's jaw throbbed slightly, as his throat forced down a silent swallow, and as the relentlessly hollow echo of the rain pounded against the outside of the building, Roxanne vividly recalled where she had seen that expression before . . .
It had been raining that night, too.
God. Oh, God.
"Megamind."
She had intended to get his attention using a confident tone - something bold and strengthening to counteract the damage Owen was attempting to do. She had wanted her voice to anchor him, to assure him that what he was seeing simply wasn't true. That while the pictures were real, the sentiment displayed in them was an embellished lie. But when Roxanne spoke his name, the word instead slipped out in a breathless, desperate whisper.
Megamind did not react to the sound of her voice, however, and his eyes remained glued to the pictures on the screen.
Roxanne desperately wished she could go back in time and tell Megamind right away about running into Wayne at the coffee shop. At first, it hadn't seemed important, and later, when Wayne had asked her not to mention it, she had attempted to honor that request. But now . . .
"Megamind," she tried again, "please, listen to me-"
More than anything, she wanted to tell him that the afternoons she had spent with Wayne were nothing - that they had meant nothing. But that would have been a lie, too. Through those meetings, Wayne had become her friend - after years of merely being participants in an elaborate role-playing game, they had finally, truly forged a real friendship. And to deny him now - especially after what he had sacrificed today to protect her - would be equally cruel. She couldn't do that to Wayne; she couldn't treat him like he didn't matter - like what he had done for her didn't matter. She owed him at least that much.
No.
She needed to make this right. For both men. Roxanne Ritchi was not a woman who gave up easily, and she wouldn't give up now. Especially not now.
She took a deep breath, gathered herself, and forced some strength into her voice. "Megamind," she said, clearly and steadily, "you need to understand me. Wayne and I are friends. We're not-"
A small chuckle interrupted her from Owen's direction and she angrily shifted her gaze. He was standing there, arms crossed, and smirking at her.
"Oh no, go on," he urged lightly with an encouraging brush of his hand. "I did say I wanted to see you look him in the eye and try to deny this."
At that, Roxanne completely rounded him. "How dare you!" she exploded. "You manipulative little monster!"
Owen only seemed to use her fury as fuel. He scoffed at her in response. "Oh, come on, Ms. Ritchi," he said. "Don't take it out on me just because you got caught red-handed."
He shrugged. "Besides, you're in the media; you should know there are eyes everywhere." He looked around dramatically and wiggled his fingers for emphasis, then crossed his arms back over his chest again.
A memory suddenly hit Roxanne. Her eyes widened then narrowed, flashing at him venomously. "You were the one who bumped into me, weren't you?" she said accusingly. "That day in the coffee shop." Her fists clenched and unclenched with barely contained rage. "The guy with the cell phone." She cocked her head at him with a sneer. "Let me guess: camera?"
Owen smirked nastily.
The projector click-clacked again and again and the barrage of photographs continued their assault:
. . . Roxanne casting her eyes bashfully downward as she coyly swept her bangs across her forehead . . .
. . . Wayne propping his chin against the dome of his interlaced fingers as he leaned toward her from across the table, a wistful look on his face . . .
. . . Even more shots of Roxanne touching Wayne's arm or holding Wayne's hand . . .
. . . Meaningful, playful glances over the rim of a cup of coffee . . .
And through it all, Megamind stood frozen and thunderstruck, his rapt attention hostage to the images on the screen.
Roxanne squeezed her eyes shut until her head ached. She pressed the tight fists of both hands firmly against her temples. "Stop this," she said with a gasp. "Stop it!"
Owen paused and looked from her to the projector screen to Megamind and back again. By now he had managed to regain much of the confidence he had lost earlier, and when he spoke there was an unmistakable, villainous swagger in his voice.
"But Ms. Ritchi," he said with a cruel smile, "this last one is my favorite."
The click-clack of the machine echoed one more time through the hall. Roxanne opened her eyes, which felt slightly moist, and stared in horror at the final image.
In the photo, she was standing beside Wayne's chair, leaning down to his level and placing a tender kiss upon his cheek. Her eyes were closed softly, and one of her hands was gently cradling the other side of his face as her lips pressed against his skin.
When this had actually happened, the kiss had been quick, affectionate, and friendly. But this picture - from the angle of the shot to the focus on her face - made it seem much more meaningful . . . personal . . .
Intimate.
Roxanne let out a frustrated, anguished moan and gripped the bars in front of her - not certain she would be able to stand up straight otherwise.
Megamind blinked hard and finally managed to shift his attention away from the images on the projector screen. His wide eyes stared straight ahead, making little, darting movements within their sockets but focusing on nothing in particular. His thin chest expanded rhythmically with short, shallow breaths. Judging by the expression on his face, his thoughts were probably racing uncontrollably.
Roxanne pulled herself against the bars and searched his face intently. She wanted to reach out to him, but he was standing just out of range. ". . . Megamind . . ."
Owen mercifully scrolled past the final image, leaving the screen white and blank once more. Then, with a click of the remote, he shut the projector off.
"Look," he said carefully, "I know you probably feel like shooting the messenger. And believe me, after what happened today, I wouldn't blame you. But you needed to know about this, Mr. Mind." He slid the remote back into his pocket and took a cautious step toward Megamind, his empty hands raised in a calming gesture. "You needed to see it for yourself," he emphasized. "Your heroism is based on a lie. The people of this city don't care about you. Your girlfriend was just using you. And your old nemesis was hiding out under your nose." He sneered hostilely. "They must have been laughing so hard behind your back. Both of them."
"He's lying," Roxanne interjected angrily. Her voice was gravelly, but she had managed to make it calm and steady. "Megamind, I told you how things were. Last year, remember? Please tell me you're not believing this."
Megamind continued to stare off into space, his shoulders rising and falling in small, shallow movements as he breathed. Owen slightly shifted his position and attempted to move directly into Megamind's line of sight.
"I know you probably hate me right now," Owen said, his voice quiet and pacifying. "I know I have a long way to go toward earning any kind of trust. But I think, in time, you'll see I was right. I couldn't let them keep making a fool of you like that. They turned you into something you spent your entire life fighting against - something completely against your nature - then they indulged in their own agenda when your back was turned."
"No," Roxanne countered again, vehemently. "Megamind, you know that isn't true. None of it. I would never hurt you. And neither would Wayne." She wrapped her hands around the bars again and tried to will Megamind to look at her. "It was just coffee with a friend," she said adamantly. "And a creep with a camera and too much time on his hands," she added, casting a vicious, accusatory glare in Owen's direction.
Owen, however, continued to ignore her. He swallowed hard and stretched a pleading hand outward. "I spent most of my life planning to measure up to the villain that you were," he said as he then placed that hand over the beetle on his chest. "Let me try now, please. I'm the only one here who's really on your side."
Roxanne tightened her grip on the bars so much that the cut on her hand throbbed almost unbearably. "I'm warning you, Owen," she said. Her throat felt tight and her voice was low and dangerous. "I told you I wouldn't let you get away with dragging him down."
Owen finally cast her a sidelong glare. His eyes narrowed. "Check the mirror, Ms. Ritchi," he countered. "I'm not the one who did this. I just showed him what he needed to see."
"Who are you kidding?" Roxanne hissed darkly. "You didn't do this for him." Her stiff body trembled and her eyes began to sting. "You are selfish, and you're manipulative, Owen, and I promise you: I will find a way to make you pay for doing this."
Owen's lip curled. "And I told you to just try it," he retorted. "Take your best shot."
". . . Enough . . ."
Both Roxanne and Owen turned at the raspy sound of Megamind's voice.
Megamind's eyes slid closed for a moment. When he reopened them, they had regained some of their focus. He aimed them pointedly in Owen's direction first, regarding the young villain with a stony glare. "I've heard enough."
Click here for Chapter 14 Part 2.
Author: Rummi (
sharelle)Characters / Pairing: Ensemble / Megamind/Roxanne
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Drama, betrayal, and super-villainy.
Word Count: 10,660 total (4,546 this section)
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: Very often when I write a story, I begin with a solid visual of the ending. So, as is customary with me, many of the scenes in this chapter have been bouncing around my head since this fic's inception. I was so happy to finally write them - and yet so anxious for them to be perfect that working them over took a very long time. The chapter ended up being much more lengthy than I had originally intended (the longest chapter of the story, in fact), but I'm actually very happy with the way it turned out. I really hope my readers like it, too!
As usual, so much credit goes to the lovely ladies who took the time to look this over for me. This story is truly better because of them. I don't know what I would do without you,
ray_wing and dani_kin. Your help, your advice, your reassurance, your spot-checking, and your creative consulting are appreciated far beyond words. Dani, I'm particularly grateful for your assistance in streamlining this massive chapter. ♥Due to its length, this chapter is split into two parts. The link to Part 2 is at the bottom.
After this, one more chapter remains! I hope you enjoy!
by Rummi
Chapter 14 - Boiling Point (Part 1)
"Tempt not a desperate man."
(Romeo & Juliet Act V, Scene iii)
Roxanne was only distantly aware of the spider-bot silently crawling outside again, retreating back to the open-air section of the old elephant paddock. Wayne had been dumped half onto his side, where he briefly remained in a motionless, hunched pile. A moment later, he attempted to twist his torso and push himself into a more upright position. As he moved, beads of rainwater rolled across the surface of the boa plasma in strange, shimmery rivulets. They puddled on the floor around Wayne's body. He and the spider-bot must have been outside this entire time.
At first Megamind didn't move. He stood frozen and staring at the oversized offering that now lay at his feet. Roxanne could see that his eyes were still wide and his expression still aghast, but after a few moments of watching him, she also began to see a flicker of something else in his face.
Something very familiar.
Her gaze quickly shifted back to Wayne. Although Roxanne was relieved to finally see him again, it was obvious that he wasn't faring any better than he had been the last time she had seen him. The boa plasma was still molded to every inch of his body, and every movement he made appeared strenuous and difficult - as though he was physically wrestling against his own super strength just to do something as simple as raise his head. Seeing him like this was both surreal and scary for Roxanne. In many ways, it was even worse than the memory of a flayed skeleton strewn upon the fake observatory floor.
Because this time, it wasn't just a charade.
This time, it really was Metro Man - sprawled at the feet of his former nemesis, slumped in an undignified heap, and struggling just to move.
Wayne grunted with exertion as, inch-by-inch, he fought to twist and lift his body. If anything, he seemed to be struggling even more than he had before. The time spent trapped inside that substance must have really been taking its toll. His gritted teeth and the strain in his chiseled jaw betrayed the effort he was expending to just push himself up from his position on the floor. His head drooped and his hair created a shaggy curtain over his eyes. His shoulders sloped tensely as he tried to get one arm propped beneath him.
After what felt like an endless stretch of time, Megamind finally moved. He approached Wayne slowly, never once taking his eyes off him.
Roxanne watched as the new expression she had seen flicker across Megamind's face a moment ago began to become much clearer - much more defined. She knew that look; she knew it very well. She had seen it on him countless times before - back when he had still been a villain, as well as since he had become a hero. On Megamind's expressive face, it was unmistakable.
It was a look of utter fascination.
Megamind stopped directly in front of Wayne's prone form and, after a brief pause, crouched slowly down to his former rival's level. He barely blinked as he took in every facet of what was in front of him. His head cocked to the side and his huge, inquisitive green eyes flitted back and forth rapidly. They roved over every detail before them, gazing curiously and clinically as Wayne continued his strenuous efforts to raise himself.
After another moment of intense scrutiny, Megamind sank all the way to one knee and leaned forward against his arm. Then he reached out, placed his other hand beneath Wayne's scruffy chin, and guided the former hero's head upward so they were finally looking each other squarely in the face.
Roxanne's lips parted and she inhaled a small, startled breath. She recalled the day, not very long ago, when Megamind had first demonstrated the effects of the paradox gun to her. He had said that once an object was encased in the cloudy plasma its movements were extremely limited, but that external forces could act upon it without much difficulty. Roxanne could now truly see what he had meant by that. Up to this point, Wayne's own movements had been strained, difficult, and tense, however when Megamind had reached forward and raised his chin, the action looked almost as effortless as . . .
Well, . . . as effortless as anything Metro Man, himself, had ever done.
Megamind said nothing at first, but continued to stare, captivated. He tilted Wayne's head from one side to the other, examining him closely - almost scientifically - and looking every bit as spellbound as he had the day he and Roxanne had first discovered Wayne alive in the bunker beneath the old schoolhouse by the lake.
Wayne, on the other hand, had no choice but to yield to the movement of Megamind's hand. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but all he seemed capable of right now was heavy, labored breathing. Roxanne wasn't surprised; he had been fighting the boa plasma for hours.
After another moment, Megamind reached forward with his other hand and took hold of one of Wayne's arms. He slid the limb forward so it could serve as a support for Wayne's upper body, propping him up off the floor so he wouldn't fall forward again.
Roxanne couldn't help but think of an artist molding clay as she watched Megamind easily manipulate Wayne's body position - in a way that Wayne, even with all his super strength, had been unable to do for himself a moment ago.
For another minute or so, Megamind's huge, fascinated eyes drank in every detail of the tableau before him. Then he paused, his head once again tilting curiously. He looked Wayne fully in the face again and finally spoke.
His words, however, were not directed at Wayne.
"What is he doing here?" he asked Owen pointedly.
Owen's body gave an awkward shift. He looked back and forth in slight confusion, mutely gesturing with his open hand for a moment, then his arms dropped unceremoniously to his sides. The hand holding the spider-bot's remote just sort of sagged beside his hip. He looked puzzled.
"Why is he here?" he replied incredulously. Clearly Megamind's question wasn't the one he had been expecting. "Well . . . I mean, it's . . ." Owen's lips twisted bemusedly and his features set into an odd, perplexed squint. "I-it's Metro Man," he concluded, as though that were explanation enough, and motioned feebly forward with both hands.
Megamind finally turned his head to the baffled young man, giving him a measured, peevish look over his shoulder. His previously wide eyes had narrowed into a stern glare.
"I can see that it's Metro Man," he retorted edgily. "That wasn't what I asked." Megamind rose to his feet again and faced Owen directly, leaving Wayne propped heavily against his own arm. "What I fail to see is how his presence here factors into your city-wide grudge."
Owen looked taken aback. He blinked in silence for a moment. Then his mouth began to move wordlessly, like a stranded fish. It was several seconds before he was able to force any sound out. "But I thought you . . . I-I mean he was-" he stammered, ineffectually fidgeting with the spider-bot's remote control as he spoke. "He's your enemy."
Megamind arched one eyebrow impassively. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the flustered young man. "Again," he droned coldly, "I'm very much aware of who he is. If there's a point to all this, though, Owen, I'm still waiting to hear it."
Owen shifted again, and Roxanne could see his face growing steadily paler. "I-I told you," he stuttered uncomfortably. "I needed to make up for . . . for what I did. I needed something big - something important. So . . ." Owen gestured insistently toward Wayne's large, hunched form on the floor. His voice began to rise with what sounded like hints of panic. "He's yours," he insisted. "I-I got him for you."
Megamind sneered. His green eyes reignited with unmistakable flashing traces of intense anger. He took a step forward and surveyed the young man icily. "So what you mean to say is: this was your purpose in stealing my belongings," he said. It wasn't a question.
Owen instantly blanched. "Oh," he gasped as some sort of realization seemed to dawn on him. The hand that was gripping the spider-bot's remote began to tremble. "No, Mr. Mind. I wasn't trying to take a victory away from you, I just . . ." He swallowed hard. "I-I thought you'd be pleased." His voice had gotten very small.
Owen slid the remote control back into one of his side pockets - possibly so it wouldn't clatter out of his grip - and took a slow, nervous step forward. He cleared his throat in what was probably an attempt to force some strength back into his voice. He raised his empty hands entreatingly out in front of him.
"This was the only thing I could think of to give you to . . ." Owen winced. ". . . to make things up to you. I wanted to prove to you: I really am on your side."
His pleading hands curled into fists as he continued to hold them toward Megamind. "Your sworn enemy is completely at your mercy," he said breathlessly. "I may have found him for you, but it was all because of you that he was defeated." Owen's eyes brightened slightly as he spoke. "You know it, I know it, and soon the whole city will know it, too. You finally did it!"
Roxanne watched as the young man struggled to vindicate himself. His throat worked anxiously as he attempted to swallow down some of the obvious dread that had begun building up inside him.
"I read the notations you made in your database - especially the ones about the paradox gun," he explained. "I saw your theory about what it could do - even to someone with Metro Man's powers. And you were right. It worked! Just like you said it would!"
Roxanne could see Owen's eyes begin to spark back to life as he continued and it caused her stomach to turn uneasily. His initial panic was beginning to ebb away, his face was growing more and more elated, and his brown eyes were becoming bright and manic.
"I pulled the trigger," he confirmed, "but you . . . you made it all possible. It was your genius that finally put Metro Man in his place, once and for all. You're the one who actually defeated him, Mr. Mind . . ." Owen straightened his shoulders and a small, self-satisfied smile returned to his face. "And I was the one who helped you."
Megamind didn't respond to that. He merely continued to stare Owen down, just as he had been doing for the past several minutes. Owen's excessive flattery had clearly done nothing to quell the anger that seemed to be coming off Megamind's lean shoulders in waves.
Owen's excited smile faltered and weakened until it finally slipped entirely from his face. His body twitched nervously and his lip curled. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he muttered, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Then his voice began to rise. "What did I do wrong?" He instinctively backed up a step.
Megamind did not respond.
"I was only trying to help," Owen insisted adamantly, his voice pitching higher as he went on. His empty fists began to clench and unclench at his sides. "And I only did it because there was no way for you to have known-"
Then he stopped. He blinked. And a shadow of sudden suspicion crossed his features.
"Mr. Mind, you-" He paused and glanced back and forth between Megamind and the crumpled form of Metro Man. Megamind had completely turned his back to the hero at his feet, and had not acknowledged him since he had begun speaking to Owen. The young villain's head gave a twitchy little shake and he narrowed his gaze. "You knew, didn't you?" he said. His voice had become raspy. "You knew Metro Man wasn't really dead."
Megamind glared at the young man. A small, dour smirk began to twist at the corner of his lips. "Of course I knew," he replied matter-of-factly. "What do you take me for?"
At that, Owen's wide eyes seemed to go slightly out of focus with shock. He stared vacantly into the middle distance between him and Megamind. His thoughts must have been racing because at least a dozen different expressions flickered across his face in only a few short seconds. Then his brows knitted together and his confusion turned sharply into a very clear, very pronounced, anger.
"But," he countered, "all this time?" His eyes focused back on Megamind's face and his voice rose stridently with indignation. His shoulders began to rise and fall in quick, large movements. "He's been hiding right in front of you! For a whole year! And you're saying you knew?"
Megamind's shoulders straightened slightly and he almost seemed to give them a nonchalant shrug. "Of course," he repeated. He raised an index finger to tap it pointedly against his own temple. "I'm a super genius, Owen. There's very little I don't know."
Owen fumed. His hands tightened into quivering fists at his sides. Roxanne imagined that the young villain was quite literally witnessing the last vestiges of his plan crumble to pieces right in front of him. His citywide bombings had been stopped, he hadn't been able to coerce Megamind into returning to villainy, and now his attempt to use Wayne as a bargaining chip - a "gift" to help make amends - was a complete failure.
Roxanne grinned knowingly.
The "Fire Bug" was about to go down in flames.
Owen's body was quaking with barely contained fury as he locked eyes with Megamind across the short distance between them. Traces of hurt, anger, frustration, and betrayal flashed in quick succession over his face. He took a deep, heavy breath in through his nose, like a bull mustering itself up for a final charge.
"I see," the young man hissed bitterly. Then he shrugged. "So I guess that means you also knew about his little afternoon trysts with your girlfriend."
Megamind sniffed derisively.
"Naturally, I-"
Then he stopped, blinked, and stiffened.
"What?"
"What?" Roxanne also said, at nearly the exact same moment. But while Megamind's voice had suddenly gone quiet, hers was sharp and astonished as she stared, wide-eyed, at Owen.
Owen, on the other hand, slowly began to regain some of his lost composure. The anger in his face smoothed out a bit as he glanced from Megamind to Roxanne and back again. His eyes narrowed archly and a small, scornful smile started to curl on the corner of his lips.
"Oh," he said in a tone that was both innocent and scathing. "Guess that one slipped past you, huh?"
Roxanne's features melted into a scowl, but only briefly. Once she had shaken off the initial shock of what he had just said, part of her almost wanted to laugh. The young villain had been dropping hints all afternoon about revealing some sort of "truth" to Megamind - presumably about her. Now that the revelation had come out, however, it seemed almost too ridiculous for words.
That was it? That was Owen's last-ditch effort to win Megamind over? He was trying to make it seem as though she had secretly been seeing Wayne?
Roxanne's lips curved into a wry smirk and she audibly scoffed.
Megamind knew full well that she and Wayne had never been a couple, so Owen wasn't going to get anywhere with this plan either.
Megamind's body gave a visible little shake. He may have been slightly slower to recover from Owen's announcement than Roxanne had been, but eventually he, too, had banished any residual surprise that had been evident on his face. Once again, he was frowning balefully at the young villain. He crossed his arms over his chest and arched one eyebrow in irritation. "Don't be ridiculous," he said.
"Right," Owen countered. He shrugged contemptuously. "I guess it could just be a coincidence that I happened to find them both in the same place at the same time today." He crossed his arms over his own chest, mirroring Megmind's posture, then he crooked one finger against his chin in mock thoughtfulness. "But how to explain all those other times . . ." He also raised his eyebrow as his voice trailed off suggestively.
At that, Roxanne began to see red. She had heard enough. She was perfectly happy to let Owen's absurd claims crash and burn on their own, but she simply wouldn't stand here and allow him to make blatant, ugly insinuations about her - or about Wayne, for that matter. And she absolutely refused to allow him to attempt to use her as a means of getting under Megamind's skin.
She was finished being the villain's bait.
She reached forward and gripped the bars tightly. "That's the big revelation you've been threatening to make?" she spat indignantly, shaking her head. "You are so far off-base, Owen, it's not even funny."
"I'm sorry." The young villain faced her challengingly. "Is it customary to canoodle in public with one's presumed-dead ex during lunch break?" One of Owen's hands slid down his side and disappeared into his pocket again. "Because I've gotta say, it strikes me as a little suspicious." His voice purposely emphasized the last word, playfully but contemptuously.
Roxanne glared daggers at him. "Oh, you've really got some nerve, you know that?" she snarled. "But here's a news flash for you, Fire Bug: Megamind and I both knew Metro Man wasn't dead - for a long time, in fact." She clutched the bars tighter and looked Owen directly in the eyes. "So you can come up with all the vicious fabrications you want," she sneered, "but nothing you say is ever going to work."
Owen's lips twisted into a disdainful grin. "Oh, I don't need to say anything, Ms. Ritchi," he replied. There was a click-clack sound from across the room as the projector he had set up earlier sprang to life. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Not when these say about a thousand words a piece."
Owen's nasty smirk widened as he drew his hand from his pocket and held up the small, thumb-sized remote control he had used previously to turn the machine on. At first, there was only bright, white light illuminating the screen. Then, with another click-clack, an image slid into place.
Roxanne's eyes focused on it. A moment later, her stomach gave a distinct twist.
On the screen was an enlarged photograph of both her and Wayne, sitting together at the Café Beanery. Roxanne barely blinked as she studied the frozen image of her own face casting an earnest, glowing smile in her companion's direction. She was leaning across the surface of the small table between them, covering his large hand gently with her small one. Her expression radiated sincere affection, which Wayne returned in kind. His smile, beneath the shadow of his fedora, was lopsided, sweet, and far more genuine than the former, toothy grin of his heroic alter-ego.
At the sight of the picture, Roxanne suddenly couldn't breathe. She remembered that day very well. After all, the first time she had encountered Wayne at the café hadn't been that long ago. By itself, this captured moment was innocent and innocuous. If Roxanne remembered correctly, she and Wayne had even been discussing Megamind at the time - which would probably explain the faint blush dusting her cheeks in the photo. However, the method by which Owen had chosen to present it-
. . . Highlighting the openness of her smile, the happy shine in her blue eyes, the intimacy of their touching hands, the unguarded warmth in Wayne's honest face as he looked back at her . . .
-Owen had managed to turn it into something perverse.
Super-villainy. The thought struck Roxanne like a sledgehammer. It's all about presentation.
Owen clicked onto another slide. This one was similar to the first, but Roxanne noticed that her outfit was different. It was the one she had been wearing the day of the Metro Tower bombing. The new image depicted her and Wayne, once again sitting together, and leaning conspiratorially toward each other from across the table. On Roxanne's face was a bright, playful grin.
The next slide showed her once again in her original outfit. (Another from the first day, apparently.) Roxanne was lightly squeezing Wayne's arm and her eyes were slanted into a beguiling, sultry gaze - as though the camera had captured the image just as she had been batting her eyes dramatically. The frozen moment made her look excessively flirtatious.
The click-clack sound of the projector continued to echo through the hallway as Owen pressed his thumb upon the remote and the picture changed yet again.
By now, Roxanne's face was burning and her entire body was trembling with abject fury over Owen's outrageous new attempt at manipulation. Yet through it all, Megamind had yet to say a word. As Roxanne turned her head to finally meet his eyes, she expected to see his expression mirroring the incredulousness in her own.
What she saw instead was like a punch to the gut.
He wasn't even looking at her. His huge, green eyes were intensely fixated on the screen in a stunned, unblinking stare. His lips were parted slightly and he looked positively aghast as he stood across from her, silently frozen to the spot.
Roxanne's stomach turned. She had been so certain that his reactions would reflect hers: anger, indignation, and outrage over the sheer impossibility of Owen's claims. She wouldn't even have been surprised if, after a beat, Megamind had struck an overly-dramatic stance, as he was prone to do, smirked widely, and shot down Owen's last-ditch effort with a robust laugh and some well-placed banter.
But she hadn't expected this. Not this silent, desolate shock. Not after the months she and Megamind had spent together. Not after he had changed so much . . . after everything he had done for this city . . . after what he and Roxanne had shared. He had to know how much she cared for him. He had to know she would never . . .
But as she looked at him now, her heart spasmed with what felt like a very palpable stab of pain. Right before her eyes, Megamind's larger-than-life confidence had suddenly vanished. Every buried anxiety he had ever felt seemed to flash inexorably through his over-bright eyes. Every suppressed insecurity he had ever suffered as a result of his isolated and solitary life played across his expressive face in horrific detail.
The weight of it made Roxanne feel physically ill.
And as Megamind's jaw throbbed slightly, as his throat forced down a silent swallow, and as the relentlessly hollow echo of the rain pounded against the outside of the building, Roxanne vividly recalled where she had seen that expression before . . .
It had been raining that night, too.
God. Oh, God.
"Megamind."
She had intended to get his attention using a confident tone - something bold and strengthening to counteract the damage Owen was attempting to do. She had wanted her voice to anchor him, to assure him that what he was seeing simply wasn't true. That while the pictures were real, the sentiment displayed in them was an embellished lie. But when Roxanne spoke his name, the word instead slipped out in a breathless, desperate whisper.
Megamind did not react to the sound of her voice, however, and his eyes remained glued to the pictures on the screen.
Roxanne desperately wished she could go back in time and tell Megamind right away about running into Wayne at the coffee shop. At first, it hadn't seemed important, and later, when Wayne had asked her not to mention it, she had attempted to honor that request. But now . . .
"Megamind," she tried again, "please, listen to me-"
More than anything, she wanted to tell him that the afternoons she had spent with Wayne were nothing - that they had meant nothing. But that would have been a lie, too. Through those meetings, Wayne had become her friend - after years of merely being participants in an elaborate role-playing game, they had finally, truly forged a real friendship. And to deny him now - especially after what he had sacrificed today to protect her - would be equally cruel. She couldn't do that to Wayne; she couldn't treat him like he didn't matter - like what he had done for her didn't matter. She owed him at least that much.
No.
She needed to make this right. For both men. Roxanne Ritchi was not a woman who gave up easily, and she wouldn't give up now. Especially not now.
She took a deep breath, gathered herself, and forced some strength into her voice. "Megamind," she said, clearly and steadily, "you need to understand me. Wayne and I are friends. We're not-"
A small chuckle interrupted her from Owen's direction and she angrily shifted her gaze. He was standing there, arms crossed, and smirking at her.
"Oh no, go on," he urged lightly with an encouraging brush of his hand. "I did say I wanted to see you look him in the eye and try to deny this."
At that, Roxanne completely rounded him. "How dare you!" she exploded. "You manipulative little monster!"
Owen only seemed to use her fury as fuel. He scoffed at her in response. "Oh, come on, Ms. Ritchi," he said. "Don't take it out on me just because you got caught red-handed."
He shrugged. "Besides, you're in the media; you should know there are eyes everywhere." He looked around dramatically and wiggled his fingers for emphasis, then crossed his arms back over his chest again.
A memory suddenly hit Roxanne. Her eyes widened then narrowed, flashing at him venomously. "You were the one who bumped into me, weren't you?" she said accusingly. "That day in the coffee shop." Her fists clenched and unclenched with barely contained rage. "The guy with the cell phone." She cocked her head at him with a sneer. "Let me guess: camera?"
Owen smirked nastily.
The projector click-clacked again and again and the barrage of photographs continued their assault:
. . . Roxanne casting her eyes bashfully downward as she coyly swept her bangs across her forehead . . .
. . . Wayne propping his chin against the dome of his interlaced fingers as he leaned toward her from across the table, a wistful look on his face . . .
. . . Even more shots of Roxanne touching Wayne's arm or holding Wayne's hand . . .
. . . Meaningful, playful glances over the rim of a cup of coffee . . .
And through it all, Megamind stood frozen and thunderstruck, his rapt attention hostage to the images on the screen.
Roxanne squeezed her eyes shut until her head ached. She pressed the tight fists of both hands firmly against her temples. "Stop this," she said with a gasp. "Stop it!"
Owen paused and looked from her to the projector screen to Megamind and back again. By now he had managed to regain much of the confidence he had lost earlier, and when he spoke there was an unmistakable, villainous swagger in his voice.
"But Ms. Ritchi," he said with a cruel smile, "this last one is my favorite."
The click-clack of the machine echoed one more time through the hall. Roxanne opened her eyes, which felt slightly moist, and stared in horror at the final image.
In the photo, she was standing beside Wayne's chair, leaning down to his level and placing a tender kiss upon his cheek. Her eyes were closed softly, and one of her hands was gently cradling the other side of his face as her lips pressed against his skin.
When this had actually happened, the kiss had been quick, affectionate, and friendly. But this picture - from the angle of the shot to the focus on her face - made it seem much more meaningful . . . personal . . .
Intimate.
Roxanne let out a frustrated, anguished moan and gripped the bars in front of her - not certain she would be able to stand up straight otherwise.
Megamind blinked hard and finally managed to shift his attention away from the images on the projector screen. His wide eyes stared straight ahead, making little, darting movements within their sockets but focusing on nothing in particular. His thin chest expanded rhythmically with short, shallow breaths. Judging by the expression on his face, his thoughts were probably racing uncontrollably.
Roxanne pulled herself against the bars and searched his face intently. She wanted to reach out to him, but he was standing just out of range. ". . . Megamind . . ."
Owen mercifully scrolled past the final image, leaving the screen white and blank once more. Then, with a click of the remote, he shut the projector off.
"Look," he said carefully, "I know you probably feel like shooting the messenger. And believe me, after what happened today, I wouldn't blame you. But you needed to know about this, Mr. Mind." He slid the remote back into his pocket and took a cautious step toward Megamind, his empty hands raised in a calming gesture. "You needed to see it for yourself," he emphasized. "Your heroism is based on a lie. The people of this city don't care about you. Your girlfriend was just using you. And your old nemesis was hiding out under your nose." He sneered hostilely. "They must have been laughing so hard behind your back. Both of them."
"He's lying," Roxanne interjected angrily. Her voice was gravelly, but she had managed to make it calm and steady. "Megamind, I told you how things were. Last year, remember? Please tell me you're not believing this."
Megamind continued to stare off into space, his shoulders rising and falling in small, shallow movements as he breathed. Owen slightly shifted his position and attempted to move directly into Megamind's line of sight.
"I know you probably hate me right now," Owen said, his voice quiet and pacifying. "I know I have a long way to go toward earning any kind of trust. But I think, in time, you'll see I was right. I couldn't let them keep making a fool of you like that. They turned you into something you spent your entire life fighting against - something completely against your nature - then they indulged in their own agenda when your back was turned."
"No," Roxanne countered again, vehemently. "Megamind, you know that isn't true. None of it. I would never hurt you. And neither would Wayne." She wrapped her hands around the bars again and tried to will Megamind to look at her. "It was just coffee with a friend," she said adamantly. "And a creep with a camera and too much time on his hands," she added, casting a vicious, accusatory glare in Owen's direction.
Owen, however, continued to ignore her. He swallowed hard and stretched a pleading hand outward. "I spent most of my life planning to measure up to the villain that you were," he said as he then placed that hand over the beetle on his chest. "Let me try now, please. I'm the only one here who's really on your side."
Roxanne tightened her grip on the bars so much that the cut on her hand throbbed almost unbearably. "I'm warning you, Owen," she said. Her throat felt tight and her voice was low and dangerous. "I told you I wouldn't let you get away with dragging him down."
Owen finally cast her a sidelong glare. His eyes narrowed. "Check the mirror, Ms. Ritchi," he countered. "I'm not the one who did this. I just showed him what he needed to see."
"Who are you kidding?" Roxanne hissed darkly. "You didn't do this for him." Her stiff body trembled and her eyes began to sting. "You are selfish, and you're manipulative, Owen, and I promise you: I will find a way to make you pay for doing this."
Owen's lip curled. "And I told you to just try it," he retorted. "Take your best shot."
". . . Enough . . ."
Both Roxanne and Owen turned at the raspy sound of Megamind's voice.
Megamind's eyes slid closed for a moment. When he reopened them, they had regained some of their focus. He aimed them pointedly in Owen's direction first, regarding the young villain with a stony glare. "I've heard enough."
Click here for Chapter 14 Part 2.
