Cautiously Optimistic

Ninnik Nishukan

Summary: "The city parks are restored to their original glory, the streets the safest they've been, the banks reopened! Has something happened to Megamind? Has someone tamed this monster? This is Roxanne Ritchi, cautiously optimistic and pleasantly confused."

Roxanne couldn't seem to finish eating her late dinner. Whenever she picked up her fork, she ended up just dropping it again, and turning her head to stare out the window. These last few weeks with Bernard had been just what she'd needed, and random memories of their conversations, his engaged, excited smile and the warm feeling of his hand in hers had a tendency to distract her at work. Tonight, however, she was preoccupied with someone else.

She and Bernard had been able to actually have a picnic on the grass in the park a few days ago because Megamind had cleaned up the city.

She and Bernard had been able to go look at some of her favorite pieces of art again because Megamind had put everything back where he found it.

Tonight as she was walking home from work, there had been brainbots patrolling the streets. None of her coworkers had been mugged for two weeks, including her, and she'd been interviewing many citizens who'd all said the same thing. Because of Megamind.

And yesterday, the banks reopened because Megamind had returned all the money he stole during his first week as the ruler of Metro City.

What in the world was going on? Why would he start out by terrorizing them like that and then all of a sudden do a complete one-eighty?

What could possibly have happened to him?

Why was he changing? Or was he really changing? Was he perhaps just lulling them into a false sense of security so it'd be that much worse when he struck again?

She had to know.

Dropping her fork again onto her plate with a clatter, she started tapping her fingernails on the kitchen table. Her loud, impatient sigh echoed through her high-ceilinged apartment.

Couldn't she just…well, couldn't she just go over there and ask him?

After all, he'd never harmed her before, and since he'd finally taken over the city, she could see no reason he could have to harm her now. Besides, it'd be worth it to put herself in danger if she could get to the bottom of all this and figure out what was going to happen with the city.

She glanced at her watch. It was getting kind of late, but he was a mad scientist, so he was bound to still be up, right?

Slowly starting to warm up to the idea, her curiosity got the better of her in the end, so she picked up her shoes and went to the door—

Out of nowhere, the horrifying sight of Metro Man's skeleton, lying in a crumpled heap under his curiously undamaged cape, flashed across her mind.

She couldn't believe she'd been able to push that fact to the back of her mind long enough to even consider actually visiting that— that—

Maybe Megamind isn't so bad after all, Bernard had remarked as they'd joyfully wandered through the Metro City Museum of Art, looking at all the restored paintings. Perhaps he'd been right, but Megamind was still bad. If anything, he was less bad, that was all.

Making speculations on the nine o'clock news about what his motives were for doing something constructive with the city was one thing. This, on the other hand, was sort of unforgivable. She couldn't let herself forget that the city had lost its hero due to Megamind just because he'd done something positive recently. It'd been shamefully easy, though, considering she hadn't seen Megamind as a real threat for many, many years.

But he was a threat now, and she couldn't let herself forget it.

It had to be some sort of ploy. She and Bernard would just have to make the most out of having a clean, safe city at their disposal while they still could.

Dropping her shoes on the floor by the door, she went to get ready for bed instead.

Author's note: More longish drabbles to come. I can't seem to stop writing about this movie. :D Those who want to can join me and other Megamind fans at the megamind_movie LiveJournal community. :)