FIRST PRACTICE TO DECIEVE

Megamind- Roxanne hasn't seen her family for ten years, and she wants to introduce Megamind to a normal family environment. There's just one little problem- her family believes Roxanne has been working with the TV station to make-up the whole rivalry between Metro-man and Megamind. They don't believe that alien's really exist.

"Roxy, I promised Bernard I wouldn't imitate him again," Megamind said, looking annoyed and puzzled at the same time. "Besides I thought you liked me this way."

"I do." Roxanne sighed. Even when he kept kidnapping her for his plots, she'd always been kind of glad that Megamind was a little bit good-looking. Better than most of the villains she'd read about or seen in the movies or on TV. Way better the a good percentage of the aliens that had been shown. "It's just that- well I don't think they're quite ready for your-um-blueness."

"No one is ever ready for my 'blueness'," Megamind raised a slim eyebrow at his girlfriend. "The only thing going for me in that department is that at least I wasn't grey or green. No one would trust me then!"

He had a point, Roxanne admitted to herself. Grey-skin and he would be the picture-perfect Roswell alien, which probably would have meant things even she didn't want to think about. "Grey's been done to death and green skin is so Kansas," she answered.

"And when something happens to short out the watch and I'm suddenly looking quite alien in the midst of a whole bunch of people?" Megamind folded his arms over his skinny chest. "Not to mention when said people realize that I'm the one who frequently planed your kidnappings?"

Roxanne grimaced at that one. "Megamind, I wouldn't even ask this of you. Truth is, my parents honestly believe that I've been doing an on-going story to boost ratings for my station."

"What?"

"They think I made everything up, or that I've been going along with someone else's made-up plan," Roxanne breathed out slowly.

"Um,"Minion cut in, "I know you're 'movie magic' is good and all, but just how could you do that with only one TV station. The movie credits have hundreds of names for the people involved in the story."

Roxanne shrugged. "People have the strange ability to convince themselves of almost anything, even if they have no real evidence of the contrary."

"Like Hal?"

"Yeah," Roxy turned to Megamind, "Hal's a rather extreme example of it, but yeah, he convinced himself that I was in love with him."

"Why would you parents believe you were doing this?" Minion asked.

"They don't believe aliens exist," Roxanne answered. "So every example of aliens must be a hoax, a fake or part of a sci-fi special."

Megamind rolled his eyes and let out a snort of derision. "Really now, I know you humans are fully aware the universe is an infinite space, which follows that if life rose here on Earth it probably happened somewhere else too."

"Well, Metro-man looked human enough," Minion said, "and you're people weren't exactly out exploring the galaxy Megamind."

The blue genius grimaced at that, his green eyes closing as he shoved the pain down out of the way. "Yes, Minion. I am aware of that."

"Besides, they live on the east coast in Virginia," Roxanne added, "and-well- that means taking a plane unless you want to drive for three days straight."

"They live where?"

"Virginia. Why what about it?"

Megamind swiftly walked over to his computer and started entering data. Rolling her eyes, Roxanne turned to Minion.

"We've never left Metro-City," Minion explained.

"I thought you said you got this stuff from a ware-house in Romania!"

"Human internet and a prison guard who happened to have relatives living over there," Megamind answered, not looking up from what he was doing.

"Oh," Roxanne mouthed. "So what are you doing?"

"Well, I did promise Bernard I wouldn't use his image again," Megamind began. "Even though he can't exactly complain about it."

Roxanne smiled. After everything had been done, Megamind had restored Bernard, given him a tour of the evil lair, signed one of his books, and set him up in a much better position than the one he'd had before. The man was even cautiously friendly towards them now-at least when no one else was watching.

"So I'm trying to see if I can get the watch to create a transformation by taking several different people's traits and combining them. "

"You might want to water proof it sir," Minion added.

"I already have Minion," Megamind answered.

"So you are going with me?"

"I really can't refuse you now can I?" Megamind smiled at her. "Beside's I've never seen Veerginny."

"Virginia," Roxanne corrected with a smile.

"Right," Megamind turned back to the computer.

"I can give you a week to work on that," she said, "Saturday where catching the plane to Virginia."

Megamind had never been comfortable in crowds. Even when he'd been masquerading as Bernard he hadn't really enjoyed them. Now there were babies crying, people talking loudely into their cell phones, and others dashing frantically from one 'gate' to another. He wasn't really sure why they were called "gates'. They didn't look like any gate Megamind had ever seen, but then he'd long since learned that most human languages had words with various meanings applied to them.

True, he wasn't his usual skinny, blue, big-headed and handsome self; he looked just like a normal human. A bit like Bernard, but with more of Megamind's own facial features and dark brown hair that was intentionally messy. Wearing a cream-colored turtle-neck shirt and brown pants with light brown shoes, Megamind thought himself presentable. At least Roxanne had approved of the outfit.

"Gate 7A, United Airlines-straight through to Richmond Virginia," Roxanne emerged from the crowd after checking their bags.

"This place is a maze," he said as they headed off. He readjusted the glasses he had over his green eyes.

"You'll be fine," Roxanne assured him, "see- Gate 7A."

They went through the security checks, and Megamind couldn't help but noticed that Roxanne had let out a breath after they'd gotten through. So she had been as worried about him getting through the check as he had secretly been. Fortunately, the watch hadn't triggered the alarms, and he hadn't been forced to take it off. Now all they had to was sit here with a whole bunch of other humans and wait.

"C'mon," Roxanne said, opening up her laptop and typing in her password, "we've got some time yet."

Megamind was very glad for the distraction. Without it he probably would have been pacing the length of the room in two seconds. Funny, he could be patient when in a jail cell but here he was down-right jittery. The distraction didn't last however.

"Hey, you're Roxanne Richie," someone said.

"Yeah, that would be me," Roxanne glanced up over the top of the laptop at him.

"You know," another girl came up, popping bubblegum and dressed like someone who'd forgotten that cheerleaders and dancers only wore their costumes when they were performing. "Never did see why you got all the attention."

"You know, I'm not sure either," Roxanne said, "and, trust me, the attention really wasn't on me back then."

The girl smiled, Megamind thought he remembered her from somewhere. "Here I was starting to think that you had something special. Guess not, since the only guys you seem to attract are alien freaks."

Roxanne scowled. "I was safer with Megamind at his worse than if I'd been captured by some of those criminals lose on the city streets."

Which was the honest truth. Megamind had seen a lot of ugliness growing up in the prison, but most of it he hadn't ever been tempted to duplicate. Oh, he threatened Roxanne, and the few other girls he'd taken captive, but he'd never really intended on seriously harming them. They were just the best way to get Metro-man's anger to rise and come in for a fight.

The girl grinned, "here I'd always hoped Matthew would finally just kill that blue-head freak. Guess he was too soft for that kind of thing, even when he knew that creep would just get out of jail. Wouldn't surprise me since he lived there for most of his life!"

Annabeth Sniveling, the little blonde who'd always goaded Metro-man on when they'd both been at the Little Chool house together. Megamind had never liked her. Then again, Metro-man hadn't really liked her either. He'd even said so during one fight, she was to vindictive for his tastes. Small favors that Megamind hadn't given her the powers of Metro-man! She would have been worse than Titan.

"This has been a lovely conversation," he drawled, "but as it seems we are of very opposite opinions on the matter it would be best if you just returned to your seat and waited for the plane like everyone else."

Her eyes glared at him, "who are you?"

"My boyfriend, Steven," Roxanne said, "and we're busy."

Both turned their attention back to the screen, and after several minutes Annabeth gave a huff of disappointment and stalked back to her own seat. Roxanne shot a glare at her retreating back.

"She was the same in school," Megamind said.

"You went to school with her!"

"Yeah, only reason she didn't get in trouble was because most people thought I caused all the problems. She had a crush on Metro-man, but even he didn't like her all that much."

"I can see why," Roxanne answered.

Megamind smiled, "he might not have been the smartest guy, but at least he had the sense to stay away from her."

"Would you have kidnapped her if he had?"

The alien smiled, "if I had I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be alive right now."

"You don't kill people."

"Super-villains and Super-heroes cause damage during fights, and neither of us liked her very much."

Roxanne decided to pray that Annabeth wasn't assigned to any seats near them. Metro-man saved anyone who was in trouble, so if he wouldn't have tried to save her meant Roxanne was not getting near the woman. "Let's go back to our show."