Disclaimer: Megamind belongs to DreamWorks SKG and I will not make any money from this fanfiction.

That night Megamind did not return to City Hall, instead he headed directly for his old Evil Lair. He set to work right away, his mind racing and his blood pumping with excitement as he laid out his most elaborate scheme yet, the plan that would undo all of his mistakes. Soon enough the many steps and elements for his plan began to fall into place as he organized a massive Hanging Idea Wall of Evil. Over a hundred cards hung from the ceiling involving every minuet details; he was not going to miss anything.

When the outline was complete, Megamind set about constructing the essential parts in order to carry out his magnum opus. The lair echoed with the deafening sounds of metal clanging and glowed with the bright fire of his welding torch. Megamind never tired of his life's work even as the night drew long and the sky began to brighten. In fact, it only ceased when Minion entered, carrying a box of donuts for breakfast and wearing a confused look on his fish face. Megamind leapt up in excitement before Minion could say anything.

"Minion, good; you're here!" Megamind snatched a donut from the box, took a bite, and used the remaining donut to scribble a note on a bulletin board.

"Sir what's going on here?"

"I'm glad you asked! What you see before you is my most inspired, brilliant, dastardly plan yet! I'm going to create a new hero for Metrocity!"

Minion was baffled. "Create a hero? Wha-? Why would you do that?"

"So I have someone to fight!" Megamind exclaimed. "Minion, I'm a villain without a hero. A yin with no yang." Megamind held up his half donut. "A bullfighter with no bull to fight. In other words, I have no purpose! Now, ask me how I'm going to do it," he said, excited. "Go on! Ask!"

Minion sighed. "How are you going to do it?"

Megamind laughed with excitement, climbed onto a ladder, and started to wheel it wildly around his lair so he could point out various ingenious segments.

"I'm going to give someone...I don't know who yet...Metro Man's powers! I'm going to train that that someone to become Metrocity's new hero." Megamind pointed to a hanging picture of Karate Kid's Mr. Miyagi. Then he fired his diffusion gun and the ladder skidded to the other side of the lair. "Over here! Follow! And then finally, I'm going to fight that hero in an epic battle of good and evil. Which will put everything back the way it was...when the world was perfect and rosy."

Minion was still baffled to the point of silence even after Megamind explained his new found goal in life, but Megamind continued and dragged Minion forward to a large, white cloth tacked to a bulletin board.

"Behold, Minion, Metro Man's cape." Megamind extended a magnifying glass. "Look closely. Tell me what you see."

"Dandruff?"

"Mwahaha, yes! It's his DNA." Megamind picked up a petri dish with a sample. "From this we'll extract the source of Metro Man's awesome power." He walked over to a large machine in the rough shape of a microscope that a giant might use and soon the several gears and lenses started revolving.

Minion was no longer quite so confused, but now he was beginning to feel a bit nervous. Usually he never objected to Megamind's ideas-that was not what a minion was for-but this idea seemed worse than usual. Especially since it seemed to involve harnessing Metro Man's power. No ordinary person ever held such a serious responsibility and might not be quite as understanding about the pulling of punches and the giving of sporting chances.

"Sir, I think this is a bad idea." Minion finally said.

"Yes! This is a very wickedly bad idea for the greater good of man." Megamind exclaimed.

"But I'm saying this is a kind of bad that...OK, you might think is good, in your bad perception, but from a good perception it...it's just plain bad."

"Oh, you don't know what's good for bad," Megamind scoffed and he used a pair of tongs to retrieve the glowing, refined sample that the machine deposited. He trotted over to a large gun meant for the crucial portion of his plan; infusing the chosen hero with Metro Man's powers.

"Now, we have just one shot at this." Megamind delicately inserted the sample, lifted up the infuser gun and turned a few cranks. "We must find a suitable subject, someone of noble heart and mind, who puts the welfare of others above their own." The gun was now glowing bright gold and felt warm, ready to seek out the new, chosen hero for Metro City.

Suddenly and out of nowhere electric music filled the lair.

"What on earth is that?" Megamind turned around, looking for the source of the annoying tune. It sounded nearby.

"It seems to be emanating from there sir." Minion pointed to Megamind.

Megamind reached into his clothes and realized that the sound was coming from Bernard's cellular communication device he had stashed there from the previous night. He opened it and spoke into the mouthpiece.

"Ollo."

"It's 'Hello'." Minion said.

"Oh. Hello? Like that?" Minion gave a thumbs up.

"Bernard, it's Roxanne."

Megamind looked up in shock. "It's Roxanne," he hissed. He was not sure why she was calling and what she sounded all excited about, but it was good just to hear her voice, really. She was the closest thing he had to a worthy enemy now.

"I just wanted to thank you for inspiring me the other day."

"Oh. You inspired me too," he said, with sincerity that he realized also carried unknown irony for Roxanne.

"Great! It's time we stood up to Megamind and show him he can't push us around."

"Oh, oh really?" Megamind said with a hint of amused skepticism. He turned to Minion. "She's so cute."

"I'm already hot on his trail."

"Uh huh. And what gives you that idea?"

"Uh, sir?" Minion tried to draw Megamind's attention. The lair's surveillance view screens showed an excited Roxanne and a much less excited Hal right outside. All the while Roxanne was talking into her cellphone.

"I just found his secret hideout!"

Megamind was livid. "How did she find my hideout?" Considering his outburst too late he looked down at the cellphone, but he had managed to cover the earpiece. "Um, how did you find his hideout," he asked Roxanne, this time more subdued.

"This is the only building in Metro City with a fake observatory on the roof."

So it was. Megamind tried to reassure himself over this gross oversight. "Ok...there's no way she'll find the secret entrance..."

"Ah! There's a doormat here that reads 'Secrit Entrance'!"

Megamind whirled on Minion who was trying to look inconspicuous. "Minion!"

"I kept forgetting where it was," Minion replied sheepishly.

"She'll discover all our secrets! You dim-witted creation of science!" Megamind shoved Minion into a cabinet and raced across the lair to draw a curtain in front of his idea wall.

"What?"

"What? Oh no, not you Roxanne. No, I was just yelling at...my mother's urn. Don't do anything. I'll be right there."

He was starting to panic. The discovery of his plan would destroy the motivation for his yet-to-be discovered hero, not to mention he serious embarrassment he would suffer should Roxanne discover he was actually trying to remake Metro Man. He gasped in horror...what if she saw his action figures or collectable supervillain novelty lunchboxes? He could kiss his street cred goodbye.

Megamind turned the dials of his watch and once again he adopted the appearance of Bernard-Ugh, why did the eyes never come out right? He hurried to the back of the lair and saw Roxanne emerging from the entranceway with a camera in hand and her eyes already examining every nook and cranny.

"Roxanne?" he called out.

Roxanne turned and lifted up her camera, ready to strike, but once she saw Bernard she relaxed.

"Oh...I'm glad you're here," she said in relief. "Wait, how did you get here so fast?"

"Well, I uh, happened to be speed walking nearby when you called."

"In a suit?"

"Uh huh," he stammered, trying to keep up with Roxanne's feet and brain. "It's called...formal speed walking. But that's not important. I better take the lead. This way looks exciting." Megamind gestured to a door that lead to his Exciting Room. Right now he was hoping that a good scare might get her to leave or at least direct her away from The Plan.

"No, it says 'Exit'." Roxanne pointed out.

"Uh, which is the abbreviation for 'exciting' right?" Megamind said, honestly confused. Roxanne ignored his diversion and narrowed her eyes on the large curtain. She walked past him pulling it aside, revealing the Hanging Idea Wall of Evil, in all it's terrifying glory.

Roxanne's face brightened and she let out a sound of joy. Megamind gave a similar sounding outburst, but for a different reason.

"This is the mother lode!" she exclaimed. "Wow... just look at this thing." Roxanne started walking through the maze of ideas and looked at the hanging cards while Megamind cringed behind her.

"You know, I really could use your help in deciphering all this."

"Really?"

"You're an expert in all things Megamind, right?"

He was...or Bernard was? Great. "Yes. Right," he had to agree, emphatically.

"Together, we could figure out his plan for the city and stop it." She paused and turn back to him. "Are you in?"

"Oh, what fun!" he said with all the fake enthusiasm he could muster.

"That's what I want to hear." Roxanne started taking pictures. Megamind stepped behind her and whispered into his watch. He needed to get her out now.

"Minion, Code: Send in the Brain-bots."

"You know, the whole point of a code is..." he heard Minion begin to say.

"Oh, Code: Just do it Minion!"

A second later several Brain-bots emerged. "Intruder. Intruder. Intruder." They swooped towards him and Roxanne. Roxanne managed to dodge out of the way, but, as he was disguised, the Brain-bots continued on, grabbing Megamind and lifting him into the air.

"Stop! Bernard!" the Roxanne called out before Megamind saw her vanish as they turned a corner.

"It's me you fools!" Megamind hissed. He managed to wrench a hand free and spin the dial on the disguise generator. "It's Daddy." The Brain-bots dropped his unceremoniously.

Megamind stumbled to his feet and disentangled himself from his cloak. He saw Roxanne round the corner, gasp and glare at him.

"Megamind. What have you done with Bernard?"

"Oh, Bernard? Oh yes." His missing disguise had a lot to explain for, but Roxanne obviously seemed to care for him, so as any wickedly evil villain would do, he used a hostage. His eyes drifted to the small, metal doors of a cellar. "I'm doing terrible things to that man. I don't want to get into it, but...lasers, spikes." Megamind swung the doors open.

"Oh, please no! Not the lasers and the spikes!" Megamind leaned into the cellar and spoke with Bernard's nasal accent. Then he turned back to Roxanne and smiled.

"You know, the drill." Megamind turned back towards the cellar.

"Oh no! Not the drill!"

Roxanne stepped forward. "Let him go! Or..."

"Or what?" Megamind said with amusement.

"Or I'm gonna find out what this weird looking gun does." Roxanne raised Megamind's prized infuser gun and pointed it at him. The cartridge glowed golden and hummed eagerly in her hands.

"No don't shoot!" Megamind cried out and waved his hands. "Don't shoot that gun. I'll just go get him." Megamind had to concede and leapt into the cellar to retrieve the captive, but he was not going to let himself be embarrassed further and let "Bernard's" escape seem easy.

"Unhand me you fiend!" Bernard called out.

"Never!" Megamind growled.

"His strength's...too much!" Bernard emerged briefly, looking very strained.

"Oh, I work out!"

"Well, it's really paying off." Bernard gasped. "You're so fit...and strangely charismatic."

The cellar doors shut for a moment and then Bernard tumbled out and hit the opposite wall. Roxanne approached him and leaned down to him.

"Are you okay?"

"I tried my best," Megamind-as-Bernard sobbed. "But he's too fantastic!" Roxanne smiled and helped him up.

Megamind reached out towards her. "Here, let me carry that heavy gun for you."

"I got us covered." Roxanne said confidently and strode past him. Megamind snarled behind her and switched off his disguise. He was through being nice. He ducked behind a cabinet for a moment.

"Let go, it's mine!" Megamind leapt out and grabbed the gun, but Roxanne still held on.

"Bernard run!" She shouted over her shoulder. The struggled a few moments, yanking the gun back and forth.

"You're going to break it!"

"Give it to me!"

BANG! Suddenly the gun went off and the glowing sample began to ricochet around the lair. Megamind watch it, memorized, while Roxanne ducked away. The sample entered a pipe and started to bounce around.

"Roxanne?" A male voice from the outside called out. The pinging of the sample grew a little fainter as the sample made it's way through the pipe to the outside.

"Owwww!" The man yelled and there was a thud, as through he had fallen to the ground. Megamind gasped and ran over to the view screens. A man was on the ground, clutching his nose and rocking back and forth in pain. Minion emerged and examined the screen as well.

"Who on earth is that?" Minion asked.

Megamind did not know, but he knew someone who did. He needed to find Roxanne and he needed to get outside.

He ran back towards the entranceway, turned around a row of shelves and gasped. Roxanne was opening his "Exit" door. He spun the dial on his watch and ran forward. Out of the open door he heard his own disco music and the sounds of snapping alligator jaws. Roxanne let out a scream as she swayed on the edge of the doorway.

"Roxanne!" He grabbed one of her flaying arms and pulled her back.

"Bernard!" She gasped and smiled in relief. "You were right about that room being exciting."

"Intruder. Intruder. Intruder." A swarm of Brain-bots descended.

"This way." Megamind pointed towards the entranceway and the two of them broke into a run, but the Brain-bots started to gain on them. Megamind saw Roxanne snatch something up.

"What are you doing?"

"This'll stop 'em. Here." She tossed him the object and he gasped when he saw it was a live stick of dynamite.

"Seem's a bit extreme, doesn't it?" Megamind turned to the side and tried to blow it out.

"Just throw it!" she shouted.

"Daddy's sorry." Megamind hissed, cringing at the thought of how much repair work he would be doing later for his beloved robots and tossed it behind him. The Brain-bots stopped and watched the dynamite roll towards them; they thought the object was one of their familiar games of "Fetch-the-Wrench".

Megamind heard the sound of loud explosion and glanced behind him. Flames were racing towards them. He heard Roxanne cry out.

They were almost at the hidden entrance. He and Roxanne jumped through the wall and the explosion flung them through the air. They landed hard on the ground, but in one piece.

"Wow. That was really exciting," Roxanne gasped.

"Yeah." Megamind agreed. He was gasping not only with exhaustion, but also with euphoria at the near death experience.

"You were very strong in there."

Well, he didn't like to brag, but... "I know."

"I've never seen anyone but Metro Man stand up to him like that." Roxanne and Megamind were still lying on the ground where they collapsed and she turned to gaze at him with admiration.

"What's going on?" A groggy, nasal voice broke the brief silence. Roxanne turned towards her cameraman.

"Hal, what happened?"

Hal stumbled to his feet. "I think a bee just flew up my nose. I was just about to make my frontal assault to rescue you, but like, fifty ninjas tried to attack me, so I had to beat 'em all up, and I, I did, and they were all like crying and stuff."

So this was the man who was unknowing infused with all the superpowers and legacy of the late Metro Man.

"Wow, brave one isn't he?" Megamind said with admiration, but also a hint of sarcasm. The man clearly could not fight one ninja let alone fifty in his current state, but at least he could pretend to be brave and have visions of grandeur. Perhaps fate had done its' work.

For the first time Hal noticed the disguised Megamind. "Who are you?"

"Oh, this is Bernard." Roxanne gestured to him. "He's my partner."

Megamind gave Roxanne an odd look. Hal looked incredulous.

"Partner?"

Megamind was baffled. He was only vaguely familiar with the word, but it seemed to have a positive meaning. Judging from what they had been through he would guess that she meant that the two of them had worked together rather well, from her point of view. He would need to continue to play along.

"Yes, yes partner."

Hal narrowed his eyes at the disguised Megamind. "Look partner. I'm her partner. She doesn't know what she's saying! She's had a traumatic experience!"

Roxanne turned to Megamind and smiled. "I'd better take him home. Thanks again Bernard." And then, to his complete surprise, Roxanne stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

At first Megamind tensed. He had never experienced these 'hugs' before, but he had observed them being exchanged by others. Her action was sudden and felt strange...but it was also gentle. He was unsure how to respond, so he could only follow her example and wrap his arms gently around her in turn. He relaxed in her embrace and felt a feeling like warmth spreading through him, a very good feeling. Almost comfortable.

Roxanne eased out of their embrace. Megamind still held his arms slightly outstretched.

She smiled. "I'll call you tomorrow, partner." There was that word again. Roxanne gave his shoulder a playful jab.

"Yeah...yeah," he stammered, searching for words. He actually did feel good about possibly seeing her again. "I'd like that."

Hal's face had a green shade of envy as Roxanne steered him towards the van. "That was weird for everyone, because you accidentally hugged him instead of me." Megamind did not take his eyes off Roxanne, even after she got in the van and it drove away.

"Sir? Sir! Code: Did you find out who it was?"

"Uhhh..oh, oh." Megamind finally became aware of Minion's voice calling out from the watch. He spun the dial and returned to his normal appearance. "Code: Get the car."

"Code: Right away sir."

Author's Note: Once again Your_Worshipfulness was my beta reader for this chapter and she did a great job.