This takes place between chapter 2 and chapter 3 of Confronting the Past. I briefly contemplated doing chapter 3 from MM's perspective, but found myself going a different route. Having now written this I definitely think the chapter Megamind is Missing is overall more suspenseful and interesting than this one.
With the press of the button the invisible car was rendered visible. Megamind strode over to the front driver side seat where he jerkily opened the door and slammed it shut. Sensing his master's foul mood the brainbot scurried to the neighboring passenger side seat and braced itself. Megamind felt drained in every conceivable sense. Lifting his limbs the slightest felt like it required great effort. His mind usually so clear and focused was clouded and chaotic with multiple lines of thought arising simultaneously and incoherently vying for his immediate attention. It was only be sheer force of will he was able to jam the key into the ignition and start the car rather hastily. He pressed down hard on the accelerator speeding along much faster than necessary perhaps hoping if he could drive faster than his train of thought the anxiety that threatened to overwhelm him would abate.
The area was rural and unfamiliar territory with sparse street lighting to illuminate the road. Once you got outside Metro City and the surrounding suburbs the landscape turned dry and rough the plant life consisted of a hybrid of desert and prairie.
It had taken far longer than Megamind anticipated to arrive at the warden's house. First there was the matter of being properly dressed and presentable for the occasion. Then it occurred to him to have some documentation of the conversation Megamind was going to force on the warden. It was really standard procedure for Megamind to have one or multiple brainbots document his grandstanding, but on this occasion it had almost slipped his mind entirely. Fortunately Megamind had been looking into finding the warden's residence prior to his abrupt decision, but knowing the actual location and getting there were two separate things even with a GPS you still had to visibly see the turnoffs.
*How much time do I have?* He forcefully thought trying to push every other competing thought to the side. He turned to stare at the electronic dashboard clock, but averted his eyes. For sure he was going to be cutting it close. Already he had pushed past the suggested speed limit and he was driving much faster than he should given that it was night. Logically he could not go much faster than he was already without further compromising his ability to steer clear of any unforeseen obstacles. He did not need any more pressure.
*What do I do with the brainbot?* Megamind thought—he could probably manage to successfully slink back into the apartment and feign he was tired from having a difficult time sleeping, but the presence of the brainbot around the apartment would definitely raise questions. As he pondered this his gaze shifted from the road to the brainbot snuggly nestled into the passenger seat.
Suddenly Megamind's field of vision was invaded by a blurry yellow light…a horn blared. Megamind turned his attention back to the road. He was on a head on collision course with an on-coming semi-truck, his car straddling the centerline.
His eyes grew big and dilated. He was frozen with fear, "Uhhh—ga!" Megamind shrieked the brainbot squawking in panic. With a few seconds to spare he turned the steering wheel hard to the right avoiding an accident. The car swung far to the right so far it would have only taken another three inches for the passenger side of the car to be scraping against a metal rail lining that side of the road. He swiftly countered the momentum by turning the steering wheel back to the left trying to center himself on his side of the road. At this speed the car threatened to careen out of control he took his foot off the gas and applying gentle pressure to the wheel ebbed slightly right and slightly left shortly after regained control. Reeling from the near brush with disaster Megamind turned off the main drag at the first viable opportunity. The brainbot sat in its seat glaring its red optic eye suspiciously at its master.
/
Megamind pulled into a rest stop area for weary travelers to have lunch, take a leak or walk a short two mile scenic trail. He turned off the ignition and collapsed against the steering wheel. He was utterly exhausted. This was nothing new since he tended to work longer and harder than he should whenever he had an idea and applied himself to perfecting it. His heart was still racing, his whole body subtly trembled, his eyes burning from lack of sleep all the while his mind was swimming in the unpleasantness of his conversation with the warden and wrestling with the implications of what had transpired.
*Why do I feel like…such…a…why am I crying…?* Megamind thought raising himself up to look at his reflection in the rear view mirror. He touched a hand to his cheek feeling the tears run down his face in disbelief of what he was seeing. He looked pale almost sickly. The brainbot looked on in curiosity ever so slowly edging towards Megamind trying to get his attention by rubbing its head into the side of Megamind's back and hip. Megamind was too distracted to pay any attention.
He never cried when his evil plans ultimately failed and he was sent back to prison. He did not cry when he realizing his life no longer had purpose or meaning without Metro Man. He did not cry when his cover was blown and Roxanne left him in the rain. He did not cry when he realized Minion had left him. Nor when he willfully turned himself in resigning himself to spending the rest of his days in prison so that he may live rather than go back to Metro City to confront Titan and face certain death.
What cause was there to cry when on a continuous basis Megamind found new creative ways of escaping from prison ensuring his stays were never long and his mind was continuous filling with new ideas for inventions to keep him occupied? However flawed or unlikely to actually succeed he always had a plan and always had everything he needed. What purpose did crying serve when no one around you was sympathetic to your suffering? Crying was for helpless babies, threatened damsels in distress, drama kings and queens and the perpetually unimaginative and un-resourceful types. But then what was he suppose to do with this? What was he suppose to do being the newly anointed upholder of justice and by all appearances the warden was merely a good guy by his position and not by his deeds? Metro Man steered clear of the politics and did his job. Was Megamind merely supposed to let this pass and let this be forgotten about?
*What would Roxanne do?* Megamind thought: politics, bureaucracy, public policy, laws and regulations it was all foreign to him. Megamind's battles were relatively straight forward in the sense that they tended to be physical.
*"But, then who knows this may just blow over. I don't think I've ever told you, but there's been several times in the past where someone attempted to instigate an internal investigation concerning Megamind's existence and imprisonment. Though this was prior to the time when Megamind's existence was undeniable."*
*Who…?* Megamind did some mental figuring. The most likely suspects were people he was acquainted with: inmates at the prison, the prison guards, the staff that would conduct medical and psychological evaluations, the teacher and students at his school house or anyone else who heard of him indirectly through someone who had direct contact.
*"Make a few phone calls, deny access, degrade the credibility of the person making the inquiry, coerce people to keep their traps shut and hide the only solid evidence that could be used against us, the blue boy himself."*
Megamind seethed with anger at the thought. Still unresponsive to his brainbots prodding for attention it settled itself into Megamind's lap its motors resonating in the cybernetic equivalent of a purr.
*It was decided it would be in bad taste to make Megamind out to be the victim by revealing what we knew, when we knew and what we were doing.*
*What was it he said?* Megamind thought trying to recall something the warden had said.
*"Eighteen years of age. But you were a hardened criminal long before then and I doubt a few months in the spot light has changed that."*
*Is it possible…I could have been free by age eighteen if I had stayed out of trouble?* Megamind thought turning the idea over in his head replaying some of the pivotal events from his youth. *No…it was a test…being in school…it was a test to see if I could be integrated. After what happened…they never would have released me…*
Becoming generally pissed off with Megamind's lack of attention the brainbot sitting on Megamind's lap decided to escalate things one step further. Like a cat or a dog it knew instinctively when its master was in pain and in need of comfort. There was one sure fire way of getting Megamind's attention and taking his mind off his trouble. Slow at first its confidence steadily rising it clamped its metal jaws around Megamind's left elbow like a bear trap.
Megamind let out a scream of pain flailing and thrashing his arm around to get the brainbot to let go. The brainbot was resistant not giving up easily and making its distinctive electronic "bow—ow—bow—ow," sound. Using his other free arm Megamind forcefully pulled at the brainbot's jaw only for the brainbot to take hold of his right hand and wrist. Megamind once again reached for the brainbot's jaw and met with success shaking the brainbot back to the passenger side seat.
Megamind stared at the brainbot his expression that of anger. The brainbot cowered just a little, but continued its utterance of, "bow—ow—bow—ow."
"Uhhh, I can't stay mad at you." Megamind said picking the brainbot up and putting it in his lap absently petting it. Megamind let himself sink back into his seat letting his head fall back and take in his surroundings. The brainbot had accomplished its goal the restless, repetitive thoughts faded into the background with Megamind's attention returning to the present at a steady but gradual pace.
*I can't stay here—I can still make it.*
/
The tires ran seamless over the blacktop which was virtually indistinguishable from that of the sky-blanketed with menacing thick dark clouds. The high beams at best could penetrate 100 feet into the blackness. The only other sources of lighting came from large light fixtures on both sides of the freeway and the white stripes on the road delineating one lane from another. A mist hung in the air further generating a sense of claustrophobia-the actual physical world was closing in on him.
*So pathetic…so pathetic…so pathetic…look at yourself…look at yourself…look at your self…you're nothing…you're nothing…you're nothing…you made your choice…made your choice…made your choice…technically…technically…technically…no parents…no relatives…literally an alien from another world…alien from another world.*
*A…BLUE…ROTTEN…APPPLE!*
Megamind's head was racing with the same repetitive circular thoughts his demeanor oscillating between livid anger, apathy and depression. This time the thoughts were not fully formed, but fragmented.
*I didn't care I just wanted to leave.*
The four lane freeway was almost completed deserted. Megamind had the pedal nearly pressed down to the floor traveling upwards of 90 miles per hour. He did not bother with turning the car invisible.
*I let him take me.*
His body demanded rest, but he refused to allow it. He was going home and worry about what to do later.
*What if…nothing works?*
Megamind drove under an overpass still speeding down the freeway racing against the rising sun shrouded behind the clouds.
From a dividing strip of grass to the left came a whirring sound of a police siren.
*Honestly…they are uptight enough about enforcing the speed limit to have someone out at this hour…*
A shot of adrenaline flooded Megamind's body. His lagging concentration becoming sharper, his grip on the steering wheel becoming tighter, his eyes wide open taking in every minor detail of his surroundings. He pressed down harder on the accelerator to escape beyond the police officers field of vision and then flicked the headlights off and pressed a button to turn the car invisible. Safely out of visual range he pulled over to the far right lane and slowed down. The siren grew louder as the distance separating them started to shrink the police car passed by without incident. *I'll get off at the next off ramp.*
Megamind took the long way back to Metro City using the roads less traveled. Driving through a neighboring suburb the speed limit dropped and traffic lights became much more common. Even in the early pre-dawn hours of a Saturday morning some people were starting to stir to get an early start on the day or return home on route from a night out on the town. In this traffic situation Megamind's delayed reaction time and invisibility made driving much more hazardous. He became stuck behind a car and traffic moving in the other direction blocked him from going around and a car was coming in fast from behind. A fender bender was averted when the light changed and the car in front of him began to move. Just before this he had run through several stop signs the second time nearly being side swiped by an SUV.
*I need to pull over.* Megamind thought just barely able to keep his eyes open. Megamind cut through a neighborhood and parked on the side of the street not far off from a small city park.
Megamind turned the car off and just sat a blank look on his face.
Megamind turned his attention to his wrist watch and looked at it in disdain. Although it had been rare for him to do so when he was still the lead villain of Metro City Megamind was known to walk the streets freely doing nothing to disguise his and Minion's appearance. He did this merely as an exercise of power—a poke in the eye to Metro Man and the police. Now being the hero…he dare not go anywhere without it. He now had a duty to protect an entire city and had to be reachable at all times. Not only this, but as the villain he commanded respect people did not approach the master of all villainy for petty commercial or personal gain. In crossing over from evil to good he had somehow become diminished, tame, broken in—an unknowable demigod who had relinquished his power and immortality to become mortal incarnate in flesh, blood and bone. Megamind now had an inkling of what Metro Man had been talking about at the school house.
*I am free, yet not free…* In that moment hating what the watch represented he took it off his wrist and shoved it into the glove box. The brainbot regarded Megamind apprehensively and starting barking, "bow—ow—bow—ow."
"Daddy is tired…" Megamind whispered, he could be very stubborn, but even he had to admit there had been too many close calls for his liking the next time he might not be so fortunate.
"Bow—ow—bow—ow."
"Uh—uh, no biting." Megamind scolded before reaching a hand to pet the brainbot.
"Bow—ow—bow—ow."
"We'll go home…when I'm…rested." Megamind said yawning at each pause.
"Bow—ow—bow—ow." The brainbot barked.
"Daddy needs sleep…" Megamind said talking to the brainbot gently petting the brainbot with both hands.
"Bow—ow—bow—ow—bow….." The brainbot stopped mid-bark its red eye going dull, the electrical motors shut down, its body going limp. Unsuspectingly Megamind had engaged the manual shut off. *Sorry, but daddy REALLY needs to sleep.*
In the time since shutting off the car and the heating system enough cold morning air had diffused into the car to make Megamind shiver. He put the key in the ignition, turned the car on in order to activate the heater. Megamind soaked up as much heat as he could until he felt himself begin to overheat, turning the heat down to a low setting.
Megamind squirmed in his seat no matter how he positioned himself he did not feel comfortable. Carefully he moved to the back seat trying to avoid hitting his head.
*Just rest my eyes and then I'll be on my way.*
Megamind positioned himself against the back passenger side door. Reaching behind his back he detached his cape and lay down on his side draping the cape across his body like a blanket.
It was perfectly clear he needed rest, but his mind still buzzed involuntarily with thoughts.
He needed to sleep yet he resisted still clinging to the hope he could make a quick recovery and get back the apartment his eyes flicking open every few minutes which paradoxically only made him more tired.
The time passed slowly…at several points he was close to falling asleep, but drifted back to consciousness. His senses were dulled and unresponsive he felt heavy and paralyzed.
Then there came a voice and an odd sound. The inside of the car became darker and gloomier. Someone was jerking on the door handle to the back driver side seat. The sound went away and he could vaguely make out the sound of voices. He heard another sound something Megamind had never heard before. Click, the door lock ticked up. Megamind pressed himself closer to the door and reached for his gun, but did not draw it. Light flooded the car he became more aware and awake, but still found it hard to keep his eyes open.
On the other side of the door a familiar face came into view. He loosened the grip on his gun. Was he dreaming?
"Rox—anne…?"
/
I kind of thought that by getting this out of my head maybe this would help me with ironing out some of the details to the next chapter installment of Confronting the Past.
Hope you enjoyed it. And write me a review: what you liked, or what you didn't like, other.