A/N: Getting back into writing slowly but surely. My ideas certainly haven't disappeared and now I've fallen in love with Megamind's incredibly-handsome-criminal-genius-and-master-of-all-villainy-ness!
"You mean there's more?" Megamind exclaimed in the midst of Roxanne's explanation to him.
She was hoping to take off of work for a week so she could take a vacation. She loved being by the beach, and she often wondered what it would be like to travel to the jungle. There was this place Kathy mentioned to her, and it was like a hotel in the jungle, almost cut off from the rest of the civilization. Since then, Roxanne wanted to take this vacation. The only problem was it was costly.
Megamind had plenty of money being the city's new hero and all, but he wasn't sure what to make of this eccentric request Roxanne was making.
"Yes, of course there's more to the world than just cities like Metro," Roxanne said. "Of course, didn't you learn about these places in school?"
"Yes," Megamind admitted sheepishly. "I've read about them and I've also read about the odd diseases and animals that can give them to you out there. I'm not so sure about this Roxanne."
"Oh, come on Megamind," Roxane pleaded. "Think of it as an adventure! I think we'll be okay, and I've heard it's supposed to be really gorgeous at sunset. Plus we can get away for a while, just you and me."
"I'm not so sure, I'm the new hero, I can't just leave the people of Metrocrity," Megamind said. "They're almost helpless without me." Roxanne looked to the floor, knowing he was right.
"They've been able to stop robbers and thieves themselves. I mean, it's not like you're still evil. No one else could kidnap me or do either of us harm if we're gone. I don't think the city will be terrorized much," Roxanne said, hoping to convince him.
"Well, true," Megamind reasoned. "I was the only one who could truly outsmart the law and I grew up in prison...so I suppose you're right, Roxanne." She smiled and lifted her head to meet his bold and bright green eyes.
"Does that mean you'll go with me?" Roxanne said.
"Yes, Roxanne," Megamind said. "If this will make you happy, I'll be happy to accompany you and help pay for this trip. Who mentioned this to you again?"
"Kathy."
"Ah, yes that sounds like her," Megamind said thoughtfully. "I may have to tell her to stop putting ideas into your head." Roxanne laughed and he smiled, kissing her moments later.
Still, on the inside, Megamind was a little weary and concerned about this trip. He knew that he'd have to protect Roxanne from any sort of harm, and he'd make sure of that. Leaving Metrocity was another concern. The alien hoped that his coworkers would understand this.
He had a sudden idea the next morning, though he was yet again, second guessing it. Since he was a young boy, the warden had shown at least some concern for him. The warden was the only one who truly cared about him sometimes. He recalled some nights when he felt truly alone, and it was the warden who had come to him. In a sense, the warden was like his second father, though not really.
Their relationship had become vitriolic as the years of his villainy progressed. Perhaps now that he was the hero, Megamind could connect with the warden again somehow. He knew this to be a long shot, but it was eating away at his curiosity. He just had to know if the warden would be willingly to help him out, or what he'd say to Megamind and Roxanne leaving Metro for a week.
Megamind wandered casually down to the Metro City prison, where he was consumed with images from his past, most of them not too fond. As he passed through the cells, he received looks from criminals he recently caught and ones he'd caught for a few times running. Then there were those who'd always been there for a life sentence, and they were the ones who looked at him in a friendly fashion. These were the most comforting as he walked through in his villainous costume, though he was no longer a villain.
He came upon two familiar guards.
"Megamind," the first one, Jerry, greeted him. "What brings you here?"
"Is the warden around today?" he asked, a boyish expression on his face, creating a sense of urgency to both the guards.
"Yeah, he should be..." Jerry signaled for the the second guard to go check as he took Megamind to wait for the warden.
The warden came outside to see Megamind, which was a surprise to him, and he ushered Megamind into his office.
"Well now, Megamind," the warden began. "What brings you to a place like this?"
"I came to speak with you," Megamind confessed quickly, his facial expression altering to a desperate and childish look of sadness mixed with hope. The warden recognized this look, but it had been ages and ages since he'd last seen this look within Megamind.
The warden grew more cautious about the situation. He wasn't sure how to exactly deal with this now.
"Megamind..." the warden said carefully wording himself. He remembered what he told the evil genius as a child. "Is there something wrong, son?"
Megamind quickly recognized this phrase and his face became more filled with hope. Finally, he was getting somewhere with this.
"Yes, there most certainly is," Megamind said, resting an arm on the desk and leaning closer. "It's about a certain possibility."
He paused for a moment.
"I might be...taking a vacation for a week," he finished. "I'd be away from Metrocity for a while..."
"You're taking a vacation?" the warden asked. He nodded. "well, I'm happy...for you then."
Megamind sat up, shocked at his words.
"Are you sure? I mean, can you guys handle Metrocity without me for a while?" Megamind asked.
"I'm sure we can handle things here," the warden said, a smirk coming across his face. "We'll just call in backup officers." Megamind smiled.
"Good," Megamind said, glad to have the established and over with. "That was my first order of business here."
"What would be the second?" the warden asked, now gentle with his tone. Megamind took a breath before he continued, feeling uneasy. He felt more calm now that the warden seemed to be accepting to him again.
"Um...I'm sure you remember me...as a child, perhaps beginning my evil ways," Megamind said, and at this, the warden rose his eyebrows. He'd never thought in a million years Megamind would bring this up to him!
"Um...I've always remembered, certain things," Megamind said. The warden got up to lock his door before this conversation went any further. He locked for security measures and making sure they weren't interrupted by any means.
"Like, what sort of things?" the warden asked, sitting back down.
"Well...when I started shool...er...school," the alien corrected himself. "I remember you asking how things were...and I was too afraid to admit certain things to you. And I remember...after every time I came ho-...back...with a bruise or deep scrape from a fight that Metroman and I had, you'd scold me and tell me not to pick the fights. Then...when I got so frustrated after that day of show and tell with the popitcorn..." Megamind was starting to tear up a little.
"I sat there with you, trying to reassure you that it was okay and to never give up," the warden finished for him. Megamind offered a smile, and the warden stood up once again. He walked around the desk to Megamind's side where the alien too, stood up.
After a moment of silence and almost sobbing in front of each other, the warden and Megamind wrapped their arms around each other.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you," Megamind said, letting the hug go and wiping a tear from his eye.
"You were just being a kid," the warden said. "I'm sorry for not giving you the proper chance you deserved. I had alway thought the other criminals were teaching you not to be like them."
"They didn't do nearly as much...and I felt that distance with you each time I came back to jail. You thought I'd never change," Megamind said.
"I didn't think you would," the warden confessed. "You seemed so strong willed and hard headed, I didn't think I could stop you."
They shared another hug.
"I was hoping to...start over," Megamind said, trying to get a hold of himself.
"You almost called this place your home," the warden observed. "And rightfully so, I suppose. I know you'll always have memories here and that will always be a part of you. My apologizes if the inmates look at you in scathing ways. You've got an interesting past, Megamind...and when all else fails, you are welcome here."
Megamind smiled at this, a small laugh escaping his mouth.
"Thank you, Warden," Megamind said.
"You don't have to 'start over' with me Megamind," the warden said then. "We can just pick up where we left off."
"Which was where exactly?" Megamind asked.
The warden always remembered the small wrestling matches he and Megamind had when Megamind was a child. It seemed to make him feel better all the time. So, the warden took a fist and pounded Megamind in the shoulder with it and Megamind responded with another fist. The warden caught it with in open hand and they began pushing against each other.
"Oh ho! I've gotten stronger, Warden!" the alien exclaimed. The warden laughed.
"I'll say," the warden replied, and the both of them laughed as they knocked over chairs and papers and almost anything they came in contact with.
There was knocking at the door after a few minutes of their ruckus.
"Are you two okay in there?" a voice asked. They ceased their little wrestling match and the warden opened the door.
"Never better," Megamind replied.