[Disclaimer: I don't own "Megamind"]
One
It came from the sky. A great disc at first, black with a silver lining. It hung in the air, spinning silently, as though contemplating the world below it. Then a flash of blue lights. A metallic hum. The disc oozed, became a liquid, shimmering in the night sky, rearranging itself. It seemed to take several shapes, but never for longer than an instant. Always changing, shifting. For several days, it was a twisting, writhing mass of black and silver. Then, one night, it stopped. It became the disc again. It waited. It hummed. It watched.
Of course, this wasn't a cause for great alarm to the citizens of Metro City. They had had more than their fair share of supernatural happenings. Actually, such things were quite normal in this particular city. At first, people thought it was just another shenanigan courtesy of their own residential extraterrestrial. It was only after a few dozen of the things appeared in the sky that they began to worry.
Finally, after two weeks of just waiting for the things to do something, the people decided to act. One early morning, two men made their way through the city streets. Unlike the rest of the people who went about their business with only a nervous or amused glance towards the sky every now and then, these two walked with purpose and kept their gaze fixed on the strange discs. They were on a mission, and they weren't about to lose their nerve just because a couple of giant CDs were hovering above them.
"They say it's like this all over the world," the shorter and younger of the men, Davis, said. "Thousands, no, millions of these things, just hanging out above the major cities."
"Has anyone done anything about it?" The other, Captain Marc, asked as they made their way towards the town hall.
"The United States military tried to make contact awhile ago. There was no response."
"Great. So not only are these things blocking the sun, they're not explaining themselves, either."
"Looks that way, sir."
Marc sighed as he pushed open the glass doors and stepped into the hall. He hated this sort of thing. Maybe he could handle it if the strange discs were hostile. Then he could just blow them out of the sky, and things would be that much easier.
"He should be dealing with this," he growled under his breath as they approached the secretary's desk. "It's his job."
"Excuses me, sir?"
"Nothing," Marc snapped. He didn't mean to be harsh, but his mood was not getting any better. Visiting this place seemed to do that to him. He couldn't help it. He just felt so ridiculous when he had to deal with this sort of thing. Not to mention the other half a dozen things he had on his mind right then.
Seeing the men approach, the secretary closed her book and sat up straight, a grin spreading across her face. "Good day, gentlemen. How can I help you?"
"Hello, Janice," Marc sighed, resting his hands on the table. He saw her smile twitch, and he knew she was fighting a grimace. He wasn't the only one who hated when he had to visit this place. "You know why I'm here."
"Yeah, well he's not in," she shrugged, then flipped a switch behind the desk. A small door to the side of her slid open, revealing a circular pad in the floor. Pointing to the black circle, she offered, "But the transporter is done."
Marc wasn't p0lite enough to conceal his grimace. "Is that thing safe?"
Janice shrugged again, reopening her book. "I dunno. No one's really tried it yet. Not this version, anyway."
"I wonder why," Marc muttered, eyeing the circle. He glanced at Davis and jerked his head towards the transportation device. "You go."
"Me?" Davis whined. "But you remember-"
"Just go."
"-last time he tried-"
"Go."
"-nearly exploded-"
"Davis . . ."
"-chickens everywhere-"
"Christ . . ."
"-ate my goldfish-"
"Just go!" Marc barked, his face red with fury and embarrassment at being disobeyed by an inferior. "Go."
Davis sighed, knowing that he had no choice. If he disobeyed, he'd be fired instantaneously, and he might as well be dead if he went home without a job. His wife would see to that.
Stepping onto the circle, he looked to Janice and asked, "Are there any side effects?"
The secretary shrugged as she hit a large green button on her desk. "During the testing phases, people reported a horrendous laughing fit followed by a light headed or nauseous feeling upon arrival."
Davis' mouth opened, but his body glowed a crystalline blue before vanishing from sight without a sound. Marc watched the transporter with a wary eye before looking up to meet Janice' bored stare.
"Would you rather take the bus?" She asked, popping a piece of gum in her mouth and adjusting her glasses.
"Shut up," Marc growled, taking a tentative step onto the circle. The pad gave slightly under his feet, and he was reminded of the soft floors beneath rock climbing walls. Hopefully there wouldn't be any need for him to be caught.
"You have a nice day, too," Janice intoned, hitting the button.
Invisible hands clutched Marc's ankles, and he opened his mouth to shriek in surprise, but the hands rapidly climbed up his legs, his chest, his face, and then he winked out of existence.