It kind of came form reflecting about minions and sidekicks. As far as I like Minion and his relationship with Megamind, especially since it's far beyond avetage villain-minon relationship, I wouldn't like his name to be replaced by Sidekick. I don't know how you, but for me it sounds like a name for a guy, who is constantly beated up in the dark valley.
It's my first fic to Megamind fandom. I was on this movie yesterday and now it's my new "phase". It kind of makes me think that Dreamworks is gaining a new mark in animation.
Anyway - unto the story.
Minion's new name
Megamind and Minion entered the Evil Lair. The blue ex-villain came to his armchair and fell on it with deep sigh. They just won the battle with Titan, took their deserved glory and replied some questions of reporters. Now all Megamind wanted was just drown in his soft chair and let his tired limbs rest. He glanced at his loyal friend and smiled.
"So Minion" He began. "It looks we are the good guys now."
"Who would think, sir, we will end as a heroes?" Minion replied and grinned too.
"Yeah." Megamind rested his head on chair's back and closed his eyes.
For a moment there was silence. Megamind didn't mind it. He was ready to slumber and to sleep really, really, really long. He heard how Minion's big, mechanical body sits with thud on the chair at the desk "for evil plotting". Right when Megamind was thinking the silence will last forever, it had been broken by Minion's voice:
"You know, sir, I'm wondering…"
Megamind opened one eye and looked at his helper. Few seconds later he opened the other eye.
"Yeah, Minion?" He asked. "What is it?"
"I was thinking, sir" the fish began, scratching the back of his sphere. "since we are the good guys now, maybe I should change my name?"
Megamind's eyebrow raise with surprise. It made Minion's flinch a bit.
"What's wrong with your current name, Minion?" The blue alien asked.
"Well, sir, you see, 'minion' is a term for villain's helper."
"Yeah? So?"
"And you're not a villain anymore."
"And?"
"So now my name should be not 'Minion', but 'Sidekick'."
Megamind's eyes widened with shock and he rapidly moved in his chair, gazing at the fish.
"Sidekick?" He exclaimed. "What the hell?"
"It's quite logical, sir." The fish came closer to his boss and kneeled beside him. "I mean, 'sidekick' is a term for hero's helper and best friend. It suits perfectly."
"But it sounds ridiculous. Did you even think this through?"
"No, but…"
"So cut it out. You will stay as 'Minion'."
"No, sir." Suddenly Minion's voice was more determinate. Mechanical gorilla's body lifted from its knees and now the fish was looking at his master from the higher level. "For the greater good from now on my name shall be Sidekick."
Few days later Roxanne and Metro Man in disguise entered former Evil Lair for the first time since Hal gained his powers (or – like in Metro Man's case – since hero had "died"). Megamind sounded pretty annoyed on the phone and he was getting even more annoyed, when he was explaining to them, why he was calling in the first place. Of course their giggles, when they found out about Minion's new name, wasn't helping at all. When they finally managed to stop giggling, both reporter and ex-hero promised him to come and help with changing Minion's mind.
They was walking on the lair and looking around. Well, not much changed here. Brainbots were running everywhere and doing their chores, there was a lot of weird looking machines, the walls, furniture and floor had this gloomy, dark overlord's design and when they finally found Megamind, he was sitting at his operation computer and observing the big screen in front of him. For a moment Roxanne and Metro Man were thinking he will turn around and say something like: "Well, miss Richi, we meet again. Let me entertain you with my newest evil machine…", or: "Ha, Metro Man! You've fallen into my trap. Prepare for death…" but they quickly shook this thoughts away.
"Hi, miss Richi. Good to see you again, Metro Man." Cheerful greeting came from behind their backs. Roxanne, Metro Man and Megamind turned at Minion, who was approaching guests with laundry in his hands.
"Oh, good morning, Minion." Roxanne said with smile. Metro Man only nodded.
Minion suddenly stopped and looked at them with surprise, but then he smiled politely and said:
"My name now is Sidekick."
"Yes, we know." Reporter smiled even wider.
Then the former superhero came behind the fish's robotic body and kicked the metal butt. The kick was hard enough to make Minion lurch a bit and nearly drop the laundry. Then Metro Man started to giggle. Minion looked at him with slightly annoyed expression.
"Sorry, Sidekick. I couldn't resist." Metro Man explained, still giggling.
Megamind raise from his chair and shot his former nemesis cold gaze.
"No one will kick my sidekick!" He screamed, rising his finger.
"It even rhymes!" Roxanne added. It seemed that she was holding her laugh, but she failed and both she and Metro Man burst into laughter.
"Hey, don't laugh at him!" Megamind seemed to get purple from the anger.
If Minion could blush, he would do so now. But then he felt rebellious.
"It's a normal, nice nickname!'
Metro Man and Roxanne stopped their laugh and wiped their eyes.
"Sorry, Min… I mean: Sidekick," Roxanne began, compassion in her eyes. "but it really doesn't sound good."
"Could you at least choose something less… obvious?" Metro Man asked. "You know, something cool. Oh, I've got something!" He exclaimed. "Fishman!"
"Megafish!" Roxanne suggested.
"Justice Herring!"
"Super Salmon!"
"Ape Carp!"
"Trout Boy!"
"Piranha Man!"
"Mini Shark!"
"Atlantis Long Lost King!"
So it began. Metro Man and Roxanne have been throwing alternately another nicknames, while Minon was staring at them dumbfounded and Megamind was rubbing with annoyance his big forehead. Finally the ex-villain couldn't stand this anymore.
"He isn't salmon, herring, trout or shark! He isn't even piranha! He's isn't any of your Earth fish species! Besides, how would I call him over, when he would have such long and stupid name as 'Atlantis Long Lost King'?"
"Oh, so you prefer 'Sidekick', Megamind?" Metro Man asked.
"No, I prefer 'Minion'. Why you want to change it?"
Minion felt a bit left out. Like a child, who was standing in the corner and observing how adults were talking about him, but didn't bother to include him into discussion. It made him kinda sad, even – angry. He felt that he had to do something, show his presence, voice his opinion. He put laundry with loud thud on the nearest machine, silencing the arguing "humans" and turning their attention on himself.
"I am the one, whose name is going to be changed! I will choose, how I want to be called! I and no other person! Do you understand?"
For a moment they were staring at him with astonishment. After all Minion was the quiet one. Usually he wasn't showing so much determination or anger. Besides his sudden burst of – seemingly hidden for quite long – rage made them a bit ashamed of their actions. In moments like this he was reminding them – especially Megamind – that he wasn't just a "minion", but he had a mind on his own. All three of them were watching fish in silent, not knowing what to say and how should start.
"Well?" Minion's eyebrows raise with impatience.
Roxanne chocked to clear her throat and said:
"We're sorry. We didn't mean to offend you. We just wanted to help you with decision."
"Well then I already decided without your help." He took the laundry and his mechanical body turned into opposite direction. " Now if you excuse me, I'm too busy with more important issues than this conversation."
And so he moved to the place, where they were generally doing laundry. Roxanne wanted to go after him, but Megamind stopped her, resting hand or her shoulder. They were watching as Minion's robotic body disappear behind the corner. After few seconds of silence blue alien spoke again:
"Thanks for coming, but I think that now I should talk to him in private."
"I see. Good luck, Megamind." Metro Man waved to him and retreated to the exit.
"Yeah, good luck." Roxanne added and moved after the former hero.
When they were gone, Megamind went to the laundry room. As he suspected Minion had already put the clothes into washing machine and now he was leaning on the dryer. When Megamind came out of shadows and leaned his back on some random boiler, the space fish just turned away in his sphere, seemingly upset. For a few seconds he was giving his master a silent treatment, Megamind on the other hand hasn't spoken, because he was trying to find good words to start. Finally he knew how to do it and he smiled to himself.
"Code: Let's talk about it." He said.
The washing machine finished its work pretty fast. Minion transferred washed clothes to the dryer. While he was doing it, he replied:
"Code: There is nothing to talk about."
Megamind sighed and looked at Minion with sad eyes. Minion felt weak. He never was able to stay mad with his master for long, especially, when he was pulling those sad eyes, filled with compassion for his loyal friend. In moments like this Megamind was just listening to what hurt Minion. In moments like this he was coming down from his pedestal of Dark Overlord and proving that he wasn't one of those villains, who only yells at their minions and punish them.
"For how long you don't like your name?" The blue alien finally asked and smiled softly.
Minion's eyes widened and then rolled on the floor.
"It's not that I don't like it…"
"Hey, you don't have to be so shy. I'm not mad at you for not liking your name. Well, you could tell me earlier, then I wouldn't be addressing you with name you don't like, but still…"
"I said, it's not that." Minion said a bit harsher and looked once again at his master. Then he once again lowered his gaze shyly. "I was just thinking it didn't suit anymore."
"Didn't suit?" Megamind raise his eyebrows.
"I've already told you, sir. 'Minion' is a term for villain's helper and you are not villain anymore."
"And you really want to be called…" Megamind paused and his face jointed in disgust, when he finished: "a Sidekick?" His features softened. "You really like it?"
"Not very much, sir." He looked confused.
"I'll give you an advice, Minion: if you want to change your name, you better choose the one you like. The one you would like you to be connected with."
Minion sat on the floor. For a few minutes he was thinking deeply about everything.
"I really don't know what I want right now." He said and looked at Megamind. "I just thought that changing my name will be appropriate in current situation. But on the other hand I'm kinda used to it, connected to it."
Megamind suddenly was getting what was going on.
"So you like your name, however you want to change it, because you're not a villain's, but hero's helper and you think that 'Minion' sounds inappropriate for people of Metrosity?"
"Yeah." Minion nodded with smile.
"You have really twisted way of thinking, Minion." Megamind said, then he walked to his friend and sat right beside him. "They don't mind your current nickname, however if you change your name they are used to, it might confuse them. Besides, I'm not planning to replace 'Megamind', so you don't have to be renamed either. In fact I would feel like I was demanding from you some kind of change in you as a person. And I wouldn't do that. I like you the way you are."
Minion grinned.
"Thank you, sir."
They both stood up and looked at each other with warm smiles.
"But if you still want to be renamed, I will support you."
"No, sir. I don't want to. Not anymore."
"I'm glad, Minion."