Disclaimer: I don't own Megamind

This idea has been rolling around in my head for a while now, and I finally figured I'd actually get it all written down. I don't know if I'll be able to keep to any sort of schedule, this is the first time I've actually tried to write a full fanfiction before, so I'm sorry if I make ya'll wait too long =x Criticism is encouraged! Don't hold back, I'm not an easy person to upset ;p Thank you for your time!

'Is this it?' A sadness swept over her as the chill of the water pricked at her skin.

The day had started out as any other would. She woke up groggy, dressed for work, recorded a segment on the pretty crimes in the warehouse district, and illusively dodged Hals constant barrage of… well… Hal. It wasn't until after the cameraman had dropped her off in front of her townhouse that they had managed to whisk her away, the light hiss of the knock out spray the last thing she remembered before her body gave out beneath her.

'If I had agreed to go get that cup of coffee with Hal… would I still be here now?' She wondered, squinting up through the cloudy water as slowly sank. Yes, she figured, she most likely would—Megamind would not have given up so easily.

She resisted the urge to expel the last of the air with a sigh. Would the man ever admit defeat? She had lost count of just how many times she had been taken captive by the blue alien long ago, and with it her fear. He and his aquatic partner had never actually hurt her before—in fact, she was pretty sure he'd pushed back the timer for her 'demise' a few of times when Metro Man actually had trouble finding them.

It really was just one giant game, wasn't it?

'And somehow I became a piece of it.' She felt the weight below her settle at the bottom of the river, just as her lungs began to burn. She had never been able to hold her breath for long, and a slight panic suddenly set in as she tugged at the ropes that bound her. How had it come to this? She wasn't really sure what had happened.

She had awoken to find herself dangling over the edge of an old dock, the dark water below her rippling as she tested her bonds. The familiar voice of her kidnapper drifted to her ears as he and Minion finished the last minute preparations for the day's grand scheme, and when he had finally come around to see her staring at him with a raised eyebrow, he greeted her with his usual smirk and flourish.

He cackled as he revealed his ingenious plan to rid the city of 'Metro Mahn' once and for all, and she couldn't hold back the smart quip to fuel their own witty banter while they waited for his Brainbots to position themselves around the city. After Minion had signaled that everything was ready, he left her with a smirk and threw a comment back over his shoulder—"You better hope your boyfriend is smart enough to follow the clues, Miss Ritchi, or I'm afraid you'll be sleeping with the fish tonight!"— before beginning his broadcast to issue his challenge throughout the city.

It really was just like any other day.

And then an explosion rocked the old docking warehouse.

She had just enough time to gasp in surprise before her body suddenly dropped the last few feet and slipped beneath the surface of the river.

Her first instinct had been to struggle and scream, but she prided herself on being a level-headed person, and she knew such a foolish act would only guarantee the end of her life that much quicker. So she just held still, her heart pounding away in her chest as she continued to sink, concentrating on the muffled plops of items raining down into the water above her.

Which left her here, trapped beneath the loading docks, the fire in her lungs growing as she ceased her struggles against her bindings. 'This is it,' she mourned,'this is how I die.' The thought was frightening, and a string of bubbles escaped between her lips with a huff of disbelief. 'Drowned in a river. How long will it take them to find me?' She shut her eyes, unsure whether the sting behind them was from the musty water or from tears. It felt like an eternity has passed, but she knew she had probably been underwater for barely even a minute before the burning sensation finally overwhelmed her, and with a sob the last of her oxygen escaped.

Only to be replaced.

She started in surprise when an arm circled her waist, another cupping her face to draw her into a firm kiss before she felt the air being forced into her mouth. It took a second to process just what was happening, but when she finally did she greedily breathed in the recycled air with whimper of relief, trying her best not to flinch away from the strange sensation of hot damp air rushing down her throat. 'I'm going to live. I'm not going to die.' It was a mantra repeating in her head until she finally pulled away from the air source, relieved that the burning in her lungs had subsided.

He had reached her in time, she thought with relief. Of course he had! She never should have doubted him! There was no way he hadn't heard the explosion, and with his super speed it would have only taken him seconds to locate the warehouse and see Megamind and the broken robe and piece together what had happened. 'He really is a hero,' she thought, her eyes slowly opening to cast a grateful smile towards her savior— Only to have them widen in shock and her thoughts promptly derailed.

Emerald eyes stared back at her first in worry and then relief before he used the arm around her waist to pull himself down to the ropes at her feet. She lost track of what happened after that, too shocked to really follow anything as her mind raced.

"-chi? Miss Ritchi?"

She jumped, suddenly aware that she was standing on solid ground, her legs and arms completely unbound as someone settled a warm blanket over her shoulders and rubbed at her arms. "W-What?" She stammered, hands lifting to clasp the silky material around her before she realized it wasn't a blanket, but a cape. A very familiar cape. "Mega… mind?" She felt the hands on her withdraw immediately, and she raised her eyes from the black and blue fabric to find him standing before her, looking small and miserable as water dripped from his ruined leather.

"Are you alright, Miss Ritchi?" He asked softly, and she suddenly felt the familiar sting of tears behind her eyes as everything suddenly came rushing back to her. What had happened? What caused the explosion? Why did the rope snap? Another voice spoke beside her—"I think she's in shock, Sir."—but she didn't hear, her mind was too focused on the fear she had felt as the last of the air in her lungs slipped from her body and…

"I almost died," she whispered, and whatever the two were in the midst of saying was cut short as they turned to stare at her with wide eyes. "I… I almost died," she repeated, louder, her voice breaking as a tear finally spilled over an eyelid and down her cheek. "I almost died, and you… you saved me." She looked at him then; the bright green eyes that stared back almost looking scared as lifted his hands, mouth silently moving as he grasped at something to say.

She didn't wait to hear what he might have come up with; instead, she launching herself across the few feet that separated them to wrap her arms around his chest, her face tucking against the side of his throat. She felt his entire body stiffen, his arms rising up away from her as she clung to his wiry form. In the back on her mind she realized that the blue man had probably never received an actual hug before, and she was most likely overstepping a major boundary of personal space, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

He started talking then— she wasn't sure what about, exactly, but the deep vibrations that rumbled through his chest with each word were comforting and calming and she found herself sighing in relief as the noise parade in her head began to die down.

"Miss Ritchi?" Her muscles twitched at the cool touch of metal against her forearms, and Minions hesitant voice continued, "I think… You're making Sir a bit nervous, Miss Ritchi, so if you could just…?" She nodded slightly to show she heard, her nose gently brushing against the soft blue of Megamind's neck ('Did he just gasp?') and allowed the fish to pull her back away from his frozen charge.

She waiting until she had backed up several feet before she murmured a soft "Sorry," and turned to look up at the hesitant face of Minion as he let go of her arms. "Can I go home, please?"

"You're alright then, Miss Ritchi?" He asked, and she nodded and she turned to face him, a small smile tugging at her lips in response to the tooth-showing smile he flashed her. "Alright, I'll just go fetch the knockout spray and then I'll drive you home. Please wait here," and he was shuffling off toward a row of computers before she could reply. It didn't take long before he was back, the spike-adorned can in hand and an explanation on his lips, "Terribly sorry, Miss Ritchi, but we can't have you seeing the inside of the invisible car," but she was only half listening as she turned to look back at Megamind.

He was still standing where she had hugged him, an unreadable expression on his face as he stared at the ground, one hand raised to touch where her face had been pressed against his neck.

"Megamind?" She ventured softly, and he raised face to stare at her, his expressive brows coming together in curiosity at the question in her voice. She stared for a moment as Minion shook the can beside her, and she saw his mouth beginning to open to ask what she wanted when she let a smile spread across her lips.

"Thank you."

She didn't see his reaction as her vision blurred, but she heard a quick intake of breath before everything went black.