Chapter 2: Realization

Megamind held Roxanne until the doctors regretfully made him leave. They understood the situation, but they couldn't let him stay in this room with a body, regardless of who the lovers were. He looked like a beaten puppy, eyes filled with pain and suffering, but slowly did as told. He left, bearing a worse weight than Atlas himself, wishing he could have been killed with her. At least then he would still be with her.

He called a friend he'd made since he bacame a hero, unabled to face Minion or go back home. He needed to be away, somewhere quiet. "Ollo...Please...can you pick me up at Metro Central Hospital? I came on my hovercycle, but I can't drive...I'm too upset..." "Sure thing. What's up?" "I can't say it...I can't bring myself to say it..." Megamind really couldn't. He couldn't accept that this was real, that he'd lost the love of his life.

He waited for an hour in the lobby, after dehydrating the hovercycle, until he saw the little green car drive up to the door. He walked out and got in. "Ollo Bernard...Thanks for this..." "No problem. I was bored anyway." His voice was just as monotone and bland as always, but he looked happy to have the company, albeit worried about the alien who'd actually befrended him. "Are you going home or what?" "No...I was hoping I could go to your place...I can't face Minion...even if he would comfort me in this. I just need some place quiet..." "Alright." Bernard drove off, but once they got out on the road, he saw the pain Megamind had hidden, and watched a tear fall as the new hero watched everything pass them in the window. Still, the Megamind expert stayed silent, even if this was the one thing he didn't know about his nerdy obsession.

Bernard got to his house and opened the door for Megamind. "Come on...You can stay here until you're ready to head home." He led the alien to his appartment and pointed him to the couch. "Feel free to watch T.V.. I've got to head out soon to pick up a few things from the post office. You'll be alright alone, right?" Megamind couldn't talk, he just nodded. He didn't want to let it all out until Bernard left.

Once he was alone, he grabbed a pillow and cried into it, but when he went to lay down, his heel hit the power button on the remote laying on the couch arm. "...and in sad news, Roxanne Ritchi, Metro City's favorite news reporter, has died. She was in the warehouse explosion we reported on earlier today. Megamind tried to save her, but to no avail. Some of the wall fell on her. She arrived at the hospital where they tried to save her for three hours, but the damage had been done. She died in our hero's arms...I need to go off script and say this...Megamind, if you're watching, I am so sorry this happened...I, along with this whole city, knows what she was to you. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that we all have you in our thoughts, and for many of us, in our prayers..."

Bernard was at the door. He'd only been gone for twenty minutes, and arrived just as the T.V. turned on. "Megamind..." Even this monotone man was frozen, and the utterance of his idol's name had all the emotion he never showed. Megamind jumped hearing his name and turned to the man he'd impersonated. "I'm so sorry...I had no idea..." "How long have you been there...?" "I saw you hit the remote..." "Oh..." He didn't know what to say, nor did Bernard. They just stood/sat in silence, trying to find any words to break it.

It wasn't long before Megamind's cell phone rang, however. "Ollo..." "Sir! I just watched the news! Where are you? I'll come get you! Are you alright?" "NO! OF COURSE I'M NOT ALRIGHT! I JUST LOST THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!" Megamind just glared at the phone. "And don't you DARE come get me, Minion! I'm at Bernard's! I need peace, quiet, and NOT home! I'll go back when I am ready! Just stay there, and do NOT come for me!" "O-okay...Sorry..." Minion hung up without another word, a bit shaken by his master's outburst.

Bernard walked over and sat next to Megamind. "I think you should go home now, actually...I mean it is up to you, but...I don't think you need silent company, you need someone who can help you feel better, even as little as that boost would be right now." Megamind turned to his friend and sighed. "You're right...I just need some water. I dehydrated my hovercycle so I could get it here. I would rather not cry again right now..." "Alright. There's bottled water in the refrigerator." "Thank you..." Megamind smiled weakly and walked over. "I'll see you around then."

He left and headed back to the newly remaned Hero's Lair. He got inside and ran to Minion. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to snap earlier, but...I'm lost right now..." He hugged his fish/ape friend and recieved a gentle hug in return. "I'm just glad you're alright...all things considered..." "Yeah...I'm going to bed...It's late and I need the rest..." "It's only four, sir, but yes. I think rest is a good idea..."

Megamind slept the whole night, from four in the afternoon to eight in the morning, dreaming of all sorts of memories of him as Roxanne, mostly kidnappings, but the last sequence was what woke him up. He grinned as he joyfully shouted,"THAT'S IT!"