Wayne Scott sat behind the kind of desk that normally intimidated everyone who sat opposite him in his private office. It was huge, deep brown, and had been in the Scott family since the 1800's when his great-great-great grandfather had it made when his fledgling business had made its first $400.00. Yes it was a very finely made desk, ornamental, carved, and pointed in some places to make it obvious that whoever sat behind it was quite important, oh yes indeed. But this morning he was the one feeling a little bit small, in comparison to the man who was sitting on the other side of it.
He was a huge man, at least a head taller than himself, and looked as though he was better off fighting gladiators back in ancient Greece. With him were four men in black suits that contrasted to his grey one.
This was a strange gathering, though. That morning he had awoken to receive an important message awaiting him. Some men from France wanted to meet him at nine sharp. The matter was of great importance it seemed, in regards to his father's affairs, so who was he to refuse them? Yet as soon as these five men had been shown into his office of white marble and gold trimmings, he had felt like he was being examined.
Mr. Buratto, Mr. Barton, Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Ports and Mr. Star were their names but it was Mr. Buratto who did all the talking in a very good English voice, so well in fact you couldn't tell he was French until he said a certain word and that melodious twang of French seeped through like water in a sponge that was being squeezed slowly.
"I've never heard of you gentleman before, but you worked closely with my father?" Wayne asked.
"Yes, Mr. Scott." answered Mr. Buratto as his large hands rested on his knees. "He and I were comrades with a common purpose set before us."
"And what was that?"
"A matter that I'm not sure your father let you know, at least before his passing." Mr. Buratto said, glancing at a large portrait of the Mr. and Mrs. Scott that hung on the wall. "Tragic, that."
"Yes." Wayne answered the statement stiffly. It wasn't a topic he took great joy in discussing, the death of his parents, and this too felt like an interrogation to see if he was at the same meddle as his father was.
"You're aware of why your father died, yes? The group behind it?" Mr. Buratto asked.
"Of course I do." Wayne replied testily. "What this has to do with your business here I do not know, so please enlighten me."
"Hm. Your father was involved deeply in the research of medical advancement. This you know. He owned many chains throughout the world that helped pharmaceutical benefits advance in leaps and bounds. It's thanks to your father's contributions that many of our latest medical breakthroughs have happened." Mr. Buratto went on to explain. "Were you aware of one of his facilities were here in the city?"
"My father had many facilities in many cities." Wayne replied. "Are you talking about the one on Baxter Street?"
"No. Not Baxter Street." the large head shook once. "Near the docks."
"There's... no facilities down there. Only old buildings and warehouses." he thought quickly of the place, and he knew it well. It was down there, near the waters, where Megamind had taken Roxanne that first time after his first attack upon the city. "Unless one of them stopped operating?" he asked.
"It stopped, but not by choice." Mr. Buratto said. "You recall the incident some months ago, that Megamind man?"
"How could I forget, how could anyone? He did some damage to the city."
"Don't you wonder where he came from?"
"Are you saying my father was involved in this, in some way?" Wayne asked, feeling as though there was a cracking dam wall behind him and despite all of his strength there was no way in which to stop it from breaking down around him.
Mr. Buratto clasped his hands together, lifted them and pressed two of his fingers to his lips. "His name was Megamind but to everyone who knew him, he was Six. The sixth extraterrestrial found on this planet. He was taken in by the government but given where he had landed, he was in your father's 'care' as you would put it. He had the money, and the location, already set. Six's genetic makeup is unlike any this planet has seen. We were on a medical breakthrough using his cells to bring about something that could, quite possibly, cure Cancer, possibly even AIDS."
Wayne sat there in silence and had to think quickly. Had Megamind said anything about this during their battle? He had spoken of an underground facility but that had been to M, not to Wayne Scott. If he said anything out of line that would reveal the two had been in contact, and that he somehow knew of Megamind's background. Could these men put two and two together that quickly? How strong were they?
And the realization that it was his father, his father who had funded everything that Megamind had gone through. All those doctors were paid by him, all of the research came out of his pocket. The torture, the severing of legs, everything was on the blood of his father. Megamind had spoken of how it was his fault he was taken into the facility as a baby, because he had crashed into his pod and landed somewhere safe while Megamind had landed elsewhere. What would he do, what would he say, if he knew Wayne's own father had a hand in what had happened?
He felt sick, as though he wanted to throw up. He kept it down, kept it covered. "How did he escape, then? How did an alien, Megamind, escape a secured underground facility to attack the city?" Wayne asked, trying to not let his voice shake. What if what Megamind had said was true, some truth to it... maybe he was an alien. He wasn't 'gifted' at all, maybe he like Six had come from outer space too. This was a hard nut to swallow, but suddenly it was beginning to make sense.
Would his father had locked him away, too, if he knew? A slither of him said no, of course not, he was your father and he loved you. A larger piece of him said yes, your father would have done it in a heart beat and you know it. No wonder his mother never wanted him flying around near his father, or showing off. Had she known of the underground facility too, then? Did she know about a blue little boy who was being tested every day, while hers was safe and secure at home?
"That's the mystery. All communication between your father's facility and ours ceased when Six escaped. After that came a string of murders, yes? Six 'cleaning up' after himself, taking out everyone who knew who he was, and who had a hand in the research happening there." Mr. Buratto explained.
By research you mean torture. Wayne thought, lifting a hand to stroke his chin. "So... why are you here, now?"
"We believe Six is alive and somewhere in your city." Mr. Buratto said.
Wayne was a brilliant actor, and gave nothing away that he knew this to be true. "That's a strong claim. But why come to me, shouldn't you go to the Mayor?"
"He is our next stop." Mr. Buratto explained, "What we need from you is access to your father's vault #147. There is a box in there that even you do not know the combination to. We know it."
Wayne had never heard of this vault, and he knew everything of his father and mother's estate. Where was it located? Not with the others, but many of them were located all over the planet. Was this one close to home and if so, why hadn't he been informed? Why hadn't he been told any of this by his father? Was it because he was too young? Did his father feel his son didn't deserve to know these things? Not even his Will mentioned any of this. Wayne was feeling as though he was stuck in an earthquake, the ground and foundation beneath him beginning to crumble with every passing second.
"What's in that box will help us get to the bottom of what happened that night when he escaped." finished the Frenchman.
"You've left it a little late coming here seeking answers, haven't you? My father died years ago." Wayne pointed out, despite the distress he was going through inside his mind.
"True, but another reason brought us here. Six is not the only living alien on our planet." Mr. Buratto said this in such a way that chilled Wayne's blood. "There was one, another, that landed in Europe. She has escaped and we believe she has made her way to your city to find him, Six."
"But why?" Wayne asked.
"Protection? Companionship? A physical relationship? Who's to say. She is a very dangerous individual, Mr. Scott. All we know are men are dead on both sides because of these aliens and we intend to get them both. Six's genetics are far too important to the human race to ignore, and Seven's abilities make her a strong ally to have on your side. That storm that your fair city is still recovering from is one of hers. And that's only when she's mildly upset. She could flatten even Metro City in an hour if she wanted to." Mr. Buratto went on to explain. "If Six is alive, and we believe he is, and the two of them meet and join their partnership could bring about massive damage. Possibly even deaths."
Wayne sat there, stunned. So this storm that he had flown around in, barely able to keep himself up, had been the work of an alien? A female alien, at that? What did she look like? Was storm control all she could do? Had she escaped for the same reasons Six had, because of torture? Or was she just a rebel, breaking out and killing for funs sake? Roxanne had spoken of Six as somebody who was still vulnerable, and if this woman got a hold of him and drew out the evil lust for revenge that had plagued his heart for so long...
"And if you need some help to decide on whether to let us into your father's estate, this will help." Mr. Buratto gestured to one of the men besides him who pulled out a blue piece of paper and set it on the table before him.
It was a legal order, telling Wayne to give the Frenchmen any and everything they wanted. It was signed by... "The Vice President..?" he mumbled weakly.
"Friends in high places." replied Mr. Buratto with a self-satisfied smile on his face.
All Wayne knew was that he had to get in contact with Roxanne straight away, and hope she in turn could get hold of Six and warn him what was happening here.
~*~
Two ordinary people sat in an ordinary park with an ordinary bag full of materials and clothes. The young man who wore black leather and looked like he hadn't seen the sun in years, was laying on his back and staring up at the sky. The woman besides him wore a simple red skirt with black top and a matching jacket was sitting up and looking everywhere she could.
Lady Doppler had been in America a long time now, but she had never allowed herself to stop and smell the roses. Her outward appearance was just too striking for some people, what with her long white hair and white eyes. Her travels had always been in the disguise of storm clouds, making it easier to fly but harder to rest. She had to rely on sheltered places, out of sight of people, and it hadn't been easy at all. But here in Metro City she could sit in the middle of the grass besides another alien and neither were in danger of being spotted.
It was so... liberating.
"How much of me do you know?" asked the man suddenly, breaking the silence between them.
She glanced down at him, then looked back around the park. "Only zat you were 'ere in Metro City, and zat you were powerful. You brought a city to ets knees and made ze hero kneel before you. And zat you escaped ze facility, which 'as been untouchable since."
"That's a lot." Six mumbled.
She turned to look at him, and the expression of her face read of so many questions she wanted to ask, but was too afraid to do so. What if a question brought on a flare of anger from the man who has, thus far, been nothing but nice to her? Chewing at her bottom lip she looked out over the park again as he sat up besides her to take in the sight too.
"...after everything I would sit here and watch the world." Six mumbled quietly. "Just seeing normal people doing the... normal things that the normal types do. How content their lives were. How lucky they all were, and didn't know it." he glanced at her and smirked faintly. "Stupid isn't it?"
"Who, you? Never!" Lady Doppler said, aghast.
"Thanks, but I think I was, back then." Six said in a small, broken kind of way. He lifted a hand, touching his forehead. "He... the other me, he was born because of the anger. Because of the doctors and scientists, always at me, never giving me peace besides sleep."
"I do not like doctors. Or scientists." Lady Doppler whispered, taking a chance and scooted closer to the smaller man.
"I almost got away once, before I really did." Six explained in a hollowed out voice, as if he was curling up within himself and there was another him, not Megamind nor Six, doing the talking for him so he could live through talking about a history he wished never existed. "I knew they were going to kill me because I was beginning to loose my usefulness. One night I got out, and I found Minion's body amongst these other aliens, all of them down there in this facility as if it was a museum. Four of them. They... I think they gave me powers. It was them, or my own manifesting and my mind only made me believe they were ghosts so I wouldn't reject what I now had." he lifted his gaze to the bright blue sky, the thick black storms from the day before were already well and truly gone. It was just like the first morning of his freedom, blue, clear, bright, and beautiful.
"I tried too much, too fast. I ended up falling down an elevator shaft and broke both of my legs. I was in terrible agony, so much I couldn't do anything to defend myself when they got me again. They took Minion from me, all over again before..." Six reached down and gripped both of his legs tightly in his hands. "They removed my legs."
Lady Doppler sat there, staring at him with a look of repulsion and shock clearly etched on her face. "Your legs? But..."
"They kept me awake when they did it. Enough drugs to keep me awake so I could feel everything, there was also a mirror above my legs so I could see them cut them away because they were so shattered and broken. They kept me sedated... heavily sedated... after that, trying to get me to do what they wanted. To make things move, lift things, even kill animals that they brought in. But I wouldn't, I was too mad. Already I was on fire from my anger and it just ate at me for years until I escaped a second time, and this time I made sure nobody would follow me."
She sat there in silence, watching his face. Despite the disguise he wore, she could still see the face she knew to be his. His eyes stared distantly into the past, into a horrific place full of pain, torment, and suffering. She felt a small flare of fear for herself, her own safety, but they shared too much in common didn't they? Why would he lash out at her, if they had a common history?
"They took my only friend." he said quietly, and his shoulders suddenly shook. "They killed him, and then he left me again, and I lost him. He was all I had, my Minion."
"Shhh, shhh, come on, come on..." there were her arms again, something that Six was rapidly beginning to adjust to feeling around him. She pulled him into her, and his head ended up somewhere soft and warm and very unfamiliar. "You made et through, did you not?" Lady Doppler asked as she stroked his back with one of her hands. "You survived. Zat ez sign enough zat you are strong, zat you are determined to live even ef all ze people out here are against you. But I am not. Zat ez something, no?"
He had to nod, despite feeling suddenly so exhausted despite sleeping the night previous on the floor. Was he unraveling, slowly? Megamind now had a voice, he could hear him sometimes at the back of his head, and he even took control of him whenever he got angry enough. He kept trying to remember something, something of great importance but it kept slipping his mind. Had it something to do with himself? Minion? Roxanne? He didn't know, and it infuriated him and made him want to scream and stomp his foot.
Then again, many things made him want to do that lately.
One of them was the reasons behind why this woman was in his life now. Her memories flashed in his mind again, and he saw what she had been through. The indignity of it, the assaults, how they had treated her. Free, but chained down in more ways than one. He wanted to find those people, he wanted to-something suddenly flashed in his mind and he pulled away from her as if her touch was fire hot.
"Did you kill them?" he asked suddenly.
"Pardon?" Lady Doppler blinked in alarm.
"Did you kill them all, when you escaped? I know you used a tornado to cover your tracks but... but did you kill them? Everyone?" Six was suddenly grabbing her shoulders. "Please tell me you did. You had to."
She looked scared, frightened, by the madness in his voice and in his eyes. He switched emotions so fast it made her feel dizzy. This was what she had been afraid of, but he wasn't angry at her, no, he wasn't. What he was asking of her... who asked such things of somebody?
"N-no... I... I couldn't. I cannot kill people..." she admitted, "Even after what zey did to me, I... I can not..."
Six looked at her, before something inside him finally thawed, and softened. "...I know. I'm sorry." he glanced around suddenly, before getting to his feet and took her hands into his. "We need to get inside."
"Inside?" she asked, getting to her feet.
"They would have followed you. If I know the brains of obsessed men, they would be checking in on every major storm in America and Europe now looking for you. That might mean they could be here, soon, if not now." he explained as he grabbed the shopping bag. He felt the hand still in his tighten considerably. "I need to get things ready, I need to-"
"Do not leave me alone." she whispered desperately, gripping his hand. "Please, please-"
He looked at her hands gripping at his own for a moment, before looking up at her. "It's all right. I know somebody. I. I have one friend here. She'll be able to help us." Six explained quickly. He needed defenses. He needed to give his fish bodies, translators, means to defend themselves and him as well as Lady Doppler. He needed a bigger place. Somewhere hidden, out of place that nobody would know about and wouldn't ever go near- one such place blossomed in his mind like a horrible ugly flower of white corridors, dead bodies, and torment. He pushed the place from his mind as fast as he could; not even in his most desperate hour would he seek shelter where he grew up.
"Are you sure?" Lady Doppler asked quietly as they made their way from the park quickly but not too fast so to attract attention. "Do you trust her?"
He looked at Lady Doppler for a long moment, but she never got a verbal answer. Six only tugged at her hand, and led her from the park.
~*~
Roxanne sat in her apartment, holding her house phone to her ear as she sat on the couch. While she listened to the person on the phone, her poor lunch lay long forgotten on the table in front of her. She didn't look happy at all, no; in fact she looked incredibly angry.
"How dare you-" she started then stopped, and gasped in surprise. "If you come around here you better bet you have the rights to, buddy, because I don't throw my door open to just anybody! Yeah, you better!" Roxanne slammed the phone down on the receiver and groaned, before putting her eyes to her hands.
Mr. Lloyd had called out of the blue asking questions without even introducing himself first. He asked about Megamind, about their interactions, what he had said and done. Roxanne, put off by it all, had told him she never conducted such personal information over a telephone. Then he had threatened to come around to further the investigation and the way he had said that word to her had sent chills up her spine. Something was happening, wasn't it? Why would there be somebody calling up, now, over Megamind?
The answer came in the form of somebody knocking at the window.
Roxanne spun and saw M hovering there, looking gravely worried. She hurried to the door and opened it, and he flew in, shutting the glass door behind him. "Oh thank God I got here first." he said in a hushed tone.
"What's happening?" Roxanne asked while he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "Look I just had the strangest call-and what do you mean thank god you got here first? What's going on?"
"I just got news there's a group of French men here in Metro City seeking out the source behind the storm a few days ago." M explained as he stopped flying and landed on the floor.
"The source?"
"It wasn't a natural storm; it was caused by a woman. An alien woman. They believe she's come here to Metro City seeking out Megamind-I mean Six for protection." M explained as quickly as he could. "Quickly, Roxanne, did Six mention anything to you the last you saw him about a woman?" he asked as he walked towards her.
This was a lot to take in suddenly, the fact that there were men seeking out Six, that the storm was made by an alien, a female one at that, and trying to remember if Six had mentioned a woman. "N-no he didn't. Last I saw him was the day before the storm, I haven't heard from him since..."
"Then maybe she's found him." M said as he frowned and looked around her apartment before remembering something and looked own at her. "Wait, they called you?"
"Yes, threatened with coming here to ask me questions..." Roxanne trailed off and the two of them looked through to her bedroom where all the information on Megamind's treatment was kept, along with Minion's body. "Oh my God." she said, putting her hands to her face. "What if they-they'll find everything, what would they do with the information, what would they-"
"What would they do to you?" M asked, his arms wrapping around her gently, one hand to her back and the other to her hair. "We have to get rid of this information, before they find it."
"B-but he gave them to me." Roxanne replied hollowly as her arms wrapped around his shoulders and rested her forehead against his chest. "I think he believed I could get the information out there, what he had been through had happened so his attack had a purpose, a point..."
"Well this information could get you locked away in a place where even I couldn't get to you." M said gravely. "So it'd be best if I took it, and put it where I can take you if you need it."
Roxanne didn't know if she liked that idea. Six had given her this information, and it had been her to find Minion's body in the water that cold day... what would he think if he knew she had just handed it over? Then again her safety might be in jeopardy. He wouldn't want her in danger would he? "Crap." Roxanne swore, she still hadn't shown him Minion. He just hadn't been around since that day and he didn't have a phone at all, so she really had no idea when she would see him next.
That's when there came a banging at the door, and the two of them froze.
To be continued
