Chapter 11

Roxanne was first to find her voice. "Could he have escaped and hidden some where?"

Minion swam about in the sphere. "Sir would have come back to the lair. He rarely leaves. There's a reason I do most of the errands."

Metroman looked at the distressed fish. "Why?"

Minion scowled at the hero. "You ought to know," he said rather bitterly.

Metroman looked a bit ashamed. "Sorry, Minion."

Roxanne was caught off guard by the fish's tone. "Minion, are you okay?"

"NO! Sir's missing, he would have returned to the lair if he could. What if he's hurt? What if..." Minion couldn't finish. He sank to the bottom of the sphere.

Roxanne hugged the sphere, wishing she could hug Minion. "We'll find him, Minion. Maybe he returned after you left."

Minion wasn't soothed. "If he had he would have contacted me, either by the radio in my suit or by sending one of the brainbots to find me."

Warden Wilcott picked up the phone. "Metroman, did you get the name or badge number of the officer that you turned Megamind over to?"

Metroman nodded. "There were two, Officers Lewis and Danials."

The warden dialed and waited. "Hello, this is Warden Wilcott at the Metro City Prison. I would like to speak to either Officer Danials or Officer Lewis please. Really...I see, did any officer bring him in? Well, thank you for your time. Good bye." Sam hung up the phone, looking grimmer than ever. "There is no officer Lewis or Danials on the force. What was left of a police cruiser was found in a parking lot on the edge of town."

Roxanne swallowed hard. "If that's true then where's Megamind?"

"There was no sign of anyone and the parking lot was for an old restraunt that closed down years ago." Warden Wilcott drummed his fingers.

Metroman scowled. "If he didn't escape then what happened?"

Roxanne pulled the disc out of her purse and offered it to the warden. "I found this stuck on Megamind's spiderbot, Warden Wilcott, but none of us know what it is."

"Please just call me Sam." The warden took the disc. "Hmm, could I have this? I have a good friend in the forensics lab I can have look at it."

Roxanne nodded. "Certainly, Sam. Do think somebody kidnapped Megamind?"

"Why would they do that?" Metroman asked. "He isn't the most cooperative person and kidnapping him would make him even less so."

Roxanne gasped. "Oh no! His weapons and inventions!"

Minion and Metroman gave her puzzled looks.

Sam knew exactly what Roxanne was thinking. He nodded. "Think of how valuable his weapons would be to any crime lord, drug runner or gun runner. If they could get him under their thumb they'd have access to weapons far more advanced then anything out there."

Roxanne paled and sank into a chair, clutching Minion's sphere. "No, I wouldn't wish for anyone to fall into one of those murderers hands."

"Sir will never do that. He hates drug and gun runners and crime lords." Minion hesitated. "Sir's chased drug dealers away from the lair several times. They stay away now."

Metroman raised an eyebrow at that. "Really? How did he do that?"

Minion smiled. "Sicced the brainbots on them, he let them chase those hoods for three blocks. It was actually really funny. The brainbots showed the whole chase on the feed to the lair's monitors."

Despite her worry, Roxanne had to laugh at the image of the brainbots chasing drug dealers down the street.

Wayne chuckled along with her. He had to admit that the mental image was funny.

Sam laughed with them. "Figures, that boy was a handful from the start." He sobered. "Look, I'll see what I can find out. I have contacts in a lot of law enforcement agencies. I'll see if they can help."

"I'll look for him too, even if we find him we still have the murder charge, but for now that's the least of our problems," Wayne said.

Minion bobbed his entire body in his version of a nod. "I'll send out the brainbots out to search as well."

"I have some contacts too. I have a friend, Eric, who did a lot of articles on different organized crime lords. Maybe he can offer some advice. I can be our contact to each other if you give me your number," Roxanne suggested.

Sam took out a pen and a pad. He jotted down a couple numbers. "The top number is for my office here and the other is my cell phone." He slid the pad and pen over to Roxanne.

Roxanne tore off the sheet with the numbers and put it in her purse. She jotted down her work number and cell phone.

"Wait a minute," Wayne added his cell phone number as well then handed the pen and pad back.

Suddenly Sam frowned. "I don't believe Megamind killed Jenson in cold blood. He grew up here, I was his legal guardian. He's not a killer. Find him before someone hurts him. He's suffered enough."

Wayne met Sam's eyes and saw the concern of a father for his child. "We'll find him, sir."

Roxanne saw it too and she realized how much the warden really cared for Megamind.

Sam stood . "May I see Minion for a moment?"

Roxanne looked down at the fish. "Okay with you, Minion?"

"Oh yes, Ms. Ritchie," Minion said.

Roxanne offered Sam the sphere and the warden took it.

Sam turned and lowered his head, so it was close to the sphere. "We'll find Syx, Minion, no matter what. Be strong, your sir is tougher than people think."

Minion smiled. "Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome." Sam turned and handed Roxanne the sphere. "He's frightened for Megamind. Take good care of him. He needs you, even if he won't admit it," he whispered. "I'll let you know as soon as I find out anything," he continued in a normal tone of voice.

Roxanne nodded. She stood, holding Minion's sphere close. "We'll do the same."

Metroman stood too and shook Sam's hand.

"Good bye Mr. Wilcott and thank you," Minion said.

"Good bye, Minion and you're welcome," Sam said.

The guard showed them to the guard house and Metroman flew Roxanne and Minion back to her apartment.

"I'll call you later, Roxie." Metroman looked at Minion then laid his hand on the sphere. "We'll find him, and we'll figure out what hppened at the party too."

Minion stared for a minute, startled. "You don't think sir is a murderer? Everyone else does."

Metroman shook his head. "No, I don't."

Minion smiled weakly. "Thank you, Mr. Scott."

Minion and Roxanne watched as Wayne flew off then Roxanne carried Minion into her apartment. She closed and locked the balcony door.

Thanks for all the encouragement and I've lured a new reviewer in! Welcome and thanks for putting my story into your favorites! Next chapter is already being worked on and we go back to Megamind! R/R! You know the drill...(No! Not the Drill!)