"You really have to do this now," Roxanne said. "At..." She glanced at the clock. "6:20 in the morning."

"Absolutely," Megamind growled, furiously hunting for his discarded clothing. "Where are those gloves?" he muttered.

Realizing that luring him back to bed was a lost cause, Roxanne pulled the blanket up to cover her breasts and lay back, deciding she might as well get an eyeful and enjoy the show.

In a disappointingly short time, his bare blue skin was once again clad in black.

"Ah ha!" he growled, snatching up his gloves from the desk along with his cape.

He snapped the cape on under his shoulder pads...oh yeah, the mantle, she remembered...with efficiency, then paused as he worked his arm and hand into the long glove, staring at her, his eyes darting over her and the bed.

She arched an eyebrow at him. "You'll kiss me good-bye, I hope."

The tips of his ears actually turned pink. He pulled the other glove on, working his fingers into the right places as he moved toward her. Bending down he kissed her. She drew it out, sliding one hand over his smooth neck.

She was rewarded with a muffled grunt of appreciation and he leaned in a little more firmly, deepening the kiss for a few moments before drawing back with a sigh. "You make it very difficult to leave, Miss Ritchi. But leave I must."

She sighed and drew him down once more, for a quick peck on the lips. "I know. Well, have fun storming the castle."

"Oh, castles will be stormed, all right," Megamind growled as he swept from the room.

Psycho Delic, in his safe zone!

He briefly considered the alligators as the simplest way of dealing with Psycho Delic once and for all, but dismissed the idea. Probably give the poor things stomachaches.

Megamind flung himself into the swivel chair which the brainbots were still pushing along helpfully behind him whenever he was up and about.

For this particular meeting, he'd chosen the abandoned observatory, which was far enough off the regular avenues that no refugees had taken residence in it yet, though it was probably only a matter of time.

Unable to sit still, he got to his feet again, and paced the echoing space. This would be a little practice for his newest henchman, Luke, who was new to the whole henching thing altogether. So far Luke wasn't making a very good showing, clearly jittery, shifting his weight, fumbling with his baseball bat (Megamind didn't trust him with a gun just yet).

Tony leaned over to whisper "Hold still," in Luke's ear, and the man nodded miserably and quit swaying.

A minute later he was doing it again, which did not bode well for Luke's current occupation.

Two men at the door, two others taking up positions by a bank of controls. A small squad of brainbots hovered overhead.

He had taken the precaution of setting up the invisi-shield, ready to activate in case Psycho Delic decided to attack or panicked, but he didn't think he would use it.

If Psycho Delic proved hostile, Megamind would end him. He was through fucking around.

Eventually there was the electric hum of brutebots sailing into the open, echoing dome, soon followed by Minion, with Psycho Delic walking stiffly in front of him.

Megamind decided not to mince words. "On your knees."

Minion clamped a heavy hand on Psycho Delic's shoulder and pushed down. Psycho Delic knelt, grimacing. It was that or let something snap. A pile of bricks would have knelt under that hand.

Megamind watched him over his steepled fingertips. "I find your lack of respect for my queen extremely disturbing."

"Won't happen again," Psycho Delic said through gritted teeth.

"Glad to hear it."

A few wisps leaked out from Psycho Delic's collar, probably the result of nerves rather than a conscious effort to produce anything.

Megamind said, "I've got about two thousand serious problems that need my attention, and yet, here I am, taking time off from my busy schedule, just for you."

"Great," Psycho Delic muttered.

"Don't mention it. A large number of people witnessed you swearing loyalty to me, which presents a bit of a pickle. Can't just shoot you in the head and toss you off this cliff. I mean, well, technically I could, but think of the damage to my image as a kindly dictator."

He sighed. "All right, you and I both know that wasn't really me that accepted your oath of loyalty and promise of good behavior the other day. Well done. Very clever. Let me hear it from you now, so there's no more confusion."

He waited while Psycho Delic sullenly muttered some variation of his original oath.

"Splendid," Megamind said, and waved his hand at Minion so the henchfish would let Psycho Delic stand up. "One more thing," he said, as the other villain got to his feet. "The penalty for disrespecting my queen is ten million metros."

Psycho Delic froze. "Ten mil-Look, I got a little. Forty thousand's all I..."

"Don't make me laugh. You can't expect me to believe you've been running your empire out of petty cash stuffed in bus station lockers. The last time you got raided the cops confiscated two point seven million in metros, and another million in dollars. Just provide me the routing numbers of one of your off-shore bank accounts."

Psycho Delic licked his nearly non-existent lips. "Some of it is..." He went through an internal struggle before admitting. "Some of it's earmarked. I gotta keep up payments."

"You're referring to the Sword cartel?"

Psycho Delic worked his jaw but said nothing.

Megamind nodded. "I understand your reluctance to run afoul of that particular organization, but if it makes you feel better, they're most likely undergoing the same problems that have befallen the rest of the country, with all the accompanying trouble of keeping their own loved ones safe. And the most pertinent thing is, Psycho Delic, is that they're out there. And you're in here. With me."

Psycho Delic grumbled, "I don't have that shit memorized. And I can't get to my fucking books, the southside's got zombies all over the fucking place."

"Understandable difficulties. I'll accompany you. As for the Sword cartel, when the time comes, you can leave them to me."

Psycho Delic blinked at that.

"You're one of my people now, Psycho Delic, whether I like it or not. I protect my own."

It wasn't simply Megamind, of course, but Minion, three henchmen, and a number of brainbots that made the trek to Psycho Delic's lair.

The southside was in a stage of decay long before the quarantine and had only gotten worse, with zombies shuffling openly in the streets, wandering in and out of broken windows.

Along the way they discussed what else Psycho Delic could provide for Megamind's rescue operation, and the other villain admitted he could probably provide some assistance as a pharmacist, having originally trained in that area before his life of supervillainy.

In addition, Psycho Delic would utilize his unique powers to provide certain medicines, bottling his essences for painkillers and the like. Monitored for quality, of course, to ensure Psycho Delic didn't spike the medicines with something unpleasant or deadly.

Psycho Delic had been indignant at the suggestion that he would do such a thing. Megamind actually believed him. Not from any sort of honor on Psycho Delic's part, but because there wouldn't be anything for the villain to gain by such trickery.

If there was a specific person that Psycho Delic wanted to gain control over via his unique brand of addictive hallucinogens was one thing. But there was no profit from secretly spiking the medicine of random citizens, other than possibly entertainment, and Megamind, made it clear that he, Megamind, would find nothing entertaining about it whatsoever, and that if it did happen, then he, Psycho Delic, would very quickly find himself staked out for the zombies.

Once this was understood, Megamind felt reasonably sure that Psycho Delic could be counted on to produce the medicines as requested, but only reasonably sure. He planned to monitor Psycho Delic very closely indeed.

Retrieving the bank documents from Psycho Delic's lair was mere child's play, once the brainbots cleared the immediate area of zombies.

After they returned to the safe zone and Psycho Delic slunk away back to his hidey-hole to await further instructions, Megamind went out and about to survey his domain, feeling unaccountably happy. Exuberant, even.

He was riding high. A succesful mission to the outside world, returning with goods and products needed for his citizens, a satisfactory bringing to heel of that wastrel Psycho Delic, and a night with Roxanne.

His heart soared. Roxanne, Roxanne, Roxanne.

They'd been intimate. And with any luck they'd get to be intimate again, tonight.

He bit his lip, regretting the manner in which he'd left their room that morning. Much too hastily. He could have lingered a little, instead of, to be blunt, completely freaking out over the news of the arrival of a dangerous supervillain during his absence.

Well, what was done was done, and he vowed to make it up to her. She actually hadn't seemed especially angry over his departure, so he could...

His eye fell on a little group of bystanders, hardly exceptional in an ever-growing population of bewildered refugees, except these were different.

Time slowed. Somewhere between him taking one step and then another, he felt it.

A minor sensation of pressure behind his eyeballs, which suggested he was getting a headache.

Or a psychic was attempting to influence him.

That one, there. The man in the tank top and biker vest, spikes and silver studs all over, clearly the leader of the little group.

Part of him was thinking oh these look like sturdy chaps who know a thing or two about busting heads, and they'd be an excellent fit for his henchmen, or henchfolk? Yes, henchfolk, one of them was a woman, which was fine, and don't all three of them look the part, dressed to the nines in black leather and spikes, why, they'd be a perfect fit...

While the other half of him sneered, for ee-vil's sake, they're clearly trying too hard, those leathers look brand new, like extras in a Mad Max film, only cleaner.

He changed course and strode up to them, cape snapping in the wind. Gusty today, the beneficent winds off the lake cooling the streets.

"Pardon me, citizen, but my watch has stopped," he said. "Do you have the time?"

The man he'd addressed lifted his wrist to glance at his watch. "Yeah, nine thirty-five."

"That's a great watch. One of the best non-military watches on the market, and oh, look at that, all three of you have the same ones. What's your name?"

"Ethan. These are my friends, Benji and Ilsa."

"Wow. Just like Mission Impossible." He smiled brightly. "How about that? What an amazing coincidence, the three of you being such good friends, having the same names as a popular franchise. Almost heroic."

"Yeah. Amazing," the man repeated, searching Megamind's eyes and not liking what he found.

All three of the strangers were tensed up now, eyeing Megamind and the henchmen as if expecting Megamind to give the order to attack any second.

And mess up the game? Not a chance.

Minion glanced back and forth between them, puzzled, but sensing something was up.

Megamind said, "Interested in an employment opportunity, perchance?"

The man who was the ringleader hesitated, then nodded. "It'd be an honor, Overlord."

Stratego watched Megamind stride away until he was lost to the crowd.

"I think he knows, boss," Rook muttered.

"Gee, do you think?" Stratego snapped.

The third member of their task force, Blackout, aka Ilsa, huffed out a breath of exasperation. "I told you those names were too obvious."

"Oh, please, he figured it out before it even got that far."

"Why didn't he arrest us? Or attack?"

"Toying with us, obviously."

Stratego glared at his watch, as if it was at fault, and true, they shouldn't've chosen three of the exact same brand, that was a careless oversight, though the watches had seemed a good idea at the time. Megamind must have some undeveloped sixth sense, or something. How else had he shaken off Stratego's influence so easily?

"So when do we head back?" Rook asked.

Stratego scowled at his sidekick. "Head back?"

"Yeah, he made us, there's no way we can..."

Stratego ushered his young charge around the corner of the building, gesturing at Blackout to follow.

"This mission is too important to just give up and go home."

"But..."

"We're staying until we find the hostages, and that's that." He took in their shocked expressions. "Megamind's obviously willing to play along, I can work with this. Trust me."

"If it was up to me, I'd leave them to rot in whatever hell-hole the Overlord put him in." Blackout grumbled.

Stratego shook his head. It was exactly this kind of short-sighted thinking that he had to put up with every day. "Dr. Zimbro is our only chance for more of the antidote. Besides, you want to go to Iron Eagle and tell him we failed?"

Blackout licked her teeth thoughtfully. "Well, at least we don't have to sit around base listening to the protesters."

"Yeah, we get to see what they're protesting," Rook said gloomily.

Stratego said nothing. The Friends of Metro City camp had sprung up a few days ago, right outside the army base's main entrance, fuelled by the heart-stirring videos that were popping up all over the airwaves and getting endless replays on social media platforms.

Videos of Megamind, the self-proclaimed Overlord, rescuing citizens and shooting zombies. Refugees braving the zombie-infested streets, interviews of survivors, with the voice of Roxanne Ritchi in the background, encouraging, soothing, sometimes challenging.

Where are the heroes? she asked, eyes flashing. Who is helping our city in its hour of need? And the camera panned dramatically to Megamind, engrossed in earnest conversation with battered-looking cops and firefighters.

Megamind, that's who.

It must have been staged. Must've been.

Stratego stroked his chin. "You know, this is a good opportunity in another way. We can gather evidence of the Overlord's tyrannical rule."

Rook and Blackout looked around again at the refugees, who to all appearances were moving about freely and peacefully, with a distinct lack of the eye-rolling terror the task force had encountered on their trek through the ruined city to get to the safe zone.

The safe zone. They'd thought it was one of those phrases that covered a host of sins, but the place was amazingly free of barbed wire and armed thugs. It was chaotic, but the orderly chaos of people doing their best.

Port-a-potties were on every block. Large signs pointed the way to the Lair, to food stations, to the clinic (the stolen MASH unit, no doubt).

A woman with three grubby kids was trying to light a cooking fire next to a wall. Two henchmen strolling by stopped to talk to her, and the heroic task force tensed, prepared to witness some kind of bullying, but apparently the thugs's goal was to help her move her makeshift kitchen to a safer location and ask if she knew about the meal schedule at the Lair.

Somewhere a dog barked, but it was the high-pitched yip of somebody's pet, rather than the baying of an attack dog. Brainbots drifted about on errands of their own, completely failing to harass any of the citizens.

Blackout and Rook met each other's eyes but glanced quickly away. If Stratego wanted evidence of tyranny, he might have to manufacture it himself.

"Who were those guys, Sir? You know them?"

"Not as such, Minion, not as such."

"Then why'd you hire 'em?" Minion griped.

Megamind gestured at Minion to lean closer, and waggled his eyebrows to get the point across. "Because there was something very heroic about them."

It took a few moments, then Minion's eyes shot wide. "WHAT?!"

Megamind grimaced. "Don't shriek so, filet mignon."

"Should've thrown 'em in the clink! I oughta..."

"You'll do no such thing." Megamind grabbed Minion's arm before he could go marching back. "I plan to keep them around."

"What? Why?"

"Because I want to find out what they're up to, of course," Megamind said.

"Si-i-i-ir," Minion groaned, rolling his eyes. "This isn't a game."

"Pfft. Of course it is. They know that I know, and if they know that and are willing to stick around, then whatever they're after must be pretty important."

Minion huffed and fumed and at last seemed to accept the situation. "Well, who are they anyway? What are their powers?"

"I'm not sure, but one of them tried to psychically influence me so that narrows it down a bit."

Minion went through a further brief fit of exasperation at this news. "It was that guy with all the wrist spikes, wasn't it? Next time he tries that, you let me know, Sir. What if they..."

"Don't fuss. I feel confident that all will be revealed in time, and remember, as top henchperson, you'll be their direct supervisor, so you get to give them their assignments."

"Oh yeah." Minion brightened.

Megamind spotted Roxanne, who was gathering footage for her latest broadcast.

He kept out of the line of sight of the camerabots and waited until she wrapped up.

She smiled at him. "Do a decent job of ripping him a new one?"

He stepped forward to embrace her.

"Indeed I did," he said, placing a brief kiss on her lovely mouth.

She took his hand as they began to stroll along the street. "Where you off to now?"

"Oh, to think up some perfectly decent and important work for my new henchfolk. Patrolling the edge of the red zone, picking up litter, that sort of thing."

She cocked an eyebrow.

"Just the thing for heroes," he smirked, and explained.

She let out a peal of laughter. "I think you should have them go out and scrub the streets with toothbrushes. Fix every clogged toilet in a five-block radius. Make them clean up the vomit and blood from the queue at the border," she said.

He chuckled, giving her hand a squeeze. "I like those suggestions."

"I'll bet they have some kind of immunity from the virus," she said under her breath.

"Yes, that occurred to me as well. How else do they expect to return to the outside?"

They walked along in companionable silence for a little longer, swinging their hands together lightly, and Megamind felt so happy he could burst.

He stole glances at Roxanne, and when he saw she was doing the same, both of them chuckled and blushed like idiots.

God, he didn't know he could feel like this. Giddy. He wanted to whisk her away to some out-of-the-way corner and kiss her silly. Wanted to...

"Sir?"

He sighed and turned to Minion. "Yes?"

"We're due at the waste treatment facility." Minion looked apologetic, and Megamind kept from snapping at him.

"I'd better go, too," Roxanne said, taking both his hands in hers briefly before giving him a kiss that didn't last nearly long enough for Megamind's liking, and hurrying away.

Megamind was in the middle of searching for employees who understood OSHA regulations, or anyone who had any training at all in transferring chemical barrels so the sewage treatment plant could be returned to full operational status, when his wrist comm beeped.

A call from the water treatment plant. He heaved a sigh. Hot Flash might be a a party animal at heart, but she probably wouldn't pester him with trivialities. God, couldn't one thing in this city stay fixed for a few days? Maybe the wind turbine had broken down.

But it wasn't Hot Flash, it was her minion, Irwin, his sweating face filling the little screen from the nostrils up. "Irwin? I can hardly hear what you're saying."

From the mic came a furtive rustling and soft thumping, the creak of a door, and a sudden blinding brightness from sunlight as Irwin, presumably, rushed outside.

Irwin's wild eyes reappeared on screen. "Help. You have to help."

"What's happening?" Megamind said, sharply.

"Destruction Worker," Irwin hissed. "He's here, his henchmen got in, they took hostages! Ms. Hot Flash told me to sneak away, I'm on the roof, please, you have to..."

The pok-pok-pok of gunfire interrupted Irwin, and he flinched back into a corner. "Hurry, you have to save Ms. Hot Flash, you..."

His eyes shot round with terror and there was a shout, a stampede of feet, and Irwin disappeared, the screen tilted wildly to show a brief confused montage of flailing limbs, a grey wall rushing by at speed, Irwin's scream, a cracking thud, and the screen went to static.

Megamind was already moving. "Minion, call the brainbots in from their sweeps, unless they're actively rescuing people. More guards at the border. Looks like Destruction Worker's making his move."

Whatever the move was.