The party resumed a while later, after the mess was cleared up. Dru suffered the death of his favourite hair dryer after using it on his frozen hand. The Minions consumed an unspeakable amount of ice-cream, so hyperactivity was off the charts. Luckily, with some guidance from the girls, they knew how to tone it down just a notch whilst also having a blast. And speaking of the girls, they ran back upstairs to find more party games.
An empty tub of ice-cream landed on Gru's head as he settled at a nearby desk for a few minutes. He unravelled his scarf, before leaning his weight against the steel.
Wow, he thought, staring at a framed picture at the wall, forty-five years.
The picture was the first memento he received from his oldest friend, Nefario. At the tween age of eleven, Gru held up a football trophy that he stole from his former classmate. A mischievous chuckle escaped his lips as he remembered that day. Nobody chose him for either team, leaving him on the edge of the pitch as an unwanted sub. So, whilst the game commenced, he used his Sticky-Hand Gun to snatch the trophy, leaving the winning team with an empty promise. If he couldn't win the football match, then nobody could.
Speaking of Nefario, the old scientist approached from behind. "Here, Gru. Got ya somethin' to commemorate your special day."
Gru's eyes lit up as he spotted Nefario holding an object behind his back. Soon, the Doctor whipped out a small metallic crown, with the words Felonius Gru, world's greatest ex-villain etched on the crown's base.
"Wow…" Gru attempted to smile, forcing an impressed voice, "it's just what I've always wanted."
"It even comes with a special feature!" Nefario grinned.
He pressed a button on the side. Immediately, the tiny speaker on the bottom blasted the tune to God Save the Queen. Instead, it was a version sung by the Minions, called God Save our Gru. Though they were completely off-key, the tiny speaker made the sound even worse.
"Impressive," Gru nodded, rubbing his ear, "I shall keep it in a very special vault, the one right next to my garbage bin."
"I'm glad you like it!" Nefario nodded, oblivious to the sarcasm. "So…are you planning to break the news to Lucy?"
"Uh, maybe," Gru rubbed his nape, glancing over at his wife on the other side of the room. She demonstrated how to use a hoverboard, much to Dru's bewilderment. He frowned, "I just don't want to break her heart if Da Vinci changes her mind."
Soon, Nefario's phone vibrated. He stared at the phone screen, then frowned and examined the screen even closer. It took him almost a minute to figure out the answer button, before waiting for a voice.
"Hello?"
"Hello?" Nefario yelled, "Who is this?"
"What? You know who it is."
"Who's ringing my phone?" Nefario continued to shout, poor Gru wincing as he covered his ears. "How many times do I have to tell you? I do not have PPI!"
"I watched you save my name into your contact book!"
Nefario paused. "Ohhhh, right. Sorry 'bout that."
Eventually, Gru gasped. He recognised that voice. Any eager villain in the sixties and seventies would've known who that voice belonged to. "Is that…Glam Slammer?!"
Gru watched Nefario nod a few times, then proceed to explain the lab's location.
"Alright, yeah…yeah…yes…yeah…nope, the right turn…yeah. Cheerio!"
Ending the call, Nefario pocketed his phone with a content smile.
Gru tapped his foot, waiting for an explanation. When a few seconds passed without breaking the silence, Gru soon blurted out, "What was that?"
Nefario shrugged, "What was what?"
Gru facepalmed. "The call!"
Nefario perked up again. "Oh, yes! Well, Gru, I've planned a nostalgic surprise for you. Drum roll, please."
Silence. Gru blinked, waiting for Nefario to continue. Instead, the doctor performed his own drumroll, before revealing, "I've invited the Sixties Supers to come and join your party!"
Gru's eyes widened; his mouth fell open. "You what?!"
"You heard me, buster," Nefario grinned, "get ready for an old times disco."
His befuddled gape soon turned into a grin. All those famous super-villains that motivated his interest in villainy in the first place? Gru couldn't believe it. And they were here to see him. Not once had he been invited to a villain party, or recognised by others. No team-ups, allies, nothing. But now? Finally, he'd be recognised. On the plus side, all of them were retired. So as far as Gru was aware, no funny villain business. Just sharing good old memories.
Nefario soon mentioned, "I haven't told Lucy or Dru as of yet, but I reckon they'll be just as excited."
That's when Gru snapped out of his bliss. "Oh, uh…maybe we should avoid telling them."
But Dru, the curious cat, already heard. Unable to contain his excitement, he rushed off to meet his sister-in-law.
Lucy previously spent some time double-checking the decorations, running over the performance plans with the Minions. She helped herself to the bowl of punch, one that she prepared this time. Last time, the girls insisted that they make a punch for Gru and Lucy's returning to the AVL party. It was pure milk and strawberry juice. Lucy shuddered, already beginning to taste the nauseating aftertaste on her tongue.
Yet, this party was perfect. Everything was calm, cool, collected.
Until Dru burst through the door.
"LUUUUCYYYYYYY!"
Lucy jerked, juggling her cup of punch. Not that it mattered, anyway. Dru grabbed her shoulders and shook her in excitement, the cup falling out of her hands and smashing across the floor.
"Guesswhatguesswhatguesswhatguesswhat!"
Lucy gripped his shoulders, "Dru, breathe!"
"IheardGrutalkingtoNefarioandtheyweretalkingaboutthissuperduperawesomepartytheyhaveplannedand–"
"Slow down!" Lucy yelled, although unable to keep herself from laughing.
"We're having a VILLAIN PARTY!" the words exploded from his mouth like confetti.
Lucy tilted her head. "Huh?"
He nodded with a grin, unable to stand still. "Wake up, girl! There's gonna be villains coming down to see Gru, and we're all gonna bond over villainy! Isn't that exciting?"
Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Not present villains, right?"
"Oh, no, no!" Dru quickly clarified, "They're just like Gru, they don't do that anymore. But Nefario's got the cool gang, like Dumo the Sumo, Glam Slammer, even Tina Nelson!"
Lucy's jaw fell open. The Sixties Supers? That was the nickname her Villain of the Week magazine gave them, so she was more than clued up about each of those villains. Soon enough, she couldn't keep herself from bouncing with Dru. "Are you serious? That's super cool!"
Dru squealed, "I know! They could teach me some cool tricks!"
Lucy nodded, "Maybe they can tell me about how villains used to be, and maybe get some tips on how they think and act. Then I can be the greatest secret agent of all time!"
Dru gasped, almost like she criticised him. "But, Lucy, you are the greatest!"
Gru's voice startled them. "What's with all the excitement?"
Like a startled kangaroo, Dru leapt into the air with a scream. With a smile wide enough to mould his jaw, Dru approached his brother with a strangling hug. "Brooooootheeeeer!"
Gru yelped. He glanced over Dru's shoulder, spotting Lucy. She waved, also wearing a huge grin. Keep it cool, Lucy, she calmed herself.
Dru spun him around before setting him back down. "Oh I just love my little brother, he's the coolest!"
Gru cocked a brow. "Actually, I was born first."
Dru crossed his arms, shaking his head like a little boy. "Nuh-uh."
"Mom said so," Gru smirked, arms crossed.
Dru waggled a finger in Gru's face. "Liar, liar, freeze rays on fire."
Slapping his hand away, Gru squinted at his brother. "You're acting weird."
"You're acting weird!" Dru scoffed. He began to walk backwards, "I'm going away now…to absolutely not eavesdrop on any more conversations."
He stumbled into a stack of boxes, tumbling backward. Immediately jumping back up, Dru fixed his hair and straightened his jacket. With a squeaky laugh, he skipped away.
Gru turned to his wife, perplexed. "What just happened?"
"Totally nothing!" Lucy responded, a little too quickly. Her grin couldn't even spare her for one minute, the excitement was unreal. "All is good, all is awesome."
She pulled him closer by his scarf, planting a long kiss on his cheek. Just like Dru, she gave him a dazzling smile and rushed off.
Gru spent a few minutes in the same place. Wondering how his family was so crazy compared to him.
Decision-making was never a chore for Gru. So why, out of all the days and nights, could he not decide whether his jacket should be zipped or unzipped? He tugged the zipper up, before yanking it back down with a groan.
He puffed out his cheeks, checking his watch. The villains were due in half an hour.
Chugging his third bottle of water, Gru wiped his forehead from sweat as he hyped himself in the mirror. "Alright, alright. C'mon, it's not a big deal…just a load of veteran villains coming to celebrate a big day…"
Gru forced a grin, one that made him cringe. How could he forget how to smile?
And if his anxiety couldn't get any worse, one particular AVL agent also struggled to stay calm.
"Gru!"
The door slammed open, making Gru jerk out of his trance. Lucy skipped across the room, squealing in excitement. And grabbed Gru's scarf and smooshed her cheek against his. "I can't hold it in, oh I'm so excited I could fly to the moon!"
Gru squinted. "Excited for…?"
"The villain party!" Her hand scrunched his turtleneck, pressing their foreheads together, "I've never been to one, oh this is gonna be so fun!"
Gru widened his eyes. "How did you…?"
Lucy leapt onto the table with a notorious grin. "Oh, I have so many questions to ask them. Especially Tina Nelson, her theft of the Washington Monument and replacing it with a cardboard cutout? How she did that, I need to know!"
In the midst of her excitement, she listed all the villains in awe with an enthralled beam. Gru would've found her skipping entirely adorable, but he envisioned her presence at the party much different to hers. He could just imagine her introducing herself, just for them all to laugh and mock her. After all, she was the only adult who wasn't and has never been a villain before. They wouldn't accept her like he did.
And that'd break her poor heart. He couldn't risk it.
Lucy paced, "It'll be so awesome, just like the time you stole that golden statue of Roosevelt in '92! Darn, I should've gotten a replica to commemorate it."
Gru finally grabbed her shoulders. "Lucy…"
She gave him a bright smile. "Yeah?"
Gru frowned. Did he really have to kill that adorable glint in her eye? "I…I don't think that it's a good idea that you come."
Lucy nodded. Highly likely she misheard him from the constant buzzing in her mind.
Gru twisted his hands together. "To a villain party."
Lucy smiled, continuing to nod.
Gru pursed his lips. "To celebrate…villainy."
When Lucy didn't instantly respond, Gru stuttered, "Do you…get what I'm saying?"
Lucy nodded, before adding, "Not a clue. But it's okay, I've researched all the villains attending. I've even got the AVL's history of how they were all defeated, and their infamous escapes!"
She rushed over to a nearby box, retrieving a document containing several sticky notes and tapes to mark each villain's file. She held up her hands, clarifying, "Not…positive for the AVL, but it's a good conversation topic, right?"
Oh man. The last thing he wanted was to crush her dreams. But, for the long run, he knew what would be best. Risking his wife's ego being squashed by multiple ex-villains who have never met an all-around good guy? No chance.
Gru curled a hand around hers. "I…that's wonderful, sweetie. But, I don't think that you would…fit in."
Lucy opened her mouth to respond, before fully comprehending his reason. She held her hands together, a little embarrassed. "Oh…I understand. It's probably…weird to introduce me as your wife when I'm not a villain. I get it."
Gru gulped. "I didn't mean…that's not what I meant!" he held her hands, "It's just…I don't want you to feel worried around them."
She stared at him with pleading eyes. "But I won't! I trust you, so I'll trust them. You know me, I get along with everyone."
Gru gave her a melancholic smile. "It's more complicated than that. You know I'd invite you…but you don't know what it's like to be a villain, so you might feel out of place."
With a smirk, she continued to protest, "Well, I once stole an apple from the school cafeteria."
Gru couldn't help but smile. "Did you put it back?"
Her attempted villainous grin lasted for about five seconds. She exhaled, "Yeah…"
That's when he knew she accepted her fate. He lifted her palm, kissing the top. "It's nothing personal, I promise. But, I don't want them to bully you because of it. I may be wrong, but…I don't want to find out."
Nodding, Lucy struggled to respond. She knew her husband was only trying to look out for her. But, sometimes he could be a little too thoughtful of situations. Just because they were polar opposites in multiple ways, doesn't mean they should necessarily avoid something different. Like now.
"But, we can still continue the celebration later, right?" Lucy pouted.
Gru drew her in for a hug. "Of course, just the two of us."
He thought for a moment. Perhaps this was the best solution. Lucy was a social butterfly, no doubt. But, in a room full of ex-villains? Getting himself to break out of his shell and become accustomed to Lucy's bubbly personality took a load of social therapy, but worked better because he loved her...these guys were ruthless.
Lucy pulled away, giving him a smile. "Alright, well have fun. Don't get too mischievous," she joked with a wink.
Before Gru could respond with a witty comment, Dru caught Lucy just as she stepped into the lift. "Wait, Lucy, we still have the party!"
"Actually, duty calls! I, uh…" she thought for a moment, "I've gotta…take care of this other villain. Yeah! She's a ratchet."
"Oh…okay," Dru frowned, giving her a wave.
Lucy waved back, giving her husband a forced smile before the lift door closed.
Although he felt upset over her absence, Dru huffed and clapped his hands together. "Well, someone's gotta be the life of the party tonight!"
Unzipping his jacket, he pulled out a party hat and another popper. Gru groaned and covered his ears as it blasted right next to him. Before he could break Dru's heart too, his twin already scattered to the main area of the lab.
With a final guilty look at the elevator, watching Lucy disappear, Gru crossed his hands behind his back and followed his brother back into the lab.
—
Meanwhile, back in the AVL cells, the prisoners were waiting for their desserts. As a means to keep the prison from being sued for unjust laws, Silas Ramsbottom had previously set in a new rule. Good behaviour would reward the villains with sweet treats. Although Da Vinci thought the rule was ridiculous, she couldn't afford being sued. Or be bothered for the court meetings.
When the Warden finally arrived, Vector and Eduardo were the first to sprint to their feeding box. Bratt, already lost his patience and overall energy, ambled to the door. Once he saw the sweet treat, he stomped his foot with a yell.
"Are you kidding me?!" he shouted, tossing the dish across the room, "I said I wanted jello!"
"Life's not fair, Bratty boy," Eduardo chuckled, "get over it."
Vector puckered his lips, enjoying the apple crumble. "Yeah, don't be a spoilt Bratt."
Vector and Eduardo burst into laughter. Bratt stormed off into a corner, crossing his arms and facing the wall.
But not without sneaking a tiny piece of crumble off the floor.
