Maybe forty minutes later, Roxanne was approaching the city center. Her apartment was just a couple blocks further, but she'd have to pass City Hall before she got there. As she quietly drew closer down the least busy road she could find, she wasn't surprised to hear shouting, and the sounds of mechanical things falling from above. Hopefully if she avoided the epicenter, keeping her hood up should be enough to pass unnoticed at the edge of the commotion. Her plan could still work.

But what she saw when she cautiously peered around the corner was not what she expected. There was the giant 'Ee-vil' machine, as usual. It was a big robot, which had apparently punched a hole right into the second story of City Hall. Unlike the usual, however, it wasn't moving; it actually seemed to be falling apart. And instead of running for a safer spot to hide, or watch from, people had formed a crowd right behind the robot, throwing snowballs and shouting at a small figure clothed in black-

That big blue head. Megamind. Why wasn't he in the robot? Why was he collapsed like that, kneeling in the snow, with splotches of red on his-

She stopped in an instant, stumbling backwards and leaning against the nearest building for support. A mix of emotions pushed to the front of her mind.

Confusion. Her eyes frantically searched for a hint that this wasn't what it seemed. A hologram generator carefully hidden in a bush, the real Megamind off to the side with a remote, she'd even take Minion rushing in with a first-aid kit. But there was nothing.

Fear. She'd seen Megamind get his butt kicked so many times she would have lost track if not for the records kept by the news station. But she'd rarely seen him bleed- maybe it was the durable material he used for his costume, or the way Metro Man always aimed for the torso. Either way, these people throwing snowballs had hurt him as badly, maybe even worse, than the guy who sometimes crushed cars in the junkyard as a light workout ever had.

Anger. She knew how to deal with that, of course. Some people- too many people- would never take a woman seriously if she got emotional in front of them. So she learned to smile, dress up, and respond politely even when she really wanted to strangle somebody.

In novels, people always move without thinking, but Roxanne knew exactly what she was doing when she stepped out of the alley and strode towards the crowd.

They hadn't expected her. That much was clear from the look on their faces when she approached. Maybe they had assumed she'd already been kidnapped. Hah. At this point, she kind of wished that had been the case. If he'd brought her with him in the first place, maybe-

No use thinking about that now. People skittered aside as she entered the crowd. She suspected maybe she was running. Around her, snowball-throwing arms hesitated and dropped to their owners' sides. She stopped when she reached him, slowing to stand and stare as her heart dropped.

Even on his knees like he was, Megamind was barely managing to stay upright. He was leaning forward, hands on the ground to steady himself. His whole body was shaking, and he had clearly given up on defending himself. The cuts and bruises blooming across his scalp were horrifying. She knew that head wounds were supposed to bleed more, but that was a lot of blood painting his big blue cranium crimson. Too much.

Her eyes scanned the churned-up snow around Megamind's crouching form. There were intact snowballs on every side of him, further proof that people had been packing them tightly enough to freeze the flakes together, tightly enough to do serious damage to an unprotected head. And those glasslike shards- icicles? Had they been throwing icicles? Her heart beat faster as adrenaline rushed through her body and made her fight to keep her hands from shaking.

Still looking down, seemingly unaware that the attack had even stopped, he clearly had no idea she was there.

She knelt next to him and spoke softly. "Megamind. It's okay, I'm here now. They won't hurt you anymore." He didn't respond, still slumped and shaking, so small out in the open, his ripped cape adding to the effect. She reached out, hesitantly, and put an arm around his torso, pulling him to his feet. It didn't seem to help his condition. He looked as confused as ever, and as she tried to help him walk forwards he stumbled and almost fell to the ground again. A couple people booed. Pointedly ignoring them, she crouched, still supporting his shoulders, and swept his legs off the ground with her other arm. When she stood, she had him in her arms.

A blurry face, round and pale and topped with brown. "Minyon?" he muttered weakly, relaxing into the arms that held him. Was that right? He vaguely remembered leaving Minion in the Lair, but who else could this be? Who else would save him? Megamind used the last of his strength to pull his vulnerable head closer to his rescuer, to safety. Then the world went dark as he lost consciousness.

Roxanne stared down at the alien in her arms as he went limp and tucked his head into the crook of her elbow. Had he just called her Minion? Oh, god. The head trauma, the dizziness, the confusion- he had a concussion. She was pretty sure human doctors wouldn't be able to help, even if she trusted them to, but what other option did she have? She didn't know where the Lair was. Maybe she could contact Minion?

Anyway, the most immediate concern was getting him somewhere safe. And she seemed to recall that the most important thing after a concussion was to get plenty of rest. Fine. Her apartment was only a couple minutes away, she could carry him that far. Then she'd bandage his head and figure out how to get help.

The mob had started shouting again. There was so much she wanted to say to them. But how could she express how little he deserved this in a way they'd understand, or even listen to? She knew the worst thing he was guilty of was getting into what amounted to slap fights with his rival, maybe breaking some stuff along the way, but both of them were guilty of that. And although Megamind was almost certainly involved in some criminal enterprises, Metro City's violent crime rates had gone down by a factor of 10 since he made his entrance as a teenager. She'd checked every study she could find, and the timing fit perfectly.

But she knew these people didn't see things her way, wouldn't take her seriously if she tried to explain. So she didn't. Without looking up from Megamind's bruised, unconscious face, she spoke up through the commotion. "Go home."

The mob quieted, but there was an uneasy murmur. On person continued to shout. "He's evil! He should be-"

Roxanne used all the restraint she had to stop herself from shooting them a death glare, from screaming insults and threatening to publish every mistake they'd ever made. "I. Said. Go. Home." She started walking, carefully cradling the limp body of the city's resident supervillain against her torso. Maybe it was her strong and measured steps, or the way she looked right through anyone who got in her way, but the crowd parted for her.

As soon as she got out of their sight, she started going as fast as she could without jolting the man in her arms. Please, let him be alright.