Eyes darting constantly down to his wrist, Megamind led Roxanne around the back of the restaurant, away from all the commotion. They followed the signal through an alley, rank with the smell of spoiled garbage, and down a side street.

"In there," the blue hero nodded to indicate a large parking deck looming ahead.

Together they made their way cautiously into the concrete structure, the grimy yellow lights inside doing little but making the shadows darker. Megamind checked the holowatch and drew his De-Gun, holding its muzzle down but at the ready. He motioned with his head, indicating that they should go up. On the third floor, he became even more guarded, keeping to the shadows, ducking behind vehicles and pillars, darting looks around before motioning Roxanne to follow him to the next piece of cover.

They might as well have saved themselves the trouble.

"Hesperos, so nice of you to join me," a cultured voice drawled, echoing in the cavernous space.

"Ares," Megamind's voice was carefully neutral. "I would say it's nice of you to visit, but a gentleman doesn't lie."

"Indeed," the voice mused. "I am glad to know you have not entirely changed."

"Only what needed changing."

"Ever the idealist," Ares crooned. "Tell me, is the Hero of Metro City a coward? Why not come out where I can see you?"

"Why don't you? There's a difference between folly and fear. I have my faults, Ares, but stupidity isn't one of them."

"I only wish to talk," the words reverberated from the darkness. "I am not your enemy."

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" Megamind asked. "Oh, wait, it must be all the threatening letters. And the multiple attempts to kill me."

"You were interfering with my business, and I did give you fair warning." The echoes made the voice difficult to pinpoint.

"You were interfering with my city," Megamind responded meaningfully, his eyes and De-Gun sweeping the shadows. "You should have expected nothing less."

"Ah, yes, the noble Defender, who also happens to rule the underworld with an iron fist."

"Means to an end, Ares," it seemed the blue hero had finally discerned his foe's location. He had to move two steps out from cover for a clear shot, and he aimed his firearm with new purpose.

"Then you will not even speak with me?"

"We're speaking now," the hero stated. "If you have something to say, say it."

"Lower your weapon first."

"You're hardly in a position to make demands. Come out where I can see you and put down your own gun. Then I'll consider it."

"Indeed," the voice chuckled derisively. "And how do I know you won't shoot as soon as I'm disarmed?"

"I could shoot you now," Megamind firmed his grip on the De-Gun as if to prove the point. "But I won't unless you give me a reason. You have my word."

Roxanne didn't really expect Ares to do it. She nearly gasped when a figure took shape from the darkness, stepping slowly into the dim, gray light. For once, Ares actually looked the part of a villain. He had discarded the valet uniform, and wore dark cargo pants stuffed into black combat boots. His face was obscured by the hood of a black waterproof jacket that looked as if it had once been military issue. The hairs on the back of Roxanne's neck stood on end. She could think of only one reason Ares would have opted for a clothing change: his current garments provided far more places to hide weapons and ammunition.

Her uncle had owned a jacket like that, she recalled; a souvenir from his army days. It had included false pockets intended to fit over holsters.

Slowly, deliberately, the assassin clicked the safety on his pistol and, just as Roxanne had suspected, secreted it away in one of the jacket's hidden seams.

Determined not to let the man she loved stand alone, the reporter stood from her crouch and moved out from her position behind a small SUV. Megamind would probably say it was a bad strategy, and she would do better to keep the element of surprise, but she needed to be by his side for this. She needed him to know she was with him all the way.

Megamind barely glanced at her before lowered and holstered his own gun. Roxanne wished he wouldn't, but she understood. Ares respected honor; Megamind couldn't afford to seem anything less than chivalrous. The two men stared at one another in silence.

"It has been a long time, my friend," Ares said quietly.

Megamind didn't respond for a moment. Roxanne had the distinct impression he wanted to say something like: not long enough, but, of course, he was too intelligent to antagonize the assassin.

"It must be nearly three decades now," he said at last.

"You've grown up and made a name for yourself. Finally, you have won the respect of all those peons you so desperately wanted to impress… Tell me, is acceptance all you imagined it would be?"

Megamind shifted slightly closer to Roxanne. "I've learned I only need the acceptance of a few who matter."

"Indeed," Ares turned his face toward Roxanne. She could just make out part of a chin, the tip of a nose, light glinting off eyes under the deep hood.

Strange, she thought. I just saw him twenty minutes ago, but I can't remember what his face looks like.

"Ah, the famous Miss Ritchi," Ares crooned. "The woman who tamed this monster." Roxanne fought not to shudder. Something in the way he spoke told her, beyond doubt, that he was purposefully paraphrasing her own words from an old report on Megamind. How much did this man know about her?

He uses fear like a weapon, Megamind had said. Well, she wasn't going to let that happen.

Lifting her chin, she spoke with a firm calm that she wished she could feel. "He was never a monster," she informed the assassin.

"How many others would agree with you? No, you give yourself too little credit. I name you Saint Martha the Golden." He bowed, the gesture at odds with his paramilitary attire, but there was a quarter-turn of irony in Ares' voice.

Megamind tensed beside her, but it was Roxanne who spoke first, her temper sparking. "I studied Medieval literature," she informed him coldly. "I know who Saint Martha the Golden was, and what happened to the dragon that made the mistake of trusting her. If Megamind is supposed to be the Tatasque, I don't much like your allusion."

"Oh, very good," it was impossible to tell whether the slight mockery in Ares' chuckle was intentional or merely habitual. "She is a cunning one, Hesperos. Very well," Roxanne could feel his gaze back on her. "You shall be Sinéad the Beautiful, and he shall be your Tam Lin."

"Did you really bring me out here for a mythology lesson?" Megamind asked. "Your targets are dead. You've won. I'm not really one for long goodbyes, Ares, so why don't you just move along?"

"Dead? Oh, no. The Smiths were never my targets," there was a grin in the assassin's voice. "Lord Smith was my client." His gaze was still focused on Roxanne. "She," he gestured. "Was my target. That was the point of all the flames, you know. The way you are described in the media, Sinéad… 'warm,'" he quoted. "'Bright,' 'incendiary passion,' 'sparkling wit,' 'a firecracker,' 'full of burning determination…' Flames and explosions were really the only fitting choice, don't you agree?"

Roxanne could feel Megamind shaking with rage, could swear she actually felt heat pouring off of him. "No," he hissed. "You warned me. You never warn your targets!"

"Ah, but I counted on you disregarding my warning, Hesperos. I counted on you blaming yourself, losing yourself in hatred, hunting fruitlessly for the identity of my 'real' target, convinced your precious Miss Ritchi's death had been mere vengeance. Meanwhile, I would deal with that filth Johnson and whisk my daughter away to safety. And where would that leave you?"

"HUNTING YOU FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!" Megamind snarled, his hand flinching toward his De-Gun. It took obvious effort not to pull it.

"Yes!" Ares' dark laugh sounded half-insane. "Exactly! Myself and anyone else you thought might be involved! Just like poor, dear old Kip Kendall! You must see it now, Hesperos; my job was not simply to eliminate your lover, but to return you to villainy in the process! Oh, yes, my friend. As both the local Defender and the Criminal Mastermind, you wielded far too much power for Smith's liking. You had already taken Metro City's underworld from him, and now you were frightening the corruption out of his porcine political friends. Too many of Smith's ever-dwindling allies were no longer willing to risk your wrath. Too many were abandoning him, and his kingdom was growing ever smaller," Ares laughed again, the sound cold enough to cause shivers. "The king had lost his crown. And he blamed Miss Ritchi, your Sinéad the Beautiful: the lady who tamed the monster and made him the shining knight. With her gone, the self-proclaimed lord was certain your fall back into infamy would be inevitable, and I was to be the weapon of your destruction! However," Ares' voice softened. Somehow, it made Roxanne think of a snake. "You then did something I did not expect. You rescued Olivia. I hacked into the Family Services database. I read the file. Did you know that a certain Miss Klossner called you the best foster parents in her experience to date? Oh, yes. Olivia, my Olivia, was said to be 'happy, secure, and adjusting extremely well.' Do you understand now? Honor demanded that I protect the ones who protected my child! That alone would have bought you a measure of mercy! A measure of mercy from me, but not freedom from your adversary's threat. Once Olivia was back in my custody and my debt to you was paid, your fate would have been your own. Smith, however, then made a critical mistake: he lied to me. I had been told that your Sinéad the Beautiful was monstrous: that she was using you to further her career, that she had, in fact, lured a lovestruck young man into villainy and ruined his life simply so that she could be at the center of another front-page story. Smith claimed that your turn toward heroism had less to do with your own heart and more to do with her greedy desire to continue her fame after your nemesis fell. I began to suspect otherwise when she joined you at the Harlequin Club—a woman of the sort Smith described might possibly put her life in danger for the sake of fame, but would certainly not do so in disguise—and reading about the "healthy relationship" and "stable home environment" described in the Family Services document further convinced me. That is when I decided to turn upon my employer. Lord Smith would not rest until Sinéad was dead, even if I refused him. Thus he had to be eliminated."

"And his wife? What did she do to deserve that?"

"Her only crime, I'm afraid, was merely being a fool. She was foolish to marry a man like Smith, foolish to turn a blind eye to his obvious operations… Foolish enough to die."

"And now they're dead. What more do you want, Ares?" Megamind nearly growled.

There was silence for a heartbeat. "I want," the assassin answered slowly, "my daughter. Give Olivia to me, and I will leave your city in peace."

"And if I don't? Do you plan to set off those ingenious little bombs you hid around the city? You needn't look so surprised, Ares. I am, after all, Megamind: incredibly handsome heroic genius and quite literally the smartest person on Earth."

"Yet you remain so very humble," sneered the assassin.

"It isn't bragging if it's true," Megamind showed his teeth. "I realized seven of the fourteen devices were fakes, distractions, but I also knew that the Ares I remembered would surely have plans layered on plans. You learned from me, after all. I knew you could have created enough ammonium nitrate and pentaerythritol tetranitrate for seven bombs, but not for double that number. Then you made the mistake of trusting a crawling worm like Gunner Ingram. Don't you know I own the gangs in this town? I already had my suspicions, and as soon as I heard the locations of all your little surprises, I knew I was correct. You see, even before I became the Defender, I always took an interest in the well-being of Metrocity."

Ares narrowed his eyes. "And why, precisely, should that concern me?"

"Oh, you already know perfectly well," Megamind continued, his smile full of a wolf's slyness. "Seven seems to be the number of choice. Seven. One for each year of your daughter's life. One for each of the decoy bombs," he lowered his voice, a knowing gleam in his eyes. "One for each of the children of Cronos plus one for the god of war.

"Oh, you were clever, I will admit that. You only sent your errand boy GPS coordinates, not location names or addresses. He couldn't even give us more than descriptions of some of the places the bombs had been left. It was hard to theorize about the connections at first, but Roxanne here had said something very insightful: you might choose locations associated with what each of the original Greek Gods represented, rather than with the deities themselves. So when I learned that only seven of the devices you planted were in clearly connected locations, I realized that the others had to be somewhere more… metaphorical. Then it hit me: just as there were seven real devices, there are also seven organizations in Metrocity especially significant to me: There are Dragons and the Ghost Riders: my allies in the criminal world, both of whom you tried— and failed— to turn against me. Then there's the police and the prison I once called home. Finally, there is the hospital, shelter, and adult learning center I helped found.

"Zeus, I realized, might be associated with the police through his connection with the law. The leader of the Riders calls himself Reaper, a clear parallel with Hades. The shelter gives people a safe place to live while they get on their feet, and can easily be connected to Hestia, the goddess of home and hearth. Demeter was more difficult until I remembered Bona Dea. She is associated with Demeter— even part of Demeter's name comes from the word Dea— and they were both once honored as fertility deities in much the same manner. Possibly they were one and the same. Bona Dea, however, was also connected with healing and, more importantly, with the poor. That made the teaching hospital an obvious choice. Then there are the Dragons, whose emblem is blue, who have a shipping-based smuggling operation, and whose territory largely borders Lake Michigan. Poseidon is said to have had a pet sea dragon called Cetus. I won't deny that Hera was the most difficult. She didn't seem to be associated with any of the organizations under my protection, and I knew all too well that you might change things up. You might try to throw me off by choosing a more obvious location for one of the explosives. But then it occurred to me that your mother was a professor, and that Hera, the goddess of childbirth, was the mother of Ares. That's how I knew the sixth real device was the one at the adult learning center. Then, finally, of course, there is the prison, a place where every day feels like a battle for survival. A place that shaped you, Ares, into what you are. Oh yes," Megamind chuckled darkly. "I figured out your little trick. I found and disarmed every one of those devices."

It was Ares' turn to snarl, and Roxanne was pleased to realize that Megamind had thrown him off balance. "You're forgetting your own lessons," the man said, his voice snide. "Aren't you the one who always said: 'always have a backup plan, and a backup plan for your backup plan?'"

"You've been locked down for days, and I removed your errand boy from the equation," Megamind shook his head. "You wouldn't have had time to plant another bomb… Unless…" Roxanne could feel her lover stiffen by her side.

"Yes," Ares hissed. "Now you understand."

"You're insane. You'll die too."

"Perhaps that is a price I'm willing to pay."

Megamind studied him. "No," he said. "You're not. That would leave Olivia in the custody of the state, and that's not something you're willing to do."

"Very good," Roxanne could hear the smirk in Ares' voice. He reached for a different pocket, and Megamind's hand darted toward his gun again, but all Ares brought out was a car key on a fob. "I've brought a friend with me. Would you like to see him?"

The assassin clicked a button on the key fob, and a car's headlights burst to life illuminating part of the darkened garage. There, bound and gagged in a chair, a bomb duct-taped to his chest, was Andro.

"You see, it's really very simple," Ares said. "You have someone dear to me, and I have someone dear to your lady. I propose a friendly, mutual exchange, and we both leave this place in peace. If you refuse me…" There was evil glee in Ares' tone. "Well, perhaps you can dismantle the bomb before it explodes, but I doubt it. So," the assassin's tone became snidely self-satisfied. "What will you choose? Will you cooperate? Will you sacrifice your lover's friend? Or will you die trying to prove what a noble hero you are?"

Please, Roxanne thought desperately. Please, Megamind, do something!

"Indeed," the blue man sneered. "All this time I thought you actually cared about Olivia. I should have known better."

Ares growled. "I love my daughter! Why else would I want her with me?!"

Megamind's laugh was one-hundred-percent supervillain as clapped his hands sardonically. "Oh," he sighed as if enjoying a particularly good joke. "Oh, that really is too much." He pressed slender blue hands against his chest in a mockery of a melodramatic damsel, a sarcastic smile twisting his features, derision ringing in every word. "You l-l-love her!" The alien's green eyes glowed with malicious mirth. "You! Of all people!" He laughed again. "Oh, that is priceless!"

Ares aimed a look of pure hatred straight at his enemy, earning him another dark, jeering chortle. Roxanne, however, had been focused elsewhere. Had Megamind's finger just flicked to a button on his watch in Ares' moment of distraction?

A shadow detached itself from the darkness. A shadow with nothing visible to cast it.

A shadow that looked a lot like an invisible brainbot floating to the back of Andro's chair.

"You love her," Megamind repeated, shaking his head. "You love her enough to, what? Give her a life of seedy motels and bloody secrets? Make her a target for anyone who goes after you? Ensure her every moment is drowned fear and darkness?"

Andro's eyes widened as he felt something loosening the ropes on his arms.

"Is that your idea of love, Ares?" Megamind continued, face shifting to something almost furious. "Is that what you think?! Love," he snapped pointedly, "is looking at another person, flaws and all, and seeing someone so precious that they become the new sun in your solar system! Love is caring so deeply for another being that their very existence changes your entire world! Love is being not only willing but glad to make sacrifices of yourself! It means doing what is best for someone else, even when it hurts, because they mean more to you than you do!"

The severed ropes seemed to slide themselves from around Andro's arms. The ones around his wrists started loosening.

"That is love, Ares!" Megamind was shouting. "Can you even begin to comprehend it, let alone feel it?! If you really loved Olivia, you would care about what she needs, not what you want! She is happy and safe with me! She has a family! Why would you take that away from her?!"

Andro's wrists came free, their bindings lowering themselves gently to the floor.

"What do you think will happen when the state overrules her caseworker?!" the assassin demanded. "Do you really believe that the system will allow a human child to be raised by an alien who spent most of his life as a supervillain?! Don't be a fool, Hesperos! The system is broken, and you know it well!"

The cords around Andro's legs loosened.

"It is broken!" Megamind agreed. "And, yes, I know it better than most! But I also know something else: how to create! I build things, Ares! Things this world has never even imagined, let alone seen! Machines, technology, and systems! During the course of that, I have seen more failures than I care to count. Do you know what I do when that happens? I don't destroy what I've made! I don't blow it to pieces! I figure out what needs to change and I fix it!"

Slowly, carefully, Andro stood up. As quietly and cautiously as he could, Roxanne's friend pulled his arms into his coat.

"Enough!" Ares sounded flustered now, unbalanced and angry. "You cannot fix what is beyond repair! And I will not let my daughter's well-being rest upon blind idealism! You have one choice before you now, and I suggest you make it before I lose my patience! But know this: whatever your decision may be, I will have my daughter! When I leave this city, she will leave with me! The only question is whether the three of you will find so happy an ending! Think carefully, Hesperos!"

Roxanne hardly dared to breathe, fought to keep her attention on Ares, as Andro pulled the coat gradually over his head and carefully laid it, the bomb still attached, on the seat of the chair.

Beside her, her lover drew himself up to his full height. "My name," he said with slow, firm deliberation, "is Megamind. And my answer is no."

Lights suddenly blazed as three brainbots dropped their invisibility shields. From the retro boombox supported by a fourth, Iron Maiden's The Trooper split the night.

Ares' hand darted to one of his pockets just as Andro rushed him from behind and Megamind's De-Gun appeared in his grasp. The Defender of Metro City fired at his opponent's feet, not wanting to hit Andro, and Ares jumped to avoid the blast. It bought the few vital seconds they needed, and just as the assassin retrieved something black and rectangular from his pocket, Andro slammed into his back, sending him sprawling. The killer's cell phone, almost certainly connected to a detonating device, skittered across the floor, and Roxanne darted forward to kick it under a car. It didn't go quite far enough on the rough pavement, sliding only a few inches beyond the front bumper. She turned to face the fight, determined that if Ares moved for the phone she would stand in his way no matter the cost.

Sounds of snarling and heavy blows came from the two men struggling on the floor. Ares had freed one arm, and Andro already sported a split lip. As Roxanne watched, their enemy's fist slammed into the other man's side. The cameraman jerked in pain and was too slow to block as Ares' other arm swung to connect with his jaw. Although Andro had gotten in the first punch thanks to the element of surprise, his fighting skills weren't in the assassin's class.

Megamind's were.

The hero leaped into the fray, jerking his foe up slamming a punch into his jaw that sent him reeling. Ares surged instantly to his feet, pistol in hand. Megamind twisted, turning his head sharply to the side and leaning back at the same moment his arm shot out to knock Ares' wide. A bullet ricocheted harmlessly off of a concrete pillar. Grabbing the assassin's wrist, the blue man spun back the other way and slammed an open palm into his opponent's elbow. The gun clattered to the pavement and Megamind kicked it aside. Ares yanked himself free and leaped back, then charged again. Light flashed on sharp steel as his arm slashed down. Megamind's own arm swung up to block, knocking Ares' blow aside. The assassin's other hand was already darting straight for Megamind's torso, a second weapon in his grasp. Were those daggers? The hero spun to the side, keeping his blocking arm high, and swung his leg around to crash into the back of Ares' knee. The man stumbled, barely managing to keep his feet, but Megamind's arm wrenched aside and down, jerking one of the daggers from the killer's grasp.

Ares, however, had a new target in sight. He twisted around and sprung, remaining blade raised, straight for Roxanne.

The world seemed to slow for just a moment. Roxanne didn't think, didn't freeze… Her body simply took over. Hours upon hours of training had her muscles automatically moving, jumping to the right, turning, one arm darting up to block Ares' blade. She pivoted, slamming an elbow back into the assassin's gut at the same moment her foot crashed down on his insole and she jerked his arm over her shoulder, throwing her weight forward. The next moment Ares was on his back on the hard pavement, the wind knocked from his lungs.

Roxanne didn't have time to feel proud of herself, though. She scrambled back a few steps as, with a wheezing snarl, the assassin sprung to his feet. The woman threw herself to the side just as he leaped forward…

And found himself staring down the barrel of the De-Gun.

The reporter blinked. Megamind had appeared between them so fast it was almost like he super-speed of his own. She hadn't even seen him draw his weapon again!

Her lover glared at their adversary, his face more cold and dangerous than she had ever seen it.

"Drop it," he commanded.

Ares' dagger fell to the ground. Then he smiled.

"A backup plan for every backup plan." His hand darted for the key fob hung on his belt.

The world exploded in noise as Ares' shoulder seemed to explode in blood. Roxanne fought not to wince as hot liquid splattered her. The assassin snarled in rage and pain, his arm going limp.

Behind him, Andro was standing, feet set wide, the assassin's own pistol in a two-handed grasp.

"Alright, you son of a bitch," he growled. "My daddy was a Marine marksman, and he taught me well. One more move and I blow your ugly head off."

Megamind grinned at Ares, and, still aiming his weapon with one hand, casually unclipped the key fob from the other man's belt loop. "I'll take this, thank you. Keep the gun on him, Andro," he added. "Roxanne, search him." She did, thoroughly patting down the assassin and removing several cartridges of ammunition, brass knuckles, and a switchblade.

Ares lifted his chin. "Give me a proper death, Hesperos."

"Death," Megamind mused. "You know, I probably would be doing society a favor." He stepped back and lifted the De-Gun. Flicking the cylinder to change the setting, he aimed straight for the other man's head. "But luckily for you, I really am a hero." He fired, and a glowing blue cube clinked to the pavement. Silence reigned for several heartbeats.

"Well," Andro finally said with a shaky laugh. "I don't think I did too bad for my first time playing the damsel."

Roxanne felt her own hysterically relieved giggle bubbling up from her chest.

"That was like something straight out of an action movie," she assured her friend.

"Uh, yeah," he admitted. "It was almost a direct quote from Bloodshed."

In the distance, more police sirens wailed.

"You've missed all the fun, I'm afraid," Megamind announced, striding into a chaos of flashing blue lights, Roxanne and Andro at his back.

The Metro City police all lowered their weapons. Beside an unmarked car, Agent Rickard didn't do the same. He looked a little worse for wear after the blast, but throwing him behind the invisible car had clearly saved him from any serious harm.

The fed didn't seem particularly grateful. "Where the hell is Nelson?" he demanded.

"Right here," Megamind dangled a clear plastic sandwich bag from his fingers, the luminous blue cube tucked safely inside. He'd started carrying Ziplocks with him everywhere after a sudden rainstorm had resulted in his having to catch the same car thief twice.

Rickard started to holster his gun and move forward just as Megamind turned his attention to one of the other law enforcement officers.

"Sergeant Perez, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir, Defender."

Megamind closed the distance between them and handed over his prize. "Whatever you do, don't let him get wet until after he's in a cell," he advised.

"Now hold on just one damn minute! This is a federal case!" snarled Rickard. "And you're still under arrest! Obstructing justice! Endangerment!"

"Like hell, he is," Sergeant Perez stepped forward. "He's caught Nelson, meaning he was serving justice, and he had a valid reason to discharge his firearm. You know no court will convict him."

"He withheld information!"

The blue alien's smile was sharp. "As did you, Agent." The other man glowered, but Megamind raised his voice over the fed's objections. "In fact, you withheld information that would have saved the life of Lord Smith if I had known it sooner!"

That shut Rickard up.

"What are you talking about?" the sergeant asked.

"The final clue I needed was something this man," the hero threw his free hand out toward Rickard, "had for some time. Lord Smith would still be alive if Ranger Rick here had cared more about catching a murderer than he did about having a pissing contest."

"And how did you get my files?!" Rickard looked livid. Clearly, he couldn't be silenced for long. "Which one of these idiots gave them to you?!"

"Why, you let the clue I needed slip yourself. When you were gloating over the supposed incompetence of Metro City's Finest. You mentioned a fire you claimed was started by Ares. It wasn't, but the way. Completely wrong assumption. But it did lead me to make a connection you apparently missed."

"You filthy son of a—"

Megamind ignored the agent and turned toward the local officer instead. "I trust, Sergeant Perez, that the precinct can work out the details of extraditing Eric Nelson to other states as charges require?"

The other man grinned. "We sure can, Blue."

Megamind whistled and held out a hand. A brainbot appeared from behind the police line, racing over to its master and dropping another blue cube into his palm.

"Do I even want to know?" asked Perez.

"This," the hero said, handing over the object, "is Lady Smith. Sadly, due to unnecessary interference," he cast a meaningful glare at Rickard. "I was only able to dehydrate one of them before the explosion."

"And I suppose that fancy gun of yours couldn't have just dehydrated the damned car!" spat the agent. "Super-genius my ass! Just wait until—"

"With Lord Smith inside?" Megamind interrupted, lifting a sardonic eyebrow. "Along with a bomb set to go off on any second? Oh, wouldn't that have been a surprise for whoever re-hydrated him!" Megamind turned pointedly away from Rickard and back to Perez. "I trust that you can handle the… Unfortunate explanation? I really don't think I would be the best person to do it. The Smiths and I had a… Complicated relationship."

"Complicated—Oh, right, because of Metro Man," Perez nodded. Megamind didn't correct him. "Yeah, Defender. We've got officers that specialize in… breaking that kind of news."

"Thank you," Megamind clapped the man on the shoulder. "Well, then, it appears my work here is done! Roxanne, my Darling," he offered his arm, then turned to the other side. "Can we drop you somewhere, Andro, or would you like to come by the Lair for supper and medical treatment? It looks like you're going to be bruised nearly as blue as I am by morning."

Andro perked up. "You mean it? There's no way I'm missing a visit to the Secret Lair!"

"Hey!" Rickard was seething. "This is still a federal matter! You can't just—"

"To the victor belong the spoils," Megamind informed him, wagging the forefinger of his free hand. "I'll leave the next dick-measuring competition between you and the MCPD. I do hope you've managed to get onto Police Chief Simmons' good side. Oh," he turned back to Perez and handed him a third blue cube in a bag. "You'll want to get this over to a bomb squad. I've disabled the device, but there's a lot of explosive material dehydrated in there."

"This is my case!" shouted Rickard. "I tracked down Nelson! I could have—"

"Oh, ho, ho!" Megamind's sarcastic laugh rang out. "You're hilarious! Really! Come on, you only found him because you followed me! Don't think I didn't notice, although I'd like to know how you managed to tail an invisible car. Rest assured, I will be checking it thoroughly for tracking devices. You had best hope I don't find one. I doubt your superiors will look kindly on your chasing a city's hero when you should have been chasing a killer. Especially when this hero," he indicated himself, "did your job for you! How long did you say you'd been trying to catch Ares? Two years, wasn't it?" He laughed again and raised his voice. "Two years he's had this case! Two months we've had it! Oh, his boss is going to love that!"

"You're supposed to hand over the suspect to my custody!" Rickard's rage was tinged with something like desperation now.

"Oh, good heavens!" Megamind raised both eyebrows in an expression of mock horror. "I wouldn't want you to compromise your principles, Agent! I know how strongly you feel about working with mere citizens and—what was it he called me, Sweetheart? An egomaniac in a leotard?"

"I think that was it, yes." She smiled. "I seem to also recall him saying he didn't want your help."

"You see, Rickard?" Megamind gestured grandly. "I'm sure you'll be much more comfortable going through the full, proper extradition process with qualified law enforcement."

"You're doing it again! You're obstructing justice right now!"

"Hardly. I am the Defender of Metrocity. I have apprehended a criminal and handed him over to the Metrocity police. That is exactly what I'm supposed to do. Now, if you'll excuse us," he turned one of those wonderful, troublemaker's grins on Roxanne. "Beloved, you look like a woman badly in need of some quality time with a big, blue alien dick."

"Oh, I am," Roxanne purred her agreement, delighted by the way Agent Rickard spluttered and choked. "I really, really am."