"NOT GOOD!" Megamind cried, taking aim with his de-gun and firing a few rounds at the alien as Metroman lifted himself from face-down on the floor to a kneeling position and looked up at his foe. Megamind's shots were easily avoided by the flying creature, which then dove towards Metroman, swinging its staff as it did.
"Stay away from the staff!" Roxanne shouted.
"Ya think?!" the hero barked back in an uncharacteristically bitter and sarcastic voice as he rolled out of the way. The red tip of the rod struck the ground where he had been crouching, crimson sparks flying with a loud crackling sound. The now flightless glaupunk rolled onto his back as the alien soared up again, turning around in mid-air, readying for another dive. Metro Man let loose a blast of his laser vision and struck the creature dead in the chest, causing it to cry out as the rays set its robes ablaze.
While the hero and the strange alien battled, the large animal it had ridden into the building charged Megamind, Minion, and Roxanne, huffing and snarling as it rushed at them. Minion threw a switch on the large rifle he had hefted, causing it light up and hum even more loudly. The fish pulled the trigger to fire a loud spray of energy bolts. The blasts flying from its muzzle proved impossible for the large creature to dodge and several shots found their mark. The creature cried out in pain as white energy crackled around it. The shots didn't even slow it down, however, and the monster closed the distance at an alarming speed, snarling in pain and fury.
The beast loomed in Megamind's peripheral vision, pulling his attention away from the flying alien. The blue villain's eyes flew wide as the monster took a swing at the three with its massive, taloned paw. Roughly grabbing Roxanne by the shoulders, Megamind pushed her bodily out of the way as he half dove, half ran from the monster. Roxanne shrieked as he did, terrified by the closeness of the knife-like talons as they just missed the both of them. Her heart pounded in terror as she felt the talons breeze past her face.
Minion stood rooted to the spot, continuing to blast the large, rapid-fire weapon at the beast, his shots finally seeming to take their toll on the creature as he fired an endless stream of bursts at point blank range. The creature reared up as it cried out in pain and swung its other arm, successfully catching the rifle, destroying the weapon, its rending claws loosing a crackling arc of electricity as circuitry was torn to shreds.
Megamind jumped back up as soon as he and Roxanne had dodged the claws, pulling her up with him by her arms and dragging her along with him. He turned around as soon as he had gotten the reporter at least a few yards away, watching as Minion discarded the ruined rifle. His best friend reached up and grabbed each of the monster's paws as it lashed out again. The fish grappled with the large beast, his large, 7-foot robotic body seeming a fair match for the snarling, wounded 12-foot creature.
Smoke wafted from the animal's wounded midsection, the smell of burnt flesh filling Evil Lair as the monstrosity seemed driven to insane strength by its wounds. Large robotic hands grabbed massive paws as Minion struggled to hold it at bay, jaws snapping at the clear dome. The fish inside seemed small and insignificant, his eyes wide in shock, though set with a determined look to them. Servos and hydraulics of the robotic body protested noisily at the strain as the teeth came dangerously close to the blue bowl.
Megamind took aim from his vantage point at the monster with his de-gun, scowling as he saw the danger his friend was in. Before he could fire, he grunted as Roxanne knocked him to the floor, a red blast of energy blowing a hole in the concrete floor where he had been standing a moment ago.
"Thanks," he breathed as he looked up into her blue eyes when they tumbled to a stop, stunned by what had just happened and by the feel of her body almost completely pressed atop of his. She swallowed as she looked shakily into his emerald gaze.
Roxanne opened her mouth to say something, but then Megamind saw the creature above from his vantage point as it aimed again for them. Grabbing her shoulders he roughly heaved her body and rolled them both several feet away as another ruby blast cratered the ground where they had been.
Ending up atop of him again, she stared at him in shock for a moment. She then leapt to her feet, grabbed his wrists roughly, and pulled him up with her. As he got his footing, she grabbed his hand in hers, pulling the blue man away while the air crackled with yet another blast of crimson energy, the blast scorching the third spot where they had been, just a moment before.
Megamind gripped Roxanne's hand tightly as she pulled him with her at a full run, her eyes darting about the lair in search of some kind of shelter. He glanced over his shoulder and saw their airborne foe, its robes still alight upon its body as it chased them, loosing more blasts from its staff. The blue alien fired back wildly with his de-gun as they ran, taking shot after shot at their airborne pursuer, who easily dodged the erratic bolts while it let loose a relentless string of blasts, attempting to hit them or herd them to where it could deliver the coup de gras.
While Megamind and Roxanne were dodging the shots from the flying alien, Metroman had dashed over at super speed to help Minion fight the strange mount.
The fish wrestled with the furry beast, then blinked in surprise when the creature was suddenly lifted in the air and pulled away from him. He hurriedly released his grip on its paws as he started to rise with the furry creature, landing back down with a heavy thud. Metroman hefted the snarling beast, lifting it above his head.
The flying alien chased Megamind and Roxanne to a large machine along that same far wall where it and Metroman had entered Evil Lair. The reporter and blue alien darted behind the contraption to take shelter, squeezing between it and the wall. The flying humanoid paused in its flight to hover, taking aim for a more definitive shot.
Megamind and Roxanne crouched together, huddling close to try and provide as small a target as possible. He instinctively wrapped his blue arms around the woman who curled up against him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. In the back of his mind, there was a measure of shock at this, but the adrenaline and fear of their impending doom quickly overwhelmed it. Blasts from the alien started to tear the machine apart, filling their ears with the crackling sound of the energy bolts and the shredding of the metal structure next to them. Figuring on the mass of the device they hid behind and the sound of the blasts' effects, Megamind calculated they had up to 9.7 seconds before their cover was throughly destroyed and they were completely vulnerable.
Suddenly he realized he couldn't just hide here with Roxanne, waiting for the alien to fry them both. He had to lead it away from her, to protect her. Steeling himself, he readied his de-gun as he crouched down with her into a tighter ball, whispering urgently in her ear, "Stay here!"
"WHAT?!" she cried out at his words, looking up at him as an unexpected panic surged within her when she instantly realized what he was doing. She grabbed his wrist as he moved away from her, yanking him back with such force that he thought she could have dislocated his shoulder with just a little more effort.
"NO!" she snarled at him with a fury that surprised him and shocked herself.
Struggling to free himself from her grip, his eyes looked back to lock with hers as his confused emerald gaze was met by furious blue. He opened his mouth to protest when his words were suddenly preempted by a booming voice from across the room.
"Catch!" Metroman yelled out as he threw the beast with one arm like a shot-put, sending its massive body careening towards the floating alien above.
The flying humanoid stopped firing and turned at the sound of Metroman's call, just in time to see its own mount hurtling at it with a very high velocity. The heavy creature smashed into its rider with tremendous force, its trajectory carrying them both out of Evil Lair, loudly punching another hole in that same brick wall from which they and Metroman had first entered.
Megamind and Roxanne heard the sound of something crashing through the wall beside them but were unable to see it from their vantage point, leaving the reporter and blue alien unsure of what just happened. They sat crouched together, Roxanne still holding his arm in a death grip to keep the blue alien from sacrificing himself for her, while a bewildered Megamind looked down at her in wonder as he wrapped his other arm around her knew if the new hole through the brick wall was something coming or going, or if they were simply going to be fried by crimson blasts of energy.
They waited together in tense silence as the seconds ticked by, gripping each other tightly. The only sound was that of their ragged breathing.
"Roxanne?" Metroman's voice called, breaking the silence
"Sir?" Minion's voice immediately followed on the heels of the hero's.
Behind the machine, Megamind and Roxanne didn't move. Neither said anything for a few seconds, their hearts pounding in their ears.
"I guess it's safe out there now," he said hesitantly, his breath ragged.
"Yeah," she agreed, avoiding his gaze as long as she could, until she lost the struggle with herself and looked up into his eyes. The passion laced with confusion that she saw there caught her breath, forcing her to swallow as she looked back, equally lost and confused about what just happened between them.
They both started to slowly rise to their feet. The space between the machine and the wall was tight, forcing them to stay close to one another. The lighting was minimal. Their features were cast in sharp relief from the heavy shadows, though they could see each others' eyes clearly. They remained in an embrace, his one arm still wrapped about her shoulders as when they had been while crouching for fear of their lives, just seconds ago. Roxanne released his other arm slowly, placing her hands on his chest. Without thinking, Megamind slowly wrapped his newly freed arm about her waist.
The emerald gaze searched her nervous blues for the significance of the past few minutes as his massive brain struggled to process the what had happened, now that he had a moment to think. Neither knew what to say.
"Roxie, are you alright?" Metroman asked with more urgency.
"Sir, where are you?" Minion called out right after, equally worried.
Behind the machine, the two still hesitated a second more, neither moving or able to look away.
Finally, Megamind called out, "We're fine!"
His eyes never left Roxanne's. They both lingered a few breaths more, the tension between them thick.
"We should..." he then said reluctantly, his brain screaming at him that the battle was not over and every second they waited was an opportunity lost. At the same time, his mind dizzily tried to absorb everything that had happened between them since the ship fell from the sky, and refused to let him end this moment or release this amazing woman in his arms.
"Yeah," Roxanne agreed, her voice equally hesitant and unsure, her emotions a swirling mess of fear, uncertainty, and confusion at all that was going on around them and between them.
He smiled weakly at her, pulling away but boldly taking her hand in his as he lead her out from behind the machine. She didn't resist. Following him in a daze, after a few steps she impulsively squeezed his hand. Then they stepped out into the relatively brighter light of the lair, both of them instinctively releasing the other when they saw Metroman and Minion turn to look at them.
"Sir, are you alright?" Minion asked, overtop of Metroman's asking Roxanne, "Roxie, are you hurt?"
The two numbly walked forward towards the fish and the hero, their faces blank as they were still reeling from what took place in their hiding spot. Each answered their respective friend with a nod and a mumbled acknowledgement that they were, in fact, unharmed
Minion and Metroman both looked concerned at their state, each worried that their charge was in fact hurt, but too in shock to realize it. Then the hero and fish glanced at the others' charges, blinked, and looked at each other, exchanging suspicious expressions.
Minion pursed his lips, but then glanced back at the displays from the brainbot patrol's video feeds. "Uhh...sir? I think we have a problem."
Sighing as he and Roxanne reached where Minion and Metroman were standing, back in front of the control panel with the video feeds, Megamind answered wearily, "Yes, Minion, I know we have a problem. That creature and his pet are quite the problem, and I don't think they're beat just yet." With that, he flopped down into his executive chair and sighed, rubbing his face once with his hands. He glanced over at Roxanne and was shocked to see her already staring at him. The two wordlessly gazed at each other, desperately trying to read the other but neither succeeding.
"Well, you're right as always, sir..." Minion began slowly as he watched the display, "but, now we have another problem...a lot of them, actually..."
Furrowing her brow at Minion's words, the brunette reporter reluctantly broke her gaze from Megamind and looked to the monitors. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.
"Crabnuggets!" Metroman said right after, as he looked.
"What are you talking about, Minion?" Megamind asked with a concerned voice as he watched Roxanne's reaction. He glanced over and frowned. When he saw what was on the monitors, his eyes flew wide and he slowly rose from his chair. "Oh, no."
On the video screens, all three ramps extending from the space craft were half covered by several columns of humanoids marching out steadily from the spacecraft, their synchronized steps beating like a drum that they all kept time to. Each carried a rifle-like weapon of a very futuristic design, and wore identical black uniforms. The columns grew longer out from the space craft as they marched forward with each beat, with no end in sight.
It was an army.
They were being invaded.