The entire rest of the evening she had spent doing Vector's bidding. Sure witnessing the surgery was…educational and interesting. But feeding his shark chum? Ordering live fish off eBay? Going out to the store for snacks? This wasn't villain work; these were CHORES.
But…it WAS only the first day of work, not even the first FULL day. Surely it would get better.
Devon parked her car next to Vector's, which was an overly embellished, futuristic sports car, white with orange flames and a grinning shark face painted on the hood. Yeah, she had to admit, it was cool.
She popped the trunk and was about to get the groceries out (most of which was junk food, as per Vector's request) when a large, robot appendage emerged from the wall, nearly scaring Devon half to death, and retreated back into the wall with the bags of food.
"Ok, then…" she paused before heading to the door that led to the kitchen inside.
As she came up the stairs into the living room area, she saw Vector half sitting and half lying in the middle of the couch clothed in a bright orange t-shirt with a little cartoon squid on it and orange plaid pajama pants.
He did a double take when he spotted Devon coming up the stairs, "Oh, hey, Dev! Why don'cha come on over and take a load off?" he waved the bowl of popcorn he had toward her, "I'll share my popcorn with ya."
She stared at him for a moment. This was really the guy who stole the pyramid? A guy who had a fish obsession, ate nothing but junk food, and looked like Bill Gates's awkward cousin was really the person who had pulled off one of the biggest heists of the century?
"Actually," she said, pulling a fake grin, "it's been kind of a long day. Think I'm gonna get to bed."
"Oh…"
She thought she could sense the tiniest hint of disappointment in his voice.
"Alright. Guess I'll see ya in the morning, then."
"Yeah…" she turned to go down the hallway, "see ya."
When she got to the door of her room, she hesitantly held a hand up and pressed it against the palm scanner. Fortunately, it did not burn like it had the first time as it scanned her handprint.
"Access granted. Welcome, Devon."
"Yeah, thanks," she mumbled before entering the room.
She washed up and changed quickly, then got to bed; she was ready for this strange day to be over. Though, she honestly didn't know what difference it would make, as tomorrow would most likely be just as weird. However, she had to admit, his place was WAY nicer than her apartment. Especially this bed. The spring mattress she slept on at home was like sleeping on rocks compared to how soft this bed was.
Besides, tomorrow would be more productive. This guy WAS one of the world's top villains. He had to have some kind of nifty secrets he could let her in on. Just be patient, she told herself. It would all pay off in the end.
"I am SERIOUS, Gru! You haven't achieved a decent heist in over a month now!"
Gru tried to keep the armful of toys he had picked up from spilling back onto the floor he had just cleared, "Don't worry about it, Dr. Nefario; I've got everything under control! Besides, if you count the moon, its only been…what? A couple of weeks?"
Nefario stared at him vacantly, the dark circles of his goggle lenses blank of emotion, "I don't."
Gru's eyebrows furrowed nervously, "Well…I've…got…several relatively strong ideas in mind."
"Oh really?" Nefario's raised and eyebrow of his own, "Well, let's hear them, then!"
The corners of Gru's mouth drooped, "Ah, we-, i— I mean there's the one with…uh…and that other that…no…no, we never got enough popsicle sticks for that…BUT THERE'S THE—…oh…no…we didn't figure out a way to clone naked mole rats…"
"Unicorns! I love them! Unicorns! I love them! Uni-uni-unicooooooooorns…I looo-ooove them!"
Gru turned to his youngest daughter with a gentle, yet serious expression, "Agnes? Could you be a TINY bit more quiet, please? We are trying to discuss something."
"Oh!" she whispered in a tiny voice, "ok." She continued singing the song quietly.
"Gru! You have GOT to start paying more attention to your JOB! I know how you feel about the girls, but…you're going to have to put more effort into your career!"
"I KNOW that!" he sighed and headed into the kitchen, "But the girls are all at a very dependent age. I cannot just leave them fending for themselves."
Nefario followed him into the next room, as well as Agnes, who was singing her unicorn song just a bit louder than a whisper now.
"MY BA-NA-NA!" when Gru walked into the kitchen he had walked right into the middle of several minions fighting over a single banana.
"My ba-na-na!"
"MY ba-na-na!"
"MYYYYY BA-NA-NAAAAAAA!"
"EXCUSE me!" the minions immediately stopped their quarreling at Gru's enraged voice, "What have I told you about fighting over the bananas? Besides they are made of the same thing you are made of, so congratulations on being cannibals!"
There was a gasp from Kevin, the minion now holding the banana, and the one next to him, Mark, blew a raspberry and shuffled out of the kitchen, the other's aside from Kevin, following him.
Kevin looked down at the banana he held with a distressed expression, "…ba-na-na?"
"Edith!" Gru yelled as he noticed her about to climb onto the counter, "Don't DO that! You just got back from getting stitches at the doctor's office. Now, you go sit at the table, and I'll make breakfast in just a minute. Margo?"
After a few seconds, Margo appeared from around the corner, the only one of her sisters already dressed, "Morning, Mr. Gru! You needed something?"
Gru smiled. At least one of his daughters wasn't such a handful, "Would you please set the table for breakfast? I need to discuss something with Dr. Nefario."
"Sure!"
By this time, Agnes was singing her unicorn song just as loud as she had been before, "Shh," Margo warned her gently, "quiet, Agnes."
Gru turned back to Nefario, "See? All taken care of."
Nefario's eyes narrowed behind his goggles, "You mean, like you "took care" of Vector?" he reached into has coat and pulled out a copy of that day's edition of the Rascal Chronicles and handed it to Gru, who took only a quick look to see a picture of Vector.
His expression immediately turned to concern, and after reading the first paragraph, he glared and wadded the paper in his hand, "Vector's back? How did he get off the moon?"
Agnes's singing was starting to grow louder again.
"Apparently," Nefario snatched the paper back, "he's got a few family connections."
He pointed to a line in the article, and Gru read it aloud, "'After being stranded on the moon for almost ninety six hours, Vector a.k.a. Victor Perkins was retrieved by a—" he gasped, "Victor PERKINS? That little SQUID-FOR-BRAINS!"
"Listen…" Nefario's voice sounded exasperated now, "YOU are a SUPERVILLAIN! One of the world's BEST supervillains! I don't care if you have the girls around, but…let the minions watch them, take them to a daycare, find an…EVIL BABYSITTER, do SOMETHING that will allow you more time for work!"
"I'm WORKING on it, ALRIGHT?"
That's when Gru heard Margo gasp, "Edith! MR. GRU!"
Gru turned to see Edith standing on a pile of books in a chair reaching for a box of poptarts inconveniently located next to a small box of nitroglycerine.
"No! EDITH!"
Gru leapt for her just in time. He was able to grab her and hold her to his chest just as the small explosion went off. Once the smoke cleared, Gru pulled her away to examine her for any injuries.
"Are you ALRIGHT, Edith? Did you get burned?" he grabbed her hand to look at her arm, "Here, let me see!"
"I'm alright, Mr. Gru. I'm fine! Really!" she pulled her faintly singed hand away from him and squirmed her way back to the floor.
"UNICORNS, I LOVE THEM! UNICORNS, I LOVE THEEEEEEEEM!"
"AGNES! Would you PLEASE be quiet! I can't even THINK straight!"
Agnes seemed startled, and she looked up at him with big, watery eyes, her lip quivering.
Gru's expression softened immediately, "Agnes, I'm…" he kneeled down and put a hand to her round cheek, "I'm sorry, Agnes," he pulled her into a hug, "I'm just very stressed right now, kitten, and I need to be able to hear myself think."
Nefario's expression softened only a bit, and he sighed, "Alright, Gru…I'll give you a little more time. But you're going to HAVE to make some changes, because if you don't continue the heists, Vector will."
Gru lifted Agnes to rest on his shoulder and nodded, "Alright. I'll figure something out."
He turned to Margo and Edith, sitting Agnes into her chair at the table, "Now! How about chocolate pudding crepes for breakfast?"
Margo smiled and Edith and Agnes cheered.
No matter how much pressure he was put under as a top villain, Gru knew one thing. He was NEVER letting go of his kittens again.