Minion normally had little to no say in just where or when he and his friend worked, but he really hated it when it involved crouching in bushes and having ticks crawling all over his body. Even if he couldn't feel them per say, he could certainly imagine what it felt like to have bugs crawling all over you while you sat there. It was a testament to their training that they could lay in waiting like this for hours if need be, and just how Megamind could sit behind him with a huge spider clinging to the back of his head without freaking out.
"Sir, are you sure they're going to be coming this way?" Minion asked in hushed tones.
"Yes, every week like clockwork. Tonight I get him. Now be quiet." Megamind hissed back, reaching out and placed his hand over the glass dome where Minion's mouth would be.
The fish sighed and settled himself at the base of his dome and watched the world. It was dark, the moon was full, and the lush green trees and bushes of the botanical gardens in Metro City truly were a wonder to behold. It could be called romantic, if you were into that sort of thing. Megamind and Minion were not here to take in the beauty of the greenery, but the hunting of a vampire that Megamind had been tailing for the past few weeks. Seemed as though the vampire was 'playing with his food' since he had selected a teenage girl as his meal but made it so she was infatuated with him, willing to turn her back on her friends and family to be with him forever, and ever.
It was all quite disgusting, if you got down to it and if you recalled the vampire who looked eighteen was actually at least over two hundred years old.
Finally they spotted them. Seemed like they were having another one of their romantic walks through the gardens, and the young brown haired girl held onto his arm tightly as she rested her head on his shoulder. The vampire in question was, to be honest, quite handsome. He had a firm chiseled jaw, clear blue eyes, wavy brown hair and his skin was a nice creamy color that would remind one of milk. Forgetting the fact he was a blood thirsty murdering sociopath almost made him seem the type of guy any woman, or gay man, would be happy to fall into the arms of.
Minion and Megamind watched as the pair continued their stroll through the trees, and Minion had to wonder just how worried this girls family must be that their daughter had become almost slave like to this man. He turned in his bowl when he had had enough of watching the two and blinked, not at all surprised to see Megamind had vanished at some point during their walk. Despite those big heavy boots Megamind wore, he could be almost totally silent when on the job and that was one of the many things Minion admired about him.
While the fish normally watched the assaults from afar he wasn't totally helpless. He was the back up muscle in case of emergencies, if Megamind was injured or over powered at any point the fish would instantly rush out, and attack the vampire(s) with all the strength that Megamind had installed into his suit. Not only that, but his chest compartments were filled with weaponry that Megamind, and himself, could use against the attackers but they were only used in the most dire of circumstances like that time they had come up against five of the monsters years ago.
"Oh Edwin," sighed the girl as she let her eyes slip shut. "I'm so happy with you..."
"I know Belle." Edwin replied.
"There has been... something I've been wondering about, though." she said, as she lifted her gaze to look up at the incredibly handsome man who had filled her life with so much love and purpose.
"Yes?" he asked, reaching to stroke his finger against her cheek. "What is it?" he smiled that dazzling smile, teeth white and sparkly.
"There's some things I've noticed about you... you're incredibly strong, you don't like being out in the sun, and your skin..." she placed her hand gently over his own for a moment. "It's always so cold, no matter what the weather is like..."
He watched her carefully in the moonlight as he brushed her hair away again, revealing the welcoming pink of her neck in the moonlight. How it had been calling to him for weeks, the beauty of it all but he loved the game more. Seeing them fall so hard, so fast, it was delightful. It seems as though the girl has begun to put one and two together, despite the spell he had placed over her with his looks and charms.
"Hmm...? And...?" he asked casually.
"I've done... a little bit of reading and... well I..." she hesitated, obviously unsure of how to say what was on her mind.
"Go on. You can say." Edwin urged.
"I think you're a..." Belle paused, seemingly for effect combined with her fear, "...a-"
"Vampire?" the third voice broke the silence and romantic scene as the two turned quickly to see somebody else standing there with them in a black trench coat, huge boots, and a hat over his head. "Yeah, pretty much. You might want to back away from him now, unless you want your blood drained from your neck."
Edwin's beautiful face suddenly transformed to something far more hideous, revealing the beastly demeanor beneath his mask. His teeth sharpened, his skin turned a paler shade of white, and he hissed harshly at the man. "You!" he snarled, pushing the girl away since she was no longer something he cared for. "You killed my brothers and sisters!"
"Really? I thought you looked familiar." Megamind replied calmly as he began to slowly walk around the vampire. "It must be the nose..."
"I'm going to feast on your blood!" Edwin screamed as he suddenly leaped at the skinny man with blue skin who had become quite renown amongst the vampire community. His hands were ready to grab at the others throat but instead black gloves grabbed his wrists, Megamind rolled backwards, kicked his boots out harshly against Edwin's chest and threw him away. The alien flew, and crashed backwards against a huge tree that was at least one hundred years old and left an indent in the thick wood as he slid to the floor. He didn't stay down for long, scratching to his feet as he hissed again.
"Yeah, the fighting style's familiar too. Predictable." Megamind taunted as he took a few steps back, eyes on his prey who still believed itself to be the hunter.
"N-no, no...!" Belle cried out from where she had been thrown by Edwin, "Please I-I..." her mind, clouded with wanton longing for the handsome boy from her science class suddenly began to unclog itself like a sink. That couldn't be him, could it? Snarling, ugly, and violent? Was he doing it to defend herself or had he really been going to feast on her? How had she allowed herself to fall like that? The realization that her boyfriend was a blood thirsty vampire caused her to scream in horror, but not nearly as much when the vampire ended up being thrown almost on top of her.
"Minion retrieve the hysterical woman!" Megamind ordered and the next thing Belle knew hands were on her shoulders and she was being pulled away from the fight.
"Don't worry miss you'll forget any of this happened soon!" a reassuring voice told her.
"SHE'S MINE!" Edwin screamed, and found himself torn. Does he go after the mechanical ape stealing the girl whose blood smelt delicious, or stay with the freak in leather who had slaughtered his siblings? He hadn't eaten in days, and it was obvious by how weak he felt. If he could just get a bite of her, to get some blood into him he might be able to overthrow the freak. Decision made, he ran at the mechanical ape but pain suddenly struck his back and he collapsed, panting heavily.
Megamind stood there, hand still up and holding the weapon. It was a crossbow, black in appearance and had blue and white highlights on its sheath, along with a few spikes here and there. Embedded in Edwin's shoulder were some wood, a stake, and already the vampires blood was pooling from the point of impact. He pulled another stake from where he strapped them to his thigh and loaded the crossbow as the vampire turned and growled at him.
Blinded by rage, and hunger, Edwin stood no chance. He attempted to tackle the alien again, but instead of vengeance for his fallen family he got a stake to the heart. His weight still landed on top of the alien, who stared up into the dying eyes of the vampire who began to wither.
"Say hi to your family for me, and let them know more of you will be joining them." Megamind whispered before Edwin suddenly became nothing but ash, clouding Megamind and the ground in his remains. "Oh GAUGH NOT AGAIN!" he screamed as he rolled to his feet, waving his hands at himself as he tried to get the ash off of his clothes and most importantly out of his mouth where a lot of ash had fallen. "Oh blargh he tastes of chalk and lint!" he shuddered, spitting on the floor.
Minion, meanwhile, was dealing with a hysterical teenager. It wasn't easy learning your boyfriend was a vampire, or that vampire slayers existed and on top of that fish could talk and walk around in mechanical gorilla suits. She wasn't making any sense, only whimpering and mumbling as she looked around in vain for something close to normality.
"Come on Sir, I can hose you off later I need you over here!" Minion called as the girl slapped at his dome in an attempts to get him away from her.
"Right, right-urgh I can feel him in my boots-I'm coming!" the alien hurried over to the girl and pulled out a spray can and shook it vigorously in his hand before holding it in front of the girl and sprayed it. A fine mist enveloped her head, and the panicked whimpering vanished instantly as her eyes glazed over. "Edwin dumped you because he told you he's discovered he's gay and moving to San Francisco tonight. It will hurt for a while, but you'll get over it. You're better off without him. So go on home, now." he instructed the girl, grabbed Minion's wrist, and the two rushed away as the fine mist of forget-met-spray began to slowly fade as it was breathed in by the girl.
Belle eventually came to, and shook her head before touching a hand to her forehead. Edwin was gay? Oh god, she'd turned a guy gay...! She felt horrible, and she needed her mother to hug her. Quickly she got to her feet and ran off, oblivious to the fact she just ran through the remains of her boyfriend as she did.
"Well that was fun!" Minion said as he got into the invisible car.
"Why do I always get coated in their remains?" Megamind asked as he gingerly sat, looking at all the ash that clung to his clothes.
"Somebody's got to." grinned the fish.
Megamind grumbled as he settled back in his seat in the car, crossing his arms over his chest. The car started flawlessly, and drove off into the night since they had yet another lead to follow up on. This was a little worrying for Megamind since he had never known the city to see so many vampire related violence before and he had been living in this city ever since he was a baby. Crash landing in a prison with Minion had meant the start of his life was within those barred walls, but it wasn't long until a man had taken him away from all of that and had introduced him to the sacred position as vampire slayer.
Since then, he and Minion, had been raised and trained in the art of locating, and destroying, the blood suckers. Why, Megamind could still remember his first vampire kill. He had been thirteen years old, gangly as anything but strength where it mattered, and had taken down a child vampire who was well over 500 years old. How proud his father had been at that moment, in fact back home there was a photograph of the teenaged Megamind standing in some ash looking rightly proud of himself despite having a few bruises to his face sitting on the mantle.
"It's worrying, isn't it Sir?" Minion asked as he drove through the almost empty streets of Metro City.
"Hm. I was just thinking that. Stay out of my head Minion, it's creepy." the alien replied with a smile before wiping his hands on a wet towel he kept in a bag in the car in those cases where he got covered in vampire remains. "You're right though, it is worrying. Why are they congregating here? Is there a Vampire Convention? A meeting? Despite all our information, nothing is mentioned of it."
"Unless the information is being intercepted and changed." Minion offered.
"You're so paranoid." Megamind sighed.
"Paranoia is a good thing!" pointed out the fish.
"Of course it is." replied Megamind.
"...my paranoia senses are still wondering if you used the forget-me-spray on Roxanne Ritchi, Sir." Minion said after a moments silence as he drove. "I know you told me you did but I just can't help but shake this feeling..."
Megamind chewed at his bottom lip as he looked away, and tugged at the collar of his shirt. "Don't be ridiculous Minion, of course I sprayed her!"
"But when?" he asked, "How could you when you carried her into the lobby? Surely a building like that had a door man or something!"
"Well it didn't. So I did." Megamind replied as smoothly as he could.
"Sir... you know I don't like it when you lie to me." Minion said.
Megamind groaned. "Don't guilt trip me, Minion."
"It can't be a guilt trip if you sprayed her, so since it is a guilt trip to you it's obvious now you didn't!" Minion suddenly jerked the car to a park on the side of the road and turned in his seat to look at his friend. "You know how dangerous it is leaving people un-wiped, Sir! They begin to freak out, and what if they spread the news about us? Why, you saw what happened in history didn't you?"
"Yes, yes, I know. I know!" Megamind groaned, rolling his eyes. "We all know that humanity wouldn't be so intoned with the knowledge of vampires if Dracula hadn't been printed and if Van Helsing had done his job and had dealt with everyone involved properly but he didn't! The papers and letters were leaked, the truth revealed. You can't keep clinging to that!" he looked at his friend. "Van Helsing was a visionary in the field, and I respect him just as much as Father does you know that so you don't have to harp on about it!"
"I am not harping! I'm just saying that because of one man's mistake the world learned of vampires overnight what had been suppressed since... since the dawn of man kind!" Minion said desperately.
"Oh please." Megamind scoffed. "Japan know of their vampire breeds who can detach their heads from their bodies and that was long before Dracula!"
"Don't start that again." Minion sighed.
"So don't YOU start again!" Megamind snapped back.
"You have to wipe her memory, Sir. It's only right." the fish said, "What would Father say?"
Megamind sat there in his seat, and groaned as he shut his eyes. "I know. I know." he mumbled before opening his eyes. "I'll go see her. Once we have the time but we can't wait too long, what would it do to her mind to loose an entire week or more of her life?" he asked, looking to Minion.
"Good point. Our top priority, after dealing with the next problem, is go see Miss. Ritchi. Deal?" Minion asked.
"Deal." Megamind sighed.
What would Father say if he knew that his son hadn't done what had been drilled into his brain from an early age? Chalk it up to late rebellious feelings he should have experienced when he was a teenager? Wag his finger at him as if he were a child and tell him just why people are better off not knowing about vampires, and launch into a long, tired speech about how pathetic most people's minds are and how they're safe because of the Family? He too, like Minion, would tell him to go and wipe the woman's mind and who cares if it meant erasing a week of her mind.
So why had he done it?
Maybe he was lonely in the world. Even with Minion as his best friend, it would be nice to have somebody know about the world he lived in, who he could talk to about. It didn't help matters that he thought Roxanne Ritchi was the most beautiful woman on the planet either. How would she know that an alien vampire slayer sat up at five pm every week day to watch her report on the day's news like he did? She'd chalk him up as a creeper or something like that. He was already an alien; he didn't need to be called a 'creeper' too.
He hoped, maybe, she hadn't freaked out too much after waking up at home...
Either way he would find out when he would approach her. But how? Disguise himself as her camera man? As the door man? Break into her apartment to do it, or approach her at work? How did she get to work anyway, did she take public transport, drive, or what? There was so much he had to find out now, and so little time in which to do it.
"We're here, Sir." Minion said as he parked the car and pulled out the keys. They were in a populated area of the city known as the Artist District, where left thinkers went to express themselves in art, music, poet reading and other assorted things like that. "Now you need to get into the club and sniff out the woman we're after." he said as he opened up a lap top and observed the information on there. "There have been a lot of people reportedly going missing from this area for a few weeks now, but no bodies have been found. My guess is she hides them somewhere here, her local hang out."
"Ah one of those places." Megamind mumbled as he adjusted his watch that changed his appearance into a Goth looking young man. "Let me guess, it's going to be full of vampire wanna bees cutting themselves and drinking each others blood?" he asked.
"Yes." Minion said.
"All pale, dressed in black with multiple piercings who would no doubt be throwing themselves in front of me to stop me from getting to their 'Queen'?" Megamind added, looking out the window at the shadowy door that would lead down to an underground club full of Goths.
"Most likely." replied Minion.
"Bring it." Megamind said.
To be continued