"-not meant to do it that way, I mean what kind of moron would try to solve it like that? It's painfully obvious what you gotta do. Anyway yeah, so what do you think? Wanna try it?"

Hal was going on, at lengths, about some kind of game that involved holes and spheres with British accents but Roxanne really wasn't listening to him. While their table had finally filled out with more people of whom she could properly talk to, her cameraman always seemed to butt into a conversation, take it over, and turn it into something only he understood. He was like a Viking, only a nerd one.

"Try it?" Roxanne chanced, glancing at him as she held her champagne glass in her hot little fist.

"Yeah, at my place! It'll be great I'll get ten kinds of dip 'n all kinds of stuff. It will be awesome, because we're awesome, right? Am I right?" Hal asked with a grin, nudging at her elbow as he did.

"Yes, we are..." she replied, "But I'm not really a video game type of girl, Hal. It's not my scene, you know that."

He looked disappointed but at least he seemed to understand that sitting down on a couch watching people do awesome things instead of doing it yourself wasn't her kind of thing. Seeing her chance, she put her glass down. "I have to go to the ladies."

"I'll go with you." Hal said, then realized what he had just said and flushed as everyone else on the table gave him the odd eye. "I mean. Walk you... there..."

"I'm a big girl, Hal. I'm quite capable of going to the ladies myself." Roxanne said as calmly as she could, despite the urge to speak through her teeth and tell him to stop following her everywhere like a stalking creep. She got up out of her chair, grabbed her handbag and slung it over her shoulder, and walked away. While she did go in the direction of the rest rooms at first she soon wandered from her path and scanned the large dining room.

There were so many people of varying ages, male and female, and dressed for success. It was all quite fascinating to look at but she was busy looking for someone in particular... someone she had been thinking of ever since having been saved by him.

After scanning the crowds for a few minutes she finally spotted the bald head, and that blue suit and green eyes. He was sitting at a table with a few people but seemed to be keeping to himself since he was sitting side ways at his chair, facing away from everyone and watching the band that had been brought in to perform on stage. She walked over to him and nudged his shoulder, making him jump.

"Come on, let's blow this joint." she grinned.

"...okay." he answered in a small voice.

Drink abandoned he got to his feet and followed her outside onto the large, elaborate balcony. A few people were out here smoking and chatting, but Roxanne and Megamind avoided them until they reached a clear space of it in the far corner. Beneath them the gardens of the botanical gardens spread in all directions, beautiful and ancient trees reached for the skies. Megamind was quickly reminded of one of his latest slaying that took place in this very garden.

"The air's better out here isn't it?" Roxanne asked.

"Much." Megamind replied as he folded his arms on the stone guard rail. "So how's the festivities so far for you?"

"Awful. I'm sitting next to my cameraman who creeps me out every chance he gets." she shuddered. "How about you?"

"I don't know anyone at my table, obviously, so I've spent the night pretending to be pretty much deaf and drunk." he answered with a smile.

"So why did you come out here then? Surely I can't be the soul reason." Roxanne turned to look at him, to find he was still staring out over the garden with a far away look in his eyes. He was like a man surveying a field of war, one that he knew far too well and hated to go back to the fight. Or maybe it was the drink in her making her see that.

"Oh, no. You can be. You are." he replied finally, and honestly, while he glanced up at her.

"Why?" she asked quietly.

"I should have erased your memory on the night of your attack." Megamind said flatly. "It's part of the job. Save someone, wipe their memory of the incident, and send them back into the world with no knowledge of a vampire much less an alien."

"So why didn't you?" she asked, "I'm sure you had enough time when I was passed out."

"You're right. I did. But I didn't." he said.

"Why?" Roxanne tilted her head, blue eyes watching his own.

"...I... I've watched you on the news for ages. You give me information every night and everyone else in this city. Saving you, of all people, was... I don't know." Megamind strained with an answer, and put his hand to his forehead. "I could have, I should have, I would have, but I didn't. Now I'm being pressured to figure out what to do."

She stood there, watching him.

"Thing is, I can see the benefit of having you knowing about us." Megamind said, "You see the news before anyone else does. If things seem suspicious to you in a sense that vampires might be taking part, you could let me know and I could sniff them out before any more casualties. But if you can't be a help then I'll have to erase your memory and you won't remember me at all. I'll just be... be dream fodder."

"I don't want you to be dream fodder." Roxanne said, surprising herself by her own words.

"You don't?" Megamind asked, looking up at her.

"No. You're... far too interesting to be left to dream fodder." Roxanne explained. "I mean look at you. You're... you're a blue skinned, big headed alien who fights against forces of darkness with a robotic fish at your side. Do you know how amazing that is?"

"But can I trust you not to tell anyone?" he asked quietly.

She fell silent and thought of Bernard. She looked down at her hands and sighed, shutting her eyes.

"I know you told someone." he said quietly, causing Roxanne to open her eyes and look at him, wide eyed.

"How did you know?" she asked, voice shaking. "Did he tell you? How could he know about..."

Megamind felt awful now. But he pushed past the feeling, just like he had done so many times in the past. "Because he's an ally."

"...Bernard is... he... you know him?" she couldn't believe it. Bernard should play poker, because he never let slip that he knew what she was talking about, let alone personally. "How? How does that work, how does he know you?"

"For another time. But this... you haven't told anyone else?" he asked.

"Who else could I confide in?" Roxanne asked. "Everyone else would think it's stress from my promotion. My mother would think I'm pregnant and it was nothing but a nightmare. I know that it's none of those things. Bernard's my friend, my closest friend, and I don't have anyone else I could tell such private things."

"He said that, too." Megamind said with a faint smile.

"...how long have you known Bernard, then?" she asked quietly.

"Hm." he frowned and thought quickly. "Just a few years. His job in the library meant he was in reach of a lot of precious information if needed. Nobody knows how to locate a book like that man."

"I'll say." Roxanne mumbled. She felt a little betrayed now, that Bernard would keep something this big from her. But had he, like herself, feared what would happen if she told? Would they have erased Bernard's memory of the alien if he had told her? She didn't know but she knew it wasn't healthy to hang onto such things. "So what are you going to do, 'Michael'?" she asked with a grin.

Megamind was about to answer when he heard something coming from inside the dining hall. It was music from the band, but it had changed into something danceable. Knowing this might be his only chance, he took it. Reaching out he took her hand into his and smiled at her. "I'm going to dance with you."

"Oh. Well," she flushed, but smiled. "Sure, okay."

There were a few dozen couples dancing to the music and Roxanne couldn't help but shake the feeling that she had walked into a movie, or some romance novel. The scents of million dollar perfume filled the air as the couples swayed together, and the shorter man with no hair leading her into the middle of it all was... charming. Dashing? He acted like such a child sometimes and then could turn around and talk so seriously about things it was like a channel flip.

As he took one of her hands into his, and placed the other on her hip, Megamind suddenly remembered his dancing lessons from his youth. How he, Wayne and Minion had stood in the grand hall while Father and one of the nannies of the manor had danced. Father had told them he wanted his sons, and Minion (not quite considered a son but quite close), to know how to dance properly with a lady.

"But why?" Wayne had asked. "Girls are gross."

"Nobody'll want to dance with me." Megamind had said quietly.

"I would Sir!" Minion's chirpy answer brought a smile to his face.

"It is integral that a gentleman knows how to dance properly." Father had said as he approached the three. "If you know how to fight with a sword and use your footwork to counter an attack from a vampire, dancing will seem as a walk in the park for you." he had said to Megamind in particular. "Wayne, no doubt you will be wooing many young women once they become appealing. This will help to move you into their good graces. And Minion... have fun with it."

So the three aliens had learned to dance under the teachings of their father, who was what you could consider a man full of 'tough love'. He adored his children and cared for them as if they were priceless treasures, but when it came to training of any sort he was strict with them. Seeing how Megamind and Minion looked the way they were, Father had taught them everything they needed to know in life. That included basic reading, writing, and math skills combined with the art of killing vampires and hand to hand combat.

It turned out that Father was quite right; dancing was far easier than warding off an attack of a vampire. But it wasn't something he experienced much of. Outside of his learning with the nanny and under his Father's teachings, he had never danced with a woman before.

Until now.

And what a dancer she was, Roxanne seemed to almost glide on the dance floor with him and the rich color of her dress meshed against his blue suit beautifully. She smelt of lavender, like she had the night of the attack, and it was good to see her smiling and happy rather then terrified and confused like he had that night. This was the Roxanne nobody really saw, her real happiness and he felt... what was it... privileged to be here with her.

"You dance divinely." he commented, giving her a suave smile.

She laughed. "I'm only as good as my partner." she countered and felt a swell of smugness at how he looked a little shaken by the statement. Gosh, he was adorable too. What was wrong with her? She hadn't thought these things towards a man, much less an alien, in years. It was like a high school crush all over again only stronger, if possible. What force on earth could be more powerful than a thirteen year old girl's crush?

And he was so far out of her usual 'type' it was hilarious. Her last ex was a young man set to become a football player for Metro City. He had a charming, easy grin with clear green eyes and wavy blonde hair. How nice he had been, until she realized how clingy he was and how he wanted to know where she was, and what she was doing, all the time. She had been barely able to take a breath without him there. But he had been a part of her usual type, tall, cute slash handsome, and with those strong hands she loved.

But Megamind was not like that at all. He was bald, blue skinned, skinny but not frail, and had thin fingers that she could feel through his gloved hands. Yet she had felt a connection with him that night, despite her fears, and it had sustained itself on day dreams and wondering alone all this time. And here he was, dancing with her, laughing with her and revealing so much about the world she hoped and prayed he wouldn't delete it all. To loose the memory of the attack was devastating to say the least, but to loose the memory of him seemed worse.

She wondered if it was the drink affecting her... damn Hal for forcing her to drink more to get through his company.

"Roxanne?" Megamind's voice was gently pushing through the fog of emotions and thoughts, and she fluttered her eyes to shake herself.

"Hm?" she asked.

"The music's stopped."

"Ah."

So it had. Roxanne stopped, and found her hands still gripping at his hand and his shoulder gently before she let go. But he held onto her hand and in a move that would make any woman in her right mind swoon, kissed the back of her hand.

"You still dance better then me." he grinned, letting go of her hand. "And I think I've made up my mind."

"Yes?" she asked quietly.

"Not here." Megamind shook his head. "Afterwards. I think it's time for all the boring talks so we should-"

"No, come on." Roxanne grinned, grabbing his wrist. "Let's go."

He yelped as she all but yanked him off of his feet and they walked through the tables, ignoring the looks the two were getting. No doubt Hal himself was probably seeing Roxanne rush off, dragging the bald man with her, but she could care less. The world was suddenly so much larger to her now, and she wanted to know now as to whether or not it was going to remain open to her or slam on her like a huge pair of doors.

They rushed out through the entrance hall, past some waiters who were taking a rest and made their way outside into the cool night air.

"To be honest I hate things like this." Roxanne said as she travelled down the stairs, "Having to show up dressed to the nines like the way I have to. Do you have any idea how expensive this dress was? Two thousand dollars! Two thousand!"

"It certainly looks that expensive." he mumbled as he allowed her to partly drag him along with her, watching the plunging back of the dress.

"Well it is, and it's cold too! I forgot my pull over at home and by the time I realized it was too late to turn back. Accessories, they make the dress." she grumbled as they stopped at the end of the red carpet, "And I bet I'm going to be in magazines comparing my fashion sense to those around me, they always do that."

"If you hate it why do you do it?" Megamind asked. "Shouldn't you have a job you like?"

"But I do!" Roxanne replied, "I love my work in the field of journalism and reporting the news. It's what I've wanted to do since I was little. It's just the 'extras' that I have to do that bother me. But what about you?" she asked, looking to him. "Do you love your job?"

"Yes." he replied, "I do."

"No down sides?" she asked with a grin.

"Well. I don't like getting remains on me... that kind of irks me." Megamind mused, stroking his chin before sighing.

"...so... I see you're not making a move to wipe my mind?" Roxanne glanced around, half expecting that man in black from before to appear to erase her memory with something out of the MIB movies.

"Keen observation." he commented as he reached up to touch his wrist but froze. Megamind slowly lowered his wrist, and looked around.

"...what is it?" Roxanne asked, spotting his unease a mile away.

"We're not alone." Megamind said quietly, eyes narrowed.

"Well we are in the middle of the city and a party's going on behind us..." she pointed out.

"No." Megamind said quickly as he walked around her suddenly, like a dog on patrol. "Someone's out here that shouldn't be."

Roxanne was going to tell him he was being paranoid but remembered he had been doing this sort of thing for who knows how long. If he could sense something wrong, then chances were something was wrong. "Who?" she asked quietly, afraid if she spoke too loudly something terrible would happen.

"...somebody I haven't been near in many years." he said quietly as he lifted his wrist and pressed a button on his watch. "And somebody I'm unprepared for, I hate to admit." he had no weaponry on him, and without that he would stand next to no chance against the adversary who lay somewhere in the shadows watching them.

She wanted to ask more but it was obvious this wasn't the time. Suddenly, she too, had a feeling of dread creep up behind her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she felt goose bumps run up her arms. Hugging her self she glanced around, trying to see if she could pick out what was wrong yet everything felt fine, except that creeping dread in the air.

The blue Bentley suddenly drove up and it made her jump in alarm. Its door swung open and she saw Minion in the drivers' side, and he looked a little worried and confused about why she was with Megamind.

"We keep meeting under these circumstances, Miss. Ritchi." he said with a shaky smile as she and Megamind got into the back seat.

"Drive Minion. Take us home." Megamind said quickly, to which the fish nodded and did just that.

Engine roaring the car took off into the city streets, unaware that somebody had just been coming out of the pavilion to see them vanish... before being leapt upon by something big that had been hidden in the shadows just out of sight. A muffled cry broke in the darkness before being engulfed by silence.

To be continued