Progress

When Megamind awoke, he was dimly aware of aware of a warm body lying in his arms. The more prominent sensation was a throbbing headache that felt like a drummer beating on his temples. He blinked blearily, finding the source of what had made him stir in the first place. A single band of sunlight streaked through the heavy cream colored curtains that rendered the rest of the room blissfully dark. This ray of burning light just so happened to be directed at his painfully squinted eyes. He turned his face away from offending beam, finding soft brown hair instead of the other side of the pillow that was tucked haphazardly under his head. Roxanne was pressed up against his side, warm with sleep. Her head resting in the crook of his shoulder and an arm lay comfortably across his chest. The black marks Ahi had painted on her face the day before were smudged as if she had tried to rinse them off with little enthusiasm. Megamind found his arms loosely draped around her torso. He blushed slightly and his heart thumped in his chest. How did this come to be? What happened last night, exactly? He could remember talking to Mirth and drinking the indigo liquor, which he knew was a bad idea to start with, but his memory was pretty foggy after that to say the least. Surly this was an innocent occurrence, but his mind was tempted to wander to obscure corners.

Megamind swept a stray tendril of hair from the sleeping beauty's peaceful face tenderly. This would probably be the closest he would ever get to her, he thought despondently.

"Oh, well," he murmured aloud, "c'est la vie."

Roxanne groaned moments later, making Megamind jump. She stiffly sat up clutching at her head, "Sweet Jeebus," she moan, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes until little stars danced behind her lids, "I feel like I've got hive full of bees in my brain!"

Megamind sighed and achingly sat up, "more like wasps."

She looked around at Megamind, looking slightly confused as to why he was there. A light blush crept into her smudgy cheeks, and she looked away.

"How long have we been out," she said nervously.

Megamind rolled out of the rumpled sheets to the edge of the bed, "your guess is as good as mine. Could have been days for all I we know."

Roxanne snorted, "We weren't that drunk."

"I probably was," Megamind admitted, "Last night is blank slate for the most part. Hard liquor and I don't mix well."

"Really? I would have never guessed from your little act last night."

Megamind's eyes enlarged. "Act," he asked worriedly, "what sort of act?"

Roxanne smiled slyly, "Oh you know - dancing on the tables, swinging on the chandeliers, streaking through the mansion, that sort of thing."

"You're just teasing me, right?"

"Don't you know it," she grinned apologetically, "No, you did not make an ass of yourself. You were very well behaved."

He folded his arms over his chest, "I knew that."

"I did however have some trouble trying to get away from that chokehold you had me in after I dragged your blue butt here," she mumbled, "it was pretty awkward."

He looked away and blushed, "sorry about that."

Roxanne waved his apology away, "Don't worry about it. What's a little awkwardness between friends? Anyway, should we see if there were any more survivors?"

"Minion must be in an awful state right about now," Megamind sighed.

The two emerged cautiously from the room, looking about for any sign of life.

"Well hello there, good looking," Minion said cheerily, "Care for an ibuprofen and room service?"

"Yes please," Roxanne said gratefully.

After gulping the horse pill down with some water she set to work on a crêpe filled with fresh fruit and yogurt. Enjoying the feeling of a full stomach and a clear head soon after, she dared to ask what time it was.

"We slept all day," Ahi said through a mouth full of his strange smelling sandwich, "it's just past six in the afternoon. Whatever he gave us was some good stuff, because I didn't even wake up till an hour ago."

"Well let's get this show on the road then," Minion said jumping up.

Everyone washed up and changed into the cloths that Mirth's servants had left for them. Ahi repainted the black marks on Roxanne's face, taking care to make them exactly the way they looked yesterday. They emerged from the room fresh and ready for the evening ahead. Mirth and Grego were waiting for them in a room that was mostly gold and white. The colors reminded Megamind of his old foe back home, and he wondered briefly how he was fairing without them.

"Well good evening, sleepy heads," Mirth chided, "I trust you've slept off your alcohol induced hebetude and are ready for a fun filled evening?"

Megamind asked cautiously, "Which would include?"

Mirth handed each new arrival an envelope with a dark blue wax seal portraying a grimacing horned snake with many legs. Megamind recognized it from the ceiling mural in the Great Hall.

"These contain your job locations and descriptions," Mirth explained, "Hand them to the guards posted at those locations and they will allow you to pass. Do not lose them."

Mirth said his 'pleasant' goodbyes and left with Grego close at his heels. Some servants escorted the four companions to the door as they read their assignments silently. Two security guards came up to Ahi and stood by his side.

"I guess I'll see you chaps later tonight. I've got practice," Ahi said glumly, "ciao for niao."

Roxanne glanced at hers and furrowed her eyebrows, "What kind of sense of humor does this guy have?"

Megamind glanced at the thick paper. It was blank besides Mirth's signature scrawled across the bottom and a side note, "take it easy for now, little one."

"Maybe he just doesn't need your assistance at the present time," Megamind shrugged.

Roxanne sighed as they walked along the filthy streets outside the estate, "well I'm not staying there. He gives me the willies."

"Why not come with us," Minion suggested, "it'll be fun!"

Roxanne considered it, "Eh, why not. I've got nowhere else to be."

"That's the spirit," Minion said happily.

They all got in surprisingly easy. Apparently the practically blank sheet was like a golden ticket in this town. Megamind got stuck fixing up old race cars and designing a new engine. He made sure not to give it anything too advanced just in case they had to escape from it. In between handing Megamind tools and watching him work, Roxanne went around snooping for were the spare parts were located. There was nothing of note in the rickety warehouse and the grease monkeys that were there pretended to be too busy to talk.

Roxanne was sighing on their way out, disappointed with the lack of progress she had made. During the time they were in the dusty warehouse a errand boy came with a message saying that Mirth had set the three of them up in a couple of rooms at the Brass Bugle. It was early morning and the streets were very quiet as they treaded silently down the cobblestone road. The bartender handed them the keys for twelve and eleven once shown the note from Mirth. The wiry barkeep promised them lunch and dinner on the house as the trio climbed the creaking stairs, parting ways at their designated doors.

The room wasn't terrible, but it was a fixer-upper. The lamp flickered, the blinds were broken, rosy wallpaper peeled in places, and the bed was leaning to one side slightly. At least it was clean and free of infestation, Roxanne thought with a shudder.

Later that day Minion knocked on her door to see if she wanted to accompany them down to lunch. She practically jumped up off the lumpy bed. Unable to rest her eyes she had been staring at the ceiling for hours, lost in thought. Her stomach growled, when she smelled the awaiting food. It wasn't gourmet, but it filled the void. By their plates they found envelopes with Mirth's seal on it. They contained a few coins and a scribbled note:

"Go buy yourself something nice. ;),"

Roxanne grimaced, "I have a feeling he's mocking me."

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Three gruelingly slow days went by before Mirth's money filled note to Roxanne had some sort of instructions. She was to pick up a package at the gate and take it to a man by the name of Dr. Tim Osher. The package she received at Mirth's black gates was very ordinary looking. It was wrapped carefully in brown paper, tied with twine and sealed with Mirth's snake. It was weighty in her arms and rattled around as she briskly walked past the rundown edifices. Her curiosity tingled as she longed to see what she was carting clear across town.

Dr. Osher's office was relatively easy to find. She just had to follow the line of sickly people that wrapped clear around the block. Her arms ached from lugging the package around by the time she made it inside his clinic. She approached a Grey that was busily disinfecting some bloodied utensils and asked him where she could find Dr. Osher.

"That's me, what can I do for you?" He stripped off his protective gloves and moved from behind the counter. He wore a shackle around his ankle that was attached to a long metallic tether leading off into the back room.

"Package from Mr. Mirth," she said breathily.

"Ah, Lord Mirth sent me the equipment I required," He signed the release form that was stapled to the top and handed it to her. Roxanne turned to leave but a wave of realization washed over her.

She turned, biting her lip, "Is Tim a family name?"

Dr. Osher looked up from the chart he was reading, "Yes. It is my inherited name, Osher is my given name. Why do you ask?"

"Are you by any chance related to a Dr. Tim in New Towne," she asked guardedly.

His eyes bulged, "You know of my father? How is he? Is he okay?"

Roxanne made sure no one was in ear shot at she whispered, "He treated my wounds and sheltered my party since we arrived on this planet. He's just fine, but he's been so worried about you."

Osher nodded whispering back, "And for good reason. Most slaves don't last long, but since my skills are making my master money, I'm a little more worthwhile. Right now I-,"

A thunderous roar interrupted him, and an extremely obese, unwashed male thudded into the room, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING YOU LAZY WELP!" He howled at the top of his lungs, "GET BACK TO WORK! TIME IS MONEY YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING!"

"Please forgive this foolish creature, master," Osher verbally prostrated himself before the mountainous grease ball, "I was merely sending your sincerest regards to Lord Mirth for sending the requested items."

The mentioning of the man's name calmed the massive man down quite a bit, "Your Mirth's boy?"

Roxanne held her head up and confidently replied, "Yes sir, and lord Mirth will be most pleased to hear your thanks. Have a nice day."

Roxanne's heart nearly broke at the look on Osher's face. He was scared and pleading with his black eyes for her to help him, and soon. She made a silent vow to get him rescued before she left the town.

Roxanne returned to the mansion, and handed the slip to a waiting servant who bowed and scuttled off to give it to his master.

Sunset was fast approaching, and walking around alone in the dark was not a good idea. The cobblestones clicked against her thick boots, as she walked with her head down and her hands in her pockets. She past a gaggle of overly made up whores strutting around on a bar patio, showcasing their goods to interested passersby.

One clad in a neon green, plastic mini tube dress clacked her way into Roxanne's path in shiny pink stilettos, "hey there handsome, wanna have some fun?"

Roxanne stiffened when she wrapped her arms around her, "I'm sorry but I have important business to attend to."

The blue speckled red head clung closer, "I'm sure it can wait a moment," her hand snaked down to her waist.

"I'm not interested," Roxanne said snatching her hand away by the wrist.

The woman looked over her shoulder nervously. In the door way across the street, an older woman that looked like a graying bulldog with pursed lips squinted at her menacingly.

"Please," she begged, "my boss is watching. I'm already in trouble for the last two nights."

Roxanne glanced quickly at the sour old bawd, "Okay fine, but in return I would like you to answer a few questions."

The street walker's eyes lit up and she mouthed a thank you before leading Roxanne into the brothel. It was dimed and reeked of potent incense. Whore's sat in the hallways smoking and talking amongst themselves. A few leered at Roxanne, trying to catch her attention with sexual displays. The further the woman took her into the brothel's depths the more she felt the need to run from this house of horrors.

The green clad girl led her into a room and closed the door soundly, "so what were you going to ask me?"

Roxanne sat in a little wooden chair by the vanity, "What do you know about the parts that are salvaged from the prisoner pods."

The red head furrowed her brow, "I'm going to need to see some cash."

Roxanne dug into her pockets and pulled out a fist full of silver coins which was the equivalent of buying a brand new car. Roxanne wasn't using it, and if it got her the information she wanted, even better. She shifted the shining coins in her hand with a musical clink, "Now, let's talk. What happens to the pods when they are brought into the city?"

The prostitute licked her lips nervously at the sound of the staccato, "They're taken to a warehouse owned by one of the lords, where they are stripped and sorted. The useful parts go into the derby cars or into a secret basement at the east side of the city. The rest either ends up as part of the wall or melted down into other goods."

"Why are the parts hidden," Roxanne questioned further.

She twisted a piece of her curly locks around her index, "the Asuki need to believe that all the metal is melted down to be part of the wall. If they knew we were building things from the pods, they'd wipe us off the planet, so we hide anything that isn't made of wood," she paused, "That, and people here are blessed with the curse of sticky fingers. If it isn't nailed down, it'll be gone within the hour."

"I see," Roxanne nodded thoughtfully, "where did you get this information, by the way?"

She shifted uncomfortably, "My customers get loose lips when I booze 'em up enough. Drunk men tell no lies."

Roxanne stood, handing her the coins and slowly walking to the door, "Well thank you, Miss…"

"Blossom," she shook Roxanne's outstretched hand.

"Your information retrieval skills may prove useful in the future, Miss. Blossom. In the mean time, keep an ear out for similar news. If you hear anything else, I'm staying at the Brass Bugle."

"Yes, of course. What's your name?"

"Richard Ritchi. Stay in contact."

Roxanne left hurriedly, spotting Mirth in the 'lobby' of the brothel blocking her exit. He was busy charming the wrinkly bawd, but not enough to not spot Roxanne.

"Ah, Richard! Out about the Towne I see," Mirth smiled charmingly

"I could say the same about you," Roxanne replied, "but I assume you here on business."

Mirth feigned sadness, "Alas, I am. But I have a knack for mixing business with pleasure," he showed off his sharp teeth in another smoldering smile, "after all, all work and no play makes Mirth a dull boy."

"Your anything but dull, Mr. Mirth," Roxanne said snidely.

"I must be doing something right then," Mirth turned back to the swooning woman, "I'll see you later Mr. Ritchi."

"Goodbye Mr. Mirth," Roxanne called, before whispering under her breath, "and good riddance."