I'm back in business people, and I've got a few new chapters I've been writing for just for you in my period of solitude. I apologize for the prolonged delay, but it could not be avoided. Enjoy, comment, and nag away people! =D
Operation undercover
Four beings moved quickly through the dirty streets, silent as the shadows that hid them. The smallest and most feminine of the group was at the head, leading them to a high metal wall with a sign proclaiming it to be a junkyard. A grappling hook was slung up the ten foot wall, hitching at the top with a small "clink". They each scaled the wall, two of the more inexperienced members having difficulty ascending the rope. Once all were up and over, the hook was retrieved and stowed in the chest cavity of the largest of the group.
They hid amongst the scraped metal siding that littered the yard in heaps. Two guards in cloaked midnight blue uniforms stalked the premises around the warehouse, but they seemed only half alert and more than a little bored.
"Alright Blossom," Megamind whispered, "its show time!"
The vertically challenged girl steeled herself and put on the best man face she could muster and tugged at brim her cap. She walked with deliberate steps, careful to not sway her hips. She strode up to the two now alert guards and saluted them with a balled fist over her heart, the guards mimicked her.
She relaxed some and said in a deep voice, "There are a couple of suspicious characters lurking around the outer premises."
"I had better go take a look," one bulky character said as he speed off in the direction from which she came.
The other looked down at her with scrutinizing eyes, "A little young to be on the force, aren't you?"
She puffed out her painfully flattened chest, "I'm older than I look."
They suddenly heard a muffled thump that sounded suspiciously like a club knocking someone over the head. The other guard rushed off into the dark as well, leaving Blossom standing there alone. Another muffed bonk resounded in the junk yard and after a few moments, two figures wearing their baggy uniforms marched up to her.
"Not very bright were they," Minion whispered, with forget-me-stick in hand, "I expected that to be more of a challenge."
"Don't get cocky Minion," Megamind said softly, "there is still much to do."
"Where are we going to get a uniform for me," the doctor interjected quietly.
Megamind looked about, "wait out of sight for now, I think I hear someone coming."
Dr. Osher ducked out of sight just as a couple of guards came marching over, " 'ey, you! W'at are you doing? You're not paid to loaf."
"Sorry sir," Blossom stuttered.
Megamind stood up a little straighter, "there was a minor disturbance at the south wall."
"Has it been taken care of," another guard asked.
"Affirmative."
"Then get in here and help us load the next shipment, were behind schedule enough as it is," the guard bellowed.
Megamind and Minion rushed inside but the guard stopped Blossom with a green baseball-mitt-size hand, "you stay put shrimp. We don't need you getting in the way."
Blossom looked worriedly after the retreating figures of Megamind and Minion, "I hope this ends well," she grumbled.
The duo found themselves lifting several unlabeled crates into a wagon pulled by a great hairy beast that smelled worse than a herd of camels. To Megamind's dismay the smell lingered on the stolen cloaked garb.
"Ugh! I smell worse than a petting zoo," he griped, once the cart was loaded, "no need to see in the dark when you can follow this beast's stench."
"Well w'at do you expect from a great 'airy beast, eh? S'ould et smell fresh as a daisy, lad," a guard chortled as he fastened the harness to the living mass of brown-green fur.
"Must be a newbie on the force, eh son," another huffed in a southern twang as he loaded the last of the crates, "best stay on your, I say, best stay on your toes, son. It's the fellas with no experience unda' their belts that keel over first, when we're in the thick of it, that is."
"Um, pardon," Megamind asked.
The bird-man leaned over to the other four shielding his mouth from Megamind's view and spoke in an exaggerated stage whisper, "Sharp, I say, I said sharp as a sack o' wet leather this one is."
The group chuckled heartily and started to disperse. They took up defensive positions around the cart and so did the anxious spies. The avian continued to ramble, encouraged by the positive reaction, to which the nearest guard responded with a loud and drawn out, "AHHHHHhhhhh, shad'dap!"
No one spoke for a long time as they silently marched through the less active side of town. Bums and drunks slumped in littered alleyways, as rats scrabbled about. The men jump aside when a muffled call came from above to, "look out bellow," before fetid water splashed the mud encrusted streets, or at least Minion hoped it was mud. The group guided the cart down a narrower and less populated side road. Nervous knots twisted in the pit of every ones' stomach while they listened for any movement ahead. There were none, so they pressed on at a brisk speed.
It was the tap of feet against stone that alerted them to the sudden appearance of several hooded figures ambushing the cart from one of the pitch black alleyways. The guards drew their pistols and fired at the aggressors the first fell causing the one behind to trip over his body and roll to his feet, the others sprang over nimbly with light taloned feet. Red laser fire streaked in Megamind's peripheral vision knocking some offenders on their backs or made them skitter out of the way. A shrouded adversary leapt at him from above. Megamind fired his own weapon, reducing his assailant into an incandescent cerulean cube. Minion struggled with his own spry opponents, whom were fairly good at dodging his more clumsy attacks. Megamind aided his companion by dehydrating the foes for him as well. As quickly as the ambush came it ceased, the last few dragging their beaten comrades into the shadows and out of harm's way.
"Damn bloody beasts," spat one of the guards. He held a bloodied rag to his cheek where three long gashes marred his emerald skin, "Everybody still alive?"
There were acknowledgements grunted all around the cart. Megamind bent to pick up the three blue cubes and deposited them inconspicuously in his pocket.
"How about you, fresh meat, still alive and kicking I see," he said as he checked the fastenings on the covered crates.
Megamind straightened his uniform, "apparently so. Was that what you were talking about earlier? That wasn't so bad."
"No, but they'll come back for more shortly, especially since they've tasted blood now," he growled throwing the crimson soaked cloth to the ground in disgust, "Those thieving rats aren't any better than the Razorbacks. They should all be put out of our misery."
"How long has this been going on," Megamind asked as they continued on.
"Not long," The guard answered, turning the collar of his cloak up against the chilly night air, "this is the third time in the last few weeks. Lord Mirth ain't none too please by it; been running himself ragged trying to pin these suckers."
"What do you suppose they do with it?"
"My guess is as good as any. We don't even know what lord Mirth does with all these parts. I'm pretty sure some go into the derby cars, but why would you need dark matter fuel cells for anything other than a space craft? He's got enough to build a whole fleet."
Megamind lagged behind him to walk just in front of Minion while he pondered this new tidbit of information. Things weren't adding up. What significance did drugs and fuel have in this whole plot? How did this whole charade become so complicated anyway? All he needed was a fuel cell, a salvageable printed circuit board, and possibly a can of black spray paint; was that too much to ask for?
It wasn't much later that a horde of cloaked figures came from behind, coming thick and fast. They fired their weapons as they ran from the attackers, urging the lumbering cart beast into a brisk gallop. A few clambered onto the clattering cart and kept the thieves at bay while two more stretched out a wire net fixed with many black nodules between them. It was flung it over several assailants and they began to twitch violently as if being electrocuted. A few others tossed foul smelling smoke bombs into the perusing crowd. The creatures scattered and fled, clutching their faces.
"Come on boys, were almost there," one of the guards exclaimed as a strangely well guarded building appeared when they rounded another corner. Running toward the building Megamind noticed the guards take up defensive positions around the perimeter and point their guns in their direction. Laser fire whizzed past the cart and pelted the next wave of pursuers. Megamind was now feeling the ache of the lactic acid building up in his legs from the exertion of running, and his lungs felt dry and ragged from breathing the smoggy air as quickly as he was. Huffing heavily he pressed on and kept up until exhausted and winded the band made it into the dimly lit building pretty much unscathed.