Metrocity laughed as she and Bernard fell back, staring up through the treetops at the stars. When they settled down, she had a weird smile on her face.

"You know, I've never seen the stars—or so many trees."

"Really?" Bernard asked, surprised. Metrocity shook her head.

"I've lived in the city all my life. The closest I've come to seeing stars—I mean, I've seen stars through my telescope and the times you've forced me to fly with you, but not ever like this. The closest I've come to this is once, when I was little, my Dad took me flying, and—"

"Wait, what?"

Metrocity's eyes snapped wide as she realized what she'd said.

"Er, my Dad—my Dad's a scientist, and—"

"Is that what he does?" Bernard asked, and Metrocity nodded, relieved that he believed her cover.

"Yes, my Dad's a scientist—an inventor, really."

"What's he invented?"

"Nothing that's been patented," she explained. "The public doesn't...respond well, to my father's inventions. In a way, you could say it's been his life's work to make others miserable."

"That bad, huh?" Bernard asked with a laugh. "What about your Mom?"

"She used to be a reporter. Now she just...helps my Dad. And takes care of me and my siblings."

"You have siblings?" he inquired, seeming surprised. She almost said, Yeah, duh, you should know that!, but she caught herself just in time. Instead she said,

"Yeah. Six of them."

"What're they—"

"They're twerps; juvenile delinquents; they go to jail seven times a week—how's that for an answer?" Bernard laughed again, not suspecting in the least that any of those things were true. It made Metrocity wonder just how many truths she'd told that he hadn't believed at all.

"So, why didn't your parents want to meet me?"

"It's a long story—a really long story. It dates back to my father's childhood, a forced rivalry, and a forced relationship with my mother. In the end they ran away together and defied society. They...umm...sympiathize with Megamind and Roxanne Ritchi, because what they went through was...more similar than anyone could imagine. And they, therefore, disapprove of you, because... Well..." She trailed off, and Bernard nodded.

"It sounds like it's hard for you to talk about your family."

"Just a little bit," she agreed.

"You know, I never really wanted to be a superhero."

"What!" This was the most shocking thing Metrocity had learned in her entire month of "dating" Bernard—not that she could really use the quotations anymore.

"It's true. I didn't want anyone to know who my father was, or that I had superpowers. I just wanted to be a normal kid and have as normal a life as possible. But then my father always wanted me to follow in his footsteps, and I couldn't disappoint him..." He trailed off.

"I find that...hard to belave," Metrocity informed him.

"It's 'believe', Aiyana, and I understand that it would. But you can't tell anyone!" he added quickly.

"I promise; cross my heart and swear to drop into a self-imposed state of nonbeing if I do lie." He gave her a look, then shook his head.

"I don't know what it is about you, Aiyana, but...I feel like I can really be myself around you, like it doesn't matter who I am, because you don't seem to care. It's like I could tell you everything..."

"I must inform you that a decision to do so would probably be most unwise," Metrocity warned. She was being one hundred percent honest, but he laughed it off—again.

"You're so weird, so different. You don't seem to care what anyone thinks of you, or even if they think of you at all. You aren't going with me just because I'm Metro Man's son—" Metrocity looked down guiltily. That was exactly why she was going with him.

So she could destroy him.

"—You don't mind whether I fight crime or not, and you aren't afraid to say no!" That much was true.

Mostly.

"I was raised learning how to say no."

"Protective father?"

"Quite the opposite. He encouraged me to frequent correctional facilities and associate with less than reputable ruffians—mainly himself and his best friend." Bernard laughed again, and Metrocity laughed, too. It was amazing what you could say without mentioning names while under disguise! When the laughter died down and they were just smiling and chuckling occasionally, their eyes met.

Bernard's eyes were filled with tenderness, and Metrocity's with happiness, confusion and…love. Slowly, Bernard leaned forward, and Metrocity did too, acting on an instinct that ran deeper than her conditioning. Metrocity's head told her to stop this, to stand up now and blast him with destroy or dehydrate. But her heart told her not to, to let this happen, and she did.

As their lips met, their eyes closed, and Bernard held her hands in his. Neither of them noticed the nearly silent whirr as Metrocity's watch was deactivated.

Until their eyes opened.

Author Comments:

Uh-oh...

That's all I got. O.O