AN: Hi guys! Thanks so much for reading! I have to confess, I started writing this after a dream and I'm not entirely sure where it's going, but I have some ideas and I'm going to see what happens. It's my first MM fic, so I'm hoping I stay more or less in character. Thanks!
Minion was tense. The brain-bots were in communication with one another, and the one he had instructed to "stay with Daddy" would tell the one he had brought along in the invisible car if there were some sort of problem. He trusted the things, at least as far as their Daddy was concerned.
That didn't stop him worrying. His place was by Sir's side, not out here. Roxanne wanted to pick up her car on the way to work; she'd left her briefcase in it, apparently. Minion was not pleased that their trip had been extended. At least driving he had an outlet for his stress, weaving in and out of traffic as fast as he could go. Just sitting here, waiting, was getting on his nerves. He was liable to start hyperventilating or something if she didn't hurry up.
"Ready!" A breathless Roxanne jumped into the car beside him, startling a man on the sidewalk who had just seen the woman disappear into thin air.
"You look very smart, Ms Ritchie," Minion said to her. He might be stressed, but he'd never be so stressed he'd be impolite, especially to Ms Ritchie, who had always been such a good sport. Even last night, clearly as afraid as he was, she had been controlled and diligent and had helped him whenever she could. He had seriously appreciated her being there, and had told her so.
Sir's condition had been as bad as Minion had ever seen him, and it was only the task of caring for him that had kept the fish from crumbling. Ms Ritchie had lent her aid to anything he had asked of her. It was only after their job was done, when they had retired to the kitchen for a soothing cup of tea, that either of them had broken down. He had sat with his fishbowl in his hands, sobbing quietly, distraught and relieved, and she had put her arm around his furry shoulders. He had looked over to see her face streaked with silent tears. So they were each other's comfort as their stress levels boiled over. They took turns to watch him, after that, neither willing to leave Megamind without at least the other one present.
She had been invaluable. Minion would not forget that.
But that didn't mean he was going to slow down. He wanted to get back to the Lair as fast as he could, so he ignored her pleas as he sped, invisibly, through the morning traffic.
"I can't understand how you can drive like this," she said, hiding behind her hands.
"Robot reflexes," he answered, turning a corner at top speed as if to illustrate the point.
"Yeah, whatever." She peeked out from between her fingers. "We're almost there, just across that next intersection."
He drew to a stop, and she jumped out of the invisible car with a cry of thanks. Minion was about to speed off, when his eyes caught on the dark brick of the alleyway.
There. It had happened there.
He didn't even know what, not yet. Who had managed to get a drop on his boss - and do such damage?
Slowly, Minion got out of the car.
Roxanne caught his eye, and stepped back out onto the pavement. She nodded.
"That's the place."
Minion swallowed.
"You can go in. He didn't bleed all that much, or anything. It's OK."
Minion noted the sympathetic tone in her voice, and was grateful for it. Ms Ritchie truly understood the connection between him and Sir. With a nod of thanks, he crept into the alleyway.
Ms Ritchie was right, there wasn't much blood. It had mostly come from Megamind's mangled hand. Otherwise, there was nothing to indicate anything out of the ordinary had happened here.
"Listen, I gotta go to work." Roxanne tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "You'll call me, if..."
Minion nodded. "Nothing will happen," he says. "He should be fine. He's a genius, he'll already be thinking of a way to fix his hand."
She smiled. "I know. But call me."
"I will."
She left. With a glance back towards the alleyway, Minion got into the car and drove himself home.