The interior of the observatory had undergone even further changes. The floor of the lobby was now gone completely, and it seemed as though through years of digging and construction Megamind had emptied out the very mountain beneath which the observatory sat. There were steel structures, all made from stolen train tracks and scrap yards. There were now levels going all the way down into the earth where if one got lucky to look they would see a vast array of gadgets.
Most were robots of various sizes. There was also a floor designated to the design and construction of his outfits. Another had hand held weaponry, while another had nothing but boots on display. One of the more important floors had rows of robot bodies sitting stationary, awaiting the day the little fish that would be implanted into them would be operational. Said fish were kept on the very bottom floor in an aquarium that surrounded the floor almost in its entirety; acting like a wall in itself, save for a doorway which leads through to a bathroom. Inside was the glowing fish, now more than half of them fitted with little antennae in their heads.
There was coral and regular fish in there also, fish for looking and fish for eating. Also on this floor besides the bathroom was where Megamind kept his bed. It was a king size, naturally, with a large flat screen suspended on something above and ahead of the bed so when he lay in it he was able to watch the screen. Tonight there he was, laying on his side and sleeping peacefully. The only sound coming from far above was that of the Brain Bots who stayed alert 24/7, keeping watch of the base.
One of them suddenly barked. "Intruder!" it announced one of the rare words the Brain Bots could say, before flying straight down. It went the way of the platform elevator, flying past the multiple floors until it arrived at the bedroom. "Intruder, intruder!" it barked again as it flew around the bed.
"Nnnnggghhhh..." Megaminds eyes slowly opened and he sat up. "Report..." he mumbled as he rubbed the sleep from them.
The Brain Bot flew up to the large television screen and a little chord extended from the base of the robot. It connected to a plug on the television which turned on and revealed what the Brain Bot could see. It was the base of the mountain, and in infrared vision it showed three bodies moving through the gate.
"Night vision." Megamind ordered.
The image upon the screen turned green, and the three figures slowly came into focus.
"Freeze screen!" the alien got up out of his bed revealing his silk pajamas, naturally they were black. He walked forward as the screen showed the three faces of the intruders. He didn't even have to ask to bring up face recognition, because he knew these three. They were on the news frequently, and he had even run into the tall purple one a few years ago. My word, was he still wearing the same outfit? That was a faux pass if ever he saw one. Wrinkling his nose, Megamind set his hands to his hips. "What are they after? Me? Hm." stroking his now fully grown beard in thought he grinned. "Very well. They want to see me, they'll see me."
He leapt out of his bed and grabbed his smokers' jacket and pulled it on, the plush wine red material clashing with his blue skin. "Must make oneself presentable." he smiled before rushing through to the bathroom.
"So you say this guy could grab you, that's it?" Hot Flash asked as she held one finger up which had a tiny flickering pink flame at its tip to illuminate their way.
"Yeah yeah. Nobody ain't been able ta do that before, or since." Psycho Delic said as he followed after her, "He ain't didn't even hafta use his hand. It was all some kinda voodoo thing goin' down."
"I thought voodoo was about dolls and pins." Destruction Worker said as he eyed the trees, wanting nothing more than to rev up his saw hand and cut them down.
"Don't think too hard, you'll give yourself an injury." Hot Flash replied.
The three continued onwards until they came to an ultimate stop. They had no choice, since they had reached where the bridge had given way. It looked truly overgrown now, roots of trees and plant life tumbled over the edge like a waterfall made of green. Hot Flash put her hands to her hips, and glared at Psycho Delic. "Now you know I can't fly you two fatties over there." she said, since her power to fly came from some stolen booster boots she wore. They only just managed to fly her around, much less extra weight in the form of Psycho Delic and the Destruction Worker.
"Oh now that's just a shame!"
The voice startled all three of them, and on instinct Hot Flash's hands erupted into pink flames while Psycho Delic's hallucinogenic smoke began to billow out from his jacket. Destruction Worker simply revved his hand, looking around desperately in a bid to see who had found them.
"And here I thought the Doom Syndicate would be more of a threat to lil' old me." the voice continued before they heard a lurching noise behind them. The three turned, and saw an old gnarled tree slowly begin to open. It wasn't a real tree at all, or if it had once been real it was now very metallic inside. It continued to open until an elevator sat there. "Come in, come in... you came here for a reason, no?" the voice, which seemed to come from the inside of their own heads said.
"'not likin' this." Destruction Worker voiced his fears first; for once uncaring as to whether the other two would make fun of him for it.
"No, I'm not either." Hot Flash admitted, before glaring at Psycho Delic. "This is all your fault."
He frowned at the two of them, before holding his head up high and strutted through to the elevator. After a moment or two Hot Flash and the Destruction Worker followed suit. Only once the three of them were inside did the door slam shut with a loud 'clang' and they got that sinking feeling one normally got when an elevator was moving too fast. Hot Flash put her hand up against a wall to steady herself. "How far down is this thing going?" she asked aloud, though neither man could answer the question.
It finally ground to a slow halt and the doors hissed open. The room ahead of them was simple in appearance; the walls were white, as were the floor and the ceiling. There was a single camera sitting in the far corner ceiling, which seemed to follow movement since it turned straight away to face the elevator door.
"No doors." Hot Flash mumbled, "This is the only way out." she said as the trio slowly stepped outside. As soon as they all exited the elevator the doors slammed shut behind them and they heard it whoosh upwards again.
Destruction Worker eyed the doors, and knew if he wanted to he could use his jack hammer to open the doors but climbing out would be impossible. When they turned back to the room there were four chairs there, and a small round table that definitely hadn't been there before. "Feel like I'm in Alice in Wonderland." Hot Flash muttered, but neither of them walked forward to claim a seat. At least not right away.
"C'mon, c'mon. Gotta be polite?" Psycho asked as he inched towards a seat and sat down. Slowly the other two found a seat each and they sat there, waiting as if waiting on a doctors appointment. A clock on the wall ticked loudly, driving the sound into the ears of those gathered. Hot Flash was seriously considering setting the clock on fire when across from them the wall itself began to fold backwards as if it was made of cardboard.
All three watched as the white wall gave way, and then stared at the darkness that hid behind it. Then the figure which Psycho Delic had spoken of strode forward. He was short, not even 5'5, and his limbs were slim and covered in skin tight black leather. Upon his feet were boots that came up to his feet, and they clinked as he walked due to the straps and metal that hung off of them. On his shoulders were spiked shoulder pads held in place with a clasp reading 'M', the insignia showing up again on the belt he wore. Hanging off of that, was a holster with a strange looking weapon none of them had seen before.
Then there was his head. His brain really was at least twice the size of normal people, and if he turned his head ever so slightly you could see a mass of scar tissue to the back and sides of his head, one permanent dent just above his left temple was quite disturbing. But those eyes, those were what captured them the most. A vibrant, beautiful green that could be beautiful if there was love or happiness to be held within. Instead they were controlled, distant, and watchful.
Folding his arms over his chest, gauntlets spiked as his shoulder blades, Megamind stood there as his cape swished against his body. The wall behind him folded back into place, and the room entered an uncomfortable silence as the four villains stared at one another.
"Wow." Hot Flash finally said. "You really are blue."
"And you're really old." Megamind replied casually, "Now that we've stated the obvious what do you want?" he asked, walking across to the last remaining seat and sat down on it and crossed his legs as he did. "It's not every day people are foolish enough to break onto my land. You must have a reason."
Hot Flash frowned at him and now wanted nothing more then to set the little blue creep on fire.
"Let me guess." Megamind continued, when neither spoke. "The reason why the police are beginning to stand up against you and your little groups. I know why you have your little pow-wows underground, out of sight and out of mind. I even know why you've come to me, now." he paused, then smiled. "M. Am I right?"
Psycho Delic nodded. "He's ruinin' everythin'. This town used to be ours, now he's givin' the folks hope 'n we don't want that! This town is ours!"
"Stop crying like a little brat who had his toy stolen." Megamind snapped, "This town was never yours. It was never anyone's. The second you accept that, the second you're better than the rest."
"So whaddya doin' down here?" Destruction Worker finally asked. "We didn't even know you existed till Psycho said somethin' bout ya."
"And that's how I like it." Megamind hissed quietly. "You think you need your names in the papers and faces on the news to have achieved something?" he asked, looking at all three of them. "My deeds are in the newspaper every other week and nobody even knows who I am."
"What?" Hot Flash blinked in surprise. "What is it you did? Win most grotesque head contest?" she asked.
Megamind looked at her, and decided right there he didn't like this woman at all. She was far too old to be sporting spandex, and it made him feel sick. Then again he didn't like any of these people. Destruction Worker and his glorified bullying, bringing down buildings unless he was paid vast amounts of cash and sundries. Psycho Delic and his drug peddling, getting people hooked on drugs he himself cooked up so he ended up destroying their lives in order to better himself. He had a second thought to just kill them all, but as the old saying went... keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer.
The blue alien smiled sweetly at the woman, and it unnerved her.
"I don't need to specify to you three of my accomplishments. All that matters is that I'm aware of them, and those who matter." Megamind explained before putting his hands together. "Now. While this city may never be in neither of your possessions you, like I, have been victimized in society. Psycho Delic, after your accident no insurance company would touch you. You were fired, not only for what happened but you were merely picking up the drugs nobody else wanted." Psycho Delic blinked in surprise. "Hot Flash, once in the prime of your acting career until the younger, newer models came along. Your husband for twenty years leaves you with only the clothes on your back, the law turned on its head and leaving you with nothing. A happy accident at a bon fire gives you your gifts and you decide to use them, to show society you don't have to be a size three to be known. And Destruction Worker... after all your years in the construction business you're laid off without a word. You loose your job, your livelihood. Somebody has to pay, am I right?"
All three sat there in complete silence, unnerved at the fact this blue person knew so much.
"How do you know this?" Hot Flash finally spoke. "I've never mentioned that weasel to anyone." her voice shook with raw emotion, the flame on her head sparking higher than before.
"It's big for a reason." Megamind replied, pointing to his head. "Now. All of your stories are incredibly sad. Sadder than the last." he said as he got to his feet, hand trailing on the back of it as he walked. "But they all follow a common theme. Abandonment. Being left out, forgotten, and abandoned. This was never about gaining control of the city, this is about destroying everything that matters to those who opposed you!" he turned, cape dramatically moving with him and wrapped itself around his thin frame like a lover.
"This is beginnin' ta feel like therapy." Destruction Worker muttered.
"Maybe it is." Megamind replied calmly. "Accepting what made you who you are is a big step onto becoming a truly great villain. And now, finally, we have a hero worthy of your talents! This M may be the talk of the town for now, but can he be everywhere at once? Could he stop a mass rampage of violence and destruction through the streets? Would he be capable of hiding his face forever, if things got so bad the streets were red with the blood of the innocent?" his expression had began to shift, from calm and controlled his eyes were now wild, excited, and dark. "He will reveal himself. We'll know who he is. Once we know we will destroy EVERYTHING that matters to him to teach him even heroes can be hurt! Even heroes can bleed! Because, heroes still need to breathe. They need everything we do to function. Break something inside him, and it will destroy him."
The three villains had fallen very, very quiet now, slowly taking in what this blue man was saying. He wasn't talking about controlling just one small fraction of the city, he was talking about total destruction. Leveling the whole of Metro City, but why? None of them dare ask why he would want any of this, though the question buzzed wildly in their minds.
Which were open books to the alien. He smiled, his excitement slowly melting into calm. "Why? Why would I be like this?" he asked. "Lady and gentlemen... imagine if you will. A planet. Innocent enough. But death comes for it, a black hole. A couple manages to jettison their new born son out into the universe so he could live, for he was destined for greatness. Now imagine if you will that little baby landing on Earth. What do you think happened?" he asked, leaning forward, gripping the back of his chair as he did.
"He... grew up?" Destruction Worker asked.
"He did. But he grew up in the worst circumstances. See, your government saw it fit to capture this baby. To do experiments on it mentally and physically, only ending up traumatizing him to this… to the point of madness. Does any child deserve this fate? Did it deserve to be broken, probed, bled, and humiliated every day of its life?" he asked.
"I'm going to say no." Hot Flash said slowly.
"You're right. It didn't. So it broke out. It killed. It grew up with such utter hatred of the human race that he would do anything to see the city that caused him the grief he suffered to suffer in his place. I've almost gotten to them all, now. Only one remains. Yes, one on my list. He's been so hard to find, so hard to locate no matter how deep I delve he remains out of my grasp and if I can't find him well I might as well destroy the whole city!" Megamind's voice was rising in tone and pitch, the madness that had been just in the shadows of his psyche slowly rising to the surface. "This city will answer for my mistreatment, and you three are going to be my pawns."
"Hey hey!" Psycho got up, "We ain't never agreed to such a thing!"
"You did the second you came onto my land seeking me!" Megamind shot back. "The second you began looking for me and wanting my help!"
Hot Flash swallowed dryly. The idea of a child once innocent and alien being subjected to the types of things she knew doctors to be capable of in the name of science and research... it made her shudder. Obviously this child was him, Megamind. An alien raised on pain and nothing else, not knew little else of the world. She shuddered. "So tell me, what do we do?" she asked.
Megamind slowly smiled, and clasped his hands together.
Just as planned.
"Put your faith in me." Megamind whispered. "Believe in me, in what I aim to achieve. Bringing M to his knees. The destruction of this city. One last thing... any and all profits you gain from your no-gooding business? I get half."
"What?" all three asked, and Megamind only internally laughed. People were so very much in love with their money, weren't they? As the three began to complain and ask why he deserved all this kind of money he raised his hand and snapped it shut. Instantly all their mouths shut too, not of their accord and he saw the fear on all their faces.
"I'll offer you all goods in return of the money." he explained. "Better weaponry. More power. Strength enhancers. Naturally any task like mine needs money and I don't want to lower myself to the job of robbing banks. I want you guys to get your hands dirty on my behalf. I'm not above killing a man but I am above out right stealing of money. Oh I was such a rebel back then... how I've grown since then..." the alien seemed almost sentimental and nostalgic a moment, then sighed wistfully before turning his attention back to the trio. "So that's my offer. Every week someone will come to your hide out and you will deliver unto them the money you owe me. And no cheating, because I'll know if you're trying to pull a fast one on me. Is this clear for all of you?" he asked, opening his mouth so allowing the three the ability to speak again.
The lure of more power, strength, and weaponry was appealing to the three. Psycho Delic always liked new machinery to help him in the production of his drugs. Hot Flash desired more agility to her flying abilities and Destruction Worker was always after more strength. To have his back to no longer hurt after lugging around all what he did day in, day out, would be a great relief. The three looked at one another, eyes speaking for them.
"So what say you?" Megamind finally asked, moving so he stood in front of the three. "Do you swear your allegiance to me? You'll have to kiss the end of my cape if you do." he added, wanting to have a little bit of fun in all of this.
Hot Flash pulled a face at hearing that, but watched as Psycho Delic reached out slowly and took the smooth material of the alien's cape into his hands.
"I'm with ya." he said before kissing the corners. "How soon do I get my equipment?" Psycho Delic asked straight away.
"Soon." Megamind said. "I already know what kind of business you work in, I myself have dabbled in the production of such material so I already have the equipment ready and waiting."
Hot Flash was next, quickly kissing the cape. Her pink hair flickered, the color playing over Megaminds cape and body as she did. She said nothing, though. Destruction Worker followed suit, going so far as to remove his grubby yellow glove to pick up the cape without dirtying it. Wasn't right to anger the alien straight off the bat now, was there?
Megamind stepped back and smiled at the three of them in a way which would imbed itself in their memories for the rest of their lives. It was the kind of smile one got when they knew there was no escape for anyone now. They had entered into something bigger than all three of them combined.
And the only way out was death.
Minions robotic body waited by the entrance way, and it wasn't an hour after the strange trio had intruded on his masters land when Megamind emerged from his meeting looking incredibly pleased with himself. Normally it took spilt blood and a heart beat stopping for his master to look so proud.
"It went well, Sir?" he asked as he followed along besides him.
"Just as planned." Megamind chuckled. "All three of them are like starving babies, and they've chosen me to feed off of. Poor ignorant fools." he said, shaking his head.
"And what of M, sir?" Minion asked.
"He thinks he can remain shrouded forever? He is about to be sourly mistaken. In fact... I think I already know who he is." the blue alien said as he walked through to his bedroom, beginning to disrobe as he walked. Behind him, Brain Bots hovered, grabbing up the clothing he dropped.
"You do?" Minion asked, "Who, Sir?"
"The same alien who arrived with us." Megamind said as he tugged his gloves off, allowing them to fall to the ground. "The same alien who knocked our pod off course. The same alien who, fate decided, would grow up in a loving, warm, HAPPY environment while I was sent to rot underground."
"But Sir! How did you come across this?" the fish asked as he stepped over the boots Megamind had just kicked off.
"Simple deduction. The fetes he's showing, some are all but impossible. Strength beyond the scope of any human being, and those scorch marks left in wake of a particularly deadly attack... all of it adds up, Minion. It's him. M is the one who set us on the road of death and torture." Megamind reached the bed and began to pull on his pajamas again. "I have a personal score to settle with this man. He has much to answer for. FATE has much to answer for!" he tugged on the bottoms and did up the tie at the waist so they wouldn't fall off, before climbing back onto the bed.
"If you say so, Sir." Minion said as he tucked the blue alien in obediently as he had done for every night since Megamind had acquired this large bed to sleep in. This was a personal achievement for the alien, since growing up in that small white room his bed had been singular, small and narrow. It had taken weeks for the alien to get comfortable with sleeping on a large bed that had room to stretch, and roll over without having his movements constricted by a small, uncomfortable bed. Now he slept easy, and he deserved it after all he had been through.
"I do say so." Megamind replied quietly as he lay there on his bed. "He will pay. Oh, he will pay."
As the blue alien slowly began to fall asleep Minion shuffled his way back to his designated corner of the room and as Megamind fell into that blissful darkness that sleep allowed, the robot suit halted where it stood just like every other night.