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"Megamind, I'm bored!"
Megamind grunts from underneath today's latest plot device, which had failed to do… whatever it was supposed to do. "I'm sorry, Miss Ritchi, that your inevitable, if delayed, demise isn't as exciting for you as it ought to be." He gives another grunt as he tackles a particularly stuck bolt. "Once I have this repaired, we will return to your regularly scheduled kidnapping activities."
Regularly scheduled is right. Megamind had been kidnapping Roxanne almost weekly for a few years now. At this point, she sees Minion and their annoyingly charismatic boss more often than most of her other friends.
Roxanne had long ago come to terms with the fact that she felt far friendlier to her two kidnappers than she probably should. But, well, who couldn't love Minion? And Megamind was at least fun to talk to and rile up. Speaking of...
"Well since you won't entertain me I guess I'll have to entertain myself~" Roxanne sing songs.
Another grunt of frustration, the sound of a wrench hitting the metal underside of the machine, "Be my guest." Megamind deadpans.
There is a sound of Roxanne clearing her throat and then an intake of breath.
"Well well well, it seems we meet again, Mister Mind. You've fallen right into my trap!"
The sounds under the device stop. Megamind scoots out from under the machine to give Roxanne a befuddled look. "... Are you monologuing at me?"
"Well since you're busy I figured I'd do it for you." Roxanne says in a voice dripping with saccharine sweetness. "I bet I can even do a better job than you" she finishes with a devilish smirk.
Megamind snorts a small laugh through his nose and pulls his way back under the machine. "I highly doubt you can deliver a monologue of my caliber, but feel free to give it the old 'col-egg' try, Miss Ritchi."
Roxanne rolls her shoulders back, as much as she can tied to a chair, lifts her chin, and schools her face into an evil grin.
"I see you haven't realized the seriousness of the situation, Mister Mind. For you are indeed in my eeevil clutches and soon your doom will be at hand!" her voice projects impressively, echoing off the walls. "That is, unless your precious Minion can figure out my diabolical plan."
Megamind's precious Minion is indeed unaware of any such plans, being in the laundry room washing their Sir's cape. It was an unfortunate victim of the device's malfunction, getting covered with oil when the machine's hydraulics had suddenly sprung a leak. The poor fish had rushed off to try and stop the stain from setting and ruining the cape.
Megamind chews his lip as he looks up at the machine. She… was actually good. She had his cadence down pact. "And what plan would that be?"
"Ah ah ah, nosy genius. As if I would reveal my secrets to you! No, this is a plan so eevil, so cunning, so diabolically clever that you will have no choice but to bow to my superior intellect!"
Megamind has to bite back a laugh. She really did have him pegged. Unsurprising. She is the best reporter in the country; observing others and picking them apart was her forte.
Hidden from view, he allows a smile to light his face. "Ah yes, of course, absolutely stunningly intelligent. That is you to a T, Miss Ritchi, I will give you that."
Roxanne's grin falters for a moment as a blush creeps across her cheeks. Hearing the most brilliant mind in the world call her "stunningly intelligent", well that had more of an effect on her than she was prepared for.
Megamind continues on, unaware of the internal struggle that Roxanne was now enduring. "However, that plan of yours may be difficult for you to complete, seeing as you are a little tied up at the moment."
Roxanne recovers her composure quickly and bites back with a sharp and evil laugh. "I can escape at any time, my dear captive. These bindings are nothing that I, Roxanne Ritchi, incredibly beautiful reporter and Mistress of All Villainy, cannot handle!"
Megamind hisses as his wrench slips and he bashes a knuckle painfully against a part of the machine. Hearing Roxanne call him dear captive and herself Mistress of All Villainy was… unexpected. It's not like he had imagined her saying something like that before, no of course not. He's only jokingly asked her to be his Evil Queen for the last year and a half. This wasn't absolutely playing into a fantasy he barely admitted to himself that he had, haha, Nope, not at all. Oh look, more repairs to do!
Maybe encouraging her to monologue hasn't been his best decision ever.
Sensing the stilling of work under the machine, Roxanne smirks.
"Oh? Has the reality of the terrifying situation you find yourself in finally caught up with you, Mister Mind? Feel free to scream but I'm afraid no one will be able to hear you."
"Yes, I am shaking in my custom baby seal boots." Megamind's voice drolls out, hoping to hide his nervousness. "Is your plan to monologue me to death?"
"Ha ha ha, laugh all you want, but you won't be laughing for long. Make peace with your demise now while you still can Mister Ritchi!"
Megamind jerks up in surprise, causing his head to hit the underside of the machine with a thunk. "Ow, fuck!" He slides out from under the machine and stares up at Roxanne with wide eyes.
"Curse all you want, Mister Ritchi, though it does you no good! For this will be the day that Metro Mahn will be defeated and Metrocity will finally be mine!"
Roxanne ends her monologue with a crescendo, lifting her head in triumph and challenge at her captor who is now on his knees by the machine.
She pants lightly, catching her breath before she finally notices Megamind staring at her like a deer in the headlights.
A mixture of guilt, embarrassment, and fear lance through Megamind's heart as their eyes meet. He can't tell if it was a slip of the tongue, if she was simply teasing, or if she knows. Does she know how much he wants that? To be her Mister Ritchi?
His silence and unblinking eyes cause her face to fall. "What? I thought I did pretty well," she says, feeling suddenly self-conscious.
Megamind finally blinks, looks away, and coughs nervously. "You, uh, you called me…Mister Ritchi."
"Oh." Roxanne blinks. "I guess I did. Huh, that does sound kind of funny."
Roxanne looks upwards in thought. "But, if the ropes were on the other chair, I guess I would be asking you to be my Evil King." She gives a small chuckle, gaze returning to Megamind, "And how does that make you feel, Mister Ritchi?" she teases.
Roxanne watches as Megamind's face flushes fuschia. She cocks her head to the side, seeing how his hands seem to be clenching and unclenching, and notices how he refuses to meet her eyes. Her confusion gives way to understanding and her eyebrows raise in realization. "Oh."
Megamind's shoulders raise high, eyes shutting as shame fills him. "Oh." he echoes quietly.
Silences stretches on.
Roxanne's mind is a torrent of thoughts at her sudden realization. She thinks back on her past with Megamind, the pieces clicking into place.
His insistence on making sure she is comfortable even in the midst of a kidnapping.
The way he always put her safety above all, despite his constant allusions to her demise, even going so far as to stand in front of her to block debris when Metro Man bursts in through a wall.
The way he tries to comfort her when she is having a bad day, allowing her to vent about work or her shitty camera man before the plots start.
The genuine smiles he seems to have only for her, so different from the cocky grins he uses for the camera.
The way he asks her to be his Evil Queen. Roxanne could never quite tell if he was joking or serious.
The way his face lights up when he sees her.
Megamind curls up more into himself, hugging his arms around his chest, waiting for Roxanne to say something, anything. For her to scream or yell or laugh at the villain falling for his captive. At him daring to allow himself to feel that way towards her.
"Megamind."
His breath hitches as Roxanne breaks the silence.
"Could you please untie me?"
Megamind's eyes snap open at the gentle question. He searches her face, looking for anger or disgust, and finds neither. She is looking at him with something akin to mild curiosity.
Megamind swallows, steeling his resolve, and makes his way to his feet. He avoids Roxanne's gaze as he slowly walks around to the back of her chair.
Roxanne feels the ropes loosen. She shakes them off and stands, turning to face Megamind.
He is looking to the floor, fists clenched, and face drawn.
Roxanne senses the discomfort and near panic that swims just beneath his skin.
"Megamind."
He flinches.
"I'm not upset, but I think this is something we should talk about."
Megamind inhales sharply and looks at her in confusion. "Not upset? Why on earth… Why aren't you upset? I'm… I kidnap you! Finding out that I… finding out about this should upset you!"
Roxanne brings her hands up placatingly, trying to project an aura of calm. "Megamind, I don't care about how I should feel, I only care about how I do feel, and I don't feel upset."
Megamind's breath hitches again and he swallows, steeling himself once more. He takes a long breath and lets it out in a drawn out sigh before meeting Roxanne's eyes once more.
"Please understand, Miss Ritchi, that I have no intention of allowing this to impact our working relationship." He folds his arms across his chest.
"I realize how unprofessional this is, so for what it's worth, I- I'm sorry." He finishes softly.
Roxanne steps forward and places her hands gently on Megamind's upper arms. Her brows are furrowed as she gazes intently into his brilliant green eyes. "Don't ever apologize for how you feel."
Megamind looks at Roxanne in utter awe and amazement. "You really aren't upset…"
"Honestly? It's kind of flattering." Roxanne lowers her hands from Megamind's arms and brushes a bit of hair behind her ear. "Plus, it's not very often my nosy reporter skills actually work on you."
Megamind smiles nervously at this, a smile that Roxanne returns warmly.
A voice cuts across the room, startling them both. "You'll be very happy to know Sir, that I managed to save the cape!"
Minion trots into the room happily and claps their hands together, looking between Roxanne and Megamind who are looking anywhere but at one another.
"So," Minion asks cheerfully, "what did I miss?"