capeandcowllogs | Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win

Roxanne and the brainbot exchange a glance. Welp, the brainbot seems to say, you're on your own here, sister.

"Harm is not part of the deal with you," Roxanne replied smoothly. "You may recall that the first thing I pointed out in our last discussion of newsworthy things, people don't play by the rules here."

She watched him, feeling the waves of his upset -- worry, concern, affection, anger, frustration -- and closed her eyes against the barrage.

"I spoke to Hal."

Megamind knows Hal is here.

After his initial dealings with Roxanne, Megamind had had ample time to peruse the communication devices and scroll through what posts he could in order to get a better grip on his surroundings, turnaround, and various other statistics. He'd seen that his creation had been here -- but he hadn't had the heart to seek him out and throw himself into a fray just yet.

He had had too much else on his mind to get involved in that at the moment, which...was saying something, especially for Megamind.

The name makes him grind his teeth anyway though - and he fixes a bright and angry gaze on the woman seated in front of him.

"What. Happened."

"Hal has harbored a creepy crush for years. That's how I found out about Titan; I put it together, but he confirmed it. Took me for a wild ride. Tried to act like I was just going to fall into his arms after a few 'rescues'." Who gave him that idea, one wonders?

"I tried to head things off. See if I could let him down gently, but that he could still be a good person--- it went south. Like every concersation with Hal. Like talking to a wall..." she sighed, and then shrugged. "Got up to leave. He grabbed me. Not even full strength. Broke nearly every bone in my wrist, few in my hand and made hairline fractures up both bones in my arm."

It hadn't been on purpose. He'd had no idea it had been Roxanne herself that Hal had been admiring from afar. Megamind was only aware that the boy had had his eye on someone - the specifics as to who it might be hadn't been discussed.

If he'd known...

When he spoke, Megamind's voice was even, carefully controlled and for once, not filled with elongated vowels and odd pronunciations.

"He did this to you?"

He wanted to hear the verification come out of her mouth again, hear the confirmation from Roxanne's own lips.

Just to make certain.

Edited 2012-01-01 22:26 (UTC)

"I sure didn't do it to myself," she replies. "Yes, Megamind. He broke my wrist. Likely by accident. He doesn't-- he doesn't seem quite-- in control of himself." She'll leave the laser flare part of their conversation out-- after all, he may have seen red, but he didn't fire on her. "He just-- wanted my attention. Got it the only way he knows how... which makes me sound like a battered house wife defending her husband."

She rubs at her face for a moment, weary of the whole mess. That gives her pause before she speaks again.

"You guys-- Sometimes I think you all forget that most of us are really mere mortals in your playgrounds. It's like Hephaestus and Zeus..." she says. "You mean well-- even you. But man, sometimes it's like looking at gods and not men." She includes Megamind in the Gods category, no less.

The fact that it might have been an accident isn't something Megamind even acknowledges. Hal hurt Roxanne, and that was absolutely unacceptable, especially in comparison to the incredibly high standards he himself kept.

Hal wasn't a hero - Hal was a joke, a mockery of the man Megamind had once called his nemesis. A disgrace that had touched Roxanne and caused her harm.

And, by default, it was Megamind's fault.

Unacceptable.

He hadn't been certain just yet on seeking the boy out - but now, there was no doubt.

"You figured my plan out, Miss Ritchi - and you obviously know more than I do, so tell me this." He steeples his fingers together, and frowns over the top of them.

"What, exactly, were you thinking? You didn't think to contact me?"

Edited 2012-01-01 23:15 (UTC)

"When he thinks turning you into a bloody pulp is the best way to win my affection?" She shakes her head sharply. "I had-- backup. A friend from the City. I didn't-- I wasn't dumb enough to go unprepared. Just-- dumb enough to think he'd listen."

She sighs; at least she can admit it was foolish.

"I -- I've never wanted to hurt him. He's nursed that crush for years. But being-- socially awkward didn't mean he was evil. I wanted to-- reach him, before it went that far. So we didn't get a repeat." She remembers, even if Megamind doesn't, how thoroughly he got pummeled.

"There's fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me-- fool me thrice is 'you were just asking for it', I guess."

Don't worry, Megamind, she'll beat herself up over this better than you can.

"A friend from the City."

He's...put out, that she didn't contact him - especially because Megamind is the one that created the whole mess. He's the one that started it, that made Hal what he is now.

He struggles to keep the irritation at bay, because that's not the point right now - but it's hard, because he's offended.

He draw in a deep breath through clenched teeth, loath to say his next words.

"I think, Roxanne, that you need start from the night that you dumped me, and tell me everything."

The last thing he wants is to have his life dictated to him again, to have his freedom of choice, of will wrenched away from him. It seemed unavoidable.

Fate strikes again, he supposes.

"Yeah. He thought I was crazy too, if it helps." She doesn't look up. Congratulations. She actually feels fairly ashamed.

But the question takes her off guard. She looks up, blinking once. He-- wants to know? But-- well.

"Right," she says, and gesture. "Please-- sit down. I've been loomed over enough lately. I'll -- tell you everything, if... that's really what you want."

She doesn't think it is, but...

Fate strikes again.

"I went home. So did you. Next morning you came out and did your big challenge and nobody showed. The way you told it to me-- you-- confronted Hal.. found out he wasn't... of the right moral fiber for your plan." Could have told you that one, Megs. OH WAIT. SHE DID. "Goaded him, got him to fight. Things went poorly. You-- lost. But there was no trip to jail. He tried to kill you. You got away... and came to me. I...let you in, we talked, and I took you to find out of Metro Man had anymore weaknesses. Hal's taken over Metro City in the mean time and is just--tearing everything to pieces. Burning it to the ground."

She considers protecting Wayne for a fraction of a second-- of letting Megamind keep his win. But she knows in the end, that won't fly.

"I took you to the one place I knew was special-- a school house on the cliffs. You recognized it. Knew it. We found... we found Wayne's lair inside. Wayne... inside. Long story short-- faked his death, quit the job, told you good would rise up and shooed us both out. I -- wanted to fight for the City and you... said you were going home and ... walked away from me there."

She pauses and wait, chewing her lower lip as she lets him have a moment to digest that particular bit of the mess.

"No, Miss Ritchi. That's...it isn't what I want. Not at all. I told you previously, I didn't want anyone or anything dictating me...you told me that I could have a fresh start here, that I could have an opportunity to decide for myself how my life goes. But I think...it's necessary that we have this discussion."

He takes a seat on the couch opposite her and fixes her with a look.

"But it seems I am unable to escape such a fate."

So he quiets, and starts to listen - listen well, which is hard for him to do because everything that she is saying is incredibly difficult to take in and believe.

Yet...at the same time it's not so ludicrous after all.

He somehow manages to keep himself reigned in...until that last bit. That's when he explodes.

"He's -- he's alive?"

"Alive. The entire time. Faked his death. Skeleton was a prop. He wants to pursue a new career as Music Man." There's no way to lie about this, really. She gets so angry just thinking about -- the betrayal is a few months out, but.. still. She hasn't exactly kissed and made up with her friend.

"That's what I meant when the copper didn't work. It never worked. He lied to you. Lied to everybody. He faked it. There are no weaknesses for Titan, because Metor Man has no weaknesses."

She pauses, and then says, "In the end, the defuser gun is the only thing that can handle him. But with the Porter's tampering I doubt that'll work twice," she adds.

Alive. Metro Man was alive - and had faked his death. Megamind was speechless for the span of several seconds.

"Music Man?" His tone is incredulous, and slightly strangled. "He wants -- Music Man? Honestly? How...how--"

He's having trouble wording, excusing him, Roxanne.

Roxanne sighs heavily.

"Music Man. So ...he could keep his logo."

She sounds so very, very disappointed. And she is. In Metro Man, not Megamind, for a change.

"He's terrible. All those super powers and he can't carry a tune in a bucket."

"Keep his logo?"

Megamind's voice cracks.

"He -- he--"

Give him a moment, his giant blue head might just explode.

Edited 2012-01-02 04:20 (UTC)

"He quit. He left the City to you and he Quit." She fusses a bit, and then whistles once. "Elo? Get mommy some of the eggnog in the fridge and two glasses."

The brainbot whisks off to do that.

"Sorry. No champagne for this New Years, but I still have eggnog." And it's even still good! They'll be selling it for another week at least to get rid of the last of it.

But she needs something to drink, to do, or she'll be right back there in her heart, throwing speakers and screaming you lied.

Megamind is having trouble processing the fact that Metro Man, his nemesis since...well, nearly birth, had just given up.

"There -- there was a madman out there -- Hal, you say -- destroying our city, and he was worried about keeping his logo?!"

That's fine. She's letting him process -- though her lips quirk just a little when he slips up with our city. With her brainbot holding the glasses, she carefully fills each one, and then takes one from the bot and shoves at him.

"Keeping his logo," she said. "He wouldn't come. Said he was tired. That everyone had a choice-- except him. Well, he chose. He chose to stay in his posh little lair and let our city burn."

And now she really needs a drink of that 'nog.

"A-a choice? He thinks--doesn't have--choice?!"

Don't mind him, he'll be snatching that -- whatever the hell it is -- and chugging it back.

Metro Man thinking he didn't have a choice? Honestly?!

Alas, due to pain killers- it's the boring rumless kind, but it's thick and sweet, at least. But she's...

She' smiling, at least. Amused that-- Megamind is still Megamind, even... three months back and removed from what he knows. She nestles back in her couch, and just-- watches him try and work through the very idea.

He has a penchant for sweet things - alcohol being in it would have likely caused a sputter and more obnoxious, unwanted ranting.

"How dare he!" He finally explodes, gesticulating wildly. "He -- thought he didn't have a choice?! At least he looked like you! He could blend in! Have at least some semblance of normality! I'm just -- the resident black sheep! The freak! How-how dare he say that he didn't have a choice!"

He pants - chest heaving, face flushed purple.

"He just abandoned the city - and...and...that's just--crude! Bad taste! Unacceptable!"

Edited 2012-01-02 05:31 (UTC)

When he begins to gesticulate wildly, she reaches out to snag the glass carefully from his hand and set it aside, before she returns to sipping her own. Roxanne knew this would probably happen once all this came to light, and not simply because she'd lived it before.

"Destiny isn't the path one is given," she says, looking into her glass, "But ultimately the choices that one makes for one's self. Or so a smart person once told me."

"The person who told you that is a fool and a liar," he snaps, planting his hands on either side of him, fingertips tracing absentminded patterns onto her couch. Equations ran through his head - an attempt to try and calm down, he found himself continuously reciting the properties of relativity and calculations relating to alternating current electricity.

It's a coping and defense mechanism that he frequently uses. It's not really working this time.

"I tried to chose for myself, Miss Ritchi. I tried here. It doesn't seem to be in the cards for me."

Edited 2012-01-02 05:42 (UTC)

Though she keeps her eyes on her glass, he can't keep the sadness out of them when she says, "Funny, you're the one who said it."

She sips her eggnog quietly, she waits for him to calm. The brainbot is fidgety nearby, not sure what to make of all this shouting.

"Am I now."

He sounds particularly grumpy - but he's at least a little calmer now.

As calm as Megamind can really be, anyway.

"Is there anything else?"

"Not much but the detail of the fall out. Wayne refuses to help us. I suggest we prepare for big fight you refuse." She takes a deep breath, knowing she's about to lay out a pattern of 'dumb ideas with Hal' here, but continues.

"You leave, I go off to stop the bad guy, bad guy ties me to Metro Tower and makes me beg for my life on TV, wait an hour, nobody shows, falling to my death, get last ditch moment to get Hal's attention-- and then you and Minion swoop in, save day, both of you get pretty pummeled, but... you pull it off. Everybody cheers. Metro City gets new defenders and... Wayne eats Cheetoes and writes terrible lyrics."

She's... still really mad at him.

"Along the way we kissed and made up. We're not -- perfect, by any means, but... I'd be bored if we were, honestly." Yup, the eggnog in her glass is really fascinating, because she has a really hard time looking at him through all this.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject