Megamind drummed his fingers on the cold metal table. Being brought into custody had taken far longer than it should have.

The prt troopers who'd picked him up were surprisingly zealous in their search of his person. It was a positive development; he was worried he'd need to walk them through it.

Coated in the sticky containment foam, he was transported under guard to their nest of heroism.

Alleged, heroism, that is.

That was part of this fact-finding mission he'd concocted.

A part of him was miffed he'd been transported to the prt ENE Headquarters and NOT the Protectorate ENE Headquarters. The former being located in the city while the latter sat in the bay. He could admit to being a little curious about the forcefield-enclosed platform. More than once he'd wanted to whip up a giant laser of some kind and put that shield to the test.

Alas, he was sent to their more mundane location. He'd not seen it himself, due to the bag over his head, but it was on the brochure Minion had brought along some time ago.

It had an exterior entirely made out of barred glass windows, which was quaint. Slapped over it were giant letters practically begging to be stolen and/or replaced, spelling P.R.T.

They'd skipped the gift shop on their way in, but he could always stop there on his way out.

From what he surmised through audio and motion cues, he'd first been taken to some underground parking garage.

Once there, he was unloaded under guard and transferred to a holding area. There, they searched him again, this time using sensors that must have passed for advanced by their standards, and then used a dissolving agent to remove the foam from him.

Interesting stuff that foam. The truck Undersiders and he escaped with had a few canisters of it lying around. Naturally, he helped himself. He thought it would be a simple matter of reverse engineering the formula but found it more difficult than that. Megamind speculated a reaction in the earlier stages of its creation was responsible for that.

He had cracked part of it, but recreating it would be out of his grasp unless he dedicated more time than he was willing to figure it out. He opted not to, as he had no desire to use it. Being able to deal with it when the time came was enough.

After cleaning him up, they'd provided him with new clothing to wear. They weren't the orange jumpsuit he'd been expecting. Instead, his lower half was covered with black sweats with the word 'villain' running vertically down the leg while his torso was covered with a simple white shirt, again with the word 'villain'.

They were comfortable, and he was keeping both.

Though his estimation of them did fall a tad, as this type of clothing would be far easier to escape in.

From the holding cell, he'd been moved to an interrogation room. There he still sat with his hands and feet chained. They were shackled to the table and floor, respectively. Not that much interrogation was happening, despite the uniformed men and women trying to speak to him. He wasn't here for them.

He shifted back in his seat, and the nozzle in the corner moved with him. He gave the camera his best approximation of an innocent smile.

It was adorable how they thought that was a deterrent.

Megamind leaned forward on the table, hands steepled together. He sent a knowing wink towards the panel of one-way glass. Whether anyone was on the other side was a mystery to him, but he'd been doing that at regular intervals just in case.

Still alone, he occupied himself with his thoughts.

What a dangerous thing to let happen.

For everyone else, that is.

He was in the middle of mentally designing a cryocore able to achieve optimal ice cream temperatures when a snap was heard. His eyes moved to the single, heavy metal door. The handle was now hanging loose.

It squeaked open, and a man dressed in red slipped through before promptly shutting it. He wore red body armor with a matching visor covering the top half of his face.

Very generic, all things considered. This must have been Assault, a hero with questionable taste.

"Well damn, can you believe that thing just went and broke like that?" The man gave a lopsided grin while pointing with his thumb to the handle. "I was just walking on by, minding my business like I was ordered to, and snap." He punctuated it with a snap of his fingers. "Well, we can't have a villain sitting behind an unlocked door, so I guess it's up to me to be the hero and make sure nothing sinister gets underway."

Megamind looked between the door and the man. With the over-the-top delivery, it was easy to read between the lines. Breaking the government property wasn't very herolike.

He frowned, leaning back and trying to cross his arms, only to be reminded they were still chained when he met resistance.

"Oh, let me get that." The man reached over and placed both hands on his right cuff, breaking it in two before moving to the next. "And that's that."

Megamind was not sure what was happening.

"They feed you yet?" Assault asked jovially while patting his stomach. "I can steal stuff from the mess for you if you want. The prison food sucks. It's a one-size-fits-all kind of deal, and man does it taste that way."

Steal? Was he not even trying to pretend to be a hero?

"My stomach is perfectly full," Megamind stated, thrown off by that opening. "Just to make sure I have this right, you're not supposed to be speaking to me right now?"

Assault gave a bark of a laugh and then a side glance to the camera.

"Not exactly. Came over to see how the kiddies were doing when I heard the call. Must be a bad week to be a tinker." He smiled again and slapped the table. "You would not believe what's going on downstairs. Aegis had to physically restrain Clockblocker from coming up. It was hilarious."

Those were two of the junior heroes—wards they called themselves.

The important bit was that the heroes hadn't wanted Assault to meet with him. They must have wanted to put their best foot forward, and he was decidedly not that.

"Anyways, what brings you here? Tours usually run during the day, so if it's for that, you're out of luck."

A tour? He'd have to make sure Minion never caught wind of that. He knew it would only lead to being dragged on a sightseeing trip across the bay. His feet were already aching from the imaginary excursion.

Remembering he was being questioned, he gave a smile.

"I, Megamind." He laid a hand on himself royally. "Have turned a new leaf. I'm ready to do good now."

He'd rehearsed that many times.

"Cool, glad to have you." Assault smiled, sticking his hand out for a handshake. "We can always use more heroes."

That easy?!?!?

Yes, Armsmaster had given the same opportunity, but he held hope it was a trap. You couldn't just change capes like that!

This wasn't a game!

Well, it was, but this wasn't how it was played.

Megamind forced his emotions to stay locked within his chest; he couldn't show his true feelings. Not until he had what he needed.

"Great to be on board," he shook the hand, finding it a firm but not overpowering grip. "But before that, I have some questions."

Assault nodded as if expecting as much.

"Sure thing, I'm an open book, so feel free to fire away."

Oh, he'd be sure to later.

But for now, he would have to be content with picking the man's brain. The question of what to do about the heroes was an open one. He really wasn't—shouldn't be an authority on the tenets of heroism. However, he knew what one looked like. He acknowledged that not all could be on the level of Metro Man. It was the same as how not all villains could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

However, the spirit should still be there. New Wave wasn't bad, but they were independents. What he wanted to get at was if the prt, and by extension, the Protectorate fostered this type of poor heromanship. Before that, he needed to understand more about who he was speaking to.

"Why did you become a hero?"

A bemused look came over the red-clad man. He leaned in, placing a hand on the side of his mouth as if hiding a whisper.

"I did it to get the girl."

Megamind took that in. Heroes got the girl, that was an ironclad rule. The issue here for him is that it seemed the man's priorities were off. Heroes did heroic things for justice's sake and then happened to get the girl. You weren't supposed to do heroic things for the girl alone.

"I see," Megamind said while adding a mark against Assault in his mental notebook. "Is that the only reason?"

There had to be some sense of heroism in him, right?

"Ah, well, it was that, and because I was facing the Birdcage."

Any train of thought he had prior was derailed as he realized the implication. The man in front of him, claiming to be a hero, was a criminal. And no ordinary one at that.

The Birdcage was the highest-level security prison in North America, perhaps even the world. The exact location was hidden, but rumors were that it was placed inside a mountain and armed to the gills with high-tech defenses. Both to keep the prisoners in and plucky villains like himself out.

It had been on his list of ways to prove his dastardlyness. Getting sentenced there would be simple; where else would you send a supervillain of his caliber? That line of thought had ended when he learned of who else was going there. Being put in prison with the Lungs of the world was not his idea of a good time.

He was certain they were not all like that; Canary was a prime example, as according to the media, she was earmarked for the place as well. A smattering of upcomers and maybe even innocents were imprisoned there; had he been a hero, he might have even staged a rescue.

But he wasn't, and so he continued working for his own agenda.

Megamind wondered if this Assault was more Lung or more Canary.

"To summarize, the main reasons you became a hero were to avoid jail and to enter into a romantic relationship."

He wanted to make sure there was no room for miscommunications here. They truly thought you could change jerseys that easily.

"Pretty much," Assault responded shamelessly. "But hey." The man shrugged. "Don't knock it until you try it. This side has its issues—red tape, egos, procedures, mandatory trainings, human resources, public relations...where was I going with this? Ah, right. The point is, despite all that, some days I get to go home and think, yeah, I did pretty good today. You might not get what that means yet; it took me a while to figure it out myself. But trust me, that feeling's worth it."

There was a sincerity in his voice that gave Megamind pause. Was it possible there was a spark of heroism in him?

"Why were you going to prison?" Megamind asked, feeling it was an important part of the puzzle.

Any mirth the man held dried up, and he leaned back with his arms crossed. He looked to chew on his cheek before finally replying.

"We have some common ground there. I broke people out of Birdcage convoys. I didn't, and don't agree on it in principle. It's not humane, so when people offered me money to break out their buddies, it was a no-brainer for me. Don't tell my bosses I told you this, but good on you for breaking Canary out. She didn't belong there."

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Common ground? With Assault? Megamind recoiled at the thought, scooting his chair back a bit.

They were not the same in any way shape or form. Megamind's course had been decided upon his birth; being a villain was his destiny. Assault on the other hand, was clearly half-baked. If his words were true, then he wasn't a hero, but he wasn't quite a villain either. It was almost like he was something in between.

Was it possible to straddle the line between villain and hero? He'd thought that was an impenetrable barrier.

Regardless, he decided it was time to shift focus from the man to the foundation.

"Speaking of your bosses, would you say they encourage your heroic endeavors?"

All evidence he'd seen so far pointed otherwise. They were more concerned with optics than heroism.

"Eh." Assault shook a hand, indicating the answer was not so simple. "It's the red tape I mentioned. They like to wrap you up in so much of it that I can't help but wonder if someone up top is into that sort of thing…" He trailed off with a smile, leaving Megamind perplexed. "Anyway, it stops us from doing everything we'd like to. Some of their reasons are good, and some of them not so good. The city has a lot of moving parts so messing with one end of it can make the rest of it fall apart. There's no real right solution to it."

Megamind tapped his foot, digesting that bit of information. There was always a right solution. Either they weren't willing to take it, or they were too incompetent to see it.

"Are you actually trying to convince me to be a hero?" Megamind asked skeptically.

If so, Assault was doing a poor job at it. He kept badmouthing his organization and the system as a whole.

"There's only one person who could convince you to be a hero, and he's sitting in that chair right there." Assault pointed, and Megamind turned, seeing nothing behind him. "Wow, that was corny. I was trying to think of something Puppy might say." That Assault was taking talking points from a dog did much to flesh out his understanding of the man. "But it's true. You have to make the choice. I'm just letting you know what you're getting into."

As if he were the only one standing in his way of being a hero. What a naive little man this Assault was.

"Assault here is simplifying things," a female voice came from the speakers. Megamind redirected his attention to the one-way glass. "Sorry, but I can't meet you personally. I'm remoting in right now. You've caused quite the stir, Megamind."

He was not so simple-minded as to be won over with flattery, but if they had to talk about how much of an evil villain he was, he would reluctantly listen.

"The honor is all yours, I'm sure," he spoke to the disembodied voice. "Do go on."

Megamind waved a hand and then crossed his arms while leaning back; a confident smirk was on his face.

"I'm Dragon, a member of the Guild."

He'd heard of the former but not the latter. She was the so-called best tinker in the world. Obviously, whoever had decided that hadn't met him yet.

"What are the odds you don't tell your boyfriend about this little visit of mine?" Assault piped up, shifting slightly awkwardly in his seat.

"They just decreased with that comment," Dragon dryly responded. "Armsmaster and I have a professional relationship, and you shouldn't imply otherwise."

Oh? A forbidden office romance? Minion would be ravenous to uncover all the details, that gossipy little fish. Megamind was content to see the exchange play out naturally.

"Does he know that?" Assault asked leadingly. The nozzle in the corner twitched, and his hands went up in surrender. "Okay, okay, I give." He rolled his eyes, looking at Megamind and whispering in an all-too-loud voice. "Sheesh, Canadians, am I right? They're all smiles and sorrys, but the second you cross them, they pull out the war crimes."

That sounded like nonsense, and Megamind disregarded the comment.

"You seem to desperately want a transcript of this conversation to enter Battery's email," the voice said with little humor.

"Uncle, uncle," Assault called for a blood relative. "I mean it this time." His crossed fingers proved otherwise. "How long have you been eavesdropping anyway? This was supposed to be a man-to-man conversation."

"Ever since you broke the handle," Dragon revealed. "You're fortunate I was able to suppress the alarm as fast as I did."

It would have been embarrassing if his breakout was started so haphazardly.

"My knight in shining armor, oh wait." Assault smacked his head as if remembering something. "Doesn't the dragon usually eat those? I guess it's true what they say. You are what you eat." He laughed to himself and then slapped the table. "I'm done now. Promise."

There was a pause, and Megamind wondered if the connection had dropped.

"As I was saying, Assault is making it seem easier than it is. Being a hero isn't as simple as swapping costumes and getting a new name. It's a commitment, a large one at that. I've seen good people be consumed by it, but the world needs us. We fulfill a vital part in holding it together."

That was far more promising than anything Assault had said. Sacrifice should be associated with heroism. After all, when was the last time he'd let Metro Man attend a city ceremony in peace? He was always there, ready to ruin the day or do his damnest trying.

"I'm not sure what you know about the Guild, but we're geared toward dealing with the S-class threats of the world. The Enbringers are the most well known, but there are plenty of others who threaten the lives of hundreds if not thousands."

Assault stood up, his hands in a cross.

"Poaching in our own base? Say it isn't so." The man sat back down, rubbing his chin. "But to be honest, as much as we could use the help, the Guild isn't a bad choice."

If she was happy for the endorsement, she didn't show it.

"We also assist in natural disasters. Both in evacuation and rebuilding afterward. Armsmaster has shared some of your work with me; it's very promising. With the right direction, I believe you can be a great hero. But it won't be easy; you have to make up for the wrong you've done." He was fairly certain that's what all his life sentences were for. "For example, the bay is filled with contaminants from your last escapade. I'm sure you did not mean it, but these are the types of things you need to think about before doing something as reckless as dismantling ships."

He did not appreciate the implication of incompetence against him.

"Excuse you!" Megamind stood, palms on the table. "I knew exactly what I was doing!"

He could have taken greater care in dismantling them, but he wasn't an environmentalist. Why did he care if some toxic chemicals and materials got released into the ocean?

"Hold up, double M," Assault raised a hand toward him. "Let's not say anything hasty. I'm sure it was just a mistake, right?" Assault drew out the word, giving him a wink.

Megamind did not miss the signal. He was being asked to downplay his own agency. Is this what they would do with Shadow Stalker? Would they ask if she meant to nearly kill someone or phrase it so that the girl admitted to firing at what she thought was a training dummy or something?

A rant was building, yet he forced it down. His actions would speak louder than anything.

"I've reconsidered," he stated with conviction. "So unless another hero is going to stop by to chat, I think it's about time I got to my cell."

—

His cell was much smaller than what he was used to, being only six feet by six feet. Metrocity had decorated his old one with childish art, but at least he was able to sprawl out should he wish.

Although comfort might have been sacrificed for security, which he could begrudgingly appreciate. The walls were a foot and a half thick and coated with sheet metal. Automated defenses were embedded in the ceiling; it wasn't the foam nozzles like he expected. These were metallic spheres, about the size of beach balls. Allegedly, they would emit an electric shock just below the threshold for causing permanent damage. It was like someone had taken his debilitate mode and worsened it in several ways.

The entire area was sealed up tight, the exception being two vents that were too small for him to wiggle his way into. His bed was a few inches thick, or thin, he should say. And the bathroom and shower situation—well, he'd had worse, but not by much.

His TV didn't even work. He'd fix it himself, but it was behind some plexiglass. All he could do was stare at his own reflection coming off the metallic walls.

Neither Armsmaster nor any other heroes had met with him. He had been informed by Assault that the tin man was securing unidentified tinker tech at their other base. Megamind had not left anything around, so he determined that was an excuse to avoid him. He was willing to be patient, but he had his limits.

His hand patted his stomach. Should he break out now? No, it was too soon for something like that. For all he knew, his incarceration hadn't even made the papers yet.

Usually, he would be using this prison free time to plot an escape, but he already had a plan. He could read the little pamphlet they'd left him, but he'd long since committed it to memory.

The biggest revelation it contained was that the prt was actually the PRT. While he was not generally opposed to correcting his own speech, he was already suffering a bit of a reputational issue. Changing to the correct pronunciation now would prove he'd been ignorant of its pronunciation. By keeping it the way he'd always said it, it would show his lack of respect for authority.

Of course, the prison break alone should help to enforce that.

As he sat on the mattress, back against the cold wall, he thought about what Minion might be doing right now. He'd be very, very cross if it turned out he was doing a game night, even if one wasn't scheduled as of yet. That party crasher had to be dealt with as well. Their television had been designed to pick up all channels, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise to him that someone had been able to infiltrate the signal. It might not have even been intentional on their part.

Regardless, he'd set up scanners to hopefully isolate whoever was interfering with it.

The door sliding open caught his attention. It should have been heralded by a series of colors flashing on the screen, alerting him to stand on the far corner of the wall.

A uniformed man stepped through. He looked like a mercenary of some kind, wearing big black boots and a gray jumpsuit loaded overtop with bandoliers and holsters. He had shin and elbow guards, along with a long black bandana on his head. With his broad shoulders, bulging muscles, and physical height, Megamind imagined he might be intimidating to some.

The man gripped his pistol, and something told him he was not meant to be here.

Megamind curled his hands around the pamphlet. He'd folded it into a paper airplane, and with his aim, was confident in taking the man's eye out if he was complacent. The man's head tilted, and he poked his head out back into the hallway, reading the cell number again.

"Huh." He pulled out a piece of paper, reading it. "Sorry viewers, I guess my tinker is in another castle."