Sparks flew, some bouncing off of his protective mask. He was on his back, working on one of his many projects when he felt something prod his leg. He turned off the welder and scooted from underneath the suspended chassis.

Sitting up, he removed the mask and saw what had been trying to get his attention. A cluster of red-beady eyes looked up at him, mandibles clacking in greeting. Six mechanical limbs clattered on the ground as his tiny creation skittered back and forth in a happy dance.

"Ohhhh" He cooed. "Did you bring something back for daddy? I know you did. Who's a good spider mite? You are, yes you are." He scratched the iron carapace, the creature leaning into his touch. "Now show daddy what you brought."

It shuffled back, flashed its eyes, and then opened a small hatch on its underside. A glowing cube tumbled out of its storage.

He picked it up eagerly. In the week following his successful robbery, it had become apparent that there was too much on his plate. One of those tasks was collecting scrap for materials.

Despite their newfound cash, the issue of finding someone to accept that cash and provide large amounts of raw and processed materials was outstanding. That left him scrounging the surrounding buildings or ordering Minion to do so. His latest innovation, a scaled-down version of a spider bot, was his answer to the problem.

Small, fast, able to leap great distances, climb walls, and armed with a dehydration gun these delightfully creepy spider mites were near-perfect scavengers. He'd ordered them to stay out of sight and comb the surroundings. Once they filled their cargo hold or found something especially enticing, they'd return to the lair.

He walked over to his work table and got a water gun. Placing the cube in an open space, he squirted it and watched with anticipation of what would be revealed. The cube shone brighter for a moment before rapidly expanding. Left in its place was a sign with a large M on it.

His excited expression immediately turned to one of tiredness. His eyes drifted to the creature, the youngest of its siblings doing short hops with its mandibles raised in what he presumed was a victorious pose.

He forced a grin and crouched down, giving it chin scratches.

"Yes, yes that's very good. Good job spider mite." Not all spider mites were created equal and as the latest of them, he'd been running low on some critical parts when he put it together. "Next time, why don't you try traveling a little further? Maybe not something directly outside? How does that sound."

Its mandibles clicked together, hopefully in understanding and it dashed away to resume its hunt.

He was left with the old sign, well he'd been meaning to bring it inside and give it a paint job anyway.

Briefly, he examined the state of the lair. They'd not been idle in fixing it up. It was still cold and damp, but it was the right cold and damp. Most of the clutter had been dehydrated and stored away in waterproof containers.

That was a mistake you only made once.

Areas had been cordoned off with tarp, separating a living area that now boasted a mattress. Minion had set up a kitchen and he'd diverted some time into repairing a fridge and rigging the purchased camping stoves to work on his power cells.

No longer were they restricted to one computer either, with Minion being given the laptop and Megamind creating a terminal to work on in a corner. They hadn't acquired their own WiFi yet, still stealing from that signal. He'd need to track down where the cables were buried and run his own.

Through the internet, he was disappointed to learn the heroes had downplayed his achievements. He tried to set the record straight but most refused to believe he was who he said and others said 'pics or it didn't happen'. Next time he'd have dozens of cameras, all feeding to different locations. His backups will have backups.

The center of the room was dominated by a proper spider bot. It was far from finished but had been coming together nicely. His interaction with the local heroes had lingered in his head. It had bothered him before realizing, the rules here must be a little different from what he was used to.

He should have realized it sooner, this wasn't his earth. It was expected things wouldn't be exactly the same. He just needed to find out what those particular rules were before rejoining the great game of good vs evil. Already, he had learned some.

Hence, the spider bot. It wasn't as fast as the Megamobile but it was more nimble. Heroes would be hard-pressed to lay a finger on it while it focused on evasion. The ideal vehicle to deliver his diabolical tirade without interruption. He'd pack it with armaments as well, maybe some forget-me-sticks? Those prt soldiers won't know what hit them!

The sound of laughter reached his ears and he frowned. Minion better not be slacking off and watching that youtube again.

He walked to the kitchen, swinging the tarp to the side.

The sight froze him for a heartbeat.

"Minion!" He yelled. "What is he doing here!" He pointed to the man currently eating one of his donuts.

"Boss!" Minion exclaimed in good cheer. "This is Harry, you remember him don't you?" He patted the man with his replaced hand, nearly toppling him.

He'd created a basic replacement, it was really a placeholder if anything. If Minion was going to keep getting involved in his fights he needed some upgrades. His original idea was to make the arm double as a cannon but then he recalled Minion's aim at the bank. Far too hazardous for his health to consider any sort of projectile so he was still at the drawing board.

Squinting at the man, he did seem vaguely familiar.

"Minioooon" He dragged out the name before continuing in a heated manner. "Why did you bring the vagrant we met for a handful of minutes into our SECRET lair!"

They may have called it a lair for brevity, however the secret was very much implied.

"Huh?" Minion had the gall to seem confused after violating their sacred sanctuary with the presence of an outsider. "How did you think we were getting all the new stuff?"

Minion pointed at a bag of groceries along with what looked to be a toaster.

"I thought you were getting it?"

Minion crossed his arms, looking at him skeptically.

"And how would I do that sir? You haven't created a holo watch yet."

"I-I've been busy! It's on the list. Also, I don't have everything I need…"

"Well until then, Harry here will be keeping us supplied."

He patted the man again, gentler this time.

The vagrant had changed since they last met. The ratty clothes had been replaced, not with anything brand new but certainly newer. His sunken eyes had a spark in them that had been absent before. The grey skin had also taken on a healthier shade. Noticeably, he neither stank of booze nor filth.

"Minion, how can we know to trust this Harry."

"I got this one." Harry spoke up while chewing on his donut. "You can't." He put a palm up, stopping the retort Megamind had been building and swallowed. "Mean to say. It'd be stupid to trust my decrepit self. Thing is, you boys don't got a lot of options here." He licked his fingers clean of the sugary residue and wiped his hands on his coat. "I may be a screw-up, but I'm the right type of screw-up for you two. I ain't got shit going for me in this shit city. No family, no friends, no skills, no future."

"Don't be so hard on yourself Harry" Minion interjected. "I'm sure you're great at plenty of things!"

"Statin' facts, no need to get sappy. I'm old, not as old as I look but old. I know what I got and what I don't. Same as you, I don't got options. I do got an understanding on how this city works, or my part of it. The stuff I've been getting you? Second hand, the lot of it. I know the sort who don't ask questions. I can't get you all that fancy shit you've been asking for but what I do get won't make the wrong people take notice."

Megamind wasn't convinced.

"Please sir." Minion cupped his hands together. "Can we keep him?"

His sight shifted between the pair, so that's what this was about.

Minion had acquired a minion.

Would that make Harry his grand minion? He suppressed a shiver.

"No-"

Minion's big eyes stared at him, his bottom lip quivering. Megamind held the stare for a moment before looking away.

"Fine, but he's your responsibility. Don't expect me to clean up after him!"

He would be Minion's minion, nothing more.

"I won't disappoint you sir!"

Minion swept him up in a hug, twirling them both around.

"Strange bunch you are." Harry grabbed another donut that didn't belong to him. "Can't complain. Not like that other one who ran a bunch of the boys out of the North."

Released from Minion's crushing embrace, he almost missed what had been said.

"Other one? What do you mean by that Harry?" Minion beat him to it, wondering the same he had.

"Ah, you know." He shifted uncomfortably and made a vague gesture towards the two of them. "I don't know the right term for you."

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Do you mean a villain?" Minion ventured.

Harry took his time with his donut, eyeing the evil duo warily the whole time. Did he forget that he was a supervillain? He was pretty sure he'd appropriately announced himself when they first met and that was never a forgettable experience.

"Sure, let's go with that."

"Where is this villain you speak of." Megamind asked. He'd tried asking about the rules on the pho but was met with mockery. Despite his thoughts on them, having a sit down with a local so-called villain was his chance to get things straight.

"North of here is the Trainyards. Back in the day, ah guess that doesn't matter. Either way, the villain is holed up there. Not sure where. It's a big place and a hassle to make your way around. Needle and a haystack type of thing."

Megamind had never understood that saying, finding the needle would be easy with a simple supercharged magnet.

He reached into his pocket and retrieved his new phone. Dialing a button, the signal to return was transmitted to his spider mites.

"Minion!" He looked up to find his friend missing. Harry had leaned back on the counter and pointed behind him.

He swept the tarp aside again.

"To the Megamobile sir?" Minion asked with a grin, already seated.

Megamind matched him.

"Minion, we're off to find a poser!"

—

"We're close Minion, I can feel it."

"Sir, that's the eighty-second time you've said that today."

The sun had set and they now searched in the dark. Minion's minion was not incorrect in saying the Trainyards were large. Megamind only wished he'd been a bit more descriptive of it before they'd set off with half a dozen spider mites. A never-ending supply of vast fenced-off areas met them.

Through the overgrown grass, the echoes of the past could be seen. Unused tracks rusting away, abandoned platforms, and toppled signage all hinted at what once was a thriving commercial enterprise.

Now? It was littered with trash, scrap, and whatever else the citizens of the city discarded haphazardly.

In other words, it was an all-you-can-eat buffet. His spider mites had to return to them multiple times now, their cargos full. Even the youngest had managed to secure some loot. What was that loot? Megamind was hesitant to find out.

"I mean it Minion, I can feel it. This time I'm sure."

He wouldn't be able to call himself Megamind if a few, maybe six hours of searching defeated him. Okay, they hadn't been moving very quickly. There was just so much stuff! He couldn't leave it all here. He wasn't sure how much would be useful yet but finding that out is part of the fun.

"If you say so…"

Minion did get it.

A crash was heard in the distance along with some faint yelling. They shared a look before dashing towards the commotion.

He pulled out his de-gun, setting it on debilitate. As they neared, the voice became clearer. Clearer, not intelligible. It was a non-stop barrage of expletives.

"Fucking little shit, give it back!"

In the shadows, Megamind could see one of his spider mites leap and avoid the remains of a light post.

The spider mite noticed his presence and scurried towards him, hiding behind him.

Megamind pointed his gun, the tip glowing and illuminating the area. In front of him, there was an odd chair. It looked to be built with the wheels of a train. Sat on it was a pale figure, scraps of iron covered part of its body. It had no legs that he could see and a singular arm coated in a gauntlet. Its face was round and scarred, the eyes covered with goggles. A pipe rose from the back of the chair, a faint trail of steam emitting from it.

"Don't get any closer" The figure spat, waving its only fist in his direction. "I'll burn the fuck out of you. I fucking mean it!"

To illustrate this there was a hiss and steam erupted from the palm of his gauntlet.

Megamind held his ground, looking at Minion from the corner of his eye. He hadn't known what to expect but it wasn't this.

"Fuckers hard of hearing, I said get lost!"

"Let me handle this sir." Minion whispered while stepping forward with his hands outstretched.

"Hello! My name is Minion and this here is Megamind, the greatest supervillain there is. What's your name?"

The words seemed reminiscent of something but the memory eluded him.

"Name's fuck off."

"Well, nice to meet you fuck off."

There was a pause and both Megamind and the supposed villain looked at Minion wondering if he was serious. For his part, Megamind believed he was.

"Heh, it won't be if you don't do what I say. You, blue guy. Put down that glowstick before I show you what a real piece of iron can do."

Glowstick?! His de-gun was a work of art. If he had it set to death ray it could atomize near anything! Not Metro Man, he'd tried.

"Sir? Please?" Minion pleaded and he reluctantly lowered his weapon. Diplomacy was never his forte. He tended to make demands, not negotiate.

"Now give it back. What the little thing stole."

The spider mite clacked angrily behind his leg. He wasn't one to return what he stole but the figure made a poor sight. He decided exceptions could be made, these were special circumstances after all.

He crouched and retrieved the cube, taking a dropper he rehydrated it.

Another arm, similar to the other, appeared on the ground.

That's wrong.

His mind concluded quickly. This structure didn't fit together. He didn't know the intentions of the creator but the arm would seize like this.

"Nothings wrong about it." The pale blob grumbled. "Give it here. Slowly."

He hadn't meant to say that out loud. That didn't change the truth. He stepped back and looked at Minion.

Minion didn't move from his position. His original hand stretched out at a gradual pace, grabbing the arm, and then extending further to drop it near the chair.

The figure shimmied closer to it and retrieved it with his good arm. He placed it on its side and after some time the fingers flexed.

His eyes widened, that shouldn't have worked. He was extremely adept at making appendages, he'd gone through many when designing Minion's suit. There was no way that cobbled-together set-up should have done anything but twitch.

"See. I know what I'm doing."

He needed a closer look. Minion grabbed him, stopping him from walking into a burst of steam.

"Sorry about that. My boss here is super smart. Whenever something stumps him he can get a teensy bit tunnel-visioned."

His traitorous Minion brought two fingers together for emphasis.

"That is in no way the case. I get wide-visioned! All the visioned!"

"Uh huh, what about that tim-"

Megamind jumped on him, covering his speaker.

"We promised not to speak of that."

The audacity of his Minion to bring that up. They'd pinky promised.

A discordant laugh rang out and he untangled himself. Straightening his back to regain some dignity, he looked at the amused slug.

"Stumped ya did I? Fine, drop the gun and come over slow like."

Minion gave him a thumbs up in encouragement. He unholstered the gun and gave it to the spider mite.

"If he tries doing anything to daddy, zap him." He whispered while patting it.

Satisfied with appropriate countermeasures in place, he approached.

The arm was held outward.

Reaching it, he ran his gloved fingers over it. Warm to the touch. Now that he was closer, he could see the pipe wasn't attached to the chair but to a harness. That suggested the device was steam-powered. He didn't look down on such a method, even if his own power source was vastly superior. That didn't explain how it functioned, he needed to take it apart.

"You built that suit." Through the goggles, he could see eyes staring hard at him. "Your friend's"

Minion gave a wave.

"That's right." He confirmed easily enough, still looking at the gauntlet. "I went through several iterations until settling on the overall form."

He was lost in inspecting the piece when he remembered his true purpose. He took a step back and shook his head.

"This isn't why we're here. You are…a villain?" He forced out the word and couldn't keep his face from cringing.

"That's what they call me. Don't give two shits about it. Just do what I want."

He was self-aware that he didn't fit the villain mold? That was a start.

"I wanted to have a talk, villain to villain." It came out easier this time. "We're from out of town and need to know how our rules differ from the locals'."

The blob looked to chew on something before spitting to the side.

"Tell you what, we can do a trade. I'll tell you everything you need to know if you build something for me."

Fair, a villain neither gave nor received charity. Unless said charity was stolen out of the collection box.

"You have yourself a deal."

He stuck out a hand. The gauntlet wielder shook it, mouth splitting and showing yellow teeth in a crooked smile.

"Let Trainwreck teach you all about it."