Puppy

The Incident

Roxanne is brave. It isn't a brag or a lie or even a compliment; it's a fact.

Her social group consists mostly of the most powerful man in the world, a fish in a mecha-gorilla suit, and the city's most feared Supervillain — and she doesn't hold her tongue around or pander to any of them.

So it comes as quite a shock to everyone, Roxanne included, when she locks herself in her apartment for a week and only comes out after her online order of pepper spray arrives at the doorstep. Even then, her apartment and work are the only places she goes, except for once a month when she braves the grocery store.

It all started with a mugging. Such a simple thing, really, that happened while she was just out jogging.

She was not spoiled nor sheltered by any means, but she aswell had never been badly bullied as a child, so being beaten and robbed was quite a new experience for her. An unpleasant, shocking experience that opened her eyes to two very important things:

1) Metro City may be safer than most big cities, but that hardly made it safe.

2) Metro Man and Megamind aren't always going to be able to protect her. Because they hadn't. Because they'd both been in completely different areas of the city and hadn't even known until she was released from the hospital.

And suddenly she isn't a fiery reporter, standing tall amongst the city's Supers. She's a scared woman with almost no defensive skills, standing alone in a dangerous world.

So she cuts herself off from that dangerous world as much as she can. No more in-field reporting. No more fake dates with Wayne. No more kidnappings, thanks mostly to a very understanding Minion. No more going out with her girlfriends.

(Somehow, that last one seems the least important)

She's overreacting, she knows she is, but she is just. So. Scared.

She isn't a large woman, and she isn't good at any sort of physical confrontation. What will she do if she's attacked again? She always thought Metro Man would swoop in from the sky and save her or Megamind would leap out from the shadows to protect her, but they didn't. She's all on her own, and she doesn't know how to deal with it.

A month of hiding and ineffectual therapy and actually missing the Evil Plots™ passes, but nothing changes. Her boss and her girlfriends are reaching the end of their patience, she's feeling more alone than ever, and she fucking misses her friends.

(Not her girlfriends, she's actually starting to hate them a little. She misses Wayne, and Minion, and her silly little Supervillain. She misses being the Damsel in their game, and how the Hell is she supposed to react to that?)

So she pushes herself. She is brave, dammit, and she is going to claim back whatever part of her that stupid mugging stole. She takes a walk around her block, just for five minutes, right after getting home from work. Then she does it again the next evening. And the next. And the one after that.

Just when she's starting to feel like maybe, just maybe she could go back to normal, the worst possible thing happens (or the best, she sometimes jokes later on): a man jumps at her with a knife.

Her pepper spray is in her bag, she doesn't have time to grab it, and she doesn't have time to dodge either. But it doesn't really matter, because a flash of light later the man is on the ground, writhing and grabbing his smoking arm.

Something grabs Roxanne and pulls her into her apartment building, and she's too shocked to actually give any resistance until she's in the lobby. She whirls around, dislodging the grip, and sees–

A Brainbot? A small Brainbot? At least, she thinks it's a Brainbot. It doesn't have any spikes or teeth, the energy inside its glass head dome thing is red, and it seems to be made of a more coppery orange-brown metal than the usual silver-grey. But it still looks mostly like a Brainbot, so she assumes that's what it is.

Roxanne blinks, staring at the Brainbot. The Brainbot stares back, making soft sounds that might be worried? And suddenly she remembers things from the past few weeks, little things, things she rationalized and ignored and didn't really think about before; a glint of light in midair, some item moved from where she put it, an unexplained sound in the middle of the night.

Has this little thing been following her all that time? Since just a little bit after the Incident, if she's remembering right?

Its body ripples, going back into invisibility mode, and Roxanne feels fear grip cold fingers around her again. Not because of the Brainbot (of course it's safe, Megamind built it), but of the possibility she'll be attacked again. Which is crazy, as it isn't very likely and the Brainbot will still be there even if it is invisible, but she just... She just can't be alone anymore.

"Wait!" She shouts, feeling a bit calmer when the Brainbot comes fully back into view, bowging curiously. "I, uh. You don't have to hide. Please?"

The Brainbot makes another curious bowg, and the entire situation seems absurd all of a sudden. What does one say to a Brainbot? How much do they understand? How does Megamind always speak to them?

"Thank you, for protecting me." She says slowly, adding, "You were a very good boy."

(Do Brainbots have gender? Ah, fuck it, she can't keep thinking of the Brainbot as 'it'.)

Apparently, the Brainbot does indeed know 'good boy', as he immediately starts twirling in the air and makes happy robot noises. The entire display is so cute, Roxanne just has to reach out and pet the top of his 'head'.

Which is apparently another good thing to do, as he leans into her touch and floats closer to nuzzle her face, rumble-purring like a car engine pretending to be a cat.

"Oh, aren't you a sweetie pie?" She chuckles, rubbing her hand along it like a dog. It's a little tingly where the electricity meets his surface, but not unpleasantly so.

For the first time in a while, Roxanne actually feels almost calm. Unfortunately, the moment is ruined by one of her neighbors coming out of their apartment, causing the Brainbot to go invisible again.

'Alone' once more, Roxanne rushes up the stairs to her own apartment, muttering greetings to her neighbor as she passes.

Hyperventilating a little, she slams her door shut and leans against it, internally cursing herself almost as much as she's cursing her muggers (plural! How the hell did it become plural? What are the fucking chances, you stupid fucking universe?!).

She turns around with a sigh, nearly jumping out of her skin when she sees the Brainbot casually floating in her living-room. He must have decided that she was allowed to see him now for some reason. A reason she doesn't understand but isn't complaining about, reaching to tug the surprisingly comfortable metal creature to her chest, his warmth and purring soothing in a way she can't explain.

(Brainbot Number 825 is a very good boy who always listens to Daddy, and Daddy told him to stay invisible to all humans including the Roxanne, unless he needed to protect her. 825 should go and report to Daddy that the Roxanne has seen him, but he is sure Daddy will understand his very logical reasoning for not doing so; she is sad and needs cuddles)