Hey guys! Sorry for the long absence! I've been swamped with school, and will be for a long time. I finished this chapter a while ago, so I thought I'd post it while i had the chance. Here it is!

Megamind and Cumberback struggled to hold the writhing reptilian down. She shrieked in pain again, clawing at the collar around her neck. With a swift movement, Cumberback flicked a small device from the satchel and pressed it on the green-lighted part of Saori's collar. The device began making a warring noise, steadily rising in pitch.

Saori went limp.

"Hurry!" Megamind said, panic almost choking him.

"I'm trying!" Cumberback said. "I've never done this before! How do you expect me to do it that fast?!"

Megamind looked exasperated. "You've never done this before?"

"Shut up! I can't think with your voice constantly in my ears!" Cumberback snapped.

"It's not my voice! It's your voice anyway!"

In spite of the arguing, Cumberback continued to work. As the seconds ticked by, Roxanne felt more and more hopeless. Saori hadn't moved since she fell limp.

After what seemed an eternity, there was a sharp click, and Cumberback yanked the collar off of Saori, tossing it away as it burned him. Then he gently lifted Saori's head. "Saori, can you hear me? Please, just show me you're still there." He spoke softly to her. Nothing happened.

"She's not breathing..." Megamind realized.

Cumberback cursed and started doing CPR. Roxanne bit her lip, not daring to breathe. Every second that ticked by, the larger the pit in her stomach became. Saori's dead, a voice in her head whispered. She died and it's our fault.

Cumberback stopped doing CPR but didn't take his eyes off Saori, as if searching for any sign of life. He looked at her, intently. His eyes were focused on her closed eyes. His eyes glazed slightly. Megamind felt a slight tickle in the back of his mind, but this telepathic energy felt different; harsher, and more focused.

"Cumberback..." Megamind's voice was grave. "She's go-..."

He was cut off by Saori suddenly gasping, and her eyes flying open.

Megamind and Roxanne both jumped, startled. Cumberback gasped, and pulled back, slightly. Then he laughed slightly. "Welcome back, Saori." He said, weakly.

"But... but that's impossible!" Megamind practically shouted, before suddenly, stepping forward, and catching Cumberback, who crumbled, gasping. His face was pale.

"What's wrong?" Roxanne asked.

Megamind laid Cumberback on the ground. Cumberback didn't protest and just laid there, gasping quietly.

"Are you okay?" Megamind asked.

"Don't... worry about me..." Cumberback closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing.

Saori coughed violently, and rolled over on her side, clutching her head and throat. She heaved and then emptied her stomach onto the rocks next to her.

Roxanne stared for a moment. "What just happened?" She asked, lacking anything better to say.

"I don't know..." Megamind's eyes were wide.

Saori gasped and was coughing again. Her eyes were wide, and sweat was pouring down her face.

Megamind crouched by her. "Are you okay?"

Her coughs subsided, and she nodded, gasping. Her eyes rested on Cumberback. "He... he saved me..." her voice was filled with disbelief.

Roxanne stayed for a moment, taking it all in. The reality of what had nearly happened hit her. "You almost died..."

"How did he save you?" Megamind asked, perplexed.

"That... that collar. It attacked my mind. But he somehow... I don't know... he just saved me..." Saori seemed equally perplexed.

Megamind looked at the limp form of Cumberback. Cumberback was breathing softly now, and his thin body looked especially frail. Fear settled in the pit of Megamind stomach. They were in danger. Whoever was behind all this wasn't afraid to kill. Cumberback's injury proved that. And now they were trapped.

"We have to find a way out of here." He said, softly, looking around the cavern they were trapped in. The walls were smooth and solid, sloping up to the trap door they had fallen through. There wasn't one crack or seam in the whole thing.

"We're trapped," Roxanne said, looking around as well.

"I know a way out," Saori said, weakly.

Megamind turned to her. "How?"

"Under the water, there's a tunnel. That's how I got in here. I wanted to make sure you were okay. I've never had someone be kind to me before." She looked down, shyly.

Megamind smiled slightly. Then his eyes drifted to his counterpart who was still motionless on the floor. Fear settled in his stomach again. He came over, and knelt by cumberback's side, checking his pulse. It was steady and normal.

"Is he okay?" Roxanne asked.

"Other than the obvious, he's fine," Megamind said.

"I'll be okay..." Cumberback muttered, looking paler by the minute. "Just let me catch my breath..." He was breathing quickly, and shallowly.

"What did you do?" Roxanne asked.

"The collar was using telepathic, or psychic, attacks... as well as forcing Saori's defenses down..." Cumberback gasped between the words. "I overestimated your body's strength... it taxed me more than it should have... I don't know if..." he stopped, and just breathed for a long moment.

"Will you be okay?" Roxanne asked.

"I... don't know..."

Megamind glanced at Roxanne, worry etched on his face. "We need to get out of here. Minion could help. He knows how to care for me more than I do myself." He turned to Saori. "How do we get out?"

"There's a tunnel under the water. But it's a long way. I don't know if you people can hold your breath as long as me."

"My... my body has large lung reserves..." Cumberback said weakly.

"As does mine," Megamind said. He looked at Roxanne. "But... Roxanne... I don't know..." he seemed torn and worried.

"I can swim quickly," Saori said. "I can help her go faster, and then she'll get there on time. She will be okay."

"I don't think Cumberback can swim on his own right now," Megamind said, noting the makeshift bandage around his middle, and his ragged breathing.

"I'll Make it..." Cumberback protested, weakly.

"No, you won't." Megamind insisted. "It's my body, anyway. I know it's limited. I'll help you."

"You don't need to-..." Cumberback tried.

"Yes, I do." Megamind cut off. "You can't change my mind. I've decided."

Cumberback sighed, too weak to protest.

"The sooner we go the better," Roxanne said. "I'm worried about Cumberback. And you." She lowered her voice so only Megamind could hear her. He smiled slightly, sadly.

"I'm worried about you too..." he whispered, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about Cumberback and I. We'll be okay."

Roxanne nodded, though she knew it was a lie.

"We need to hurry," Saori said. "The cold isn't helping your friend. He needs medical attention."

Megamind nodded. He went over to Cumberback's limp form, and helped him to his feet, holding most of his weight.

Saori waded out in the freezing water. "Come." She said, becoming Roxanne. Roxanne shivered, and followed.

Saori held out her hand, and Roxanne took it. "Hold your breath," Saori said. Then, giving Roxanne just enough time to gasp, Saori dived under, pulling Roxanne with her.

Roxanne felt her whole body emerged in the freezing water. She clung to Saori's hand, that pulled her forward, quickly. She lost all sense of direction, as the lithe reptilian pulled her downward. Or, at least she thought it was downward.

Saori guided her through a small opening, about two feet wide, on the floor of the lake. Already, her lungs were starting to burn, and claustrophobia began to threaten her senses.

the walls of the tunnel were rough, and Roxanne had to be careful not to hit them.

After what felt like a long time, Saori stopped them. Roxanne could see a metal gatelike thing blocking their way. Saori seemed frantic, and she started pulling on the metal.

Roxanne felt her head getting light. This was taking too long. She started feeling panicked. Her lungs felt ready to burst. She wanted to gulp big breaths down, but she was surrounded by water.

Water? Wait, why was she in the water? Was she looking for something?

Why did she feel like her head was going to explode? Why couldn't she see very well? Why did she feel so tired?

Vaguely, she saw two other figures approaching. One of them touched her arm. she felt her eyelids grow heavier, and next thing she knew, she descended into darkness.