I do not own anything apart from the idea of this. All character belong to Dreamworks, I'm just having fun with them.

Darkness. It was all she knew right now. She could hardly see her own hands. Darkness, and the quiet movement of water was all she had. That, and the need to keep moving forwards. She wasn't scared anymore; she was too tired to be scared. Just unbelievingly empty. As she moved she remembered how this started.

It was summer, and an unspeakable amount of heat beamed down from the sun above. Roxanne was kind of grateful to the weather. There hadn't been a kidnapping in days. Her social life was flourishing. Life was good.

Then the mask arrived.

There was nothing wrong with it, actually. It was an Asian looking, white, smiling mask. At first Roxanne thought it was part of another great scheme from Megamind. But it lacked…his style. The box in which it was sent was simply brown, not black. No spikes, lightening blots, explosives or hidden Brainbots. Just a box with no note. She turned the mask in her hands, observing it from both sides and found nothing indicating her next kidnapping, so she simply put the object next to her computer and returned to work. Later she called her mother and brothers to ask them if they had sent this to her. But it was neither of them.

The next day she had this weird sensation that someone was watching her, and for once it wasn't Hal. And after returning home she found white, laminated sticks used for Chinese or Japanese food on her kitchen table. She called the police; they just asked her if she found traces of robbery, to which she said no. So they told her not to worry; most likely a friend had left her a present and had forgotten to leave a note. They suggested to call again if something else popped up. Meaning: call when something serious happens.

She wanted to call Wayne, but at the last moment she changed her mind. She should call Megamind. He was a supervillain, after all; if there was someone new in town he would know. But she had no means of contact; all she could do was wait for another kidnapping, which would probably be postponed until the heat wave ended.

On the third day she found a note on her desk. "Wish you luck." Roxanne began to think that maybe one of her colleagues was preparing a prank, so she questioned everyone asking about the mask and sticks. All she got were funny looks and a shake of their heads.

Sighing heavily she sat back at her desk, taking her cellphone out to check if there were any calls or text messages. None.

"Hey, Rox!"

"Holy, Christ! Lena!" The brunette grabbed her chest, trying to calm down the racing heart. Her friend had appeared out of nowhere. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry. Here's your money. Be happy! It's a payday!" The red head accountant handed her a white envelope with Roxanne's check.

"Shouldn't I get this at the end of the day?" The reporter took her check and put it in her purse.

"Well, yes. But your cool friend in the finance department, namely me, wanted to be nice and offer you a coffee later. Since it seems that the blue dude is suffering from the heat as much as we are, and gave you a few days off without being kidnapped." Lena grinned before she noticed the mask. "Hey! I didn't know you liked No theater." She picked up the mask, examining it with glee.

"What?" Roxanne looked at the white mask. "Oh, this thing. It was sent to me." Then she remembered. "Lena, did you stop by my apartment yesterday and leave sticks on my kitchen table? And how about this note? Was it you?"

"Nope. What sticks?" The red head placed the mask back on the desk.

"White, laminated sticks, like you use to eat sushi," the brunette described them.

"Double nope." Lena watched her friend, sensing her worry. "OK, I've gotta go, but if anything happens call me, okay? And you said yes to coffee, right?"

"Double yes." Roxanne smiled. Lena always managed to lift her mood. But no matter the mood, the worry stayed.

Before turning in for the night Roxanne double checked her doors and windows. She informed Metro Man of her worry and got a reassurance that he would watch her carefully.

And for next few weeks there were no masks, sticks or strange notes or feelings of being stalked. She even got kidnapped by Megamind. Meaning things were back to normal.

Megamind told her that he hadn't heard about new arrivals, making it clear that he was too eevil and fantastic for any villain to step on his turf, which made Roxanne roll her eyes.

She began to feel safe again, back to the usual routine, until another note was stuck to the door of her apartment: "Feeling safe?"

She tore the note off and searched the corridor, and for the first time since she moved in, she used the stairs. When she reached the ground floor she approached her doorman, a bit shaken.

"Carlos, has someone suspicious entered the building?" she asked him.

"No, Miss Ritchi. Besides, Megamind rarely uses the front door…" the middle aged man answered, a bit surprised.

"I mean someone other than Megamind," she asked further.

"No one, I assure you, Miss Ritchi. Has something happened?" The man's deep brown eyes looked at her with worry. He always liked the reporter; she was nice and not like most of the women he knew. Meaning self dependant and with a certain spunk.

"Yes, someone stuck this to my front door." She gave him the card and his eyebrows wandered up.

"I have no idea how this happened. No one suspicious entered the building…but I'll check the security cameras."

With that they said their goodbyes and Roxanne hurried to the news station and to her office. Only to find another note stuck to her computer. "I'm close."

Quickly she rang security, getting the same answer she'd received from Carlos; no one suspicious or unknown had entered the building. She called the police again and they sent her someone. She showed him both notes, and he promised to look into it.

For the whole day she was paranoid. She was looking left and right, trying to find anything different. But found nothing of the sort. She called Wayne, asking to watch her again. Maybe he would spot something unusual.

With a sense of dread she went home. She turned on all the lights in the apartment and felt safer, and then debated if she should call Lena to come round but decided it was a childish thought.

Roxanne finally entered her bedroom and her eyes fell on her bed, causing her to stop in her tracks. She felt her heart race. On her pillow was another note: "Sleep tight."

Then the world went blank…

When she woken up, it was dark. Not just any dark. It was pitch black.

"I see you're awake."

Roxanne's heart stopped. There was a voice coming from somewhere.

"Hello? Who's there?" It was a stupid question, but her head hurt so much…

"Nobody. I am nobody." The voice was strangely plain. Hard to tell if it belonged to a man or a woman.

"Where are you?" Roxanne tried to stand up.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…" the voice warned her. Suddenly Roxanne felt the floor begin to sway, throwing her off balance. She desperately tried to regain stability and found nothing to hold onto. After a few bloodcurdling moments she fell to her knees, back onto the safe floor.

The voice sighed. "See, I warned you. Why is it that humans always do the exact opposite of what they were told? Oh well…" Suddenly a bright spot light was switched on a few meters away from Roxanne, revealing a person sitting on a leather, spinning chair.

The posture of that person showed that the person was bored. His or her hand was propping up the head, and the legs were crossed. The person was dressed in a black suit with a white, thin tie that was tied around the person's neck. There was a mask – similar to the one that had been sent to Roxanne – on the person's face, and Roxanne swore that the hair was tied in a knot using the two white sticks, similar to those which she found on her kitchen table, but it was only a guess since the light was so bright. On the person's feet were black and white two toned shoes and on the hands, two white gloves.

That strange mix of 20's style with a Japanese accent. Roxanne sighed. Another villain…

"Listen, I don't know what you want, but Metro Man will probably arrive anytime, so maybe we can skip the part where you threat my life, explain your diabolical plan and get over it."

"Metro Man? Oh, Miss Ritchi, I have no business with Metro Man," the person announced happily. "I'm simply here to, as you've quite correctly noted, threaten your life."

There was something scary in that sincere voice.

"What's your name? What do you want?" Roxanne asked, gulping. Maybe if she talked to the person for as long as she could…

"I've already told you. I am Nobody. You can call me that." The person lowered his or her leg back on the ground and stood up. The light had dimmed a bit. "I want to test your limits, Miss Ritchi."

"What? Why would you…?"

"You caught my eye. All those years, enduring constant kidnappings, living almost on the edge between Metro Man and Megamind. Nerves of steel are your blessing… and they're also a curse. I want to test just how far I can push your mind until you break." Nobody took a few steps forward, still remaining too far away from Roxanne. He or she talked too calm, like it was something normal. As if Roxanne was just a test subject for Nobody's personal curiosity.

"Metro Man will save me," the reporter said with confidence.

"I'm afraid not."It was a statement. "You see, the Vacuum does not conduct sound. In theory, that is." Suddenly Nobody sounded deep in thought. "Maybe it does…? Well, today, we'll test it!" he or she shouted with enthusiasm.

"What vacuum? What are you talking about?" Roxanne was lost. This person was clearly nuts.

"Ah, silly me. I should explain, right? Well, too bad, Miss Ritchi. I won't explain anything to you." The person in the suit clasped his or her hands. "Now, let's proceed with the test."

The light was gone. "All you have to do, Miss Ritchi, is survive."

Roxanne was left alone in the darkness. Which way should she go? Her heart raced. What should she do? She tried to reach her hand as far as she could over the edge. At first there was nothing, and then she touched water. She tasted it. Salty.

Roxanne looked around, not that it helped. She couldn't even see her hands. Feeling like a blind man, she used her hands to test the rest of her surroundings. She was on a very narrow pathway made of some smooth material, maybe glass.

She changed to a sitting position, thinking. Vacuum… What vacuum? The water's salty… Maybe I'm somewhere near the sea. How long was I unconscious for? Which way is north? Deciding there was no use in sitting around and doing nothing she decided to move on in the direction where she saw Nobody, crawling on her hands and knees.

There had to be some kind of a platform or something…

Suddenly her hand reached nothing. Finding no way to proceed, she very slowly turned around and went back, and after some time felt the end of the road again. Roxanne inhaled and exhaled loudly. The deafening silence was playing on her nerves. She also understood that she had to choose. Which hole to jump in? Which one would mean going back home, which one meant death?

Maybe she should jump into the water? She reached to the liquid surface and screamed in pain. The water had changed to acid! The fuck! Nursing her hand she rocked back and forth in pain. Deciding that she had no will to crawl back to the other hole she stood up carefully, prayed to God and jumped…

Only to fall very quickly and land very painfully on another pathway. The 'hole' was probably just a short space between two platforms, meant only to play with her mind. She suddenly understood something. Nobody was not only threatening her life, but he or she was also threatening her mind. Nobody was 'pushing' her limits.

Gulping, she moved forward. The pain in her hand numbed a bit. She moved forwards until she reached a wall. No…a cage. There were two cages. And a glowing note.

"Choose one pet."

"Pet?" Her own voice sounded strange all of a sudden in the silence. Then she noticed movement. There were creatures in both cages. A dim light appeared and Roxanne gasped, taking several steps back. There was a giant spider in one and a giant scorpion in the other.

"What kind of a choice is that?" she shouted angrily. Oh, God…

There was no way around them. She needed to choose one… Scorpion or spider?

The arachnid was disgusting. Bigger than her hand, covered with something similar to fur…

The scorpion was not better. Big, fat tail and a sting. She shuddered.

Suddenly she remembered something. The spider was a bird-eater. They weren't very poisonous. And since she had no knowledge of the scorpion she touched the cage with the spider.

The bars fell, releasing the creature. It stood motionless for a moment and then, realizing it was free it moved forward… towards Roxanne. She tried not to move, feeling a desperate cry forming in her throat. As if hearing her silent prays, the creature stopped before it jumped over the edge and disappeared.

Sighing with relief, Roxanne moved onward once again.

After sometime she felt her stomach rumble… Hungry… She had to ignore that. There was nothing she could eat, nothing she could drink. Fortunately there was nothing to remind her… What was that smell? She sniffed. It smelled like freshly baked bread. Her mouth watered. She began to crawl faster; maybe there was a meal somewhere? Then she stopped. It could have been poisoned… But she wouldn't know until she reached it.

After some time the smell dimmed and finally disappeared. But a sound appeared. Running water. It reminded Roxanne that she was thirsty and needed to go to the bathroom. That soon ended too.

Finally Roxanne sat herself down, breathing heavily. She had no idea what to do. She was tired from walking on all fours, trying to keep her balance on the long platform. Her stomach was grumbling and she was thirsty. Her head was pounding. She hated this.

It continued for endless hours. Roxanne wasn't sure how many. Being in the darkness with no watch didn't help. The person, Nobody, was sending her some 'surprises' from time to time. Things to test her mind, which was now becoming quite unsteady. At one time she met the bird-eater again. The spider was standing in the middle of the path, watching her. She decided to name him Spike. When he climbed up her arm and stayed with her for some time she even began to talk to him.

Once she thought she spotted the exit. A faint light was shining in the distance. Her hopes rose and she began to move faster, but no matter how fast she crawled the light was still only a faint image in the darkness.

"How are you doing, Roxanne?" It was Nobody.

"Fuck you." Oh, how she hated that mask. But she hadn't heard any voices other than her own since her imprisonment, so it was a twisted relief.

"Really? I bet you're thirsty," the villain said with amusement. "How about a glass of water?"

Suddenly a spot light fell on a small wooden table. On that table stood a single, tall glass of water filled with ice cubes. Roxanne gulped at this sight. Her control was cracking as Nobody lifted the glass and placed a straw in it, before drinking from it.

"I suppose your silence means 'yes' or… maybe not. Maybe you don't want this water." He or she shook the glass, gently making the ice cubs clatter. Then, very slowly, he turned the glass upside down and spilled the contents.

"No!" Roxanne straightened up, her arms stretching towards her captor with desperation.

"I see," the villain said slowly. "You must also be very hungry…"

"Yes," she agreed weakly.

"Good…" The mask nodded. Then the light went out and Roxanne was left in the darkness, sobbing.

After that everything went downhill. Roxanne began to hallucinate. She thought she could hear her mother; she even believed she saw Megamind and Metro Man somewhere in the distance. Finally exhausted, broken, and with no hope left she decided there was no point in moving forwards. There was no exit. Only Nobody's sick tricks. She closed her eyes prepared to die.

"Giving up, Miss Ritchi?" said the familiar, hated voice of Nobody.

"Go to Hell," Roxanne wheezed.

"Oh, I will, no doubt." If only Roxanne's brain was working properly; she would have noticed that the voice was coming from much shorter distance. "But first, I'll have my fun here while I'm still alive."

A gloved hand grabbed the woman's hair, forcing her to open up her eyes. But what she saw made her sick to the stomach.

The mask was gone and she was looking… at herself.

When Roxanne woke up she felt warm, content and there was light. Overwhelming, wonderful light… Then she realized that she could also feel the heaviness of bed sheets.

This was not hospital… The room was filled with mysterious apparatuses. Maybe Nobody would experiment on her now…

But then the door opened and she saw Megamind.

"Miss Ritchi! You're awake! Minion! She's awake!" The supervillain disappeared shortly to shout the news to the fish.

Tears gathered in her eyes and she began to cry. When he realized she was Megamind quickly hurried over to her

"Now, now, Miss Ritchi, this isn't how my frequent kidnapee should-" he was cut off when she leapt at him, throwing her arms around his thin frame and burying her face into his chest.

"I… I was so scared…" she sobbed.

"Of what?"

But she shook her head; she didn't was to tell him, of all people, what had happened to her. At least, not yet.

Later when she was given normal food – which she devoured at a speed she thought wasn't possible – Megamind and Minion told her that she'd been missing for two days before Minion had found her outside the Lair. Megamind had refused to take her to hospital, since it would damage his reputation as a villain. But she wasn't hurt, and had only been out for a few hours.

"Now, Miss Ritchi, will you cooperate and explain yourself? Do you have any idea that I had to postpone my most horrifying and terrifying plan yet for you?"

His bustling made her smile with relief. She'd missed her kidnapper; his predictability and flamboyant acting, along with the fact that he always made sure she was safe. She let him boast about his inventions, cherishing this moment of normality. When he finished he looked at her, waiting.

She watched her hands for a long moment. What had happened to her was a nightmare she wanted to forget. But the best way to forget about a nightmare was to share it…

"Miss Ritchi, do you want us to leave?" Minion looked at her with concern.

Roxanne looked at the fish. Then she shook her head. "No. Please, stay. I… I think I need to tell you…"

And she did. She told them every detail she could remember, but wanted very much to forget.

"That's…that's sick," Megamind finally spoke. His entire being was shaken with disgust. He was a villain, sure, but he had limits.

Minion was speechless; the story scared him. Roxanne had been through Hell and he felt so worried for her. This shouldn't have happened.

After phoning Wayne, Lena and her family, assuring them she was safe and well, Roxanne stayed with the duo for a few more days. It made her feel safe. Megamind, Minion and at least a few of the Brainbots were always by her side. She was grateful.

When it was time for her to leave Roxanne stood in front of the Invisible Car next to Megamind.

"I guess you won't let me see where your Lair is," she said with a smirk.

"No. Evil never reveal its secrets to nosey reporters." Somehow, even when he said this with his usual over the top gesticulation he seemed uneasy. Truth be told, he was reluctant to let her go.

"Megamind…" she began slowly.

"Yes?" There were traces of hope in his green eyes.

"I… Thank you. For letting me stay. And…for understanding." She leaned closer and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

He stood there, frozen in time. Then he slowly raised his hand to his face and touched the cheek she'd kissed.

His green eyes meeting her blue ones, something came over him. Without realizing what he was doing he placed both his gloved hands on her cheeks, holding her tenderly before slowly leaning in until his lips touched hers. The kiss was soft and delicate, and only lasted for a few moments.

Megamind only realized what he'd done when he pulled back. "Uh…" He quickly removed his hands from her face. "That doesn't leave the Lair, Miss Ritchi."

Roxanne didn't know what to say, but made her promise with a nod.

Minion walked in on them with the knock-out spray before anymore could be said. "Miss Ritchi, please take care of yourself," the fish said, looking just as sad as his master.

"I'll try, Minion."

"And please, get some therapy. What you've been through…"

"I know, Minion. I will. Thank you."

Minion pressed the button on the can and Roxanne once again lost consciousness, but this time, she was sure she'd wake up back in her apartment.

Roxanne took a week off work. When the police called her, wanting to know what had happened, she had no will to tell them the truth, so instead told them she'd been kidnapped by Megamind. She was certain they didn't believe her (since there had been nothing in the news and no Metro Man hauling the villain back to prison), but they didn't press her. When she finally went back to work the mask was gone, but she was grateful. She swore that if it had been there she wouldn't have been able to hold back her tears.

The next time Megamind kidnapped her she was so glad it was him – and that things were finally back to normal – that she even screamed for the villain. Megamind had never been so happy.

*head bow* Thank you ninteenninetytwo for putting up with me. I'm probably the densest author out there.

Review, please?