There was a sharp knock at the door, and Toby Field is snapped out of the daze he had fallen in. There was another knock, then another, then three more. Shaking his head from side to side to gather himself, Toby says, "You can come in, Buddy."
The door swings open with such force that Toby is surprised that it does not break from its hinges. The ten-year-old boy rushes into the room, wheezing. For his part, Toby's eyebrows rise. He had been correct in suspecting that the fanatical Mr. Incredible fanboy would have come so late at night, but he was still in shock over his new outfit.
Buddy was decked out in a blue-and-white uniform with a stylized "i" over the heart. A blue cape hung off his shoulders, and a domino mask was stretched across his face. Most curiously, he had a pair of clunky metal boots that conflicted with the rest of the costume.
Buddy came staggering up to the middle-aged Manager of the Superhero fan club, with only the walnut desk separating the two of them. Buddy takes a few deep breaths, and with a forced smile says, "Hi, Mr. Field! How are you? Sorry to bother, but can you drop this off? The boy slams his hand on the desk, and Toby can see that Buddy has written yet another note for none other than Mr. Incredible.
Taking the paper, Toby stares at Buddy before sighing, "Don't tell me you tried to be his sidekick, boy. You know you're not suited for it." The boy rips off the domino mask and stares at Toby with pleading eyes.
The Manager groans as he runs a hand through his greying hair with his free hand. He finally says, "All right, Buddy. I'll see to it that Mr. Incredible gets your…"he pauses to think…"seventy-second letter."
As Buddy smiles from ear to ear, Toby thinks, If only to get you off my back.
Bob Parr slowly rises from his bed, slapping his cheeks to ward off his drowsiness. He looks from side to side. His room is deep blue, as i has been since he began renting this apartment two years ago. The room still contains nothing more than a bed, a drawer, and a desk. Almost nothing had been changed.
Smiling, Bob looks down on the other side of the bed. Helen Truax is still lying beneath the blanket, a content look on her sleeping face and her auburn hair still shining. No, not Helen Truax. Helen Parr. What a wonderful change for both superheroes.
As Bob continues to stare, one of Helen's eyes open before a smile crosses her face. "So," she says in a sleepy yet sultry voice, "How did you sleep, big guy?" Bob's own smile brightens. "I slept well, and I know you did too."
Helen sits up in the bed, yawning. Then she looks at Bob once more. "What say you have the honor of cooking our very first breakfast as a married couple, Mr. Incredible," she asks. Bob calmly nods. "Of course, my dear Elastigirl. As long as you're willing to keep down one my patented cooked mushroom omelettes."
Helen's face freezes for a moment before she says, "You win. I'll fix something up." Giving Bob a quick peck on the cheek, she thrusts her arm forward until it grabs onto the doorframe on the other side of the room. One second later, and Helen has launched herself out of the bedroom.
Whistling, and shaking his head in amusement, Bob gets out of bed and walks over to the drawer. He throws on a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans before exiting the bedroom, and walking down the staircase. Helen is waiting for him at the bottom.
"Toast and eggs are cooking," Helen says. With a more confused expression, she holds up a white envelope to Bob, who accepts it and rips it open. He honestly feels excited. Maybe his buddy Frozone has finally popped the question and is in need of a best man? Maybe the Retrocity Grand Bowling Club has finally accepted him?
He takes a few moments to read the note inside before groaning. Shaking his head, he moves past Helen, only saying, "I'll take care of it later, dear."
Mr. Incredible is still standing in the middle of the wooded Retrocity East Park. He is in his full black-and-blue costume, complete with a domino mask. He does not know long he has been leaning against the pine tree, but at least ten people have already come up to him for autographs, one at a time. He has been as friendly as possible towards them, but he still wishes that the boy would show up soon…
"Hi, Mr. Incredible!" With a jolt, the superhero spins around to see Buddy, who is still wearing his wannabe superhero costume and still sporting a wide grin on his face. Taking a deep breath, Mr. Incredible begins, "Now look, Buddy…"
"You mean you haven't reconsidered having me as a ward?!" Buddy spits as he paces around in a small circle before his idol. "Mr. Incredible rejects me, disses my rocket boots, and jumps on me to ruin my flight pattern…"
Mr Incredible leans forward and places a hand on each of Buddy's shoulders. "I jumped on you," he interrupts, "to remove the bomb that was stuck to you."
Buddy's eyes go wide. "A b-bomb…"
"Yes! That French guy, that...Bomb Voyage? He threw a bomb on your cape and I had to get it off you." Mr. Incredible is scowling now as he releases Buddy. "And the bomb obliterated that part of the rail! And the passengers on the train suffered injuries, even after I stopped the train from falling into the gap and to its doom!"
Buddy is silent for a moment, and Mr. Incredible hopes that the boy has finally taken a hint. Alas, it is not to be. With a loud whoop, Buddy shouts, "OH MAN! I WAS SAVED MY MR. INCREDIBLE!" He quickly hugs the man around his midsection. "My life as a fan is complete!"
"Buddy," Mr. Incredible says, willing himself into a calm mood. "Can you please get off?" Buddy blinks before letting go and taking a step back. "Oh. Sorry, sir."
"What I mean," Mr. Incredible says, "Is that if you can't notice a bombn planted on your own body, you're not really sidekick material." He winces. "A real superhero has to be prepared to experience far worse."
Calm for perhaps the first time in his life, Buddy says, "Then teach me how to be prepared for far worse." As Mr. Incredible sighs, Buddy continues, "You've been patrolling this city for years on end, taking on criminals one at a time! You don't have to shoulder all the burden! Two against one is good odds, you should know that!"
Buddy's eyes are as hopeful as ever. Finally, Mr. Incredible takes a deep breath. "All right, all right." he says. "I'll take you on as my sidekick."
As Buddy's elated shouting fills the air, Mr. Incredible thinks, If only to to convince you it's a bad idea.
