Place the Axe to the Grind

by The Waitress

A lovers' quarrel on a rainy day. Only with rockets. Synlet. Heed the Rating.

Place the Axe to the Grind

Author/Artist: The Waitress (originally posted on LJ, OrigWriter here.)

Character/Pairing: Violet's POV Mainly. Non-Synlet, sorta, I'm not gonna tell you!

Fandom: The Incredibles

Words: +14305

Ratings: R

Genre: Drama/Action

P.S: Ends wonky.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters depicted. Writing style was done on purpose. But personally I don't care if you don't like it. Also, this is not a fluffy happy story. If you want that, go away.

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Have an axe to grind [a phrase]: To have a dispute to take up with someone or, to have an ulterior motive / to have private ends to serve.

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"There would be no passion in this world if we never had to fight for what we love." -- Susie Switzer

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Left, left, left right left. Left, left, left right left. The drizzle pattered like the footsteps of soldiers, marching through her mind as the front made its way to the West Coast.

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'Ten years ago, the killing machine known as the Omnidroid stormed...'

'U.S. Military is at a loss...'

'New York City, Cincinatti, Raleigh, Chicago, Little Rock, Phoenix, Municiburg, all struck...'

'A new machine, impervious to everything possibly even itself...'

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It was not very hard to believe, but as Violet saw the Metroville Steel Company building level to ground zero on the television screen, Violet knew there was no ignoring the devastation any longer.

Really, he never handled things well, she quipped.

"Get me as close as you can," came a voice once so warm, now cold and angry.

Violet stiffened, whipping around to face the massive man in his skin-tight suit, towering over a pair of NSA agents.

"Please! Let me take care of him! Just give me some time!"

Parr stared down at his daughter, torn between guilt and resentment for the woman standing before him, after all he had done to make sure she never got entangled with that man.

He hesitated, superiority telling him to aide her, but humanity's rage winning over.

"Take him down Violet," his voice was harsh, sharp contrast to his tired, disheartened blue eyes, "take care of him or I will. And when I do, he will not get away again." Without another word, Mr. Incredible spun on his heel crisply and walked away with Rick Dicker, who spared her a knowledgeable, yet sympathetic and tired look.

She turned away, now was not the time. It's been years since she had actually seen him, despite his attacks, she had turned away, letting others pick up what she started.

Now she had to fight him.

A sly voice in the back of her head whispered, 'Did you really think you could avoid this forever..?'

It hurt, to contemplate what was about to happen.

Superhero duty called for her to cast away emotions and let her inborn power take over, however.

This is what she was born to do.

This is what she'll die doing.

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A man came up to her as she walked out of the NSA Super's building, gleaming in his bright golden suit; Violet immediately pegged him as arrogant.

"You're - you're the one!" He seemed appalled and ecstatic, fidgeting with excitement, Violet merely raised an eyebrow, glad the mask kept her true identity from his prying eyes. He babbled on, "What - what are you gonna do to stop him? What should we do?" Violet stared coldly, but really it was because she had no clue.

'Damn him for setting me up to this,' she thought, yet, who was she even cursing? This boy? Her father? Him?

Does it matter who you curse?

"Run," she said blithely, but her words paled the young Super's (really, he probably was not younger than her at all) face.

Turning she shimmered out of sight, and picked up speed, but it's hard to run any faster than your conscience.

Her heart was already in the center of the city.

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Turning her face up towards his, she smiled slightly, "How long do you think we can hide out here?"

His eyes took hold of hers, and they softened, bringing a hand to wrap around her waist slowly, hesitantly. "That all depends on how long we can stay hidden."

Laughing quietly, she moved closer to him, feet dangling over the building ledge, gazing out at the city.

She did not plan on moving from this spot, even if someone found them.

Nevertheless, she let a wave of invisibility slide over them.

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Entering Metroville City, Violet shoved past people screaming and yelling. No danger was imminent, but oh... Violet's heart bottomed out, over ten blocks away stood an Omnidroid, titanous and gleaming black, blasting everything in sight. A raging god amongst mortals.

And what are gods but powerful, distraught humans?

"The Supers will come! Where are they all?" Came several screams, and Violet wanted to yell she was there, but, really, would they have heard? Rounding a block, she navigated an alley, before finding the back of the tallest building (remaining), crashing through the maintenance door with a shield. Looking around, sweat dripping from her brow, Violet's eyes caught a large flight of stairs.

Groaning, she pushed onwards, feeling the building shake with an astray blast. The noise was deafening, the groans of metal caving under its own weight split her eardrums, the hot waves coming off stone and through the air choked her, and it was obvious the entire building had been evacuated, because military blasts and screams echoed along each hard step, magnifying with her pounding footsteps.

Clutching her sides, Violet pushed through the roof door, shocked at the icy cold wind lashing against her face. Running to the railing, she leaned over, watching the military land at one side, and the Omnidroid - equipped once again with five limbs - plowed on, unaware. Her heart quailed watching the people lost among the rockets, the lasers. Cars flung through the air at them, Violet could hear the screams echo up through the chilling air.

She wondered callously, if anyone was really dying with all that screaming.

'They're only innocent people! What have they ever done to you!?' The Superior in her screamed, rattling her back from her inner warzone.

Supers should be coming right about now, the fleeing people thought, running for their lives, any second now.

But Violet was the only one coming, and she was frozen to the spot six hundred feet up, unable to move.

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'Where are we going?'

'You'll see Violet.'

'But...'

'Why don't you ever trust me?'

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Down below, Syndrome surveyed the area, the frantic people, the burning trees, the decimated buildings. Smirking, he hit a button and, at the top of the highest building, Violet watched in horror as a wave blasted from the Omnidroid's eyes, sweeping over the city, tearing every scrap of green from the ground, stripping the trees.

'Until nothing left of green...' Such a Biblical sounding concept, appropriate, for this was now Hell on earth.

The whole land was barren; people screamed in panic and were running from the robot similar to the one that had torn Metroville apart all those years ago.

Despite their best efforts, people do not forget and the ones still around knew the only thing to do was get out of there. Violet wasted no time: throwing herself over the railing she fell her stomach jump to her throat as she fell sixty-stories, folding tactically into the impact, rolling on her feet, pushing forward into the street.

'Superiority...' Violet mused thoughtfully. Narrowly dodging a swerving car, Violet ran across the barren strips of once-green, hiding along the side of a building as the Omnidroid made its way around her very corner. She was not afraid, but adrenaline pounded a chant through her head, 'Do not look this way, do not look this way...'

As if hearing her thoughts, the Omnidroid turned it orange sensory "eye" to her, a chill slithered down her spine and she practically saw it zoom in, calculate her threat, her mortality. A figure seemed to come over from the other side, and - Violet's heart sped up - their orange hair glinted in the remaining sunlight.

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His eyes found her, and for a moment, his face went slack, fists loosening, and he stared. Violet swallowed, fists balling and a shield shimmering through her mind. Syndrome was aware of the military tanks barreling down the wide streets towards him, but he could not look away.

The Omnidroid has other plans; its primary instincts were not controlled by Syndrome so it retracted a claw and shot it at her. Violet tore away from his gaze and threw her force field up; the force of its impact knocked her off balance.

Syndrome gaped, not sure what had just taken place, but when Violet shot a deadly glare at him - obviously accusing him - he slapped back on track.

Flicking a switch on his gauntlet, Violet braced.

The Omnidroid released a rocket; Violet gasped erecting a shield quickly, her mind calmly focusing her as the blast's toll on her concentration and ears skyrocketed.

Keep your eyes on him! Do not let him out of your sight! She squinted and saw him looking away, attempting to control his god.

His god, for surely, he could not find solstice in anything on this earth.

Smoke erupted around her, fire burning the debris around her feet. She cried out feeling the painful ringing in her ears, the smoke clog her lungs, her legs wobbled, near collapsing. 'Violet! Stay strong!' She could even now hear her father, and it kept her going.

Pushing, Violet threw the destroyed claw off of her shield, right back at the Omni, tearing a hole into the circular base. Syndrome roared in rage, and Violet cheered mentally, relieved, 'At least he has not made it impervious to-'

Another claw came into her side vision, and she could not raise a shield in time. Bones cracked as her body was flung like a rag-doll into the air, bouncing off of a burning car Violet dropped into a puddle of water. She felt a fireball bloom inside the left half of her ribcage.

Her mouth opened to scream, but she couldn't make a sound, unable to move, paralyzed under the sound-barrier-breaking force she had been hit with.

Syndrome stared blankly ahead, but his eye caught the military forces building impressively at the mouth of downtown Metroville.

'I have nothing personal that must be settled now,' he reasoned. Hitting a small button, the Omnidroid's claw resettled itself down and its massive body crawled across the cars and bodies to the military force waiting in spiderlike agility, scraping it's deft claws through the exposed earth under the demolished streets.

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Growling, Violet took off after him, her bones sliding into place through internal shields coaxing the righting, the fixing, the healing.

It can't fix everything but I'll try - oh God the pain what was I thinking trying this -

Haphazardly dodging stragglers Violet tuck and rolled beside a Sheriff's overturned vehicle and picked up a discarded police-issue Glock, she noticed only one live bullet in the chamber.

It'll have to do.

There was too little time to get anything better.

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"Men! Formation!" The General called in a booming voice. Neat lines of soldiers moved in perfect unison between the monstrous tanks and rocket launchers. "Move forward!" In one form they took off, feet slamming the ground and the remaining citizens watched in horror and curiosity as they marched toward the Omnidroid.

Slowly, Syndrome turned his head to the military forces coming closer, and, punching a button, Syndrome let the Omnidroid take over, blasting into the air above. Retracting its (remaining) limbs, the Omni barreled down the streets, and they scattered.

'Like toy replica soldiers.'

The kind he never played with.

Violet watched numbly as the tankards shot powerfully, and despite the technological advances, the Omnidroid managed to throw one back and Violet sprinted out of the way. It rippled the ground, concrete smashing up and folding like ocean waves. Dust flew everywhere, plastered to her lungs. Growling, she cried inside hearing the soldiers screams, and she took off in the direction of the Omnidroid.

'Get out of here get out of here why are you still here?!'

Dodging debris and mutilated cars, she blurred past overturned ambulances and police cars, shimmering out of sight.

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"What do you like most about being a Super?" His words caught her off guard, but she ran her fingers up and down his arm thoughtfully. It was dusk after a crazy day, and neither had any plan on moving for the rest of the night.

Humming, she said, "I guess, being able to have a valid existence." She was met with silence, and she knew he was taking this quite seriously. Violet sighed, continuing, "It's - for me - something to fall back on. Until I find something new, I guess. It's nice to be needed, used." It was a very selfish admission, but he seemed to understand better than anyone.

He shifted closer, turning her around so she could face him, his face and torso shadowed by the moonlight. "Does it always have to be like that?"

Pursing her lips, she whispered, "like what?"

Now his fingers traced along her arm, rounding off at her bony shoulder, "Like... waiting for the next best thing to come along."

Violet brushed her lips on his nose, feeling him jerk in surprise. "I think I have the best, right now."

He stared into her eyes, disbelieving, his mind coming up with the possible inconsistencies shown in her behavior to prove her sweet reply invalid, and she smiled, knowing it was fact already.

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"Ready missiles!" The General roared, eyes wild as his men scrambled amidst the Omnidroid's power. He has fought in World War Two, the Korean, even the Vietnamese, but this...

This was absolutely needless.

Cursing, he climbed into his tank, signaling to release the command. Grimly looking out, the tanks moved backwards, then stopped, main guns rising, and The General recalled advice to aim for the eye and the man, he barked harshly, strong heart clenching as a claw slashed through eight soldiers:

"Aim!"

Violet tripped, sliding along the rough concrete, hands scratching to catch up to the Omnidroid. Erecting a shield around the remaining soldiers, Violet winced, limping quickly to a safe point behind an overturned car. Panting, clutching gently at her broken ribs, she peered around the carnage, seeing the military forces rally before the Omnidroid.

'They need a plan,' she thought frantically, and then she saw it.

As the Omnidroid stood tall, balancing and moving to reach soldiers, she saw the metal case slide against its inner supports.

Joints.

Moving fast she concentrated on a mesh of shields, an interlocking of invisible fibres, covering the soldiers, who cringed at the raised Omnidroid claw.

Come on come on-

They flickered gloomily, and died.

She watched in horror as the claw swung down, immediately she focused, mind darkened, locked on, and pushing her energy into the shields.

She nearly sobbed as they roared to life, bouncing the driving claw back into itself, making a gruesome hole in the filthy body.

The General watched shocked at the violet force fields covering his men, and his keen, bespectacled eyes caught the gleaming (albeit bloody and dusty) fabric of a Superhero a good three hundred feet back, eyes narrowed and focused... a hand waving at him. Pulling out his binoculars, he zoomed in, and saw a Super, a woman, mouthing and pointing at something. He followed her motions and his hands tensed, dropping his binoculars.

'Thank God one of Them came.'

"Sir? Your orders?"

The soldiers were still under the shield, under the relentless pounding of the Omnidroid. The General was torn.

Only briefly.

"Aim for the joints above its supporting claws! In concentration! Three blasts to each joint immediately on my command!" The message went out, and they all shifted their main guns lower, focused on the three standing claws. Commander guns rose, aiming for the eye.

'That woman better be right.'

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"Sir!?"

The General eyed the soldiers, moving about the shield, and - it dissipated. The Omnidroid teetered closer, gleaming with deadly purpose despite the overblown holes littering its frame. They scattered, falling back behind the tanks as quick as they could. The Omnidroid followed after, moving, he noticed, right into their range.

A shield erected around every part of the army except the blasting guns. Now.

"Fire!"

One by one the main guns went off, and the Omnidroid toppled slightly at the assault on its 'tendons'. A back claw broke off, along with a shoulder joint, and the Omnidroid teetered under the relentless firepower. Violet watched Syndrome blast off of the Omni and onto higher ground, obviously losing faith in his creation.

Gods are made in man's image after all.

He landed on a still-standing building, slouching, as his creation fell apart.

Apparently, the military has gotten better. Pity.

Violet saw the foot soldiers come out, sharp shooting for the orange sensory eye. The legs dropped off, mangled by bullets and rockets, and cheers rose up inside of the tanks, and The General chuckled, 'So far so goo-'

PING.

Violet watched a large bolt shoot off of the Omnidroid, and it had sounded just like a grenade pin.

Tearing forward, Violet groaned, her limp leg slowing her down and she frantically waved her arms at the tankards, flickering a shield on and off in alarm. The General seized up, and whipped around to his personnel.

"Pull back pull back!"

Six hundred feet up, Syndrome laughed, and stepped back from the ledge.

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The news casters had been right about one thing, the Omnidroid was much more powerful, Violet and The General knew that much, watching as the hard black casing broke, and expanded considerably. Underneath its inner workings glowed a bright orange, molten and beautiful, quickly growing in blinding intensity.

Diving past the alignment of tanks, Violet grit her teeth and threw her arms up, emitting a massive wall shield that slammed back against them as the Omnidroid exploded. Pillars of fire soared a mile into the sky, burning out any sunlight with smoke, curving downward and- Violet felt her heart plummet - began to drop back right over the shield-wall.

Extending a hand skywards, Violet erected a cone-shaped shield over them, looking woefully up at the blue sky one more time, bracing for impact. 'Please hold-'

The General shielded his eyes from the blinding heat, but before his hand reached his face, the outline of the Super, arm outstretched, silhouette black against this volcanic waterfall, would haunt him forever.

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It was a horrifyingly beautiful vision to behold, from up above in the safety of a skyscraper. He could only imagine what it was like within the powerful vortex.

That is a thought not uncommon in his mind, but he did not notice this.

So he'll wait.

Like he always use to do.

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'I made dinner.'

'I have to go Buddy.'

'...No one else can take this job?'

'Buddy.. we've been over this.'

'Fine. Go.'

'Please don't be like that.'

'I'll wait for you to return. It's okay.'

'No it's not, quit lying.'

'Quit leaving.'

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Fire exploded right down the shield, sliding like rain over the ledges, searing the ground, eating at everything in its path. The tanks frantically manipulated their way closed under the umbrella-like shield, but another explosion rocked the ground, waves of air sent the tankards flying, crashing onto deadened patches of trees and other cars. Turning, Violet pushed her free hand up against the wall-shield, feeling the heat of the bomb straining to get to the people on the other side. She glanced to a side and saw melting buildings sliding around the corner, rushing towards the tankards and few foot soldiers not blown away.

Violet's fingers twitched, and the shield dipped into a circus tent shape, the explosions rippling the barrier walls, curving her body almost as if she was the shield.

Her eyes burned at the white-hot heat waves, body shaking with the tremendous force her mind was demanding. She would have thought of something light-hearted, but her entire mind was focused on these two shields. Swinging her arm around, Violet erected a full circle shield, cutting off the molten lava Metroville had become from the wounded, huddled soldiers. She gave them credit, they had lasted this long. Hell, she was surprised she had lasted this long, this was her largest shield yet and it's withstanding explosions and lava...

The General shoved out of the tankard, sucking in the heated air, robbed of its oxygen, coughing as he dropped down, shaking off the help of a young soldier. Hooking a machine gun over his shoulder he trotted across the fifty-foot radius to the curled in woman, as if she held the entire world on her shoulders.

He looked up and it was as spectacular as was horrifying - the fire and explosions have yet to let up, and it spiraled magnificently over the shimmering violet shield. She had brought another arm up, but her swaying did not convince him it was helping.

Throwing his gun down he came behind her and straightened her arms out gently, supporting them. She did not respond, but her entire body straightened. Shifting her feet on the dusty ground, Violet clenched her eyes shut, certain she had broken every blood vessel in her face, and pushed the shield, splitting the top open, curving outwards, catching the lava and containing it.

The General sucked in the crisp, ashy air and took in the darkened sky, the charred remains of Metroville's buildings, but he held her skinny body straight and close.

Eventually the smoke lightened, lava hardened to the shape of the shield, and when Violet dropped them, they crashed against the ground, shattering like broken glass at their feet.

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Violet swayed, and he was there to catch her.

She did not register the difference in grip, or hand size, but she smiled and let delirium convince her otherwise.

'You need to be more careful, Violet...

I don't want you hurt.'

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She spat out the vile taste in her mouth.

Holding her limp body, The General turned to his men, "Get into the tanks!"

They obeyed without comment.

Violet saw orange dots dance across her vision as her eyes cracked open, and the strong hands holding her up felt comforting, like a friend's now instead. Groaning, she straightened, testing her feet, and the man backed off, watching the young Super; really, she could not be any older than his son...

"Get out of here, this is no longer your fight," she grunted, arms shaking, legs wobbling from little food and energy.

The General regarded her for a moment; glancing up at (what was left of) the tall building that man had shot up to, wincing from the sunlight shining right off the pinnacle. Yet he knew it was closer to sunset then it seemed, already the temperature's dropping...

"You take care, you hear?" The General already had his men moving towards the outskirts, the highways in case they need to intervene again.

Somehow, he knew they might have to.

Violet nodded, adjusting her shredded mask, a flash of panic came over her but The General touched his leathery fingers to the remaining corner, and she relaxed.

"I have no clue who you are, but at the same time, I feel I do. I know whoever is doing this must mean something to you, given you are the only Super here." Violet appeared surprised, and The General chuckled, then stopped at how dreadful it felt to laugh amidst the bodies.

He glanced around, the place was deathly silent, and they were running out of time, the smoke would not cover them for long.

"I'm no Super, but I know one thing: you're a person before you're a fighter, never forget that...'

His gaze turned thoughtful.

And yet sometimes... you have to cast that aside in order to overcome to do what you know you have to."

Her face was blank as a slate, a familiar expression to him, but her eyes sparked with conflict.

'They need me Buddy! You know this!'

'But I need you too.'

The General suddenly realized something, but promptly closed his mouth.

It was not his place.

Curtly nodding, he took off towards the tank waiting, wafting the smoke from his face and aged lungs.

He had a unit - a family to protect.

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'I want a family one day.'

'I.. I.. don't think I would be a good father.'

'That makes you the best kind.'

'I don't understand. It doesn't seem logical.'

'Because you'll spend forever proving yourself wrong.'

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Violet's ear picked up a voice echoing across the wasteland.

"How could you have come to hate me so? Is this what you wanted?" His voice carried the air of mocking resentment, resonating across the barren streets of downtown Metroville.

Violet shimmered out of sight, running to the center of the streets, looking across the skyline for him.

His eyes lost track of her, and their little tiff had destroyed his infrared.

'Does this appease your guilt? Turning me against you?' Syndrome grew enraged at his own emotional thoughts, angry that he was still affected.

Angry that some sad weak part of him still hoped and cared-

Violet closed her eyes. She had no idea where he was, but she raised her voice as well. "Buddy-"

"My name is not Buddy!" He roared shooting energy beam at her, she saw it come from the tallest standing building and lunged out of the way, snatching up a gun and firing, it missed, but it had been a nice try. Growling she threw it to the side.

"Your father should have told you that a long time ago!"

"I am not your foe! I am not here for my father." Violet snapped back into the air, but it was no use, swinging a shield at one of his prone rocket boots, sprinting for cover as the shield cut right through the tender blasting a sectional rocket off.

'Liar!' Syndrome snarled with anger, swaying at the lost of balance. His roar made her wince, but she was not finished talking.

"And you sure were o'kay with being 'Buddy' all those years ago!" Violet shouted, straightening slowly, her hair lashing at her face painfully, out the corner of her eye she took in the devastation that was once Metroville.

Violet had been of the many Supers called out to fight him, and she was the last one still chasing him down, the others falling to him or letting her take over. Surprisingly, however, none have been killed yet.

Killed yet by this rampage, driven by a purely logical man possessing only emotional motives.

They all blame her.

She was to keep him in check. Isn't that what superheroes do?

And when he had found out...

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'Mister Pine, it appears a formal investigation has been called against you.'

'What?! For what?'

'Classified.'

'Oh god.. Can you at least tell me who filed it?'

'Buddy dear who's at the door -'

'Look behind you Mister Pine.'

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Syndrome seemed to be thinking about the same thing. His lip curled viciously and he hit a switch on a stark white gauntlet. Violet felt the earth under her ripple, and jumped into the air as the ground exploded, concrete splintering wood and metal around her.

Violet curled into a shield, expanding it outwards to compact the next explosion.

Syndrome swore, kicking off the tankard and landing in front of her. She jumped backwards, throwing a shield to him; he froze it, but Violet dropped it instantly, erecting one around herself.

Growling, Syndrome swung his hand behind him, levitating the tankard and quickly slamming it onto her shield. Gasping through clenched teeth, Violet's body folded under the assumed pressure her mind sensed.

"Being your enemy is something you sure made me good at Violet."

Syndrome blasted another beam at her, she dodged just in time, erecting a battling shield, knocking into his stomach, flinging him against the remains of the Omnidroid's body.

Violet's mind clouded with pain and the clash of steel and fire around her deafened.

"You were important to me, but look at all the innocent people suffering from your stubbornness and pride!" Violet threw up another shield with the sweeping motion of her kick, knocking him into the air twenty feet back into a building.

Syndrome slammed against the stone, dust rising with the impact, his eyes squeezed shut at the blinding pain in his lower back.

'I would never hurt you Buddy.'

Clumsily righting himself, his glare shot through her, and Violet felt a part of herself slip away.

How easily his affection for her fell to his anger!

But she could only blame herself.

Brushing her hands against the hard metal of the mangled tank, Violet's fingers caught on the handles of a gun. 'Thank God.'

"Call this off Buddy! Let this end!" Violet gripped the machine gun tightly, leveling it and aiming. He came into the cross hairs and she looked away as the gun went off firing firing firing -

Syndrome pushed off the crater made by his body and blast his rocket boots, soaring into the sky above her. The bullets exploded along only mere stone and mortar, drilling holes into the Courthouse.

Violet swore and went into stealth mode, her body lost in the light.

He turned mid-air, scanning the ruined streets for her, swearing loudly.

She was gone.

'I'll only be gone for a few hours dear.'

'But you said that last time.'

'This time will be different...'

'..I promise.'

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Her secondary power, something they once used for other light and pleasurable moment, now Syndrome only viewed it as an obstacle he'd have to overcome. Syndrome scanned the surface, concluding the tumultuous thoughts in his mind with a simple one:

He'll merely destroy everything.

He blast out of sight unexpectedly, leaving Violet hiding the few remaining civilians under an overturned tank.

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In a moment of poor judgment, she did not follow him. Her emotions kept her captivated by the citizens clinging to the meager protection she offered.

Shushing the young, pregnant couple and the elderly man with his granddaughter, eyes wide with fear and Violet could not help but wonder if they would be so trusting if they knew she used to live with that monster.

'Monster, that's what he is, and that's what you'll become Violet!'

Panting, Violet let her instinctual invisibility cover them all, she was thinking clearer after a moment to rest. Touching her broken collarbone, Violet winced and reluctantly let the pregnant couple take a look at it; the woman was a nurse and her husband in medical school.

The golden light outside had darkened, she noticed. In fact, the evening sky had become ominously gray. The remaining trees were silent; the streets still.

What... was coming?

Purpose flooded through her, she grit her teeth as she unfurled from her crouching position under the structure.

She would not die under this godforsaken tank, against the hands of this villain, one she's defeated before.

'He does not underestimate me, he knows this is futile,' she tells herself.

Does he?

Violet watched the first drop of rain splash against the broken ground with a dreading eye.

The calm.. before the storm..

'No...'

It came down hard, and it came down fast. Violet pushed them all further under the tank to avoid the rain; it would give them away, even invisible.

Swearing heavily, Violet apologized to the frightened little girl and made to leave. Turning back, she yelled over the roar of thunder, "Stay here! Do not leave!" They nodded, the medical student embracing his wife tightly, the little girl whimpered, trying to keep pressure on her grandfather's bleeding leg.

The couple instantly began to tear their clothes into strips to help the elderly man.

Violet swallowed thickly, the image embedded in her mind; she'll fight for no one but them.

She moved forward. It was time to end this.

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'I saw on the news about this serial killer who's stalking female superheroes..'

'Good thing I can turn invisible.'

'Quit smiling. Please be safe.'

'Why do you care so much, Buddy.'

'Same reason I wait for you every night.'

'...?'

'I love you. Now let me go find an excuse to leave this awkward conversation.'

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The invisibility will not wear off them for another hour, hopefully Budd --

Syndrome --

--will have been... taken care of by then.

Violet easily slid out, not before turning invisible, the sky was ink black and shining water shot at her like bullets, a water-made silhouette moving under the downpour.

Wiping uselessly at the slippery mask, Violet squinted, scanning the sky for him. Her skin stood on end, reacting to every disturbance to no avail.

Where could he have gone...

"Looking for me?" A deadly whisper came.

'I love you too, but I'll never say it when you're around.'

Violet had no time to react. A fist cracked against the back of her skull, toppling her off balance and she winced as he vice gripped her foot, a hand at her thigh, using speed and force to throw her over him.

She slammed against the concrete, choking on her pain and the rain drowning her. She could not breathe, coughing at the inhaled water, her ribs screamed for relief she could not give.

Violet twisted out of his grip, standing and erecting a shield as she collided with his stomach, blasting him ten feet away. He stumbled on the soaked road, his boots not made for this terrain and she ran, swinging a power loaded foot at his jaw.

The crack was lost in the clash of thunder, and Violet saw the blood flash dangerously from his lips in the lightening. His eyes narrowed and he shot a hand out, reaching for her neck; she dodged but his other hand came around, driving into her stomach.

Violet's body arced perfectly into the blow, hunching over she felt the air shoot from her lungs and her body exploded in brief, bright agony, forcing the world to spin a little around her, sending her skin numb, and dropping her to her knees. Mind too clouded to erect a shield before he cracked her collarbone again, sending her bending over herself backwards, rain sliding down her throat like a last drink.

Howling, Violet rolled up on her feet, invisibility wafting over her, pain blinding as she erected shield after shield, closing in on him. Syndrome looked panicked for a second, but Violet missed it through the haze of agony; her collar was burning, her left arm could not move and her spine ached.

His fist obviously had something sharp on it, she could feel warm blood lose itself on her skin among the rain tracing down her body.

He was close enough, his larger body looming over her, that she could see the scars on his skin flash silver in the lightning, and the water slide down his face broad face.

The only thing that gave his emotional state away was his wiping at his eyes furiously, his face growing more furious each time.

Violet stepped back, dodging the right hook he came at her with. Such uncouth violence.

Neither seemed to be fighting as villain and hero anymore anyways.

Bringing a hand under his outstretched hand, Violet swung under him, pressing up and swinging the man over her shoulder she remembered from self-defense.

"Dear dear Violet, why do you keep fighting? I'm not gonna give up," he rasped out, panting as he forced another fist at her.

She erected a shield that he narrowly turned his fist away from, dropping it instantly she drove under his arm and pounded her fists into his stomach, pushing a shield through her knuckles and blasting him away.

He slammed against a mangled car, ricocheting onto the muddy ground, water sucking up his nose making him choke. The earth spun around him when the shield had cracked into his skull, turning his vision white.

Syndrome clutched at his breast, wheezing, deep scratches down his back from the metal of the car warming his back with fresh blood.

Violet trotted up to him, a mockery of the concerned action, another shield readying, the lightning blinding and the thunder booming distracted her when he recovered from his agony and shot out, gripping her neck tightly.

Violet's rapid breaths were sharply cut off, gasping, feeling the slick glove aggravate her skin, weight slipping to her feet as he lifted her up.

'You said you'd always tell me how you feel.'

His chest rose and fell, his grip on her neck tightening, cutting off her air. It was vain to try and reach him, his arms were so much longer and holding Violet at eye level proved her feet were a good eight inches off the ground. Syndrome face was contorted in pain and rage, eyes navy with fury, water ran like rivers down his face, tracing down the scar cutting from his mouth to ear, trapped on his thinned lips, curled with barely concealed hatred.

'Maybe I have nothing to tell, Buddy.'

Hands tearing at his hard unforgiving one, Violet's fingers were going numb from the cold and lack of oxygen. His other hand was clenched in a fist, as if he was not sure what to do with it.

'What are we Violet?'

Violet could see through the fog covering the world lines of crimson red driving down his shoulders, his arms were soaked in it and his black outfit had almost been completely torn apart, revealing scars she used to trace every night as well as new additions.

'What do you mean Buddy?'

Swallowing, Violet gagged at how she could not; her body was shaking, and she was losing energy to keep herself from passing out.

'Do you love me?'

Syndrome seemed to sense this, relaxing his grip just barely.

'Do we have to discuss this now?'

"Woman - do not you understand? Can't you just stay out of things that do not include you?" His voice was uncontrollable, wild over the rain; he was reacting to her furious eyes, her unyielding fight against his arm and everything about him.

'...Does that mean you don't?'

Her rejection defied his emotional control.

She was beyond his logic.

"You went after my father -" 'I was such a fool, we both played each other.' Violet's eyes narrowed as his face screwed up in rage.

"EXACTLY! NOT YOU! NOT YOU!" Violet cringed at the roar, of all the years she had been with him, never had he raised his voice. Judging by the lack of expression on his face, he remembered that, not that it could make any difference now.

'Your illogical response is not flattering Violet.'

'And yet everything you do is fueled by emotion Buddy.'

'How are you so certain?'

She had not been.

But this emotional loose cannon, was not the man she expected to still exist inside him.

He seemed trapped in each water droplet sliding down her invisible face, outlining lines he traced every night, each moment where it would outline the eyes that he searched for; his thumb massaged the delicate skin under her ear.

"I'm that unimportant to you?" she hissed through chattering teeth, why she blurted that out she had no clue; she felt the rain on her body begin to speed up, become like hail against her strained body.

Fitting, as the lightening still struck around them, fiercer; it sprung up a desire to fight inside of her.

Syndrome did not answer. He could not find the words.

What was there to -

BANG!

They both started, machine guns exploded around them, Syndrome threw her onto the ground as bullets were shot in his direction, he spared her face an unreadable glance, her panting, sucking in the damp air like it was life on the soaked ground. Violet sent a mental thank-you to The General.

Violet watched the small rivers run over her hands, making its way to the street gutters and suddenly the clear water gave her an idea.

'If I use the military as a distraction...'

- She might be able to stop him.

Rain chilling them both, Violet quietly created a force field over him, using what little energy she had left, readying to slam it onto him, into the ground.

He was distracted by her others, fending them off with his zero-point energy, but it's hard to capture something created by the mind. She dropped one and made another after another.

Another shimmered out of existence when he froze it, blocking numerous bullets inadvertently.

Syndrome growled, he cannot keep up with both bullets and shields. Dodging one headed right for him easily, he did not notice her until too late.

.

.

Violet swallowed her sob and swung her hands down. She opened her eyes and watched the shield explode around him just as his eyes grew aware with painful shock, enveloping the entire area with violet light.

.

.

Too bright it was too bright to see--

Violet did not notice her shield expanding massively, coming towards her.

.

.

A blue beam shot out and curled around her foot, she gasped, and it swung her into the air, suddenly dying, lost amidst the force field. The force field had blasted across where she had previously stood, and she free fell back to earth with the rain, exhaustion shutting down her mind for a peaceful, lucid moment.

'...me losing you was not a part of this plan...'

She landed heavily on her back, an instinctual shield softening it only minutely, her siren's song was only the grinding of her own bones as she tried to breathe, but the wind was picking up again, sucking the oxygen from her lungs.

'Inhaling ashes and fumes in icy thin air does not do any good for one's body, Violet.'

She hoped she died here. This death would be acceptable.

Closing her eyes to the blinding light, Violet kept her head down until it had died, and she did not want to open them, but duty called for her to. Life kept her heart beating and the body picking itself back up.

Rising ungainly to her feet, Violet hobbled over, spots in her vision from the light, clutching her stomach at the open wound, peering over the edge of the crater wrought by her mind with a sick curiosity.

Amidst the raspy cheers of the quite numerous survivors, or those that had stayed behind, Violet felt alone.

The nurse, muddy and bruised embraced Violet, sobbing with gratitude and joy, subtly pulling her away from the crater.

Violet irrationally hated the woman for a second at how she could cry for her life, and Violet could not even scrounge up a wince for his death.

'We do not have the liberties of Normals, Violet.

In the end, we are not Superiors, we are slaves.'

.

.

'It feels like you're already leaving.'

'Have not you been happy at all with me?'

'I think I'm finally... scared now.'

'Did you even hesitate a second before you betrayed me!?'

'What was I supposed to do?'

'So when you told me you loved me---?'

'I'm sorry... I think... that I lied to you.'

'I'll never forgive you.'

.

.

Violet closed her eyes, falling to her knees onto the cracked cement, head tilted back in absolution, she dimly felt the young doctor and the grandfather's hands on her back, she swayed out of their grip and prayed for death, but her vision only went white.

.

.

'You sleep too much, Violet.'

'I thought you said I do not sleep enough.'

'Well, true..'

'I do not sleep, I dream.'

'About what? If you do not mind.'

'You.'

.

.

'Of the life we could have, of the people we could be.'

She wakes up to an empty room.

Exhaustion and medication kept the dull horror of reality and pain from hitting her just yet. When she did, a heavy hand clasped hers tightly, painfully, and through the blurry haze she saw a swirl of white-blond and cocky blue eyes staring back.

The slight man cooed mockingly, and Violet groaned, but stopped when it hurt to make any noise. 'Any movement, really,' She thought bitterly.

"Aww, one little fight in the rain and you're down? Tsk, tsk, sister, you need to get some meat on ya' for those muscles to come in." Violet closed her eyes, carefully bringing a bandaged hand to her forehead, then ran it down to the back of her neck, she felt a twinge of protest in her ribs, knowing it would explode later on, but her neck tensed with pain and exhaustion. Swallowing, she felt discomfort on her throat mixed with the grit and dirt still stuck in her mouth, and was certain there were purple bruises where Syndrome's hand nearly choked the life from her.

Would he have, though? He seemed so confu-

"Water." She croaked out. Dash did not waste time, instantly a cup of ice water touched her lips and she swallowed greedily, the sandpaper texture dissipating, pooling in her stomach like soothing ice.

"What the hell happened? I left for a week and Metroville is, like, gone," Dash leaned back in his chair, shaking his head in awe and disappointment.

"I miss all the good fights."

She gave him a sidelong glance, experimenting with herself, pangs here and there, almost as if not an inch of skin was spared. Christ, she winced as soon as she thought, not even her mind is safe.

"You know, you left Metroville in a heap of debt and destruction, not to mention all those other cities. Christ, like you went all out, has all this energy been in you this whole time? Holdin' back I see." Dash babbled on, trying to walk around the elephant in the room.

Violet balled her hands into little fist; scrapes marred her knuckles from punching Syndrome so many times. The healing skin stretched as her hands clenched, and she did not pay attention as the freshly open wounds trickled with blood.

Her body was tensed with an unfinished fight, a battle cut short, she feels too big in her skin, too stiff when she should be running.

Dash stared at his sister a long time, watching her face contort with different expressions, and inevitably let her eyes ask him the one question he'd come to answer in the first place. He looked everywhere but her eyes, watching the little rivers from her knuckles seep down her fingers.

"Vi, he's gone."

Just like that, so easily, Violet no longer felt the will to fight.

'We are just slaves.'

.

.

"Violet what is going on? Why are not you returning any of my calls?" He came closer, body rigid with annoyance and worry, but only she knew that it was going to get worse.

Whipping around to face him, her fierce words died in her throat. She was going to tell him everything; how the NSA was pushing her to spy on him, how they wanted to incriminate him, how she has been going along with it this whole time. How much she knows that last one is a lie.

Smiling tiredly, she rubbed her eyes, looking into his tiredly, and she saw some of the anger fade away. He brought his hands to her waist, thumbs massaging the bones.

"I've just been swamped, I guess - I'm so tired, I haven't been thinking clearly." 'Thought about what the hell I'm doing, about how little I might want to care for you goes against how much I actually do.'

Buddy silently hawed in sympathy, bringing a hand to her cheek, thumbing under her eyelid. "Or logically. It is unhealthy to go so long without sleep. Perhaps you need to begin focusing your energies on.. replenishing them." He gave the barest grin.

Leaning into his embrace, his heartbeat thumping against her temple, she wished this moment could last a little longer. Just long enough to convince herself her lies were the right thing.

Because her heart was convincing her 'he' was the right thing.

.

.

Time was fickle for Violet, she had no clue how long she was in the hospital, sleeping and choking down pills and nutrients she just threw back up.

On the bright side no paper work was ever sent to her, hopefully NSA was footing that bill.

Many Supers - some she did not even know - came to see her, to thank her for saving their Super families, the future targets; she managed to get through the first couple of days intact, never breaking, convinced she was on the road of recovery.

.

.

Her father came to visit, not the first day, but many days later.

He filled the tiny space easily, holding a bouquet of her favorite flowers.

Violet used all of her energy to stand, throw the flowers out of the room and punch at his hard chest while he stood ramrod straight.

She hit him until she cried. Angry, mournful, hot tears searing her white skin and hurting her eyes, her skin, her heart, and he held her gently, and cried as well.

And it was a lot like healing.

.

.

Her face never left the papers for weeks on end, reporters flocked to the 'National Super of the Year', and Violet could not feel more like a loser.

She was handed every key to the cities Syndrome attacked, and she passed them to their rightful owners. 'Others have fought in the past, others have died, can't you honor them?' But no one 'likes them a dead hero' as her father puts it.

The couple came to see her, apparently the woman gave birth two months early, to a boy named Louis, and they all are doing surprisingly well.

The grandfather, although his leg is still healing, is still alive, his granddaughter sent their thank-yous, and Violet nearly cried at the happy, calm look in the little girl's eyes.

The horror is behind her, and she is alive, Violet believes her only reasoning to be.

It seems everyone had forgiven and forgotten, moved on with their lives, but her.

Violet tried to ignore it all, the trotting around with her wounds, her arm in a sling, her bony body outlined by a glossy new suit as if bearing them like battle scars only rubbed salt further into her wounds.

The only important scars were the ones where she had tried and scrape him from her mind, the scars he had left her through precious memories. But those were not visible.

.

.

She was grateful that she was not in a relationship right now, too many questions she cannot answer.

'Where did you get this scar?'

'A guerilla war in Asia.. why do you keep kissing them?'

'How about this one? It looks like it was painful.'

'Nomanisan Island.'

.

.

Especially the media's ever present, 'Is it true you were romantically linked to that villain you defeated in January?'

Violet would turn quickly and say the same words over and over, "His name is Syndrome."

.

.

Eventually she retreats inside her home. She does not want to be outside anymore, faking it, and enduring it.

She does not know why she still refers to him in the present, he's gone, but that does not change anything.

His body was never found, even though Violet knows her blast annihilated solid concrete, it probably took care of him quite well.

How odd, that her heart twinges just the slightest when she thinks of him.

.

.

Her family was extra careful around her, always trying to soothe, help heal. She was eternally grateful to them, perhaps because they let him fall by her hand.

Yet they cannot understand she needs time.

Her father does, watching her with an understanding eye when he comes to visit, when he takes her outside to watch the rain.

They have always been very alike, and Violet knows he carries as much guilt over Syndrome as she now does.

'He wanted to marry you, Violet.'

'And he wanted to be like you, Father.'

But only the rain gave response.

.

.

Laying on her bed one night, too restless from her wounds and mind to fall asleep, listening to the rain splash down in Manhattan, Violet thought about it all.

She was more than comfortable taking care of this whole ordeal when confronted by the NSA, which, in retrospect, had nothing to do with them, given how the city had no clue who Syndrome exactly is.

The question that remains is... why?

Why do any of it?

Violet found the answer instantly.

'Perhaps... Perhaps because it would hurt him.'

It was a frightening thought to come to even after, a realization that perhaps she was playing villain of her own free will.

The lust for revenge.

Was she becoming something for him to hate already, like her father? Or was she trying not to be by chasing him away the only way she knew how? Had she been doing this those times she left early? When she left him hanging, perhaps wondering if she would ever come back...

Violet rubbed her temple, certain the only reason she had betrayed him... was to betray him.

It was not a crushing blow to her morality or conscience, but Violet felt no better.

So hard was it to think of him in terms of someone she had once willingly loved that she could two-face so easily.

Almost flawlessly.

She had met him, fought him, been pursued by him, loved him, only because NSA had told her to keep tabs on him?

Unlikely, but if she alleviated herself of her own guilt, she would understand that after she had officially grown attached to him was when the idea she was keeping the villain in line came up.

It was a very negative realization, still.

Time and circumstance muddled around in her sleep-deprived mind, as if both played for and against each other. Her willful humanity against her darkened Super self, perhaps... he had been right -

.

.

"Why are you sitting in the dark?"

A voice drifted in from the door, and for a moment she thought she had only imagined it, that a ghost had only spoken.

But there he was, leaning against the door frame, hidden where the moonbeams failed to reach. A shadow within the walls he seemed, dark and fair all the same.

It is so much easier to admit intimate things in the dark.

"Dichotomies," Violet said simply, ignoring the blood pounding through her veins, rushing to provide her mind with much needed energy.

He merely nodded, understanding.

Perhaps he did.

Violet slid out of bed, but did not come closer.

Her wounds still pulled, aching as time only makes them; judging by his awkward gait and stiff, slow movements he too was in pain, yet it was not a physical pain keeping the thick air between them.

It was all so surreal, so other-worldly that her mind just could not put together simple questions like, 'how did he survive?'

She did not try because she knew him, he always found a way, and was merely numb to how he managed to pull through.

"I betrayed you," she whispered, and the rest was out before she could stop it, "because I wanted to."

He did not look at her for the longest time, eyes moving across the floor, the corners. Her room has changed a lot, the bed frame was exactly how he remembered, but everything else was different, and he noticed had a myriad of masculine scents in it, his lips thinned.

.

.

His dark hair winding through her fingers, her lips sliding over his creating a guilty pleasure... pushing him down on the bed... legs rubbing together, slick skin on a plush comforter.

He looked nothing like the man behind her eyelids.

The man standing in the doorway.

.

.

Violet watched the once bright light in his eyes die out, the hard muscles in his arms and veined hands tense, then relax.

"I know." It's all he could say.

Nothing, however was said after that, and Violet took in his form, tall and broad, almost too big even for her large room, however it seemed dwarfed by the corner he placed himself in.

He made to step closer, out of the shrinking shadow - Violet's heart sped up - but instead he stopped, flexing his fingers in an awkward gesture, and moved away, back into the hall.

'Get out of my life! Get out get OUT!'

"Buddy!"

He halted and she hurried into the hall, blinking against the sudden darkness. He looked impatient, hands tucked in jean pockets, a highly uncharacteristic turtleneck hiding the scars inflicted by her and life.

He was without his mask and wrist controls, obviously feeling completely out of place in a home they once shared, but he never looked more handsome to her, with the long scar from the corner of his lips curving to his temple, and the fine lines around his eyes.

"You want to... stay?" she asked softly. For a moment, he absolutely stared at her, searching her face intently, as if suspecting some kind of ruse.

'Probably thinks I've already called the NSA.' Violet has no qualms in dealing with him; this is none of the world's business, whatever happens now.

"What is your purpose for all this?" He asked, controlled and sharp, sending shivers down to the base of her spine. He walked closer, backing her into the spacious bedroom again, keeping his distance still, but unable to look away.

Every time he's getting over her, she just reels him right back in.

Does she even feel guilt for that moment in the rain?

His eyes narrow.

Violet stared into his blank eyes, shocked at how deeply set they were on his face, violet clashed against pale blue.

It's been a while since all their masks have been off, and she was not just aware of the literal ones.

"All I wanted was for you to be happy," he paused, "and honest, with me." His voice dropped a level in the dusk of her bedroom, and she could not help but feel too tiny, too intimate three feet from a bed they once shared, under his dark stare.

It is painful; years wasted because they just could not trust each other.

Maybe... maybe now it's different.

"I couldn't give you that at the time, Buddy," she retorted weakly, a blatant admittance to her guilt, but his fingers reach out and stroked her arm softly anyways, eyes lighting up at how different it was to touch her skin again.

.

.

Pleasant, but different.

.

.

"Why... are you here?"

He pulled his hand away.

"I guess I came because I want to... start over, god, I do not know," his voice was low and his hand waved absently in the air, before dropping helplessly at his sides.

He didn't know why he had even bothered.

Violet looked away, her body seizing up in surprise. They've seen each other for ten seconds and already he's thinking about that?

How soon is too soon for a reunion though, one could ask.

"What?"

A glance upwards told her he was rubbing his chin nervously. "I don't want you to think I'm pushing, but this is important to me." Shaking his head slowly, he murmured, "guess I just wanted to see... if..." He trailed off, but her mind jumped to a possible ending.

She couldn't quite get a handle on the idea. "Don't you think this is a little, well, odd?" She wasn't even sure they could still even be in the same room together, yet here they are.

"I suppose it is." His sigh sounded defensive. "I just... I wanted to do something right, for once."

Violet swallowed, sure she was standing before a door that she could close or open. "We just could not do it then," she plowed on even as his face fell, "but, I think we can try." She murmured, and his eyes widened in shock, probably surprised at just how she accepted him back.

Only it was he that needed to take her back.

Violet's had time to think, about herself and the world, and she does not feel bad about her decisions.

'I'm no longer lying to him... or myself.' And she was not.

Violet hummed nervously, and moved from his touch to embrace him, but he bent down to kiss her, softly, no room for passion just yet.

However Violet had different ideas, she always moves too fast anyways.

She needed this, whatever it was, she needed to be with him again.

Her fingers gripped his narrow hips, thumbs hooking into the waistband of his jeans. His body stiffened, apprehensive, and Violet smiled softly to herself. Still the same are you? When she kissed deeper, he relaxed minutely, huffing quietly, moving closer, still hesitant lips nipping at hers.

.

.

'We're moving too fast Violet.'

'No we're not, do you trust me darling?'

'... ..I just, want this to be special, I suppose..'

'It-'

"is," she whispered aloud.

And he held her close.

.

.

Sliding her fingers under the softness of his turtleneck, her fingers splayed across the smooth muscle, nails raking lightly. Buddy slid his hands down her sides, pulling her pajama shorts down. A tug on the shirt. Violet pulled him to her bed, letting them fall amidst the blankets scattered around.

Their wounds were a bit hard to work around, but after some fumbling, they fell right back into their comfort zone.

They discovered features and changes that they would have loved with as the years went by; the sharp, fine bones of her hips and ankles, the (newer) scars tracing along his body, letting her fingers run over them all like a map to the rest of him, sensitive spots have formed under the delicate of her ears, sweet enough to make her gasp, and a teasing brush of her lips on his collar brought a different reaction than before.

It was more like discovery than anything else.

Placing a hand on her inner thigh, Buddy shifted closer, pulse racing. Their skin slick with sweat, Violet dug her thumbs into the indents above his hips.

This wasn't just discovery, Violet realized, this was forgiveness.

So she forgave with each touch of her fingertips.

He reached for her and pulled her close, her legs wrapping over his, a breathy sigh mingled in the air as they united, pausing, gasping at the feel of their lover's body. Violet's eyes fluttered, taking in the familiar yet amazing sensations. Shifting so that his weak leg would not give out, Buddy moved slow, trying to make this last as long as possible. 'In case I never get the chance...'

As they moved together, heady and desperate, Violet gave a soft, breathy laugh; to think, after all these years, after all the changing that had taken place, he still had not changed the way he pleases her.

"What's so funny?" Buddy grunted, his hand tensing as he stroked her between delicate thighs, thumb brushing against her carefully; he could not see into her eyes due to their height difference, but he felt her lips brush against his collarbone like a whisper.

Curling his fingers on that sensitive spot made her moan quietly before she managed to respond, "I - am just happy that some things never - change," Violet panted, hot breaths tickling his chest, and Buddy could not help but grin.

.

.

'I.. I am not good at this.'

'Yes you are, don't worry dear.'

'I wanna.. be your best.'

'Then give me your best.'

.

.

He had no clue what she meant, but it made him move languidly, drawing out her building release to tortuously in limbo. Their pleas and gasps mingled and neither could make out the world from the pulling and stroking of one another's bodies.

Arching to fit his large body, tightening her legs around his driving narrow hips, Violet's nails dug painfully into the hard muscles of his arms, but he barely felt it all as she cried out his name, swept away, taking him along with her.

.

.

In the middle of the night, as dawn was just beginning to crack, he awoke, and watched her, but he did not understand why he did so. Perhaps he believed it all a dream. Perhaps a nightmare, either one, he did not understand. He also did not understand that one moment, in the rain and amidst the gunfire. His mind struggled piece the logic together. There had to be a reason.

'Why do you do the things you do Violet?'

'Because they're illogical.'

His eyes closed again as her warm body relaxed further into sleep against him.

Another time.

.

.

Violet answered the ringing doorbell, and opened it to see a neatly uniformed older man, eyes sharper than ice but oddly warm.

She recognized him instantly. 'Well lookit that...'

"Hullo," she whispered, not all that shocked he found her. Even if she lived across the country..

The General nodded, and his eyes seemed to gesture for entrance. Without a thought, Violet moved away, watching him with a critical eye, blowing out a breath as she shut the door.

Of all the people, really.

.

.

The General seemed to know the mapping of her house, as he found the kitchen instantly, standing in attention as she pattered up to him. Silently she took out a couple packets of green tea, pouring two neat cups, offering several herbs, which he refused with a wave. She set them aside after adding some jasmine.

Instead they basked in the peaceful joy of preparing their tea, sighing almost in unison at the first sip. They sat opposite one another at her small, cluttered table, but neither minded. Neither could keep their little sanctuaries neat, despite the complaints of their acquaintances, so it was nice to be with like-minded people. They share death together, chaos and cruel uncertainty, not just a liking of tea and knick-knacks.

It was why they sought each other out. A bit of comfort from their cruel lives.

They did the job quite well.

The General took in the warm colors and old feel of this place with comfort and Violet noticed the gleaming medals on his coat, several new additions joining the ranks, making her heart tighten.

'Looks like the Pentagon listened after all.' She wanted to ask about the soldiers, but she had received cards from all of them already. Never before had she felt so proud of what she did.

The clinking of ceramic resonated in the empty apartment, both absorbing the peace floating around in meditation until The General set his cup down, eying her calmly. Such a small woman, yet so much about her he could not comprehend.

There was time.

"That man..." he began, watching her look up, "he was a significant other of yours, am I correct?"

Blushing, Violet pushed her hair from her face, looking into her tea cup. "And... where do you get that assumption?"

The General gave a warm smile that took years away, and Violet saw the glint of his wedding band, wondering absently if his wife is the only one that makes him really smile. He leaned forward in his chair, looking at her over tented fingers, elbows resting on the table.

"For one, you have a picture not ten feet away of a man with that same ridiculous hair and you looking very lovely, both in very close proximity. Obviously it is not a fight, but, perhaps it is a getting to know your enemy better, for all I might know."

He leaned back, ignoring her sputtering, "Also, that day, I realized something."

Violet stared, fingers playing with her over-sized cashmere sweater, no longer flustered around the man. "What?"

The General stared into her eyes, and for the first time she noticed how bright they were. It gave her hope. "I realized you were not only an extremely altruistic and loving woman to fight him, but also a very selfish one. I think you know what I'm talking about."

She did not break his gaze, and suddenly, his lips quirked up. Hers followed suit and they both chuckled quietly to one another, relaxed in each other's presence. The General looked around, eyes narrowing, making Violet uncomfortable.

"Did they ever find his... body?"

Violet swallowed, the tea burning her throat, "No, they did not." The General, for just a second, looked about to grin at her, but he refrained. However, he did give Violet a look and she gave him one right back.

It was enough.

"Did you two ever forgive each other?" Violet's fingers were pale against the deep red cup, and her unpainted nails raked lightly along the ceramic, looking somewhere over his shoulder.

"I think he forgave me... the second he threw me out of the way of those gunshots." The General did not hear too much peace in her voice, and knew then that there was a lot underneath the surface. "As for me... I really do not know when I did." Her big eyes looked away, immersed within the swirling tea.

"I see."

"Glad you do," was the reply, and The General nodded, face lighter with easy emotions. It would do. For now.

After settling down with some quiet chatter, The General abruptly stood to leave, and Violet, without protest, walked him to the door.

Just as he left, placing his hard military hat back on, he turned, looking up at the small woman standing on the porch of an apartment on First Element Street in Manhattan, knowing there was more to her than the figure letting her long hair blow in the winter breeze, falling over her smiling eyes.

Eyes that kept a secret from the world.

And suddenly he found the comfort he had set out for.

The pads of his right hand fingers tingled almost feeling the familiar fabric.

Violet seemed to be waiting for something.

'Quit setting such high expectations for others Violet.

I won't be able to live up to all of them.'

"Tell him... tell him I said we were not really aiming at him even though, well we kinda were, but it was fun to see him freak out like that. The boys always like a man that knows how to fight over a bird." It was not exactly what she was looking for, but it was something.

He'll have other chances.

Violet smiled brightly despite herself, her chest tightening pleasurably, and waved the man off, knowing beyond words they would meet again.

Someday.

She watched him go, seeing the remnants of the latest drizzle die down, last droplets splashing around his moving feet, encouraging forward.

To where, neither knew.

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'Where are we going?'

'You'll see.'

'You always say that.'

'And yet you always still follow me.'

The pier, he was taking her to the pier, she finally remembered.

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The thundering storm came back a few months later, when once again their clothing managed to mingle in their closet together, their scent now indistinguishable. The licks of wind kept tapping at the windows of her (their, he corrected) apartment and waking him from a light sleep of half-memories. Why he awoke, he did not know, did not understand just like last time.

But this time, it did not matter as much, he supposed.

Her heart thumped steadily against the back of the hand he placed there, and pulled her closer, finding her fragility, the soft whisper of her breath, and that heartbeat, the most beautiful moment his scientific mind could appreciate.

He lay sleeping awake and listening for a while, her head tucked under his chin, her scent all around him.

How odd. So many worries and insecurities had built up over the years, as he had mulled over her betrayal to him and his to her.

Perhaps, he had only betrayed himself in the end, by losing her.

Now, his mind only flashed with things he never considered important before about her that now he could not enjoy life without.

"I thought of you," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her neck, then her shoulder blade. It was not a statement he wanted recognition, or thanks for, rather, bringing to light something he's pondered.

It is his thanks to her.

It was only logical, he decided, to explain it to her now.

"Hmmm?" she murmured softly against his chest, lost somewhere between sleep and dreams. Dusk was still upon them, and the lightning was subdued, the thunder a mere rumble, softened by the atmosphere in their room.

"I thought only of you, in the rain."

The storm seemed to pick up ever so slightly, whirling itself down upon their world. She only sighed and moved closer, the crown of her midnight hair teasing his chest, and he let her.

She was giving no hint of interest into his profound discovery.

He stared ahead into the dark, eventually concluding there to be no sound reason for him to explain such a illogical (intimate, astounding) concept.

He'd just have to show her his excellent logic in the matter.

Closing his eyes, he drifted off, contemplating the possible ways.

He pulled the blanket over them, and let sleep enfold.

.

.

The storm slipped away without a sound to disturb their dreams, slowly moving onto drier lands.

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End.

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Note.

AU, obviously, and a very likely scenario in my opinion. Violet is... twenty-three? I will not explain it all, but Syndrome and Violet are/were in a relationship around two years ago. Yeah. Basically they are pitted severely against one another, and they duke it out. Sexily. Emotional side of two people so in love that they fight as mercilessly as they can to the end.

It's meant to be melodramatic,okay? A LOT of symbolism, so have any questions, feel free to ask. I have no clue about the anatomy or strength of the Omnidroids, and I made the military not as blatantly useless as it was in Pixar's movie, I'm sure ten years can make some pretty wicked advancements in technology. The General is not like the King, the Noid, the Colonel, or the Mary Sue, he's just a fleshing character that could help reflect Violet. I wanted to make an action-y Synlet, because I think that would be really awesome to see.

The cities struck by Syndrome were in this order: New York City, New York; Miami, Florida; Raleigh, North Carolina; Chicago, Illinois; Little Rock, Arkansas; Phoenix, Arizona; Municiburg, California; Metroville, California. Numerous others were attacked, but it would have seemed too irresponsible of Violet and her inaction to portray them all. And he only knocked down a building or two in each place so..

Violet lived in Manhattan, so that is why the first attack is so close to home. Buddy and her lived together.