« § » — CHAPTER TWO »» BOB BLINDSIDED — « § »
The second day of the week-long Fair is when the zeppelin is meant to set down. Even if it is only available for outside viewing, until all checks are complete, it will still be something of a sight. It is not any sight that Violet will see; as she obstinately refuses to set foot outside of her room and accuses Rainbow of all manner of ill. It is Violet who most firmly plants the notion of the face behind the mask of Rainbow; her who sets out the maze for others to run through.
« … skinny, young, lady with long, white hair! Gosh, guys; guess who that sounds like? What'd they call that witch on Nomanisan? Oh; yeh — Mirage! Go on out and have a fun time getting killed; I'll pass. »
For once Bob has the sense to keep zipped and let his wife talk.
« Now, darling you have to be reasonable. Even back before we got married we never knew all the identities. Sweetling, we can't expect people to respect our masks if we don't respect theirs. »
« You listen to your mom, Violet. Masks aren't so great beans anyhow; they don't do anything to hide how you behave. Have you got that; young lady? »
« Sweetling, I know you're having a tough time getting older. But, we're both smart girls and we all miss Frozone; so … when … someone … turns up … and … is willing to work with us … and … acts … like a hero we … just … have … to … swallow … it … okay? »
« Gee; mom, pop, all that vanishing yesterday has got me real tired. I think I'll stop in and rest. »
Which is a far as they can move the muleheaded Violet; not at all. Whatever about that, it is three Incredibles and one Rainbow who spend a uniquely enjoyable morning around the festival. One of the very first unsights is the soothsayer; who has now become a boothscrier and is charging people to not-see her tent, which is showing no signs of showing.
Dashiell is free to dash about as much as he may; with one of Rainbow's distinctive thunderclouds keeping tabs on him. Rainbow herself wins a triumphant success with the youngsters at the Fair: by staging puppet shows of miniature heroes and villains, of Incredibles, allies and enemies — all of it nothing but a mirage of light. When she is not demonstrating how skilfully she can recreate actual people, Rainbow is taking the more daring of the kids up into the sky for aerial rides.
Somehow Helen andBob find themselves free to wander through the fete alone, in just their own company and without any tagalongs or troubles to distract them from each other. It is a rare and valuable space of time for any parents, but even more so for parents who are also heroes. It ends when Helen spots Dash, making a rout of a steering game (by overspeeding,) and heads over to sort him out. Bob Incredible is about to follow his wife but is held back by Rainbow holding his elbow. Rainbow nods once in the direction of his spouse and son, then once in the direction of the airship; giving him a clear choice.
« Family … Us ? »
Bob Incredible, in the back of his head, knows he absolutely shouldn't slip up and slip away like this but he set his feet on this slippery slope a long time ago; passion and desire speak louder than prudence and duty. He leads Rainbow into the airship, which can hardly be barred to heroes like them, and soon finds a salon with a spacious couch. To Rainbow's satisfaction, it also has blinds, that she can draw down over all of the windows, to indulge her fetish for darkness. Beyond that foible, Rainbow puts no pressure on Bob Incredible; letting him take the lead or even quibble and retreat.
Bob Incredible has no intention of going back; he is going for her back, by easing the wings, tunic and bandeau of her costume off of her body. She readily peels her boots off and entirely bares her legs. He hugs and clinches her tight as their lips and tongues meet in an urgent kiss. His hands are, at last, exploring her body: the smooth toned muscle of her back, the sculpted tautness of her belly and the soft curve of her breasts. In his hunger he forgets his strength to grip her nipples and breasts painfully hard but it only urges her to nestle into his body the harder. She has the secret of his supersuit and eases it off of his shoulders to glide it down to his waist.
By this time his hands are at the buckle of her belt and — SNAP — a whip has slashed and lashed around his neck. An enemy is in the doorway: tugging him off balance, dragging him backwards and strangling him steadily. For all that; it is no whip that has got the worst of him: this is some kind of a toadman and it is his prehensile tongue that is choking Mr Incredible. Some sort of a poison there must be too, laid along his tongue, as Mr Incredible has gone limp, boneless and helpless almost as soon as it lands around his neck. He cannot do one thing for himself; he has no ability at all to fight against this obnoxious appendage that is inexorably strangling him to his final demise.
Luckily for Mr Incredible he isn't alone, and his heroine lands on the villain's back; leaping out the last tangle of her garb, to hack at the grisly tongue with her knife. Her mask still on her head makes it seems like a fight between a dragon and an amphibian. Mr Toad doesn't take kindly to this unkind cut and responds with the warts that cover his body; the warts at the back of his wrist that yield a burning and viscous acid. The dire liquid falls in a line along Rainbow's arm from elbow to wrist and eats deep into her flesh like searing, scalding, steaming lightning. Fortunately, that seems to be all that he has in him: like many a venomous beast he has one shot and one shot only; it is hardly enough to slow her … let alone stop her. Soon enough what was once his tongue is nothing but a writhing, severed limb lying on the floor.