Disclaimer: I do not own the Incredibles

Chapter 2

The rolled up newspaper fell numbly from Helen Parr's hand, rolling across the kitchen table to stop a short distance away, unnoticed, by everyone but Dashiell, who sat at the nearest chair. His eyes fell on it without much interest. He was trying to ignore the painful silence that seemed to have befallen the household ever since it was discovered that Violet had gone missing. Even Jack Jack was mostly quiet, sitting on the floor and staring up at his two silent parents with wide eyes.

"You have to stop pacing Helen. You're going to wear a hole in the carpet." Bob Parr spoke softly; as if afraid his wife might snap in half if he raised his voice any higher. Any noise in the heavy silence was near deafening, however, and Helen turned on her husband and glared at him with red rimmed eyes.

"How can you just sit there while you're daughter is missing somewhere in the world?" Helen's voice was strained and hoarse from crying. She'd lasted until nightfall without a single tear the day that Violet had mysteriously been gone after the pitiful fight. Now, the morning after, it was evident she'd cried all night.

"Dammit, I know that! But pacing isn't going to get us anyway. NSA already agreed to meet us this morning to discuss how we're going to locate her. They should be here soon." He spoke with his eyes slightly unfocused, as if his mind were furiously trying to figure out where his missing eldest was.

"Why aren't we out there, looking for her now?" Helen demanded her husband, turning on him almost savagely and glaring at him with all her might.

"Because we need NSA's help. She technically doesn't exist, Helen. She is a Super, and was kidnapped as a Super, not as Violet Parr. Without her homing device, which seems to have been disabled, she could be anywhere," Bob answered wearily, looking down at the ground and avoiding his wife's expression.

Throughout the conversation, Dash looked away from his distressed parents and slumped down against the table, his chin resting on his folded arms. Although most of his conscious life had been dedicated to telling his sister how much he'd love it if she disappeared, he made a promise now to never say that again. His listless eyes roamed over the newspaper a few inches from his nose.

There, tucked into the roll, was another piece of paper, stark white against the newspaper's slight grey tinge. Frowning, Dash reached out and worked the paper free, finding it to be a piece of folded paper. At first, he thought it must be some flyer or something, but as he unfolded it, his eyes fell on a few lines written in small neat type.

I have your daughter.

She is in danger as long as you continue to search for her.

P.S. she's not afraid of the dark, is she?

Dash's eyes slid down from the words were a small picture contained a very dark image. As his adrenaline spike, he leaned closer to the piece of paper and narrowed his eyes until the definite outline of his sister was visible through the shadows.

"Mom! Dad!"

If you leave her in there, ya gotta babysit her. She'll need to pee and eat and stuff, and you'll have to get up and do all of that. Syndrome rolled his eyes as he reclined back in his chair and propped his feet up on the computer desk in front of him.

It was already mid afternoon. When he'd grabbed her, Syndrome had given her a shot so that she wouldn't wake before he arrived back at his lair. What he hadn't expected was that her body was so small that she'd been knocked out for the whole day and into the night. When she'd finally woken, it had been early morning. It had given him enough time to get the first message out to the Parrs, and now he had a while to let them fret about their daughter.

And now he had to decide what to do with her, now that she was wide awake and here to stay. What he wanted was to not have to babysit her all the time.

"So…I'll just have to make a few modifications to the little bracelet of hers…" he muttered to himself as he eyed the monitor that gave him a view of Violet's room. She was sitting against the wall, unmoving. She had her head down, and her legs drawn up to her chest. She had remained this way for the past three hours. He had to give her credit for managing to sit still for such a long period of time. He would be utterly bored. But waiting was something he had gotten quite adept at.

Letting his feet fall from the desk, he leaned forward and began typing on a keyboard, his eyes roaming over another computer scheme. He must admit that he had given this idea some thought before, knowing that he would have the young Parr in hand for longer than a few hours or days, but as the excitement of the day of the kidnapping overrode his thoughts, he'd forgotten about it.

"Tsk tsk tsk…Mustn't get lazy this time," he muttered to himself. This time, there was no Mirage around to talk to. He'd made sure there would be no one to betray him this time, and because of that, he'd taken to talking to himself in the long silences of his empty lair. Apart from the internet, he didn't talk to many people anymore. He'd also taken to listening to music, but he'd be damned if he let his prisoner hear that. To her, he must remain as the cruel evil villain. He would have more control of her the more she feared him.

It wasn't long before Syndrome was done tinkering. Almost everything within his lair was wireless, and could be altered and controlled through wireless means. Like before, his wrist controllers were linked directly to everything, but he found it easier to work on a large computer.

Smirking, he leaned back and reviewed his work, crossing his hands over his lean stomach. Nodding to himself, he pushed up from the chair and left the room.

It was another hour before he showed up at her door after getting everything ready. He peeked quickly through the window to see that she was still sitting against the wall, although she was looking up now, blinking against the bright lights that had suddenly appeared in the cell.

"You're not afraid of the dark, are you?" he asked in a drawling voice as he swung open the door. Her eyes darted to his face, and darkened. He couldn't tell if it was from anger or fear, but it pleased him. He wanted to affect her.

When she didn't reply to his taunt, his smirk went away and he stared down at her with the smallest hint of a frown. "What, not talking to me now? Come on, it's not that bad, is it?" He chuckled darkly and rubbed his chin as her eyes narrowed a little.

"No, not at all. I'm only being held captive by a man who's tried to kill me and my whole family on more than one occasion. I'm having the time of my life, can't you tell?" Her acid reply surprised him, pulling a small laugh from him, making her start and glare even harder.

"Well, I'm so glad you're enjoying yourself, however I'm sure you'll need to use the bathroom at some point. Unless you plan on using the corner as a potty, I think you should be a little nicer to me and stand up." Syndrome tilted his head to the side, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"No, I'm good thanks." Violet retorted and looked away from him. She was obviously trying to be difficult, and she was only going to end up hurting herself. Syndrome let out a sigh and rolled his eyes.

"Well, if you're going to be that way…" he uncrossed his arms and reached to his left wrist remote and pressed a button. He watched with a smirk as she jerked, letting out a startled yell of pain and turning wide eyes to stare up at him.

"Stand up." He repeated. "Don't make this any harder on yourself. I'm only trying to help you here." Syndrome let his finger hover over the same button, watching as she swallowed hard and pushed herself up off the ground. Her gaze was back to glaring as she rubbed her wrist just above her bracelet.

"I can do that whenever I want. That was only level one."

"You're sick," she spat at him and clenched her fists.

"And you're pathetic. We all move on." He drawled in apparent boredom and stepped back to grasp the door. "Now come on. I'll show you to your room." He turned his back on her to head out the door, listening to see if she was going to follow.

He hadn't taken any more than three steps before there was another cry behind him and the sound of a body hitting the ground. Raising an eyebrow, Syndrome glanced over his shoulder and smirked when he saw her on the ground no more than a foot from him, her face and lips tight from the pain. She opened her eyes to glare up at him through the veil of her dark hair, and determinately pushed herself up from the ground, shaking like a leaf as she did. Contrary to what might be believed, he did not enjoy causing pain to others. But his expression was blank as he watched her struggle, and finally succeed, in regaining her footing. She stood faster than he'd have thought.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that if you try anything and get too close to be, you'll be shocked. That was level five, by the way. I wouldn't try it again. Also…I don't advise trying to use your powers either. The small electric surge in your molecular structure when you try to use your abilities will trigger the bracelet to shock you at level two, which is enough to break any kind of concentration needed to use your abilities." He smirked in satisfaction and watched as she struggled to her feet again, breathing a little harder. Her body was trembling, and she was paler than usual. It made her eyes look bigger and more vibrant in color, bringing out the purple in them. They were actually quite pretty, he found himself noting, before frowning and turned away from her.

As he entered the hallway, he listened to her footsteps behind him. He was surprised she could walk so steadily after the shocks she'd just received. She was one plucky girl, that was for sure. But then again, it seemed to run in the family.

That thought made his face darken in anger. This time, their pluckiness will not be enoughhe mused to himself as he stepped out of the short hallway to her cell and into another. Turning around to face Violet, he held back a grin to see she was keeping a careful distance from him so as not to receive another shock therapy. That didn't stop her from glaring at him, but that he could handle. In fact, it amused him.

"Now, since I don't feel like babysitting you…" Syndrome indicated a doorway a few feet down the hall and looked back at her with a bored expression. "I've decided to give you free roam of my lair. You can't leave, of course, because you don't know the codes to leave. Above that, leaving the compound will result in a constant shock that would eventually kill you. As you don't know how to take the bracelet off, that could be a problem." He grinned wolfishly and stepped back to allow her to glance into the room, which comprised of a rough mattress on the ground with a blanket covering it. Besides that, the room, almost smaller than her cell, was bare and empty. Syndrome watched her expression of un-interest as her eyes returned to darting around the hallway and their surroundings. He could almost hear her brain working on ways to escape. Fat chance…

"In addition, there are certain rooms that you are forbidden entry. You will again be shocked if you try and enter them. You are limited to the bathroom, the kitchen, and you're room. Try to enter any other room, and you'll be sorry."

Syndrome watched her darkening expression as everything started to sink it. He had truly left nothing to chance. He grinned smugly as her crossed her arms over his chest. He watched her as she took in a breath and slowly let it out. And then she did something completely unexpected. She looked up at him and plastered on a sickly sweet smile. Startled, his mouth opened a little and he blinked at her in confusion.

Turning into the new bedroom, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and said in a falsely cheery voice, "It's almost as beautiful as a Hilton! My, my, you're decorating skills are to die for!"

Syndrome blinked several more times, and had to resist bursting into laughter. He had laughed before because it had been directed at her, but laughing because he found her funny was not an option. In fact, it annoyed him. He wasn't going to be finding his prisoner funny in any way.

He turned away and schooled his voice to be stern and cold. "Get used to it. You're going to be here for a long time kid."

"I'm not a kid," she called, still using that sugary fake voice.

Syndrome didn't even look back as he walked away.

Violet let the fake smile slip from her lips as she heard his retreating footsteps. Letting out a sigh, she sunk down onto the bed, sitting on the edge and wrapping her arms around her legs. Dropping her chin down onto one of her upraised knees, she let her eyes linger over the metal bracelet that held her captive in this place. After a moment of silence, she opened up her palm and tried to conjure a force field.

The shock was much smaller than the one when she'd tried to jump at him, but it was enough to ruin her concentration and make her gasp in pain and close her eyes tightly. Dropping her hands back to her legs, Violet let out a very long breath, and let the frustration, anger, and fear wash off of her. Her mind turned over to his expression when she'd smiled at him.

For some reason, as she stood in the hallway, she'd felt the irresistible urge to throw him off his guard, make this as uncomfortable as possible for him. He was enjoying himself too much, and she knew that in acting gloomy and angry, he was enjoying himself even more. So she'd smiled at him. She was pretty sure that he knew her little display had been utterly false. She'd made her voice extra sugary sweet, just for him. But the confusion she'd seen in his eyes, the surprise, had been enough to give her just a tiny ounce of satisfaction. To top it off, he'd seemed pissy when he'd left.

But now she was alone again. There were no windows in this place, so she didn't know if it was day or night. She didn't even know what time it was or what day. She thought about her family, hoping that they were okay and that Syndrome wasn't lying about them. Finally, her thoughts turned to her friends. She wondered if they'd notice her gone. Over the summer, she'd been seeing them less and less and spending more and more time at home, normally drawing of chatting on the computer in her room. Thinking of that, Violet frowned some more.

For a while now, she'd made friends with people online at a chat room. It was there that she had met some people who understood her a little more. Although those people had never seen her in person, and didn't even know her real name, they seemed to see her for who she really was. A girl who just wanted to be normal and find people who really cared about her.

Over the past few years, many of her friends had abandoned her. Too many times she'd had to run out on them, leave them hanging, or simply disappear, all to do super work. Sure, she enjoyed it, but her social life was taking it hard. So she'd turned online to find some people to talk to.

They didn't get angry when she had to leave, because it was only the internet, after all. After a while, she'd become close with one person in particular. They talked almost every night, sometimes for hours, about everything. At first, he'd seemed very leery and bitter, but after a few weeks, he'd loosened up and talked more openly. He knew her as invsbleflowr and she knew him as supergenius.

In a way, she had half-fallen in love with the guy, as silly as it was. He was only words on a computer, but they were the most heartfelt words she'd ever known. He simply understood her. She didn't even know his real name, and still she waited anxiously every night to talk to him. She'd told him everything about her life without really revealing too much about it. Sighing, Violet brought up the image of his words, only a few nights ago.

"You're one of the most interesting people I know, Flower. It's hard to find people with interests and ideas like mine, and I'm really glad to have someone to talk to. Some people are too judgmental and don't understand. You have no idea how lonely it is to be alone all the time."

"Sometimes I feel alone, even in the middle of a large crowd."

"Well, I would see you."

"What if I were invisible?"

"Just because you're invisible doesn't mean you're not there. I'd find you, if I really wanted to."

She wished she had a computer now. When she talked to him, there was nothing else in the world. He always seemed to understand. Above that, he'd been talking about a big event for weeks, that that was supposed to be this week. He'd think she'd forgotten about him, or abandoned him. It made her sad and a little angry, but she pushed it away and opened her eyes.

Come on, already told myself not to mope. Violet sighed and pushed herself up. Time to explore this place. Violet pulled her hair back and out of her face, securing it with a hair tie that she'd been surprised to find still on her wrist. There was no door for the room, but she wasn't overly surprised about that. The more he could watch her, he must think, the better.

The bathroom was not far from her room, and also very small. It had a single toilet, a shower, and a sink. There was no mirror, and the towels were white and sterile looking. Thankfully it had a door. Well, at least I won't go without a shower for however long he intends to keep me here…

She left the bathroom to keep on wandering. She was developing a mental map of what Syndrome's "lair" looked like, and it mostly comprised on a single hallway that seem to curve always in one smooth direction. If it kept up like this, it would curve all the way back to her room in a circle.

There were many doors in the hallway, all of which seemed to be on the outside wall. A few were cracked open, most were closed. Violet's curiosity overcame her when she came to the first of these slightly cracked open doors. Glancing around quickly, she reached out with her left hand to push the door back. Her fingers had just past the threshold when a bone numbing jolt overcame her senses. Her nerves screamed out and she dropped to the floor, curling up in a ball and gasping to keep from yelling. She kept her left hand against her belly, biting her lip hard. Her fingertips were numb.

It was close to five minutes before she could slowly uncurl from the fetal position. This shock was as bad as the one when she'd approached him, but there was no one watching her now. It was hurt to get up so quick after being shocked then, but he'd been watching her, and she hadn't wanted to feel weak. Luckily, Syndrome must be busy with whatever it is a villain did, because no one showed up.

Pushing her trembling body up to a crouch position, she glanced at the door. It was opened a little bit wider, but not enough for her to see anything. It was dark, and the light from the hallway did little to illuminate what was inside.

Ignoring the slight tingling in her muscles, Violet stood up and continued on her exploration of the lair, much more cautious as to how close she got to the doors.

She found the kitchen next, not far from the bathroom and her room. It was well stocked as far as appliances go, but as she investigated further, (pausing at the door to make sure she wasn't shocked again), Violet found that it was very much empty of food. Or at least, anything really edible. Obviously he'd stocked up when he'd first moved in, and hadn't done it since. Most of the food she found was past expiration and was growing a community of nastiness.

Making a face of disgust, Violet stepped out of the kitchen, making a mental note to annoy Syndrome some more about food. Although she was hungry, she wasn't ready to give up exploring just yet.

When she at last came to a room with the door mostly open, Violet slowed warily. Not only was it the only door that she'd found on the inside wall, but she could also hear sounds coming from it. She could hear small clicks from inside, and the rustle of movement. Moving slowly, she peered around the corner, careful to stay far enough away from the actual door.

It was a large round room. She figured it took up the entire center of the hallway. Her eyes darted over the many machinery and lights, and settled down to the man sitting in a large computer chair halfway across the room at a large computer, typing away.

Syndrome looked completely at home. His face was relaxed, his body was relaxed. He seemed to be concentrating and interested in what he was doing, but as Violet could only see his profile, she was unable to see what was happening on the actual screen. She watched his face, crouching at the doorway. She watched the expressions that changed his eyes and his eyebrows. He seemed interested at first, almost hopeful, but then a frown flit across his face. He looked frustrated for a moment, but let out a sigh and leaned back, staring at the screen with an impassive face. Then he sat forward again, and Violet decided it was time to go.

Being as quiet as she could, she slipped past the door. It wasn't long before she came to her own room again, which means she was right about the hallway being a circle, but also meant that she hadn't found a way out at all. Any of those doors could lead to the way out, and trying them all would kill her. Growling a little, she leaned against her doorway and stared at the little bed.

Now what?

And because she felt tired, despite her hunger, Violet moved to the bed and lay down, keeping her back to the door. There was nothing left to do right now. Her heart was heavy with despair, and she didn't feel like pretending it wasn't there. Curling her legs up close to her body, Violet closed her eyes and pulled the blanket over her in a small amount of protection and warmth. Before she let herself succumb to sleep, she whispered softly, "I'm sorry Genius…"

A/N- Hey everyone! . I hope you like this. Let me know if you do, because it really encourages me to continue writting. Also, let me know if something seems off to you . I love help on my stories.