AN: Remember when I assured you that I knew where the story was going last chapter? ...I lied. ^^; I have a general idea now but that idea is greatly subject to change.

I still don't own The Incredibles.

Also, the city mentioned here is not where I live. I've just been there a lot. So naturally I know the area quite well. XD

I realize that this is really soon after my last chapter, like really REALLY soon, but I was really inspired by the gift-picture-fanart I got for this fanfiction. You can find the link at the bottom of my profile. But anyway. I was really inspired and I wrote two chapters. I'm going to be gone a lot of July, anyway.

When The Day Met The Night

Part Six-Argument

Sure enough, the two adults of the Parr family were walking through the door, scanning the restaurant for someone, presumably Violet. "Maybe they're just looking for a seat...?" Violet mused hopefully.

"As far east as we are? No. That's highly unlikely."

"Well, how far east ARE we, Buddy?"

"Um... last sign I remember seeing was a leaving Nebraska one."

"Have we been going straight east?"

"Not straight east, but mostly east, yeah. East since... probably Colorado?"

"Are you telling me... that we are in Iowa?"

"Ssh. We need to sneak out before your parents see us."

"How... how did they find us?"

"Don't ask me."

"Where were we during the meteor shower?"

"Wyoming. Ssh."

Buddy looked over at the Parrs, who were still scanning the area. "Duck down." Violet complied and they sat for a while, silent. Finally the Parrs left and Buddy looked out the window from their booth. They'd headed toward the office supply store across the parking lot. Buddy blinked several times, waiting. Once he'd given them sufficient time to get into the the other store, he pulled on Violet's sleeve, signaling for them to go. They practically jumped into the car and Violet took off.

After they'd left the town (apparently called Fort Dodge) Violet began to scream.

"IOWA, BUDDY? WHY WERE WE GOING TO IOWA?!"

"We weren't..."

"Where was the GPS programmed for?"

"I... wanted us to be as far away from your parents as possible... so..."

"Where, Buddy, I need a location."

"Maine."

"MAINE?!"

"Yeah, Maine! It seemed like a good idea at the time! Kind of like..."

"What?"

"N-never mind."

"What, Buddy?!"

"I said never mind, you aren't going to like it!"

"I don't care! I want to know!"

"I was going to say, it seemed like a good idea at the time, kind of like dating you! Happy now?"

Violet blinked, dumbstruck. "I..."

"I didn't say it for a reason, see?"

Tears began to well up in Violet's eyes. "I didn't think you were... regretting..." The tears overflowed and began to spill out into the air and down onto her pants. Each soft splatter of liquid falling rang through Buddy's ears as though it was the only thing he could hear, akin to a pin dropping in a completely silent room.

"Vi..."

"Don't. Just- just don't. Don't try to apologize, Buddy. I honestly thought..." She choked on her tears. "...that you loved me. That you weren't just like Tony."

Buddy twitched slightly, mouth agape. He tried to talk, to exclaim that he did love her, but he couldn't find the right words to describe it.

Syndrome, meanwhile, was laughing. Hard.

It's the end of the road! She doesn't think you love her and you can't make her believe that you do! Game over, Buddy!

"SHUT UP!" Buddy screamed aloud. "I HATE YOU, SO MUCH!"

Violet began to break down even further. "Well, gee, thanks for telling me now! I sure would've liked to have known that a while ago!"

Now she thinks you're talking to her instead of me! Good going, loser, you've made this all the more entertaining for me!

"MY LIFE IS NOT YOUR ENTERTAINMENT, SYNDROME!" Buddy shouted. "IF I DIE, YOU DO TOO! STOP TRYING TO RUIN EVERYTHING I'VE WORKED TO BUILD AFTER YOU SHOWED UP!"

"Buddy?!" Violet blinked. "What do you mean, if you die? What's going on?"

Now she's found out! This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it? Maybe YOU should be the one to shut up, at least if you want to stop amusing me!

SHUT UP! Buddy roared with more mental force than he could ever remember having used against his mental nemesis. Syndrome was silenced, if only temporarily.

"Violet... I'm sorry... about everything... I love you... I really do... and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

"What was that about dying, Buddy? Was it just a threat? What was it?"

"No..." he replied weakly. "Violet... I'm... dying. I've been dying since we met. Remember how I said I was looking for a good place to rest? That was a metaphor for finding somewhere to die."

"Buddy... no... you can't die, not now! Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I felt so comfortable around you that I just... forgot most of the time. And I didn't want to put you through all that pain..."

"But I would've had to go through it eventually!"

"Not knowing that you're spending time with a man who could die at any minute now! You didn't have to go through that! But all thanks to our good old friend Syndrome, now you do!"

"Buddy... please, let's just not argue. Are you really going to die any minute...?"

"Not literally, no. But... probably anywhere from three days from now to two weeks from now... somewhere in there. Probably."

"Then... let's not waste what little time you have running."

Violet opened the door and got into the backseat. Buddy followed suit as she began to dial her mom's phone number.

"Mom? Yeah, it's Violet. We're on the side of the road. We've decided to stop running. I don't care if you're driving, we're in the backseat right now anyway. No, of course we weren't! It... it's not like that! Mom! Please, listen to me! He's not like that! You'll see he's changed! Okay? Goodbye." She hung up.

"Buddy..." She flung her arms around him and began to sob. "You can't die, I love you, I don't want you to die!"

"I don't want to die either, not anymore..."

"You did before?"

"I was in so much pain that I just wanted it to get over with... but not since I met you..."

"Buddy..." She continued bawling as the Incredibile pulled up behind them and her mom entered the car. Helen looked back into the backseat and glared at Buddy. "Why is she crying?"

"It's a long story," Buddy replied.

"Who are you, then? I'm sure you can answer that. Violet's already mentioned you were a villain once, and you look familiar, but I'd like it if you'd tell me anyway."

"Well... I'm sure you remember what happened six months ago..."

"No... you can't be!"

"I'm afraid I am," he replied. "Buddy Pine. Formerly known as Syndrome."

I wrote this pretty fast, but I think it's better than the last chapter. o_O Review anyway.

Dani