Robert Parr clenched his fingers around the newspaper's edges as he read the story from the front page.
'WatchDog Bites Again!'
It had been two weeks since news broke out about Violet's death, and Robert Parr blamed WatchDog more than anyone for the tragedy. He- or she- They? It? Whatever WatchDog was, Robert Parr hated them.
Hated them for reporting the incident to the media before coming to them. He hated them for refusing to work underneath the umbrella of the NSA and always managed to be a step ahead of them. HATED that their powers were super strength AND some form of telekinesis- and there was word that this WatchDog person had a jet car- or something that could zip them around the country. Solving crimes from here to New Urbem… The travel expenses alone without government support meant that they had some serious cash flow and he hated them for that as well. And now they nabbed Bomb Voyage from his retirement! He hadn't been active in 20 years, how the hell did WatchDog keep finding these criminals?!"
"Bob."
Robert didn't hear his wife. He was too busy thinking about what he would do to the pipsqueak if he ever got his hands on them.
"Bob?"
Feeling their bones crack in his hands.
"BOB!"
"WHAT?!" Bob shouted back and paused to see that he had caused a fracture in the table with the pressure of his elbows. Taking a breath, Robert set the paper down and looked to his wife with a guilty expression. "Sorry Helen. This guy, this… WatchDog- they just get under my skin. I don't get why everyone loves them so much!"
"I know, Bob, they aren't exactly a team player," Helen agreed as she moved to her husband's side. "But it could be worse you know- they could have been a villain," she suggested making Bob groan.
"What are you talking about, that would be GREAT! Then I'd be justified in pulverizing the little sh-" Bob caught himself as his wife gave him a warning look. "Sorry. But they don't even have a proper suit! They look more like someone who belongs in a ruffian motorcycle gang!"
"Oh? And what's wrong with being part of a motorcycle gang?" Helen asked, and Bob flinched in response.
"Nothing! That wasn't what I meant… Forget I said anything."
"Uh huh. Now can you please get dressed? We are going to be late for the service," Helen warned as she walked away.
Bob nodded and watched his wife momentarily before turning his eyes back to the image of WatchDog, clenching his fists once more. It was bad enough that this asshole mismanaged the news of his daughter's kidnapping, Bob had a slight suspicion that WatchDog was somehow responsible for the explosion as well- but now he had to attend the funeral that some rich asshole took over.
If anybody should pay for Violet's death, it should be WatchDog.
...
No funeral was nice, but whoever had arranged it the service did Violet some justice. They spared no expense. From the flowers to the casket that would be placed into the ground with nothing to fill it with, everything was gorgeous and outrageously priced.
"Do you think Violet slept with the guy?" Dash asked as they exited the memorial grounds. His parents sent heated stares his way but Dash waved a hand back to Violet's final resting place. It was extravagant, and a little over the top for someone that was hardly aware of her existence at all.
"Dash, I think Winston's business partner is just trying to be nice," Helen whispered, trying to be polite. There was no telling who had made the arrangement. Looking up she saw Winston approaching and Helen gave a wave. "Don't you dare ask that question. Just be nice!"
"Helen, Bob, Dash, JJ- I'm sorry to see you all under these circumstances," Winston whispered as he motioned to hug but all save for Helen abstained from contact.
"It was a beautiful ceremony," Helen said as she gave a look around the graveyard. "Actually, Win, we were just wondering-"
"Did your friend have a sleepover with Violet?" asked Jack-Jack, getting mortified stares from everyone but Dash who did his best not to laugh.
"Uhh, no, no I don't think he did little buddy," Winston replied, thrown off by the question. "They met once, seemed like they really hit it off though. Violet had actually volunteered to give James a tour around the city too, but … well, you know the rest of the story," Winston said looking off to the portrait of Violet and sighed wistfully. "I really liked her. Who would have thought that interning is more deadly than hero work?"
"Well, where is the guy so we can thank him for putting all of this together?" Bob asked, wanting to get away from the empty grave as quickly as possible. There was a certain body he thought could be a very good substitute for Violet's body.
"Oh he couldn't make it. James has to be the biggest workaholic I've ever met, and that's saying something! I think he's out in Florida right now? Or maybe it was the Carolina's… Anyway, he should be flying back in tonight. If you guys want to drop on by tomorrow afternoon I'm sure he'd love to meet you all but Apple is the real prize to see."
When they landed back at his estate, Violet was more than eager to get to work on the next mark. So far, thanks to Buddy's work in the NSA files, they had found two names tied to the sinister SRA, sadly those names had been on headstones for a few years leaving them with nothing but dead ends, but they weren't giving up. Violet made sure of that.
"Think we can find another name before you have to call it a night?" Violet asked as she released Apple from her crate in the back of the hovercraft.
"Actually, when you were dropping off Bomb V with the FBI I was able to pick up a potential lead…" he teased from the Pilot's seat. Like a charm, the woman made her way back to him and barricaded him in the seat with a hand on each of the armrests.
"Were you now?" Violet asked as she leaned in. Buddy smirked. Rule five had been honored by both parties over the last couple of weeks but there have been close calls. He was hoping that this would be more than the tease she was currently presenting but he had to continue with business as usual.
"Yup. A potential name is definitely a politician or at least former politician who just so happened to be a representative in Municiberg back in the day- about a decade before the ban was put into place and was one of the major advocates behind the second lawsuit that hit your old man… the uh, train one. Unfortunately, I've got work tomorrow, but how do you feel about enjoying your old stomping ground as WatchDog to collect some hard and undigitized data for me?"
Violet was surprised at the suggestion.
"You trust me enough to let me roam around home?"
Buddy shrugged at the question.
"I've trusted you so far with far more pressing things I think," he said as his hand unconsciously hovered over his abdomen, "but yeah. After all, you want to bag this more than me. Additionally, it's pretty hard for me to do the footwork on that front. Public records and libraries might be limited in holding my likeness, but the people who handle that sort of stuff got memories like steel traps. Syndrome likely won't register, but they most certainly won't forget the face of Buddy Pine who was in that building every day save for Saturday. Besides, even if that isn't the case, I gotta imagine that some kid is going to flip their lid seeing that their favorite hero likes to read at their local library too."
Violet smiled softly at the statement, trying to picture Buddy as a kid waiting for his favorite super to enter a book signing but her smile faded in remembering who his favorite super was.
She tried briefly to imagine for a minute what Buddy's life could have been like now if he was taken under the wing of Mr. Incredible. It wouldn't have happened, not just because of the risks involved with bringing a kid along to bank heists and whatnot but because of who her father was. She loved her dad, how could she not? But loving something or someone doesn't mean you can't criticize it- quite the opposite should be true. Her father was Mr. Incredible, and he did his best at being a family man but he was at times incredibly selfish and ignorant about the needs of others. For years he had risked the safety of the family so he could play hero again. Now knowing all that the NSA had done to prevent any more supers from coming of age, she was even more critical. Had he known about the additional dangers, would he still have continued to be Mr. Incredible?
"I'm sorry about my dad," Violet said suddenly but Buddy remained unphased.
"There are worse fathers out there, but it's not your place to apologize for him," Buddy said quietly as he stood from his seat and moved past Violet to let Apple off of the stale aircraft. "Hell, to some degree I owe your father some gratitude- I'm still bitter about him throwing a car at me mind you but if he didn't reject me, who knows where I would be? Maybe I would have been killed on a mission with him, get some sort of brain injury instead, or worst scenario of all... Maybe I would have made it into the ranks of the NSA!"
"That's not funny," Violet grumbled and he chuckled in defiance.
"It's a little funny."
"Maybe you could have been a hero," Violet said as they exited the hovercraft. "One of the good guys from the start. Who knows, butterfly effect and all, maybe supers never would have been banned."
Buddy didn't want to think about that but it was something of a real possibility. It was strange how he was something of a catalyst for waves of lawsuits that would lead to the official ban and then years later be the one who'd restart the conversation of bringing them back.
"Let's get one thing straight, Parr, I was never going to be a hero. Not this timeline or any other one. This, you and me, it's fun I'll admit and sure, I guess one could say I'm good at it, but the whole doing things for others without reward? That's not my style."
"Well, what are you getting out of this then?"
"Maybe a hall pass on rule five?" he asked while flashing a smile her way. "And seeing your old man have an aneurysm every time he opens a newspaper is pretty great too."
Violet shook her head and followed him out of the hovercraft with the WatchDog helmet under her arm. She followed alongside him until she paused to stare up at the night sky.
"My funeral was today, wasn't it?"
"It was," Buddy called back as he continued at his regular pace towards the house, stopping only when he realized that the woman was no longer behind him. "Should I have recorded the service?
"No… You've been to one funeral and you've been to them all," Violet said before she made her way back towards the mansion again. "I'm sure we didn't miss anything."
"Okay Jimmy, spill the beans, what's her name?" Winston asked as he sat on the couch in the office assigned to James Everett. Against Buddy's best wishes, Apple was also on the couch with Winston. He stopped his hand from signing off on the approval of the solar plans he had submitted for review weeks earlier and glanced up at his business equal.
"Win, we practically have joint custody of Apple. Why are you asking me what you already know?"
"No, not Apple, I know she's the leading lady in your life, but you can't keep this a secret from me, I know that look!" Winston pressed as he jumped off from the couch and approached his business partner's desk. "Now I don't doubt that your business trips aren't what they say they are, but I've got a feeling that you've got a plus one on that plane of yours. So what's her name?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Buddy said quickly, refocusing back on the paperwork before him and Winston snapped his fingers.
"That's it! That's the look! You've got a romance going on! You gotta tell me everything! Who are they, how did you two meet, and most importantly, when can I meet them?!"
Buddy bit back the urge to shut down the energetic man. He knew the man well enough that he was like a dog with a bone. Once Winston had something on his mind he would not let it go. Setting the pen down, the fellow executive leaned back in his seat and clasped his hands together and gave a smug grin.
"Hate to plead the fifth here, but a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell."
If it was remotely possible for Winston to smile wider he did just that.
"Oh, you scamp! Keep your secrets, I've got some of my own too," Winston said with a laugh before shaking his head. "Whoever this mysterious lover is I gotta say, they've done a number on you in a short amount of time."
"What makes you say that? Are you suggesting that my performance is slipping?"
"Well, that's one way of putting it," Winston said as he sat on the edge of the desk. "I knew that Kronos Incorporated and the man behind it was a good and charitable guy but I chalked it up to just be corporate care but man, you've really got a heart of gold, doing what you did for Violet. And the plans you've been pushing out- like the solar, and oh that water thingy! It's not the same woman that was responsible for the sleep trouble a few weeks ago was it?"
"It's hydrofiltration, and I'm still pleading the fifth," Buddy stated as he picked up his pen again. Winston opened his mouth to prod further but the door swung open revealing Clifford from HR.
"Hey, Winny! You gotta check out channel 7, WatchDog is in town!"
"In broad daylight? On Broad Street?! This I gotta see!" Winston shouted, jumping off of his partner's desk to get back to his office.
Buddy considered going out to see the coverage but stayed in his seat, running over Winston's accusations in his head. Winston couldn't spot danger if it was painted right in front of his face, so why the hell was he taking his word for going soft?
Violet knew that WatchDog was a big deal, but she had underestimated the fanfare. People crowded around her but the sea of fans would part before they'd even touch.
'WatchDog! Look over here!'
"Marry me, WatchDog!" screamed a woman from behind.
"We love you WatchDog!"
Inside of her helmet, Violet could hardly contain a smile. As Invisi-girl, she had a decent fanbase but what stuck out the most for her were the creeps, guys all clambering to find out what it would be like to sleep with a woman they couldn't see. As WatchDog however Violet wasn't sexualized in that manner. The all-black tactical suit she wore didn't display gender, but it was instantly assumed that she was a man and she did not mind that in the least.
Making her way up the steps of the Municiberg Public Library, Violet continued to wave and nod to the civilians and screamed her alter-alter-ego name. It was well established from previous 'missions' that WatchDog was mute, or at least did not choose to speak. All the communication that was made was on Buddy's end. Voice masking technology was available, but anything that could be faked could be broken down and it was safer to leave the PR to him.
Communication in person however was handled through AI, a holographic message system would emit from the screen of the battle grade watch that Buddy had designed for her. She liked the pink one but keeping up appearances was important.
Even the librarians couldn't help but whisper as WatchDog loomed over archived material and while it was frowned upon to have so much chatter in the library a few journalists were able to pick the brain of the elusive hero. They didn't ask her of love interests or who she was wearing like the paparazzi did when she was a junior super, but actual hard-hitting questions.
"What are your goals as a defender?"
'To comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.'
"Who is your greatest rival?"
'Those who see themselves as being above the law.'
"WatchDog, why do you deny the assistance of the NSA?"
'Because I don't make mistakes.'
"What do you want to tell the kids out there?"
'Reading is a superpower. Don't let it go to waste.'
Eventually, security was able to usher the press out of the quiet space along with nosy fans but not all were escorted out of the public space. Violet didn't pay them any mind, but there was a pair of black suits that stood nearby. She'd have no problem shaking them but for the time being she'd just let them eat their heart out.
Wrapping up her research, WatchDog attempted to return the files back to their homes but the library staff wouldn't have it.
"We've already put in an order for posters of you," whispered a staffer with graying hair. "We really appreciate what you said about reading."
A thumbs-up was all Violet could provide but she wanted to dance with excitement.
Leaving the library, WatchDog still had the two agents on their tail. They kept their distance from the antihero, but it was still an obvious chase and Violet made sure to stay within public areas. Last thing she needed was getting snapped up by the NSA due to a careless misstep.
"Thanks for handling that presentation, Jimmy! I know it's a little juvenile but I can't help but gawk at the screen every time a super appears!" came Winton's voice through Buddy's phone speaker.
"I know the feeling," Buddy said as he tuned into WatchDog's video feed. "But it wasn't a problem, after all, Teamwork makes the dream work, right?" he asked and was repaid with a hollow chuckle.
"That's what they say… Hey, I know it's almost quitting time but think you got a minute to share a drink with me upstairs?"
"Winston, I'm not going to feed your unquenchable appetite for my personal life," Buddy jested and Winston sighed heavily.
"Fine, - no talk about your lady of the night, scouts honor! Let's just call it one drink over talking about our favorite childhood super in recognition of WatchDog's presence. Sound fair?"
Winston waited to be shut down. Waited for James Everett's voice to confidently say 'not tonight' or 'maybe next time'. Winston had been prepared for that and had already set up a clever trap for his best friend upstairs but he had not expected the door to his office to be opened by the ginger man he had on the line.
"I'd like that," Buddy said with an honest smile. "I'd like that a lot actually."
Winston slammed the phone down and quickly exited the room. As they made way for the elevator the older man began to quiz the redhead on the supers of old and new.
"Not going to lie, but I was pretty partial to Mr. Incredible growing up," Buddy said casually.
"That's pretty ironic," Winston said with a chuckle, forgetting himself momentarily he shifted the conversation. "I mean, I would have taken you for a Universal Man fan, being the workaholic that you are."
Buddy had to laugh remembering how easy of a job it was taking out Universal Man. Even after the super ban, the disenfranchised man refused to remove the suit as he had no secret identity. Mirage tracked the poor bastard to be living underneath an overpass in a tent city.
"No, no- I take my work very seriously but I'm capable of a good time," Buddy said as the doors opened again to the reception hall and the pair exited without looking away from each other too immersed in their conversation to pull away, though Buddy's attention was torn between Winston's enthusiastic face and the vaguely familiar voice of a young man. One of the interns perhaps?
"I can see that now! Oh gosh, I know I said we'd only have one drink, can't have you flying home inebriated or anything but I would LOVE to keep you in the city overnight sometime. You can crash at my place, or one of the business lofts. Maybe bring your girlfriend along for a night on the town?"
"John-Jackson, don't touch that!" came the voice of a woman Buddy knew from somewhere. Maybe one of the ladies in the marketing and development department?
"I really don't see that happening, my lady friend isn't fond of being seen," Buddy said with a sly grin before his face went slack as he faced forward to see an equally shocking set of faces.
The Incredibles. Or better known as the Parr family as they were in their civies. Buddy was frozen stiff as the recognition was clear.
"Oh- sorry, I meant to surprise you! Bad idea I know, but you've just been so generous to Violet's family I thought it was high time you all meet!" Winston stated, oblivious to the tension building up in the room. "James Everett, I'd like to introduce the Parr clan! Parr family, please meet my friend-"
"SYNDROME," growled the unmistakably pissed voice of Mr. Incredible.
