The Bidding of Ghosts

by nerdsandlairs

The eldest Incredible child finds herself in a rather unfortunate position. Kidnapped and put up for sale at a villain's only auction. The night seems like it can't get any worse for the heroine as a certain deadman isn't having that great of a night either and it's 100 percent due to her presence. A one-shot set 10 years after Incredibles II.

At the ripe age of 25, Violet Parr had plenty of regrets underneath her belt, but none weighed as heavy as the mistake of letting her guard down around a man with a badge.

She should have seen that blow coming. Should have shielded herself before turning her back on the man who claimed to be an officer of the law.

Haggerty.

Badge 214.

Male looking to be in his early to mid 30's.

Roughly 5'9" with cropped brown hair and hazel green eyes.

These were the details she'd have to remember when she broke out of here.

Wherever here was.

She couldn't get a view of the place with the blindfold obstructing her view, but she didn't need her vision to see that she was in deep shit.

She couldn't use her powers.

She felt their absence like she felt the dread in the pit of her stomach, and her wrists were heavy. It felt as though gauntlet-like cuffs bound her hands together and were tethered to a stake on the floor. And as concerning as her current predicament was, she was most concerned about her date with Tony.

He was going to leave her for sure this time. There was no doubt in her mind about that.

She had promised him that this was going to be the perfect date. She swore she was going to arrive at Le Cellier 15 minutes early rather than her usual 45 minutes late schtick. She was just going to get a quick tip concerning a certain retired thief and be at the restaurant bar in her best dress before he got off of his shift at The Happy Platter. That's what she told Tony.

Unfortunately for her, Haggerty had to be a lying son of a bitch and clocked her with his nightstick, or some other heavy, blunt object.

She felt around the space, hoping for something to defend herself with until help arrived. Even if Tony called it quits for good, she was due to meet her family for breakfast tomorrow morning. That was something she never missed.

Never. No matter what disagreement was going on.

All she had to do was survive the night and the tracking beacon in her suit would lead her family to her. God bless Edna Mode for not skimping out on her suit when she broke from the family brand.

Violet found that the space she was occupying was no larger than a kennel, and she could hear faint mechanical whizzing around her. On top of that, she swore she heard murmurings of people above her. It sounded almost like a party was taking place up top.

What sort of evildoer had their lair in a social place? Did villains even have friends? Everyone she had ever gone up against all seemed like lone wolves save for the lower tier criminal groups which were just gangs.

"Hello?! Hello, can anybody hear me?" Violet called out.

She became optimistic that someone heard her because the conversations died a little.

"Somebody help me, please!" she shouted and suddenly the mechanical gears whirled louder in her ears. She longed to cover them but she could do no such thing in her position. And her position began to move up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, do we all have a special surprise for you tonight! We have just one last ticket item up for auction and you do not want to miss out on the rare opportunity to own your very own super!"

Violet still couldn't see, but she felt the heat of lamps on her as the floor beneath her came to a sudden halt. The voice was loud, booming, and right in her ear. But the speaker was elsewhere, or at least a fair distance away Violet figured as his voice came in grainy through a sound system.

Stumbling to her feet, the super attempted to shake the blindfold from her head but it wouldn't budge.

"Here we have Wraith! A fresh catch just this afternoon. Let's start the bidding at ten thousand!"

"Fifty thousand!" came another voice and Violet's jaw dropped as more voices came in waves, each one outbidding the other.

"Do I hear two hundred?"

Someone must have raised a hand or gestured because now the auctioneer was asking for a raise again.

"You can't sell me!" Violet shouted as she took a step forward and nearly tripped over the chain that staked her to the floor. "I'm a human being! You can't sell people!"

She was struck with laughter from the crowd which infuriated her more, but not nearly as much as the next bidder.

"That's a mouthy one alright. One million!"

"One million to the gentleman in front! Do I hear a counteroffer?"

"One point five," came a voice that Violet recognized as Kero-Scene. "I'll be damned if someone else gets my arch-nemesis!"

"If you've got that kind of money, Kero, then you should be spending it on yourself!" Violet snapped, tugging at her binds as she looked in the direction of the familiar villain. "Like getting your head checked for one because you aren't even in my top ten list of bad guys."

The crowd began to whoop at the insult but the bidding didn't cease as the numbers began to climb faster.

"Two."

"Five."

"Eight!"

"Twelve!"

"Thirteen!"

"Seventeen-"

"Twenty!

"Twenty-two."

"Thirty!"

Violet felt nauseous as the numbers poured in.

This was just a nightmare. What the hell could these people even want with a super anyway? Did she want to know? She didn't, She had to get out. Reasoning with these people wasn't an option clearly as they squabbled amongst themselves.

Violet felt for where the chain was mounted with the tip of her boot and found the bracket. Driving her heel against the metal, she ignored the pain that surged up her leg. She'd break her leg before she stopped, she'd-

She screamed out in pain as electricity coursed through her veins. Crumpling to the floor, she bit back to urge to whine as the crowd continued to bid.

"Forty-five!"

"Forty-nine!"

"Fifty, no, fifty-three!"

"Seventy-five!"

Violet cursed wondering where the hell these people got off anyway. There were only three voices left bidding for her. Two men and a woman. She would have bet her bottom dollar that the woman was Queen Bee herself. She knew her Hive Mind technology could be used on supers- she didn't want that. Anything other than becoming a mindless drone to that witch.

"Seventy-eight!"

Whoever bought her was going to be sorry regardless.

"Eighty-one!"

Because when she got out of these cuffs- be it by her own hands or from her family's help,

"Eighty-five!"

She was going to beat the stuffing out of them.

"Ninty!"

And then she'd come back and bring this whole place down-

"Five hundred," came a new voice making the rest of the place go silent. Even Violet's heart stopped for a moment. Not just because of the price someone put on her head, but because it was a voice that she knew. Who the voice belonged to she didn't know, but she knew that voice.

And considering that this man was putting down half a billion for her, he must have known her too.

Securing his mask over his eyes, Buddy 'Syndrome' Pine rolled his neck as he left his office. The auction was nearly over and once they were done he could get out of this damn suit and go back to the comfort of his machines. His machines never questioned him or his authority, but his clientele never ceased their perpetual whining.

He never really cared for the selling part of any job. Not when he was creating weapons for world powers, or for convincing supers to come to their final act, and he grew tired of having to debate certain criminal bodies that he was the best fit for keeping a tight ship.

So when it came to the actual selling of goods as long as a profit on his wares and other items were made he didn't need to be a part of the cesspool. He preferred to not be a part of the ilk that he kept. It made business much easier.

Normally he'd just sit out of these quarterly gatherings but he was told that a special (and unsanctioned) item had been put on the floor by one of his new investors. A scientist who specialized in chemical toxins.

Noxus.

God, what an annoying little cretin he was turning out to be, but it was a necessary evil to bring him into the union. Evil had to keep evil in check, after all. Otherwise, there would be no order to the ecosystem.

There were rules to be followed, borders to be maintained, and the golden rule of making sure that certain supers were off-limits for other villains, save for matters of self-defense or plot interruption. For the entire west coast (as well as Alaska and Hawaii) he got to be the errant-in-chief. It wasn't as glorifying as being a hero, but he had his part to play and what a role it was to be one of the heads of semi-organized crime. Nothing, and he meant nothing, got the go-ahead without his approval.

Save for this stunt from Noxus.

Regardless of what the profit was, he'd have to make an example of Noxus, else he might run the risk of someone thinking they could overthrow his rule. None were stupid enough to cross his current persona, Sinnerman, but all it took was one person to step out of line to make everything crumble.

Getting down to the bidding floor, Buddy missed the announcement and the bid was already well underway. He couldn't see the item in question, but the numbers were steadily rising. Must have been something good.

Tapping the bar, his pale blue eyes met the bartender's gaze before nodding to the stage.

"What's the roup?"

The thin man who had been in the employ of his operations for years passed along a whiskey sour and surveyed the hungry crowd.

"A super."

Buddy had the glass to his lips but stopped himself short of having a drink.

"A super?" he echoed and the bartender nodded. "Who?"

"Some new girl. Goes by The Wrath or something."

"The Wrath?" the leader asked, cocking his head to the side and the barman nodded. Before he could turn to try to get a better look at the captured hero the seat beside him was taken.

"Wraith, actually," noted the owner of the item on the bid. "A rather gullible super if you ask me. Though I suppose supers are too trusting of the boys in blue in general. It's a good thing that they are easy to buy off and even better with supers being a hot selling item."

Buddy's fist tightened on the glass in his hand but he wet his lips before dispelling his venom.

"Noxus."

"Mmmmyes, Boss?"

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?"

The older man looked offended by the question, but the demeanor quickly turned to an expression of apology when his dark eyes met his icy gaze. "I- I'm taking an initiative for the coalescence! At the last board meeting, you said you wanted bolder plans-!"

Buddy set his glass down and with the hand now free from the beverage he grabbed the frail man by his collar and brought him close. "The keyword there… was 'plans'. Plans, as in you propose something, we discuss and then we either drop it or execute it."

"With all due respect, Sinnerman, sir, progress doesn't wait for bureaucratic measures!" His voice in a shrill pitch.

"You know what else doesn't have time for bureaucracy? GOD DAMN SUPERS!" he hissed under his breath, not wanting anyone else in on the conversation. Without thinking, the veteran killer shoved the chemist off his stool, partially hoping the man split his head on the way down.

"Marco, the tablet if you could," Sinnerman muttered as he held his left hand out as his right wrapped around the unfinished drink. Taking another sip as the device was placed into his waiting hand, the crime kingpin began to scroll through the files of the supers that he had collected over the years.

"Who is she?" he asked as he searched for the answer himself. Noxus was glinting a malicious glare from the floor but quickly averted his gaze.

"N-nobody, she's a new name on the streets. Only made her debut last month."

"Well, I suppose that is a relief on your part. She won't be missed," he said as he came upon The Wraith's profile but squinted his eyes on the screen. For a new super she had accumulated quite the report with the public, though newbies tended to have some favorability. New faces were great and all, but the real key to keeping the public truly happy was minimizing collateral damage and this super had yet to break a shop window it seemed.

"You can't sell me!" the woman on stage cried out. "I'm a human being! You can't sell people!"

He felt sorry for her to be honest. She sounded young, and this pit of vipers would eat her alive. Depending on who bought her she'd likely be better off dead.

And also depending on who bought her, she would still end up dead. Just slower. More painful and the like.

"I'm rather surprised you didn't keep her for yourself," Buddy mumbled as he glanced over her abilities. "Shields and invisibility sound like something right up your alley…" he mused, though that power combo was a rarity. He knew another super with those exact abilities, didn't he?

"I wanted to make a good impression in your court, Sinnerman," Noxus replied, hoping to still earn the respect of the crime lord but he was too consumed by the report on the super.

There was no way she was active for only a month. She had accolades that were only awarded to the most seasoned supers. Medals, city keys, even Super of the Year for the state of California in 1974. Obviously, something wasn't right with this.

Looking up the awardee of California's Super of 1974 he dropped his glass as he saw the iconic Incredible's brand suit.

"Boss?" Marco inquired as Buddy turned to Noxus. The man was finally back on his feet though he was quickly on his knees again as he was shown the retired profile of Miss Incredible with the note of 'please see The Wraith' highlighted.

"What is the second most important rule we have here, Noxus?" he asked in a tone that was as sweet as the alcohol that was spilled on the floor. The other man began to shake.

"I'm sorry, Sinnerman, I didn't know," the man whimpered trying to grovel and kiss the silver-tinted boots of the crime lord but instead he got a kick to the head by the metal prosthetic foot.

"Some fucking scientist you are! Not doing your research before diving in and landing in my territory! The Incredibles are off-limits! That's my mark you piece of-"

He heard a cry from the daughter of Mr. Incredible and he cursed, kicking the scientist again. He was confident he broke a rib that time.

"I'm so sorry Sinnerman, I'm so sorry," the feeble man wept as Buddy waved his security team over to handle the trash in front of him.

He crouched down and seized the man's gaunt and pale face, squeezing hard as his eyes threatened to bore a hole in his head.

"Not yet you aren't. Not yet," he warned as he gave a nod to the pack of armed men that surrounded them. "Gentlemen, please escort Noxus here back to his lab and keep him company until I get there. I have personal matters to attend to."

Turning his back on the sobbing man who was being dragged away, Buddy surveyed the competition he was up against. He counted himself fortunate that Xerek hadn't shown up to this auction as he was the one person who could outbid him. The spawn of Mr. Incredible was even luckier for it as the old bastard would have likely sucked the life force out of her. Or held her hostage to gain the attention of Elastigirl.

It was just down to three bidders now. Queen Bee, Master-of-Disaster, and The Claw. Of them, Queen Bee was his biggest concern but in reality, he knew he had the entire room to deal with. This was his house, and to pull back the highest bidding item of the night would be a bad look for him. The fact that he was by proxy selling off one of his off-limit supers also didn't bode well for future meetings but that was a problem for another day.

First, he had to reclaim what was rightfully his, and he wasn't sure how to take it that the super was close to being worth 100 million.

He could afford to lose money, but he wasn't going to risk losing Mr. Incredible's daughter to a woman who would zombify her, nor to anyone else for that matter.

"Five hundred," he announced and he basked in the temporary silence, ignoring the confused faces of his peers and clients.

"F-five hundred million," the auctioneer stammered into the microphone before looking at the gathering. "Do I hear anything higher?"

Voices began to murmur, but none raised a hand nor the bid price.

"Going once…. Twice," the auctioneer murmured into the mic, just as confused as the rest of the room. With none daring to outbid the master of the house, the man on the right corner of the stage slammed the gavel. "Sold to Sinnerman, Master of the House. Sir, h-how would you like your prize prepared?"

Buddy caught the attention of his comrades. Looks of envy, disgust, hatred, and every shade of green in between were aimed at him. As people left the floor to return to their lives on the wrong side of the train tracks or to indulge in other services that his haunt provided, a clear path to the stage came into view and he watched as the raven-haired super got to her knees.

She was looking in his direction, but she didn't see him or anyone else for that matter.

He didn't think this through. How was he going to deal with this?

He could kill her. But where was the sport in that when someone else caught her?

He could keep her. That's what everyone was expecting of him anyway. But for what?

He did swear to steal away the child of his arch-nemesis, but it was the wrong one before him.

He'd have to decide what to do with her soon, not just because of the wrathful stares he was getting, but because he had a date with Noxus that he did not want to miss.

Licking his lips he looked to the waiting auctioneer and held back a sigh.

"Set her up in the blowtorch."

Violet didn't know what the hell the blowtorch meant, but she doubted it was anything good.

She kicked and screamed the whole way to whatever fucked up torture chamber this 'Sinnerman' had all the while wondering how long had villains been working together. If she could call it that.

People apparently were not happy with this 'Master of the House'. From what broken conversations she heard, the criminals were pissed about never really having a shot at owning a super.

"This is exactly something I'd expect out of that power-grabbing asshole-"

"Why bother putting her on display if he was just going to keep her anyway? Seems like a waste of money."

"It's a game to him. Everything is a game to Sinnerman."

If she was lucky, maybe the group of villains would tear each other apart before anything too bad happened to her. She wished she knew what time it was so she could start counting down the hours until her impending release, but she'd be damned if she was going to ask any one of these assholes for help.

She did want to ask for someone to remove this blindfold from her, however, she didn't want to draw any more attention to herself than what she was already given. But as annoying as these henchmen were, she wanted to take a good hard look at the faces she'd have to punch later.

"The blowtorch, eh? Little surprised the bossman is going out with a prize like this."

"He probably doesn't want to be interrupted in whatever it is he plans on doing to her. He must be still pissed about her foiling that counterfeit operation from Lucci Loot."

"Oh man, I forgot about Lucci! Weren't they a thing?"

"What, the boss and Lucci?"

"Yeah!"

"I mean, if I had a chance with that lady, I don't think I'd ever leave bed. The rack on that woman-"

Violet remembered bringing down Lucci Loot. It was one of her first big jobs when she tried to forge her own path. Breakaway from being Miss Incredible and be something more than 'daddy's little girl'.

The villainess Lucci Loot wasn't hard to track, she had flooded the market with near-perfect counterfeit bills. Bills so real that every now and then a few Benjamins would still be found in circulation that made her turn and see if Lucci was let loose. What was the dead giveaway for Lucci getting caught was her expensive taste.

Her thoughts on the woman and past crimes were turned to the present as she felt a meaty hand grab her ass.

"This twig has nothing on that dame," jested her molester.

"Don't fucking touch me," Violet warned bitterly, making both of the men laugh as their stroll came to an end after a final set of doors. The air felt colder here, cold enough to make her believe she was outside but the air was musty and stale. Were they in a dungeon? She didn't remember going down any steps and that last hallway didn't feel like it was that slanted.

"Not like there is anything to touch here, sweetie," sneered the other man.

"Oh don't say that, man. She could be hiding something worthwhile under that super suit."

Violet waited for another hand to assault her, unable to prevent whatever atrocity fell upon her in this awful place. She no longer wished to be able to see the world around her but being left in the dark made her temporary imprisonment that much more terrifying.

She felt a hallowed 'please' rot in her throat, knowing criminals would only pounce on anything that remotely seemed vulnerable. She wanted to make herself seem bigger, the way that her mother would grow in a heated debate, but what she truly wanted was to shield herself from the men and hide.

She heard the unmistakable sound of a body hitting the ground. She dropped enough bad guys to know the sound of flesh hitting the floor. The man who had touched her seethed out in pain and had begun to whimper.

"Sorry boss, I-"

Save it," snapped the voice of the ring leader. "Just know that I'll be docking your pay for touching what doesn't belong to you. Thank me for not taking more."

Violet heard the once brawny voice mumble a genuine and fearful thanks before she felt a rough hand take hold of her arm and she was dragged along by her momentary savior and captor. Thanking this Sinnerman was out of the question given that it was his fault she was here to begin with.

When her feet tapped against the beginning of a staircase, Violet quickly realized that they were not in a basement but an aircraft hanger, and she planted her feet into the ground. She didn't want to be moved to a second location. She knew that wherever this person was bringing her might be her final destination.

Her captor didn't even try to ask her to move. Instead, he turned her around and hauled her over his shoulder. It was mortifying and undignified to be treated like a sack of potatoes, but what the hell did this man need henchmen for if he could manhandle her himself so effortlessly?

He dropped her unceremoniously onto a cushioned seat and then the footsteps receded away. She sat still, trying to steady her breath. She assumed she was within a few hours' drive from Metroville, but in a plane? She could be in an entirely different country before her parents had their first cup of coffee. The tracking beacon would still reach her anywhere in the world, but the added distance would do her future rescuers no good.

"I don't know who you are or what you think you are doing but you're going to regret this! Do you hear me? You're going to pay for this, Sinnerman," Violet growled, and the response came back in an aggravated huff as she heard the door to the aircraft close.

"I already regret this, super." He said the title like it was a slur. "To date, you are the second most expensive mistake I have made in my life."

Violet managed to smirk. It seemed that maybe the handsy lackeys were on to something after all. Maybe this did have to do with Lucci Loot.

"Quite an elaborate show you put on. Kidnapping me, putting me on sale just to buy me back with whatever fake bills you have left from your girlfriend. It's a weird gesture but it's not going to break your lover out of prison!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about," the voice harked back, jarring Violet.

"I- isn't this revenge for Lucci Loot?"

Buddy paused at the name as he removed the cobalt blue pinstripe jacket and loosened his slate tie.

Lucci Loot. The woman whose work was as sloppy as her blowjobs. Sure, she made good money. Bills that even he might mistake for the real thing if he had a drink or two, but it was her greed that landed her in the slammer.

"Oh. Oh, that is rich. You really think I would do something for that tramp?" he mused as he turned his head over his shoulder and he settled into the cockpit. "You don't have a clue on who you are talking to right now, do you?"

He watched as the super's mouth dropped, clearly confused by his disinterest but she turned her head toward the window beside her and he wondered if she could see anything through that black mesh.

"There really is no honor among thieves, is there?" she asked, seeming distraught.

"Nope," he acknowledged as he set his eyes ahead again. He still didn't know what he was going to do to Noxus for nabbing the daughter of Mr. Incredible. Hell, he still wasn't sure what the hell he was going to do about her.

"That's sad."

"What is?"

"That you don't look out for your own."

Buddy clicked his tongue as he began the takeoff. No turbines in this jet. It was pure jet fuel and the name blowtorch was rather on the nose because once the thrust kicked in they were in the sky, burning up cool night air and leaving the recluse villainous retreat behind them.

There was a time when he believed in loyalty. That there were people out there who wouldn't sell you out at the drop of the hat, but loyalty was just as fickle as any other human bond.

He was thinking about Mirage of course.

When he had learned that she had not only allowed The Incredibles to escape and thwart his plans but also had a hand in giving access to his assets over to the NSA for surveillance he thought he could burn down the entire world if only to restrict her breath for a moment. But he had called it even when she had shown up on his doorstep with her newly minted NSA badge in hand.

She could have had him in cuffs and paraded out in the streets like one of those capes. She could have informed Mr. Incredible and company that he was still alive and mostly well. He could have put a bullet in her head, but neither of them fought beyond cruel words. They just came to a mutual understanding.

She'd stay out of his business and even cover his tracks (for a nominal fee) on the condition that anything he ran, anything he was a part of, didn't involve kids.

It seemed like the deal of the century at first. He really didn't think kids were on that jet Elastigirl flew in and he never really had an interest in killing kids. Kidnapping maybe, but he gladly gave up the pledge of nabbing Mr. Incredible's baby boy if he could rely on the services of Mirage again. But as he acquired more power he found himself having to police more and more of his own.

Severe penalties came to those who disobeyed what few rules he had, but when it came to this rule there were no second chances. He only had one colleague stray from the rest of the flock on the matter, Ms. Treat, and he only needed that one person to make an example out of. When he warned his people that so much as targeting a child were grounds for him to burn them out of the organization he didn't just mean it as an idiom.

He burned Ms. Treat alive halfway through one of his meetings to get the point across and until today he hadn't had an issue of anyone else stepping out of line.

"Loyalty, my dear, is overrated. Fear is a much more useful commodity. That, and money helps."

"Is that all that matters to you people? Power and money?"

"Money is power, so you could just say power to keep it simple. But other things do occupy my mind."

"Like what?"

"Revenge, and a little bit more."

Violet rolled her eyes underneath her blindfold. When she realized it was only her and this Sinnerman in the jet she had begun to try to slip her arms up in front of her. It wouldn't do much for her temporary power depletion, but she wouldn't feel as defenseless if she could use her hands.

And she would also get to take this blasted blindfold off too.

Her wrists were flush with her ankles when a powerful and calloused hand seized her face.

"You should quit while you're ahead, Miss Incredible."

She scoffed at the old moniker. Was there no escaping her father's shadow?

"Shouldn't you be flying the plane?" she asked as she readjusted to her original seated position and quickly figured she lost her shot at being comfortable as she heard the leather seat across from her take on weight.

"Autopilot will do just fine."

"What, taking me to some private island to hold captive? Been there, done that," she mumbled as she recalled the island that had started her already weird life to just become more bizarre. "And spoiler alert, it did not end up too well for that guy."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Some creep you probably never heard of. An idiot who tried to play super after killing some. He couldn't even defeat the stupid robot he invented."

"Is that so?" the man inquired, sounding more infuriated than interested.

"Yeah. My dad took care of him though. Threw a whole car at him for threatening to take my baby brother. I can only imagine what he's going to do to you when he comes for me."

"What makes you so sure that he'll come?"

"What time is it? Can I assume we are still within the same timezone as California?"

"It's just shy of midnight."

"Well in about eight hours from now my family will be expecting me for a family breakfast, and when I don't show up or pick up the phone they'll know something is wrong."

"I see."

"Yeah, and being that my suit is equipped with a tracking beacon you're going to have to hope that my mom has enough sense to loop the NSA into this before my dad gets a hold of you."

Buddy clenched his jaw so hard he damn well near chipped a tooth. Not only had Noxus been stupid enough to encroach on his territory but the bastard didn't even do the due diligence of sweeping the super of items that would link her to outside contacts.

Rising from his seat he moved back to the woman to examine her suit more closely. Purple and black. He wondered if she chose the colors herself, it'd be fitting with color theory. Her father wore blue back in the day, her mother in red. That made purple, but his eye was on the golden yellow wispy-looking ghost emblem that stood out on her chest. A creative way to recreate W for Wraith.

Edna Mode designed this suit alright, his forefinger hovered over the tip of the ghoul's head.

"Future reference, darlin'," he started as he let his finger connect with her suit and she went rigid underneath his touch. "Don't give strange men the excuse to perform a strip search," he said darkly as his finger traced the outline of the W.

She was holding her breath as he came down the curve of her breast. He had heard his men before and there was indeed something worth finding underneath this suit. He stopped as he felt the stiff stitch that hid the beacon, the base of the ghostly form that reminded him of the tittle Mr. Incredible had on his suit.

"Eight hours is a long time too…"

He was tempted to finish his tracing by going back up on the other side of the woman's chest. She was young, younger than him, but she wasn't a kid anymore keeping Mirage's one condition at bay. And that would be one way to get back at the man who had altered his life not once but twice.

Would that break the invincible man? Knowing that he could do nothing to protect his only daughter from the common horrors that average people faced. Forever having to remember that his little girl fell victim to his arch-nemesis. It was tempting. He had done far worse crimes to people, but seeing her mouth form a grim and trembling line, he backed off.

"Relax, super. I'm not interested in getting busy with you."

He watched as the tension left her chest, but signs of stress remained in her face and her shoulders.

"What are you going to do to me?"

That was the million-dollar question. Or more accurately the half a billion-dollar question. What in the hell was he going to do with her? He had wanted to find a suitable solution sooner rather than later but with the looming deadline attached to her, his mind was drawing blanks.

"I haven't decided yet," he answered honestly. "Do you have any suggestions for me?"

"You could let me go." There wasn't much optimism in her voice, but he didn't miss the dash of hope that hung in the air.

"That certainly is an option, though I don't think you'd appreciate being dropped off at forty-thousand feet," he mused with a wry grin.

Violet could hear the smugness in the man's voice.

"You know what I meant, asshole, and again, someone already beat you to that threat," she muttered as she shifted in her seat, wincing as her arms longed to hang at her sides naturally. "Where the hell are we going if you don't know what to do with me?"

"I like flying," the man replied, his voice sounding a little more thoughtful now as he moved away from her. She felt his steps drift towards the cockpit again but he stopped. "It helps me think… being high up puts things into perspective for me."

"Can't bear to see the damage you do up close and personal?"

"Maybe bringing you along was a mistake," he started again. "I can turn this jet back around and leave you with my men for the remaining time we have left if you so prefer."

Violet bit her tongue. She couldn't do a damn thing about her situation between her not having access to her powers and Sinnerman watching her like a hawk, but it beat being with his handsy men.

For the time being anyway.

"That's what I thought."

"What is your deal anyway?"

"Hmm?"

"You kidnap me, put me up for some fucked up auction, outbid everyone to show off how stupid rich you are, and now that you have me you just… don't know what to do with me?"

"I didn't kidnap you."

"Yes, you did!"

"No, I didn't. That was one of my associates who failed to run the job past me."

A strange silence filled the hull of the aircraft as Violet contemplated her next choice of words. She was already kidnapped, and what was the worst that could happen at this point?

"Are you telling me that I'm the byproduct of poor management?"

Oh, he could kill her for that. When she had insulted his past endeavors he let it slide because he agreed to an extent. Operation Kronos was in many ways idiotic. Even if he had succeeded in winning the day questions of the other supers might have arisen, investigations likely would have been done and truthfully there weren't many people in the world who could create what he did on a regular basis.

"If it's anybody's fault that you're here it's yours."

"HOW IS THIS MY FAULT?!"

"You're the one that fell into the trap that Noxus set up, plain and simple."

"But you just said that your henchman-"

"We are not that closely affiliated, and after tonight's blunder, I'm going to distance myself even further. By about six feet. Give or take."

"Whatever, fine, this Noxus guy kidnapped me, but you still had me up for auction like some sort of prized pig."

"Again, that was done without my approval."

"Well, why did you buy me then?!"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Christ, can we just go back to figuring out what I'm going to do with you?" Buddy grumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well if I knew why you saved me-"

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"The kissing up thing, stop it."

"Jeez, what is your deal?!"

"Look I don't want you thinking I'm some goddamn hero, alright. I'm not."

"You could have just let Queen Bee buy me, but you didn't, and I want to know why!"

Buddy was upon her again. His hands slapped against the armrests and he dug his nails into the leather as he leaned in closer to the restrained woman. "Because if anyone is going to be your family's undoing, it's going to be me, Miss Incredible."

He wanted to put fear into her system again, he wanted to make her understand that he was in control. He needed everyone to know that it was his way or no way, but all he did was aggravate the super.

"Oh for crying out loud, I'm not Miss Incredible anymore! It's Wraith, you psycho!" she snapped back before he seized her face again and chuckled.

"Don't want to be daddy's little girl anymore?"

"No, okay? Is it so wrong of me to want to be my own person? Whatever grudge you got against my dad you can take it up with him. I'll even help set a date for your stupid grudge match!"

Buddy was taken aback by the statement. Now there was an idea. He could lure Mr. Incredible to have a proper showdown- but was he ready for it? It had been some time since he had set foot on the battlefield, between keeping up with business demands and running a criminal empire he had regrettably let his original goal hit the back burner.

But she was willing to help him? No valiant speeches of protecting the ones she loved or accepting death before being the downfall of her allies. No, she instead was offering to put him in the same room as her father without knowing who he was or what he was capable of.

What gives?

Releasing her face he turned back to the cockpit and quickly punched in coordinates to fly to and he turned back to the woman again. "Why would you put your father in danger?"

Violet groaned.

"Trust me, buddy, you aren't capable of defeating my dad. Nobody can beat him in a fight, he's always right and anyone who opposes him is childish."

"That's not-! How do you-!… Wait…. Oh. Oh my god. Are you serious right now?"

Violet's face flushed red at the supercilious tone from her captor and he was in her face again. Laughing.

"You're mad at your old man!"

"Can you go back to your brooding, please?"

"Oh, that's adorable."

Violet turned her head down to hide her face behind her hair but her head was lifted again. This time the crime lord was gentle with the handling, raising her chin with a single finger. She was happy for the blindfold now. At least she didn't have to see whatever face the righteous asshole was making at her now.

He was close. So close she could smell his breath. There was a sour citrus air to it, and she caught a whiff of bourbon. God, she wanted a drink. She had earned one, hadn't she?

"What, did daddy not let you get a pony?" the criminal mocked.

"Jesus, you're insufferable," she muttered as she pulled away again."You can kill me now."

"Come on, Wraith, you're practically talking to the president of the anti-Mr. Incredible club. You can talk to me."

"No. I can't. I'm pissed with you too."

"Oh don't be like that."

"No, fuck you and your stupid evil-doer club! I shouldn't have been on that stage in the first place! I shouldn't have followed that cop's tip or gone to that abandoned warehouse- I should be sitting in my apartment with my boyfriend getting drunk on cheap wine right now. But no, I was kidnapped because of your weird obsession with my dad, who for whatever fucking reason thinks I'm killing his brand. Do you think I want to be Miss Incredible? I don't!"

"I mean, I get it, we are both invulnerable in our own ways. Me with my shields and him with his thick fucking skull, but I don't even want to be a super most days!"

"But you're good at it." He sounded stunned and all she could do was laugh.

"I'm also really good at brushing my teeth but you don't see me wanting to be a dentist! But that's not the point! I- fuck, what is the point?"

"Your father," Buddy murmured as he rested his chin on his fist, watching the woman unravel into madness to the point where he questioned if he had slipped her some sodium thiopental. Maybe that's what he could do with her. Get her to spill all of Mr. Incredible's secrets.

But it was beautiful. If he could bottle this moment, he'd drink it every night of his life. He didn't think there was anyone else out in the world who could match his wrath when it came to the topic of Mr. Incredible, but his daughter was capable of giving him a run for his money. Maybe not half a billion's worth, but it was worthwhile to see her lips contort in anger. Her fangs showed every now and then and even though she was restrained she seemed to talk with her entire body.

"Right- he- ugh! I don't mind doing super work- I really don't. And there are days that I love it, but he makes it seem like it's a way of life and not a job. Just because I have powers that shouldn't mean I have to use them, you know?"

He didn't know, but he understood where she was coming from in his own unique way.

"God forbid I should want something that doesn't align with his cookie-cutter super life! And- gah, the only fucking reason I went out tonight was because I had been looking up leads on his white whale."

"White whale?"

Buddy tensed. Had they found out that he walked away from the turbine and was thriving?

Well, that wasn't entirely true. He was doing well for himself all things considered but he hadn't walked so much as crawled and had been fortunate enough to have some of his men posted on standby for the unlikely but inevitable scenario of him getting hurt.

"Bomb Voyage," the super mumbled in response, and Buddy nearly blew a gasket at being outshined by the explosive clown but he kept his outrage bottled up.

"I thought that, if I got the villain he could never bring to justice he'd lay off my case, or at the very least I could hold it over his head. Like, how would he be able to tell me what I should and shouldn't do when I already proved that I'm better at the job than he is?"

"That's ingenious," he whispered. He was awed by her but more than that he was envious.

Why hadn't he thought of something so simple?

His grandiose scheme of defeating a giant robot for the world to see was all only conceived because he wanted to prove to a single man that powers weren't necessary to be super. But all he needed to do was capture a single thief? Could it really have been that easy?

Based on his vast knowledge of Mr. Incredible and his competitive nature, yes. Yes, it really was that simple.

He was surprised to hear her laugh. It was unhinged. He thought that maniacal laughing was part of his MO, not hers, but he watched the woman with growing interest. He was still going to kill Noxus for overstepping his bounds, but he was half considering thanking the man before he sent him on a long trip.

Violet laughed, not caring what the villain thought of her. Bitter tears were streaming down her face as she shook her head as the man walked away again.

"I was going to get that lead from Officer Haggerty, and then go meet my boyfriend at some fancy restaurant that neither of us can afford- and Jesus, he was probably going to propose to me," Violet said, shaking her head. "He'd get on one knee, and I'd say yes, and then I'd catch Bomb Voyage, and I could just be free from his expectations of me and do whatever I want."

"He's never even asked me what I wanted to do! He just assumed I'd join him full-time when I graduated high school. I had to fight him for weeks when I enrolled in college. The course load damn well killed me but it beat having to chase every petty crime that came up. 'Sorry dad, I can't be concerned with a heist today, I've got midterms to deal with.' But I don't have that excuse anymore, so can you guess what his response was when I said I wanted to get a regular job and go part-time?"

"What did he say?" her kidnapper asked.

"HE SAID I WAS BEING SELFISH! I didn't ask for these powers! I'm glad that he's fulfilled by doing hero work but I want more than this- this, getting caught up in evil schemes and defeating bad guys three times or more a week. Maybe I want to be able to take a road trip without worrying that the city will fall apart without me around. Maybe I want simple things like making it to the movies on time, or doing a daily commute. Maybe I want to settle down and have a family of my own! He says I can do that last part but that's easy for him to say, I was born in a time when super work was illegal!"

"But no. Instead of getting what I needed to show him up I got knocked out, pulled into your fucked up lair, nearly sold to a woman who enslaves people, felt up by some two-bit lackey, and now I'm probably going to die, and all I can think about is how my boyfriend is packing up my things in our apartment, believing that I stood him up for hero work yet again! There is no way this wasn't the final straw... So I guess there goes ten years down the drain. But again, I'm probably dead so that kills the relationship anyway."

Buddy raised an eyebrow as he popped the cork from the champagne bottle he pulled from the mini-fridge. At the very least this mental snap from the super was going to make cleaning up this mess much easier. And at most, the super was providing some mild entertainment.

His gaze went to the cockpit as they began to make their slow and steady descent. He pulled out two glasses but stopped realizing that his guest of honor wouldn't be able to hold a glass herself. Shrugging he poured a single glass and took the first sip before making his way back towards the emotional woman.

He held the fizzy drink to her lips but she turned her head away.

"What is this?"

"Call it an apology for ruining your night. Or congratulations on being a part of the singles club again. But if somebody deserves a drink tonight, it's you."

She seemed to consider the gesture briefly. "Is it poisoned? Is that how you're going to kill me?"

"Poison is a coward's tool, Wraith. Should I decide to kill you, I promise to not be so inconsiderate of your position."

The woman pursed her lips but nodded all the same before parting her lips.

Kneeling down, Buddy held the glass to her lips and angled the flute to match her lips. And like a champ, the stressed super guzzled the contents without so much as spilling a single drop.

She shook off the buzz that came with the drink and gave a wistful sigh. "I needed that. So, thanks, I guess."

"You're quite welcome, though I need to make a confession."

"God, you're not going to tell me that you're some mega fan of mine, are you? One of those stalkers that sends fan mail with fantasies that not even therapists should hear?"

Buddy smirked. He could have been classified as that without a doubt back in the day, but he had fallen off the bandwagon a while ago. "I preferred the supers of the Golden Age, though I suppose you could say I'm coming around to you. You're not at all what I expected."

"You know what my least favorite part about your kind is?"

"What?" Buddy asked as he began to fill the glass again.

"That you can be so charming," she said gently and he spilled a bit of the champagne over his hand. "I know it's all an act. Or maybe you all got your origin stories from working some shitty customer service job and in that case, I get it, but some of you... I almost think I could want to be friends with you and just, I don't know, grab a cup of coffee and pick your brain."

"Like 'hey, I saw you robbed a bank last week. What was up with that?' or just sit down and listen to some of you vent so you don't go postal or whatever."

"You could be one of us," Buddy tempted.

Wouldn't that be the ultimate revenge against Mr. Incredible? The woman had all but confessed her father's obsession of making her a staple hero. What if instead he took her under his wing, made her a bonafide supervillain? She was past the age of being a sidekick, but he could just call it an internship.

She laughed again, it wasn't as infectious as the other times, but it still put a smile on his face before he drank his helping of the champagne.

"No offense, or actually, all the offense, but I have no motivation to hurt people."

"Could have fooled me. I've seen you fight," the man replied gently. She could hear the fizz as he poured another drink and she suspected that the two of them were sharing the same glass now and it made her feel… odd.

It was bad enough that he was helping her drink but even she and Tony had never been so intimate to share the same cup. Sure, they'd offer sips of each other's drinks, but here was a complete stranger, a stranger who was likely as awful as they came, and her mouth traveled the same place his lips had.

"I fight to protect people," Violet said pointedly as she felt the rim of the glass to her lips again and she opened up, not wanting to get in a secondhand kiss if she could help it.

"You can protect people on this side of the aisle too."

Violet gagged at the thought and she did sputter some of the drink as well. Coughing, she whipped her head towards her captor and glared through the blindfold.

"What would you know about protecting people?"

"Not much, though there was a time where I aspired to be one of the good guys," he admitted. "Do you want more?"

"Are you going to kill me?"

"I still haven't decided."

"I may as well be drunk if this could be my last night on earth."

"That's the spirit, Wraith. And why Wraith? Why not something more… inviting?" he asked as he filled the flute up again. "That sort of name makes you sound like a proper villainess already."

"It's from a poem," Violet confessed, hoping her face wasn't flushing from embarrassment or drink. "Or, it's the title of a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay."

"Never heard of her."

"A lot of people haven't heard of her, but she was something else. She was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry."

"Can you tell me the poem? Do you have it memorized?"

"Listen, I know you evildoers have a thing for prose with your endless monologues and all, but I don't have the capacity to just recite things on the spot."

"Even things that gave you your name?" he taunted and she huffed before nudging the glass for a drink.

Again, she drank the contents without a hiccup and she sank deeper into the seat.

"I only remember the lines 'Thin as thread, with exquisite fingers' some bits about the ghost being like the rain, and 'Ever see her, any of you?—Strangest thing I've ever known,'."

"And did you feel like she was talking about you? In this poem?"

Violet was quiet for another moment, considering the question as the drink went to her head and the villain was pouring her another. "I… why do you want to know?"

"I'm just trying to kill time, super. I could get to killing other things though."

Violet scoffed and the bubbling drink came to her lips again. This time she only had only half of the glass before she began to protest and to her surprise the villain pulled the drink away.

"I thought I wanted to be the figure they were talking about, in the poem. But I think it wasn't about so much as being haunted by a ghost but nearing death. So no… I don't think she was talking about me, and I don't want to be seen in that light fully either. I don't want to be a bringer of death. I don't want to be death."

That thick and uncomfortable silence filled the aircraft again, but it was heavier this time. Violet was reminded of the last time she was on an aircraft. The time she was dropped some forty thousand feet out of the sky with the help of some missiles.

But now she didn't have her mom to shield her. She didn't even have her own shields to save her.

"I chose my name from a song," Buddy said suddenly, not wanting to dwell on the topic of death for too long. He tried the afterlife for a whole minute and twenty seconds according to his surgeon and he found that being dead didn't fit him too well.

"It's a good song," the spawn of Incredible responded softly. "But in the song, the sinner, he's running from judgment. Is that who you see yourself as? Or are you running from something else?"

"I don't run," Buddy replied grimly as he flexed his mechanical legs. Even when they were flesh and bone, he didn't run unless he absolutely had to. There was never any reason for him to be in a rush. Save for that one time. The time he lost his legs. "But I do enjoy a good escape. They make for better stories I think. Far better than ending a tale behind a set of bars or from-"

"Death?"

Buddy eyed the subdued woman carefully and nodded before turning around again. He downed the remaining bit of drink in the glass before setting it aside on the small conference table and he took hold of the tablet again and he sought out the information he needed.

Violet heard the man move away again. This time he had moved behind her and she recognized the sound of pen on paper. She shifted in her seat, attempting to pull the blindfold down by rubbing her head against the chair's headrest.

"You said you had a confession to make," she called, hoping to keep a conversation going as she tried to grant herself one small freedom.

"What?- Oh. Right," the criminal answered back as he tore a piece of paper and began to walk back towards her. Violet stopped her movements as she felt him pull her up from the seat.

"This is probably a bad time to tell you, but you weren't captured because you're an Incredible. Had you kept to being Miss Incredible, you likely would have made that dinner reservation tonight and I would have been deprived of your company."

"You're kidding," Violet bemoaned and she heard him chuckle.

"I'm as honest as they come, Wraith. But I've decided that I am indeed going to let you go."

She heard the door slide open and the sound of the jet's engines grew louder without the barrier. Against her best wishes to remain stoic she began to shake knowing that he was going to kill her after all, and she was only buzzed by the champagne. Her breaths came on more ragged as she felt her heart hammer away.

"You don't have to do this," she whispered and one of his hands came up to her face. He was holding her cheek in a manner that was almost comforting and it took everything within her to not lean into the hold.

"Would you prefer to stick around? I'm sure I could find a role for you. You'd really be showing up your old man then, and I promise that the benefits are better than whatever the NSA is offering. But this is a limited-time offer, Wraith."

Violet froze at the job opportunity.

She couldn't. Even to save her own skin, she couldn't do that to her family, to her friends- but they would understand wouldn't they? She could live to fight another day and maybe she could even take down the organization from the inside. Maybe-

"Time's up!"

His foot planted against her stomach and she was pushed out of the door.

She opened her mouth to scream, but she fell on her ass before she could expel the air from her lungs. She was alive. She was on solid ground, she could feel grass beneath her and she was alive. She was alive.

"Sorry to say that this is where we part ways, super. But we both clearly have better things to do than talk to each other all night," Buddy snickered as he watched the woman go through a series of emotions before her mouth was permanently stuck on confusion.

Stepping down from the aircraft that was hovering in place. Taking the few steps that separated him from her, he crouched down in front of the woman and tore the blindfold down so it hung around her neck.

Violet's eyes widened with shock as she came face to face with a ghost from her family's past.

"Syndrome?" she breathed. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Spoiler alert, Wraith, I'm not. But don't call me that anymore or else I may start a 'bring back Miss Incredible' campaign. It's been a real slice. And since I've been so generous to do a catch and release, my first and likely only one, I'm going to have to insist you stay out of my affairs."

Violet was so overcome with shock that she didn't feel him remove the binding bracers from her wrists until he was putting a piece of paper into her hand.

"Give your father my regards, Wraith," Buddy gibed as he rose to his full height and turned back to his aircraft. Stepping up into the open doorway he was stopped by a thin pinkish shield in his way. He had hoped that he had put enough drink in her to stop her from using her powers, but he was just thankful she was sober enough to not split him in two by accident.

"H-how? Why?" she called. Her voice sounded desperate.

"Which do you want to know more, Wraith?" he asked in return as he faced her again. "How am I alive, or why am I letting you live? You'll only get one answer out of me tonight."

Violet felt the urge to wick her draw mouth but she was still paralyzed by what her eyes were showing her. Syndrome was alive. He was alive. But so was she.

Dropping the shield she focused on his legs, primarily his feet. They looked like boots, but when he kicked her, it felt artificial.

"Hey, my eyes are up here!" Syndrome shouted and she forced her gaze up to meet the piercing blue and wrathful eyes.

"S-sorry," Violet murmured before she lowered her gaze to the ground again. "Can I pick a new question?"

"Depends," he shot back and Violet took a deep breath.

"You knew where my family lived, but never came for us. Why not?"

Buddy shifted his jaw at the question.

He had always intended on exacting his revenge. Other things just got in the way, and then before he knew it a decade had passed. But that wasn't a befitting response, was it? Sending his gaze to the mansion that he once owned, he folded his arms. It still stung that his sworn nemesis now called one of his bachelor pads home.

"I've just been waiting for the right opportunity, but it never showed. Though I guess I'll have to get the ball rolling on that once you run and tell daddy dearest, right?"

She clearly didn't like that answer. She furrowed her brow at him and clenched her fists.

As Violet closed her hands she paused at the sound of crumpling paper. Opening the hand that Syndrome had left the note in, she eyed the name Bomb Voyage and an address in New Orleans.

Her jaw dropped at the information and she turned her head to question the villain again but the jet was already careening back out into the night sky, leaving the super stranded in her super suit on her parent's front lawn.

How the hell was she going to explain this?

Buddy didn't know how he was going to explain this to his ilk.

Tossing the anti-power bracers onto the co-pilot seat, Buddy contemplated on the list of excuses he could go for. Supers got away every day from villains, why would it be such a shock that Wraith escaped from him?

Sighing heavily, Buddy leaned back in his seat and caressed his eyelids, mentally preparing himself for the headache that he was going to get from Mirage. He could keep his mouth shut and just wait for the blowback to happen, but in good conscience, he couldn't let his former partner in and out of the sheets be blind-sided by the bombshell waiting to happen.

Sitting up again, he set a new trajectory for the lair that Noxus occupied and rose up to get himself something stronger than champagne as the communication system pinged Mirage.

He had made bigger mistakes, but it'd be well worth it if Mr. Incredible was reminded that a fake mime with an affinity for explosives wasn't his worst enemy. His only real regret was that he wouldn't be able to see the look of shock on Mr. Incredible's face if (or most likely, when) his daughter did capture the retired Bomb Voyage.

Settling into a chair at the conference table, Buddy scribbled a small reminder on the notepad before him.

Read up on Edna St. Vincent Mallay.

Should he ever cross paths with Wraith again, he wanted to be prepared with a tailored speech. Just for her.