The Eighth Wonder was every bit as impressive as Buddy believed it to be. While most thought that building a structure in the thermosphere was the pinnacle of man's mastery over the earth, being able to construct a base at the bottom of the sea was a far better feat in his opinion. Where there was a lack of air and gravity in space, the depths that they were currently sitting at provided nothing but pressure.
He was never one for gravity to begin with, but if his math was right, there was close to 6,000 pounds of pressure stacked up against every nearly every inch of the place. The Eighth Wonder could withstand it with no issues thanks to its bones being built with graphene.
And suddenly the inflated prices on his favorite material over the last decade made sense for the recovering villain.
"The heart of The Eighth Wonder truly is the heart of the base," the colonel reported in the elevator ride down. "Floors 31 through 34 serve multiple purposes, all of them specifically for rest and recreation. Dining and entertainment centers are housed there, but nothing beats the view."
The doors opened again and the group was introduced to the sight of the deep blue sea. Rather than a spiral hall filled with endless doors, the floor was open and replaced the gray walls for glass windows, but Buddy knew it was no ordinary glass.
"Oh, that's beautiful," Helen whispered as she stepped out of the elevator, her husband, and Rick following behind her as Violet stayed back, gripping the handles on Buddy's wheelchair.
She didn't want to admit it but it was a sight to see.
"Look at the fishes, Lillian shouted as she struggled in Buddy's hold. Not wanting to restrain the child any longer, he released his hold and the three adults watched as she raced ahead of Violet's parents, Helen picking her up as they ran by.
"How was she while we were out?" Violet asked looking to the colonel who had his sights set on the child as well.
"Winston had her the entire time, so I assume she was fine."
"Well, I gotta ask, how do you keep the lights on in this place?" Buddy asked as he set his eyes on Violet, recalling her comments that the facility's existence must have impacted the funding of other government entities.
"Oh, we copied Nomansia for that dilemma as well, Dr. Pine. The Eighth Wonder sits on top of an active underwater volcano, all our power needs are taken care of through that."
"I fucking knew it," Buddy breathed with a grin as the elevator doors closed automatically on them again and the colonel pressed the button for the 41st floor.
"What about my parents?"
"I believe that Dr. Pine would like to have some sanctuary for a bit, don't you?" the colonel asked.
She frowned, but she didn't disagree there. It would be nice if there was a space she could leave him without worry of her father strangling him the second she turned her back.
The doors opened again and they exited, Violet following the base commander down the circular hall several doors down until they landed before the technology lab. So far it was the first room they had come across that required a card to enter.
"Don't worry, access cards have already been made for you both and are waiting for you inside," Colonel Griffin stated as he tapped his own card against the sensor and the doors slid into the walls, revealing the lab.
It was larger than Buddy's underground lab at the mansion, but what really set the pair back was the occupants. Technicians with blood and minds of their own rather than the lifeless machines that labored by command.
"I'm supposed to share the room with these people?" Buddy asked in disappointment and the commander chuckled.
"Well, if I have my way, you'll be the lead engineer for The Eighth Wonder, but I'd like you to assume that role before my appeal to have your sentence commuted to this facility goes through. So if anything at all, it'll be my men sharing the room with you."
Buddy paused at the statement before turning his head to the colonel. "Lead Engineer, huh? Does that mean they'll have to report to me?"
"That is what the term 'Lead' implies, yes, Dr. Pine."
"So they are my minions? I have minions again?" Buddy asked with rising excitement for the workstation.
"I'm fairly certain that they would call themselves assistants," the military leader corrected but Buddy was waving his hand back as he got up from the chair.
"Meh, same thing," he threw back as he made his way into the lab doing well to keep his weight off of his bad leg. "Hey, you with the goggles! Yes, you. Come here, I need you to gather some materials for me."
Violet shook her head at the chauvinistic display and she attempted to make her way after the semi-mad scientist when she was stopped by the hand of Colonel Griffin.
"Why not let the man get used to his natural environment on his own? I assure you he's in good company. And between you and me, you look like you could use a little R and R yourself."
Violet stared at the commander with distrust. It was one thing to block off her powers, but things never panned out well when they were apart.
"What's your deal?"
"Pardon?"
"You've been fawning over him harder than a groupie with a boy band. Why are you so invested in him?"
"I thought you would appreciate someone else being in Dr. Pine's corner."
"Nobody likes him."
"You do, according to the news anyway."
"They're also saying I'm touched in the head so I'll ask again, what's your deal?"
"I'm simply a fan of Dr. Pine's work."
"Dr. Pine's work, or Syndrome's?" Violet asked as she flashed the metal cuff he had placed on her.
The commander gave her a sympathetic sigh. "I can understand your frustration with your current predicament, but we're on the same side and I hope that we could be friends, or at the very least on friendly terms."
"Weird, do you gatekeep all of your friends?" Violet asked as she watched Buddy stoically hobble about the lab, assigning new tasks to the unsuspecting technicians. Not even five minutes into a position of power and he was already abusing it. She tensed at the sensation of a hand on her shoulder.
"Violet, you don't have to worry. You have no enemies here," the man said and Violet tisked. Her rosy glasses had been broken one too many times to believe anywhere was truly safe for Buddy. In a few weeks this place was going to be crawling with supers, and while her mom was going to be assisting in the selection process it was a fool's wish to think those chosen to protect the world wouldn't want to take a shot at a man who had turned killing supers into a science.
And she'd be powerless to stop anyone if an attempt was made.
"I'll be on the observation deck unless my presence is a problem."
The colonel had no objection nor comment to make. He pressed the button for the 31st floor.
…
Violet was sitting on the floor of the observation deck when Buddy found her several hours later. She was pressed against the thick glass with a support beam to her back and one very tuckered out Lillian in her lap.
"I was wondering where you ran off to," Buddy called as he approached her.
Violet smiled hearing his voice, but clamped her mouth shut, suppressing the urge to laugh at the sight of her betrothed. He was still in the light blue tracksuit with the cast on his right arm, the only new addition to his look was a cane. An unrefined snort emitted from her, stopping the man in his tracks.
"What?"
"You look like a cheap pimp," Violet replied as she nodded to the cane.
"Yeah, yeah, hardy hard har, Parr," Buddy returned as he ventured closer. "I'm a fan of multipurpose tools, what can I say? I'm just glad that Capstone prick took out my right knee and not the left, otherwise, I would be wheelchair-bound for a while longer."
Violet didn't even have to ask what he meant by multipurpose. Nearly everything he made had more than one function to it. "What did you put in that thing?"
"Oh, you know, the usual gadgets and tech. Zero Point Energy, an identity reader, put in a decent zapper in it too if only to keep some over-eager sups at bay," he said with a shrug as he finally made it to the support beam and leaned against it, his eyes scanning the ocean for any signs of life, though he was most interested in seeing how old Sea King had become as he was another big name back in the day, bigger than Mr. Incredible. Even with the return of the supers, the water breather seemed to prefer to keep to the company of fish rather than his own kind.
"Is that what you went gaga for in the lab?" Violet asked.
"Hmm? Oh, no, this was just to pass the time by," he said with a shrug. "I was a little surprised you left me to my own devices actually."
"I didn't have much of a choice," Violet said as she turned her gaze back to the sleeping Lillian in her arms. "Your sugar daddy wanted me out of your hair."
He smirked at the jealous streak she was having but wasn't going to fan that flame anytime soon. Especially with that damn device of his on her wrist once again.
"So what else did you make?"
"Nothing, unfortunately. The lab is in sore need of restocking, and by restocking I mean a complete overhaul on equipment. There isn't much for me to work my magic with but I did get some rough drafts down though. Just a shame I couldn't have my lab shipped here."
"What are you scheming up?" she asked, bringing her attention to him once more with a critical gaze. The distrustful look vanished the instant he gently tapped her nose with a forefinger.
"It wouldn't be a scheme if I told you, would it? But I assure you, it's well worth my time. Have you eaten anything?"
Violet blinked in surprise at the playful and tenderness of the moment. The way his icy blue pools shined, the sting of freckles that really came to the surface when he smiled. She wished she could introduce this version of him to the world. Not the villain or the eccentric millionaire, but the subtly sweet clown that stood before her. The guy who got knocked down nine times but stood up ten. Her face flushed enough for him to notice and she rested her head back against the beam.
"I should be asking you that, but yes, I ate."
"Any recommendations for me, Parr?"
"Not the eggs," Violet said with a glum tone as Lillian shifted in her arms, still asleep but in the early stages of waking. "Just a heads up though, my brothers will be around for a few days starting tomorrow."
Buddy released a hollow scoff. The whole damn Parr clan under one roof again, that usually spelled trouble for him. A potential clobbering from her old man, constant nerve-ending stares from her mother, snark from Dash, and never-ending questions from the baby of the family.
"And to what do we owe the family reunion for?"
"I think that my mom wanted to cheer me up," she said as she showed off the bracelet that had at one point in time had been his greatest achievement, but now it was going to be the bane of his existence. Or at least until they could relocate which he would do when the first opportunity opened up. He wasn't going to deny that he enjoyed what The Eighth Wonder had to offer, but he was not happy with Violet being locked up underneath someone else's orders. Even more so with his name on the cuffs.
His attention was suddenly diverted by the approach of Mirage and Winston. They walked hand in hand. Winston was talking about something to do with the facility but she was only vaguely paying attention. She had her eyes locked on him was looking at him. It had been a long time since he saw her look at him like that.
Like she wasn't going to gut him on the spot. And that just made him worry that she was actually going to end him even more. Buddy swallowed as the woman left the executive's side and marched towards them, the sound of her heels clicking against the floor echoed and rung the child from her nap.
Buddy raised his hands in defense attempting to find some string of words to get the woman to stop her death march towards him, but he was too late. The deadly Italian-Russian vixen, his former partner, betrayer, and current handler was hugging him. It wasn't enough to knock him off of his feet, but it most certainly caught him off guard.
"Thank you," she whispered, further confusing the man.
"For what?"
Mirage released her hold in him and slowly backed off, those green eyes of hers that led so many giants to their graves pulled him into a trance where he almost forgot he was a promised man to another. She smiled, tucking a strand of her platinum behind an ear as she did.
"For gambling your life to save mine, and a few others," she said simply.
Buddy stared at her, dumbfounded yet again as she walked away from him and back to the arms of Winston who gave an appreciative nod his way.
He hesitated on breathing until the pair were tucking themselves into an elevator and even then he wasn't sure if he wanted to ask, but he had to. Since the day she found out he wasn't dead she seemed almost hell-bent on making his life miserable, and now out of the blue, she was thanking him?
"What the hell was that?"
Violet smiled as she got off the floor, Lillian standing at her side with tired eyes.
"Pretty sure that was gratitude," Violet said as she got to her feet, not oblivious to the chemistry that still lingered between the pair.
"Well, I don't like it," he lied and eyed Violet to see her frustration flair. Grinning with satisfaction he shrugged and placed his weight onto his cane. "I'd much prefer gratitude in the form of payment. Or better yet, food, because right now I am starving."
Rolling her eyes, Violet picked up Lillian again and tilted her head slightly. "Let's get you something to eat then before you decide to turn to the dark side again."
…
The next day Violet felt no better about The Eighth Wonder, but she did feel better seeing her brothers and Lucius as well. It was a temporary visit for them, and Violet was envious of their ability to leave. It stood to reason she could leave as well as her mother offered her old bedroom once again but she wasn't going to let Lillian or Buddy be out of reach.
It felt odd being in a semi-public space with them without their suits, but a lot of things were odd now. She, Violet Parr, was dead according to the census, Dash's alter ego was famous not only for his speed but cameo rolls on screen and an advertisement for athletic wear, Jack-Jack was the definition of odd even before his powers came into question, and to top it all off was her being romantically entangled with their first real foe, Syndrome.
Life was always weird for them though, but some oddities were universal when it came to family.
Violet stood at the height of five feet and six inches on a good day, and that height had remained since the age of 15. Jack-Jack was nearing that marker in his life and he had already succeeded in passing her height and was looking to surpass Dash's height who was just shy of six feet.
The eldest of the siblings had grown up to become the little sister.
"Don't you have school?" Violet asked at the rounded cafeteria table.
"Yeah, I told the school there was a family emergency. Mrs. Mullen was the only teacher to send me with a packet for makeup work," the young man muttered as he pushed his peas around.
"Jeez, that old crone is still teaching?" Dash asked as he leaned over his tray. "I think that woman feeds off of the misery she brings. Maybe she's a super villain!"
"She's not that bad," Violet quickly defended but Dash smirked.
"Says the girl who's dating a bad guy," Dash chided.
Violet's face flushed red from the statement but said nothing as she stabbed at her plate, attempting to pierce a brussel sprout. Seeing that he had won a round with his sister. Dash looked for his next target and who better to strike than Syndrome?
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Shoot," Buddy challenged as he waited for the battle of wits to begin.
"I can't help but notice your hair is getting pretty long there," Dash said as he pointed to the fiery locks of hair that threatened to drape the very top of his shoulders.
"Are you telling me I should get a haircut?"
"I'm asking how you used to style it," Dash replied as he motioned his hands above his head, making a flame gesture with them. "Or did you lose that ridiculous get up to seduce my sister?"
"Oh," Buddy stated as he slumped in his seat. Of all the things he could have been embarrassed by his old hairstyle was a point that he was particularly touchy on. At least he wasn't interrogated on his one and only day as IncrediBoy. He turned his attention to Violet who was looking at him with a curious expression, her deep blue eyes dragging him into his next mistake.
Sighing deeply, he raised a finger to silently ask for a moment to demonstrate. He cleared the metal tray before him of the plates and handed the tray to Violet. "Hold this, please."
She obliged, equally eager to learn the secret of the trade as Buddy treated the piece of reflective metal as a makeshift mirror. With his good hand, he lifted the cane above his head as the other hand combed up a bundle of his hair. Tapping the button that triggered the Zero Point Energy ray only for a split second, but his hair continued to stand on end. He repeated the process until his mane stood tall, only a few inches short from its former glory.
The Parr siblings all watched the demonstration in awe and amusement. Seeing the man temporarily reclaim the iconic hairdo, all of them did their best to contain their laughter but it was Lillian who broke first.
"You look so crazy!" the child blurted out, pointing her finger at her temporary guardian.
Buddy furrowed his brow but softened as Violet, Jack-Jack, and Dash began to laugh as well. Violet's arms wrapped around his tightly and she rested her head against him. He couldn't help but join in the laughter as well, unaware of the attention they were receiving from the far side of the cafeteria.
Bob watched with a building fury as Syndrome began to fashion Jack-Jack's auburn hair into the same spiked crown that he wore as well.
"That bastard really is going to steal all my children, isn't he?" he asked, his fists balled up as tight as he could get them, wishing he had aimed a little better with that car. Lucius sat beside him and just shook his head at the display.
"You know, watching that dork, it's almost hard to believe that he killed how many sups?" Frozone stated as shifted his eyes back to his best friend. "Harder still that Violet fell for the nerd."
Bob turned his hateful stare from the man who had terrorized his family and over to his best friend.
"He isn't some sophomore dweeb, he's a killer!"
"Yes, obviously the guy is responsible for the deaths of our friends," Lucius said as he made another ice cube for his glass of sweet tea. "Although, technically his robots did the work for him."
"Are you giving him a free pass?!"
"I didn't say that. He's still a sociopath in my book, don't you worry. But you can't tell me that the dude looks like a straight sap right now."
"He should be buried in a wooden box, or better yet a pile of ash," Bob muttered in frustration and Lucius rolled his eyes.
"This is the one that followed you around like some lost pup back in the day, right? That ultra fanboy that dropped in on you and Bomb V? Incredi-lad or whatever?"
"The very same. Why does that matter?"
"Because Bob, while you are giving him the stink eye, I'm looking at where his eyes are at. He's still got those puppy eyes, but they aren't on you anymore. And I don't know about you, but I would way rather have that guy on our team building odd tech for us rather than making murder bots to hunt us with."
Robert Parr was taken aback by the comment. Turning his head back towards the table that housed Syndrome and his kids, he took in the sight of the villain that had ended so many of his friends. It didn't seem right for someone who had caused so much death to have such a joyful expression. He watched as the monster turned to his only daughter and began to play with her hair.
And he realized that he had not seen Violet look that happy in years. Not since before Tony died at the very least. She laughed out loud as Syndrome managed to make a few of her strands of hair stand on end, and while she pushed his hands away it was clear she was having a good time. She smiled with her entire body.
Suddenly Violet's eyes were on him and Bob swallowed as he straightened in his seat, unsure what expression he had on his face when she looked his way, but her smile remained and she offered a wave. He and Lucius gave a wave back and Lucius could only chuckle.
"Your kids are great, albeit a bit weird, but just be thankful that you won't be able to get any super-murder ginger grandkids, right?"
Bob sighed as he put his hand back down and shrugged. He hadn't even considered the grandkids aspect as Jack-Jack was still in the house, but it was a relief that Buddy's bloodline would die with him and not soil his more than he already had.
He still wasn't keen on accepting the engagement, and he definitely wasn't convinced that the bastard was just in the relationship for his daughter's affection.
….
Buddy breathed a sigh of relief in the tech lab as the last assistant retired for the day. He forgot how tiring having people around all the time could be, but he couldn't deny the efficiency that people had over his simple robots. Someday soon there would be artificial intelligence that could form some rational thought.
Who knew, maybe he'd be the father of such creations.
With a pen in his mouth and his eyes on his blueprints, his left hand scratched at his scalp as he tried to find any errors or shortcomings with the design in front of him. His hair still standing up from his demonstration with the Parr siblings, though he was not going to make a habit of bringing this look back. Buddy didn't even look up to see who had entered the lab. It was a secure location after all, why should he expect anyone other than the colonel, Violet or one of his underlings to be let in?
"You know, it really is amazing what an autograph can buy you these days," came the voice of Mr. Incredible.
The pen in his mouth dropped to the table but Buddy did dare to turn his head as he heard his nemesis approached.
"Is that how you started your evil business? Sold off all those scraps of paper I signed when you were a kid to make a quick buck?"
Buddy clicked his jaw at the question. His once prized Mr. Incredible collection had indeed been sold off, but it was his father who took advantage of the loss of his childhood hero to pay an overdue bar tab. He did however like the idea of his venture starting from Mr. Incredible's own signature.
"Why? Are you looking for a cut of the profit, or would you prefer to take some credit for the supers I killed?" he asked as he turned his head to meet Robert's glaring eyes.
"Why you little-"
As the hero lurched forward Buddy took up his cane and fired a preemptive shock of electricity at the could-be attacker who fell to the floor with a thud. It was only a warning shot, a light buzz to the likes of Mr. Incredible, but it still hurt.
"You mother fucker," the super growled as he got back to his feet but moved no further with Buddy waving the cane back and forth.
"Correction! That's daughter fucker to you. Now if you don't mind, I've got work to do so if you could leave behind that access card and see your way out, I really would appreciate it. Unless of course, you are looking for a rematch- because if that's the case, well I've got to say… I know you are long past your prime, but this handicap of yours is pretty ridiculous," he said as he gestured to his injuries.
"What is your goal here, Syndrome?" Robert Parr asked, ignoring the banter though he'd be burning over the daughter fucker comment for years to come.
"As I said before, I just want to get some work done here."
"What are your intentions with my daughter? Why are you using her for your dirty deeds?"
Buddy bit his tongue, refraining from saying something that would ultimately come back to bite him in the ass with the woman in question. "I don't know what you mean."
"Don't play stupid with me! I know you're up to something! You used Violet to kill those supers because you couldn't do it yourself!"
Buddy paused at the accusation. This wasn't the direction he thought the conversation would go, but hell, he'd bite.
"You're more concerned about some random supers over your daughter?" Before his enemy could retort to the question Buddy was already turning his back on the conversation but still remained engaged. "I asked her not to do it."
"Bullshit. And I am worried about her."
"Fine, don't believe me! I understand, but you and I both know that I am the least of her worries now. Don't we?"
It was true. When Violet's abilities were only seen useful for stealth missions and defense she hardly came up as a threat. Now? There were folks justifying the NSA's actions of putting supers down. They weren't brazen enough to say it in so many words, but the video of her imploding four significantly powerful people at once was still circulating.
"Is this a super we can trust to protect the public?" the chief expert on super psychology asked on the air. "She has aligned herself with an unstable narcissist. A man who had killed numerous supers just to play like one. How can we trust that she'll remain in check herself?"
"She was fine before you came along," Robert growled. Buddy just shook his head, the fiery hair that stood on end waving with him.
"I'm sure Dicker brought you up to speed on her history of popping folks like pimples, right? She didn't learn that from me. She's a natural killer, guess that's why we go so well together."
Buddy turned his head over his shoulder just in time to catch the man going slack-jawed. He smirked knowingly, infuriating the super more.
"You shut your mouth- she is nothing like you! And understand this, Syndrome, you are not marrying my daughter."
Buddy couldn't help but widen his grin. They were right back on track. His eyes moved to the clock on the wall as he was expecting Violet to walk in any minute now with Lillian and her brothers in tow. Setting his trap by placing the cane back aside, he took a seat at the edge of the work table, staring head-on at his future father-in-law.
"Well, Mr. Inaccurate, that's the real benefit to WatchDog being unveiled. Now the whole world knows the existence of Invisigirl, and the media is already talking about us being an item."
"They are just blowing smoke-"
"And thanks to your blunder the other day, folks are really invested in us," he said as he inspected his fingernails. "Sure, some are saying I hypnotized her or whatever, but others are calling us a modern-day Romeo and Juliet. Star-crossed lovers, if you will."
"You're using her. Nothing but a monster lying in wait."
"And boy, I am almost tempted to propose to her a second time. If only there was some big televised event going on in the near future that I could share that moment with the entire world. Like a certain press conference... Just to really seal the deal, you know?"
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Oh, but wouldn't I?" Buddy asked as he rested his hands on the table again. "Violet and I are going to be the talk of the world. I bet we could even outshine a royal wedding. Gosh, I wonder if we could get those ridiculous tea plates too. That would be nice, right?"
The clock struck 5:30 and Buddy knew if he didn't get his nemesis to strike now he wouldn't get to win over the rest of the Parr clan in a single fell swoop.
"You aren't marrying her, Syndrome."
Buddy licked his lips as he stepped away from the table, his cane that was propped up against it fell and clattered against the tile floor, but he ignored it. He designed the situation to go this way and his eyes locked with the man he once idolized.
"I'm not sure what I'm going to enjoy most about being a part of the Incredible family. Violet is the prize of it all, of course, but I'm just tickled that I'll be in my right to call you dad."
That was the final straw for Robert Parr. He rushed forward again and grabbed Buddy by the collar of his black and white tracksuit with one hand and cranked the other back, fully intending on knocking the man across the room if not into next week. He tried to find something witty to say but the smug look on Buddy's face was pissing him off to the point he couldn't think straight.
He just wanted the man out of his life for good.
The doors to the lab opened and to Buddy's disappointment, the crusader of good still had rapid reflexes. Before he knew what hit him, Buddy found himself seated in the rolling seat once more with a convincingly interested Robert Parr leaning over his blueprints as Lillian, Violet, her brothers, and the uninvited matriarch of the family entered the lab.
"Could you explain what that do-hickey does again- Oh! Hey honey! Kids. Buddy here was just explaining this new gadget to me, weren't you?"
Buddy tongued at his tooth implant as he met the eyes of a triumphant briefly until he mustered a haphazard chuckle from his throat.
"Yeah. That's right, but this is supposed to be a surprise."
"What?! Is it a laser for me?!" Dash asked as he zipped to the table and stole the plans off the table. Examining the blueprints from the table, Dash quickly figured that it was not in fact a laser. "What the hell is this supposed to be? A backpack? Oh! Is it a jetpack?!"
"As I said, it's a surprise," Buddy growled as he took the plan back and rolled it up into a scroll before looking back to the doorway as Violet, Jack-Jack, and Lillian made their way to his position. "But there is something else I want to show you," he said as he turned back to the work table and opened up a drawer to pull out more blueprints and he handed them out like holiday cards to the two Parr boys.
"The supplies I asked for should arrive before the week is out- I was hoping I'd be able to get to the prototype phase before they sent you two back stateside but just be on the lookout for packages in the coming weeks, alright?"
Jack-Jack stared at his sheet blankly, unsure what he was even looking as but Dash began to vibrate where he stood. They were drafts of a voice controlled drone, but his eyes were locked on a single word.
"Oh my god, does this thing come with a laser?! YEAH! Finally! That evil boyfriend of yours is good for something after all," Dash poked as Buddy quickly jotted a note on a scrap of paper. He handed a slip to Helen who raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not in need of anything," she stated in a tone that Buddy translated to 'I can't be bought'. Her days of hero work were behind her, officially. She just donned the uniform from time to time to inspire the next generation.
"Well, that's a relief because I've got nothing to give you at the moment either."
"Then what's this?" Helen asked as she took the paper from his hand and opened it to read a simple IOU with a doddle of an aircraft and a frowny face.
"Me trying," he said simply before turning his attention to Lillian who was patiently waiting for her gift, but he was empty-handed, save for the secret he kept.
"The surprise is for you. Can you wait for it to be finished or do you want to see the drawing?" Buddy asked as he offered the blue scroll to her.
The child bit her lip in quiet contemplation but she ultimately shook her head. "I can wait," she whispered and Buddy nodded before storing the plans away for the day. Buddy's eyes shifted to Mr. Incredible who looked as though he was trying to calculate a rather difficult math problem.
Syndrome couldn't do nice things, not without ulterior motives.
"Sorry, I'm afraid I didn't make anything for you this time around, Pops. Maybe next time," Buddy jibed before Violet took hold of his hand. The pair missed the twitch of Mr. Incredible's eye, far too rapt by each other's gaze.
"Do you bear any gifts for me?" she teased and he feigned a look of shock.
"Am I alone not enough for you, Violet?"
The woman rolled her eyes and before she could repay the snark he pulled her into a kiss, the younger audience members all making sounds of disgust at the display. Violet's father had to turn away from the image of the two.
"Does that count?" he asked and Violet laughed, shaking her head.
"No, that doesn't count you jerk!" she said as she tried to wriggle out of his hold but he held her still, planting kisses onto her puffed up cheeks before letting her go so he could retrieve his cane from the floor but Helen already had it in hand for him.
He took his crutch from her hand gingerly, doing his best to keep eye contact with the woman. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it, though you don't owe me a jet. I borrowed that from a friend of mine who passed away a few years back."
"Oh. So no jet then?"
"No jet. But I'm sure you can repay me in another way down the road."
Buddy nodded thoughtfully at the order before taking hold of the blueprint that Jack-Jack was still trying to decipher.
"It's a pocket encyclopedia."
Jack-Jack examined the paper again before shaking his head. "We got those books at home, you know."
"Oh, I am well acquainted with your home, kid. No, your gift is actually a gift for society. If you got a question you just type it in and it'll spit out an answer," Buddy stated as he leaned in closer. "I think it'll come real handy come finals season."
Violet heard the suggestion and stomped her foot to the floor.
"Buddy!"
"What?! If you're not cheating you're not trying," he jested as he stepped towards the exit. "Now we better get a move on- pretty sure chow ends soon and I do not want to get stuck with the options of just burgers and fries for the night."
…
Violet drummed her fingernails over the white metal bracelet as she scanned over the intelligence reports on Hyperion. The company was centrally located in Boston, but they had affiliate offices all around the globe. London, Hong Kong, Delhi, Moscow, Cairo. There was no evidence of foul play, but if things were as bad as they suspected it was safe to assume that no super was out of reach.
Lifting her head up from the seemingly endless white papers, Violet laid her eyes on what progress Buddy had on his current project. Lillian sat beside him as he tinkered with parts, asking questions every now and then.
"What's that thing?"
"An energy converter."
"What does it do?"
"Converts energy."
"How?"
"Jeez, did you steal Jack-Jack's power of being a nuisance? I'll have to tack on an additional pocket encyclopedia at this rate! But sure, let me try to break this down for you," he said as he placed his hair into a short ponytail.
A week had come and gone for them in The Eighth Wonder. Jack-Jack and Lucius were back in Metroville, Dash was running around to cool off some of the super heat and to try to convince the public that the NSA had changed its ways rather recently while Winston, Mirage and her mother were out interviewing supers to be a part of whatever this club was going to be called.
The Wonders of the World? The Legion of Hope? The Super Friends? God, everything that was pitched just sounded so tacky.
Bringing her attention back to Buddy, her mind began to wheel in questions she never bothered asking him. She never in a hundred years would have thought to ask how he did his hair back in the day, but there were other things that were left to her imagination. How did he gain back his wealth, how did he manage to make a new identity? How did his alter-alter ego get security certifications through? Things of that nature had to be done in person, surely. Right?
"You okay there, Parr?" Buddy asked, bringing her back to the present. Looking up she offered a singular nod.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
To Buddy Pine, Violet Parr had many wonderful qualities, but the fine art of telling a good lie was something that would likely elude her forever.
"What's going on in that head of yours?" he asked as he spun his stool around to face her. "Come on, I haven't heard you say one bad thing about this place since you tried the eggs- what's the dealio?"
"How did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Come back? You created a whole new life for yourself. An entire empire actually," Violet said as she rose from her seat.
"The NSA made new lives for your family once or twice, right? It's no different than that," Buddy said with a shrug though he was trying to figure if there were enough parts to make a third pocket encyclopedia.
"Well yeah, but they had people do that for me, I was just a kid. But didn't you have to submit forms to government offices, do face-to-face interviews, submit fingerprints, and whatnot?"
"With enough money, you can pay folks to do stuff like that for you, to look the other way- although invisibility would have made things waaaay easier for me," he said with a laugh. "Had a few close calls with nosy clerks, but nobody really questions what you're doing when you act tired, look pissed, walk fast, and have a cup of coffee in hand."
Violet expected the money comment. Everything came down to tender for him, but she could see him walking down public offices with that exact look. Hell, she had seen it first hand. Maybe it wasn't her WatchDog get-up that cleared the halls of the NSA in the past but one very perturbed Buddy Pine.
"That's it?"
"Pretty much, yeah," Buddy stated as he spun back around to his secret project. "You should try it sometime, Parr. I bet you could scare the boots off on these green boys that guard the doors we can't pass."
"Buddy Reginald Pine, are you tempting me to break the rules?" Violet asked in a tone that bordered somewhere between supercilious and concerned.
"Me? Advise you, a super, of breaking the rules? Noooo, never, of course not! I'd just like to see you seek out some enrichment is all."
"I'm not your lab rat anymore," Violet warned as she recalled that particular phrase.
Buddy silently mouth a curse and he dropped everything to seek out her hands, encasing them into his own. She might have been barred from using her powers but she was still a force to reckon with and he truly did not want to upset her more than she already was.
"True, but you are stuck in the same cage as me with less to occupy your time." Her eyes went to the intelligence reports but a firm hand turned her attention back to him. "Something other than work. Come on Parr, act out a little, stick it to the man. And if you get caught we can say I asked you to do a security check on the place. After the stunt your dad pulled, we could use a good shake up," he said with a wink.
Violet shook her head as she brought her hands to his face.
"My mother was right. You are a bad influence," she laughed and he nodded in agreement grinning from ear to ear.
"The absolute worst."
…
Violet left Buddy and Lily in the lab to test out how entering a room without invisibility would work on security. The areas that were deemed off limits to guests were the cargo floor, the soldier barracks, a few administration rooms, and oddly enough the communications room.
While it would make sense for a room with decent tech to require a security clearance it did raise some flags for the super sleuth. Why would a facility meant for supers ban them from a room designed to communicate to the rest of the world?
Armed only with a dark green cardigan that covered her wrists to hide the fact she was still wearing the SAD, an angry face and a cup of coffee from the DFAC in hand, she tested her luck on the cargo floor first. Much to her dismay, and pleasure, it worked like a charm.
Not only did no one stop her, but some of the soldiers actually opened doors for her. Doors that required access cards. It was difficult to not to show how giddy she was over the discovery of what a bad attitude could provide. Maybe Buddy did have the right idea, at least in the way he carried himself.
She probably could have taken a forklift without anyone stopping her, but if she was going to go big on this, she wanted to go for the tip of the iceberg.
The coffee in her hand had gone stale by the time she made it to the top floor where the communication room was located. That entire floor housed spaces that were off-limits to guests, but the soldiers seemed to be unaware of the as she passed by them.
None of them made eye contact with her, but Violet had to remind herself that she did kill a few folks on national television. Rounding the hall she came to the room she sought out which was guarded by possibly the bravest man she had met that day.
"Ma'am, you're not allowed in here," the man with the name tag O'Brien spoke in a voice that showed his youth. Christ he was younger than her, maybe even younger than Dash. A child in a uniform.
Violet wanted to congratulate the kid for actually doing his job but she wasn't just here to play games.
'Stick it to the man,' Buddy's voice rang in her head. She did want to have something to hold over Colonel Griffin's head.
"Does it look like I want to be here?" Violet asked as she clutched her mug a little tighter. It wasn't a complete lie. "The colonel asked me to meet him here, and that's what I'm doing. So do you want to let me in or do you want to be the one to tell him why I'm late," Violet asked as she checked her watch. "Your shift just started, right? He could be inside waiting for me already."
The young man faltered and opened the door for her but she didn't give any signs of gratitude figuring that would just be salt in the wound when he found out that he had been lied to. She did feel some guilt with the trickery, but it was a benefit that in a few months he wouldn't remember a thing.
As the door closed behind her, Violet assumed she'd be caught by whomever worked within the comms division, but the coast was clear. Not a soul stood in the room.
Like every other space in The Eighth Wonder, state-of-the-art tech lived in the room. Computers that would dwarf Buddy's systems and made the NSA look like they were run on a shoestring budget. Violet wasn't sure if she wanted this money pit built purely on the backs of taxpayers, but she didn't enjoy the idea of wealthy folks funding a super SWAT team either.
She moved around the room in quiet curiosity when a screen lit up. She bit her lip. While Violet knew this playful stealth mission shouldn't interfere with official military operations, curiosity got the best of her.
Moving to the screen she read off the message.
'Anyone home, Atlas?'
Violet silently told herself not to, but her fingers were already typing away on the keyboard.
'Who's Atlas?'
The instant that message was received the screen changed again, dragging Violet into a video call. She cursed the device on her wrist, the colonel for having her wear the damn thing and most of all Buddy for inventing the damn thing in the first place.
On the screen, a man in a lab coat and glasses appeared. He was an aesthetically pleasing-looking figure with chestnut brown hair that was nothing but a messy mop of a cap on his head. He looked to be in his thirties but the crow's feet that were barely hidden behind the rim of his glasses hinted that was not his true age.
"Oh, hello there! Are you a new recruit? I didn't think a new rotation would be in for at least another month or two. Did the colonel give me the wrong info?"
Violet smiled nervously as she nodded.
"Sorta, I'm just passing through actually." Again, it wasn't a complete lie, but man on the other line did not appear to be sold with the comment as he folded his arms and leaned back into his chair.
"Ah yes, just passing through a top-secret, underwater, military installation," the figure said with a gentle smile. "Does that tourist pass of yours allow you to bypass security?"
"I'm here, aren't I?" Violet asked. Questions didn't count as lies either, right? "Who are you anyway? And who is Atlas?"
The man laughed, putting her at ease. "I suppose introductions are in order, I'm Dr. Hubert Collins. I guess you could say I help process logistical support. Gather data for the facility you're visiting and translate it into something the team there can comprehend. As for Atlas, it's just what the colonel wanted to name The Eighth Wonder. I just like to poke fun at him when I can."
Violet felt a smile stretch on her lips. There was someone else who could antagonize the commander other than her.
"How did it get the name if His Imperial Highness didn't pick it out?"
"I'm fairly certain that it was put to a vote by some board," Hubert said as he relaxed his posture more and tousled the hair that fell too close to his eyes. "A rich fella came up with the name I think. Deavor was the last name I believe?"
Violet sighed. It would be like Winston to come up with something so whimsical.
"Yeah, that sounds like Winston alright," Violet said as she smiled at the thought of the executive selling the pitch to a room full of government heads.
"Oh, I wouldn't know. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting the man yet. Not in person anyway, but he sounds like an absolute riot."
"He really is," Violet replied as she tried to make out the scenery behind Hubert. "So, where in the world are you stationed?"
"Nowhere near as exotic as The Eighth Wonder," the scientist shrugged. "Just stuck in a little place out in the middle of nowhere Kansas. So, have I given you enough information to earn your name?"
She opened her mouth to give it freely but the opportunity was robbed as the door to the communications room opened to her least favorite resident of The Eighth Wonder.
"Violet! How dare you breach my trust and the security of this installation! This insubordination can't happen again," Colonel Griffin seethed as he approached her with heavy steps. When she turned to meet him, Violet revealed the scientist on the screen and the military man stopped for a moment. "Dr. Collins! I'm sorry for any disturbance this has caused."
The man inside of the screen chuckled as the frustrated military commander neared the camera range. "No disturbance at all, colonel. Violet was actually a pleasant break from the mundane on my end."
Violet gave an appreciative smile before she let the commander take the helm. "It was nice meeting you, Dr. Collins," Violet said with a small wave and the man returned the show of hand.
"Same to you, Violet. Maybe one of these days this old man will let me visit the beautiful realm of Atlas and you can help sneak me backstage," Hubert suggested making man groan.
"Please stop reminding me of my lost battle, Doctor," the colonel muttered as his hand took hold of the mouse to end the video message. "And I'd rather take a dozen Article 15s than let you in here."
Violet wanted to hear the man's rebuttal to the statement but the call ended abruptly. While the scientist was a few thousand miles away, it would have been nice to have an ally in the room.
"You're not supposed to be in here," the commander reminded as he turned his head away from the black screen and at her. "Or on the Cargo floor for that matter."
"Well, nobody stopped me," Violet mumbled as she folded her turned her head away. "What's with the sore spot on Atlas? I thought you liked the name The Eighth Wonder, it's all you talk about anyway."
"I hold no grudges against the name of this facility, Violet. I merely wanted something that would reflect the greatness of those who carry the world on their shoulders. You are one of the greats, but this rebellious act is uncalled for," he said as he reached out to grab a hold of her wrist but she swayed away from his hold, casting him a vicious glare as she stepped back. The look alone seemed to put the military man back into his place but the frustration in his face did not go away.
"Please, allow me to accompany you back to the tech lab, Violet."
"I can make my own way back, thanks."
"I insist," the man pushed as he clasped his hands behind his back and walked past her. "I've been meaning to speak to Dr. Pine on some personal matters anyway."
Violet snorted at the subtle threat he presented but followed him anyway.
"Fine by me," she muttered looking over her shoulder as they exited the communications lab to see a clearly shaken O'Brien standing by the door. Guilt racked in Violet's chest and it was no longer easy for her to justify the excuse that he wouldn't remember his time here.
It was a tense walk back to the lab, but nothing was more stuff than the elevator ride down.
"The cargo floor I get, there are a lot of potential hazards and blind spots for someone to get hurt. Even the admin rooms, sure, with private information and all that, but the comms room? Why is that off limits? What if there was an emergency and someone needed to get a message out?"
"There won't be," the commander said through gritted teeth.
"Ever hear of The Titanic?" Violet asked, tilting her gaze up to him once more. "Pretty sure the captain of that ship had the same mentality."
"Well, we've come a long way since then, haven't we?"
Violet didn't miss the clenched fists behind his back. He was pissed and she thought she would be giddier about the outcome but she wasn't. She just resented her current situation more.
Violet refrained from saying another word to the commander and he clearly didn't mind the silence as he did nothing to stop it. The first set of words to come between the pair of them was from Buddy.
The genius was in mid-conversation with an assistant when the doors opened to the lab. Buddy's attention wasn't drawn to the door because of the sound it made but rather because all the bodies around him went stiff to give salutes to the entryway. Turning his head in the direction of the entrance, Buddy's own body went rigid seeing the base commander walking in with Violet.
"Shit," he uttered under his breath as he sidestepped the technicians in the pathway to the entryway.
"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt your work, Dr. Pine, but I feel the need to notify you that Miss Violet here was caught wandering in off-limit areas," Colonel Griffin stated as they came to the center of the room. "I'm afraid that it may be necessary to place her under more severe security measures if this becomes a habit."
Violet's jaw dropped at the blunt threat. She opened her mouth, more than ready to cause a scene but Buddy was leaning towards her, placing all his weight onto the custom-made cane with an inquisitive look.
"How far did you get?"
Violet blinked at the question but she caught on to the ploy as she saw the colonel's own demeanor shift from anger to confusion. Right- Buddy was willing to take the fall on this.
"Well, I walked the entire cargo floor," she started and Buddy nodded.
"Did anybody stop you?"
"No," she said with a little more confidence. "Some of the men were even opening the doors for me."
"Well, that level clearly failed inspection. Where else did you get, Parr?"
"I found her in the communications center," the colonel answered, his tone a little softer, but Buddy narrowed his gaze on him.
"Did you find her or were you alerted?" Buddy inquired with a raised brow. Again, Colonel Griffin became more stunned and he had to avert his eyes away from Buddy's piercing blue gaze.
"I was notified by the soldier who allowed the breach," the commander stated and Violet was shocked at the blatant display of the commander shirking his responsibility.
"I told O'Brien that I was meeting you in there," Violet quickly slipped in before the conversation could change again. This piqued Buddy's interest even more and he went in for the final blow against the military leader.
"I would venture to say that the security system is only as strong as those who enforce it, and is sounds to me that passcodes should be implemented," Buddy suggested before he gave a shrug. "I hope you don't hold it against Violet for sneaking around, I asked her to do a security check for me- one can never be too careful, but I may be a little paranoid," he said as he nodded to the cast on his wrist.
Violet usually hated that smug look of his, save for how the faint freckles on his cheeks would stand out. But seeing that malicious smirk of his directed at Colonel Griffin was making it difficult to not fall for the villain in him.
The colonel gave Violet a second glance as if trying to see if she'd confess to the ruse but she'd sooner go for a swim in the Atlantic before fessing up to him.
"Well, Violet didn't notify me of this… test when I caught her, and I would have preferred some warning on the precautionary measures. Regardless, I suppose I should thank you both for being proactive members of The Eighth Wonder."
"That's what we are here for, right?" Violet retorted as she motioned to go back to Buddy's side but was barred by an outstretched arm. If she had her powers available, Violet wasn't sure how long she'd let the man keep that limb.
"About that. If we could clear the room, I'd like to talk to Dr. Pine… Alone," the colonel said, the last part loud enough to get the message to the enlisted members of the room and they all began to leave the room, most clearly happy to avoid the roller coaster of tension that was happening in the room. Even Lillian was reeling for the door, but not without trying to drag Violet out with her.
Violet however wasn't set on leaving. She looked to Buddy who nodded in acceptance. "It's okay, Parr. I'll find you two when we're done."
Her shoulders slumped slightly, hoping that he would have kept her around, but she backed off from the last two in the room. Not before she silently mouthed 'I still don't like him' to Buddy behind the commander's back.
Buddy blinked in response and once the room was emptied out he refocused his gaze onto the colonel.
"What can I do for you, Sir?"
"Dr. Pine, going forward I would be most appreciative if you kept me in the loop on any projects you are working on. I'm not fond of being left in the dark in my own domain."
"Real sorry about that, Griff, but I prefer surprises. Keeping people on their toes is kinda my thing, and besides, complacency kills, right?"
The colonel's eyes widened and Buddy couldn't say if it was admiration or resentment but Buddy would take being in the dog house with the military over being on Violet's bad side any day of the week.
"That's a very popular phrase in the military, Dr. Pine. Are you sure you hold no interest in joining?"
"Positive. Just a fan of the efficiency of military procedures, nothing more than that."
"And how did you come to know the ins and outs of the military?"
"I thought you were my biggest fan, colonel. Did you not read over my files?"
The base commander laughed as he passed him and went to the worktable Buddy usually occupied. "I'd like to hear it from the source itself! Files leave out the best details sometimes, wouldn't you agree?"
Buddy didn't disagree, but he wasn't in the mood to tell his whole life story. But he didn't mind the opportunity to brag about himself either.
"In college, I had a mentor who just fitted me to the military mindset I suppose," Buddy said as he returned to his work table. "I met him as Professor Chalk who worked in the Cryptology department but he was best known as Major Metal."
"Ah yes, the blight of the U.S. Army, of course," the colonel said as he surveyed the pile of scrap that Buddy was using to create something wonderful. "Was he as merciless as the rumors say?"
"Worse," Buddy replied as he was suddenly 16 again in his head. He recalled being shocked any time the mood suited the man and forced out of bed hours before sunrise to run the snowy streets of Cambridge.
"If you want to put the supers in their place, you're going to have to be as physically fit as them," the obese old bastard would shout from the comfort of his follow-along vehicle.
The first thing Buddy did after the major's death was moving to a place that seldom saw snow and throwing out his running shoes. Coincidently, running was also the first thing he started to do again after he was back on his feet after his first blunder with the Incredible family.
"I suppose he taught you the trade of villainy?" the colonel inquired but Buddy shook his head.
"Not sure if he would call it that."
"He caused conflict around the globe, killed countless amount of innocents-"
"Tanked the stock market a few times, blew up one too many buildings, and almost had Christmas canceled, yes, yes, yes" Buddy interjected as he took up his stool and rubbed at his bum knee. "I know, he was bad, but he didn't think of himself as a villain."
"What would he call himself then?"
Buddy frowned at the question, mainly because he didn't have an answer. Major Metal, Professor William Chalk- he was a long-term planner, yet he didn't seem to take into account that he'd die someday. Buddy had been the one to find him the morning after his graduation from his Master's program. The old man was stiff and bloated in the foyer of his house, dressed in his academic dress.
He had been used to disappointment but losing out on that old tyrant stung in a way he couldn't quite place. The man had clearly wanted to include him in his life beyond school and had even hinted that there was a job opportunity once he had his degree in hand. As brutal as the major had been, he was one of the few people in Buddy's life that had actively been interested in him and his ideas.
But Buddy didn't even stick around for the funeral. He just made an anonymous call from a payphone several blocks away and bought the first flight to Texas he could get to go for his doctorate. He managed to secure that paper within a single semester after the entire mechanical engineering department concluded that they had nothing to teach him that he didn't already know. He was just a few weeks shy of 20 when he stepped on that stone, then he got to make his millions in the defense industry. Did that for a couple of years, bought his island, put together his team, and started the Kronos operation. A name he chose as a nod to the man who enjoyed the ancient tales from the old world.
Buddy didn't see himself as a villain either, but he knew he wasn't doing justice either- but that was the difference between him and his mentor. Buddy's pursuit was built on bitter resentment, but the major seemed to believe he was on a holy mission.
"He'd call himself humanity's last hope," Buddy said at long last. "Sure, he caused a lot of collateral damage but that wasn't really his goal, he was just obsessed with putting supers down by any means necessary."
"I imagine that he would be a fan of this Hyperion group then," Colonel Griffin assumed and Buddy smirked.
"Oh, without a doubt. And if he was still around, he'd probably die of a heart attack again if he found out that I've been sleeping with a super."