A/N: Sorry for the delays but college life is very stressful and demanding! Oh and thanks for the comments you all left me again! Someone commented on my spelling and let me say I'm sorry but I'm trying my best! I sometimes write late at night when I'm dead tired but I'll try my hardest to improve! As for Mirage's powers? Lol…We'll just have to wait and see won't we? Remember to read and respond!
Chapter 2
Syndrome sat behind his impressive oak desk in his office looking over blue prints for his next invention, the Anidrome 5000. His piercing ice blue eyes gazed intensely at the precise details that made up this sleek new weapon.
"Even Mr. Incredible, himself, couldn't destroy this baby," he mused to no one in particular.
Then as if almost instant, his gloved hand formed into a tight fist and a look of disgust mixed with outrage spread over his face. Just thinking about his nemesis made his temper grow and his blood boil. Partly because Mr. Incredible always managed to make him look like an ass but mainly because he now had the trust and respect of the one thing he wanted most: Mirage.
Syndrome grumbled angrily to himself as he reached below the desk, pulled open a small compartment, and withdrew a small gold picture frame. Looking at the picture held in the in the gilded frame he fell silent and his chest filled with a longing.
Within the frame showed of picture of him and Mirage sitting side by side around a candlelit dining table. Both were smiling radiantly amongst the soft candle light and an air of sincere happiness seemed to project.
Syndrome stared hard at the frozen scene and gave soft sigh. Mirage was dressed in a slinky black strapless dress made of the finest silk that seemed to shimmer in the soft candlelight. Her moonbeam colored hair was styled in an elegant updo and around her fragile neck sat a diamond choker that sparkled gloriously. Next to her sat Syndrome, known just as Buddy at that time, smiling proudly with his arm around Mirage's shoulder. He was dressed in a dashing black tux and his fiery red hair was cut closer to his head but still styled with slightly messy spikes.
The villain gave a slight smile remembering that evening crystal clear. It was the night he took Mirage out to celebrate the two most important events of his life at the moment: his company's first major multi million dollar deal and him and Mirage's first date. It was that very night that he, Buddy Pine, had made reservations at a fancy five star French restaurant and announced to Mirage that he would be taking her out for the evening. It was that afternoon that he had shelled out major bucks on Mirage, buying her a new gown and jewelry. After an elegant dinner, the two had spent the night dancing under the twinkling stars.
"Madison," had whispered in her ear as they waltzed to the soft music an orchestra provided.
The blonde sighed with happiness as he whispered the next words, "I think I've fallen for you."
Syndrome looked at the picture clenched tightly in his hands and suddenly he was overcome with sadness. Moments had passed and as they did his anger crept out again. He slammed the picture on his desk with no care whatsoever and swept an angry arm over the contents of his desk, knocking everything on the marble floor with a crash.
Hearing the crash, a guard stationed outside Syndrome's office door rushed in ready to strike. The weapon-clad man stopped in the middle of the office and looked around in confusion. Over at the oak desk was his boss hunched over looking angrily at him.
"I thought I heard a crash," the guard said trying to defend himself the best that he could. Though he was still new at the job, he had heard horror stories of Syndrome's anger. From what he had heard, Syndrome's temperament was like a five year old; when he was happy everyone got peace and quiet, when he didn't get his way there was Hell to pay.
"You thought you heard a crash, huh?" mocked the red haired young man.
The guard only managed to nod a simple yes.
"Well here's your crash!" the villain yelled and threw a brass paper weight in the direction of the guard. "NOW GET OUT!"
The poor grunt took off slamming the door behind him.
Syndrome slumped down in his overstuffed leather chair and fumed. He knew Mirage was the very cause of his temper and of his heartache.
Mark my words, I will have her back, he promised himself. After all, he knew love could drive a person to the extremes. With that, he whipped out a piece of blank paper and a pencil and began to come up with a plan to get her back.
Mirage sat at the Parr's kitchen table with her head resting on a propped up hand. It was one a.m. in the morning and she could not sleep. In bed she had tossed and turned, wide eyed with uneasiness. Indigestion? No. For her a case of bad heartburn would have been more then welcomed. Instead Syndrome was the cause of her insomnia. Her encounter with her former boyfriend and partner had left her unsettled. While the sight of him had caused her to raise her guard, her heart had raced at his touch.
What exactly had made him come back, she had asked herself. She knew he was set on revenge but he had also claimed he cared about her.
He proved that false back in Mr. Incredible's cell last year, she thought bitterly to herself.
Mirage's eyebrows furrowed in distress as she remember how Syndrome had so nonchalantly gambled with her life as the superhero had threatened to snap her like a toothpick. Following the unnerving ordeal Syndrome had tried to act like everything was under his control when in fact it was not.
If he was willing to gamble with my life then what's to stop him from gambling with my heart, the young woman thought scornfully.
"Hey, what are you doing up?" Violet asked interrupting Mirage's thoughts.
The blonde turned around and smiled at the teenage girl wearily.
"I couldn't sleep. How about you?"
Violet shrugged and sat down at the table with Mirage, "Yeah. Same here."
"Well since we're both up how about I make some tea?"
Violet looked at Mirage for a minute as if she were unsure then nodded her head yes.
The babysitter got up and walked over towards the stove, grabbed a white tea kettle, then filled it with water from the kitchen sink and placed it on the stove to boil. She then reached in the overhead cabinet and placed two saucers and tea cups on the counter. Seeing this, Violet got up and handed Mirage two tea bags of which she then placed in the cups.
"So," started Mirage taking a seat back at the table. "Why can't you sleep?"
Violet placed a bottle of milk for the tea on the table and joined the young woman pulling up a chair.
"It's not really that important. It was just a silly dream."
"I'm sure it wasn't that silly if it kept you up."
Violet brushed a long dark strand of hair from aside her face and looked at Mirage with seriousness.
"If I tell you, you can't tell anyone," she said in a whispery voice.
Mirage held one hand over her heart with the other raised in the air.
"I swear," she said dutifully.
"Well," the girl started. "I had this dream that this kid Tony, I'm kind of seeing, decided he didn't want to bring me to the dance anymore. Instead he asked the most popular girl in the school, Missy Banks, to go with him instead."
Mirage gave a slight giggle and looked at Violet.
"What?" asked Violet defensively. "I knew you would think it was dumb! I should have never said anything!"
"No," said Mirage smiling. "It's just your just such a girl. When I was your age, I had dreams about the same kind of things. It's perfectly normal and not stupid at all."
"Really?"
Mirage nodded her head. "I'm sure it was just your nerves that made you dream that. If Tony asked only you to the dance then he must really like you. I don't think you should worry too much about Missy taking your place. Sure she may be pretty popular but Tony chose you over her for a reason."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Violet said smiling to herself.
Suddenly the tea kettle went off with a whistle and Mirage stood to retrieve it.
"So how come you're up? Is it guy trouble too?" Violet asked jokingly.
Mirage sighed and handed the girl a tea cup and sat back down at the table with hers.
"Kind of," she said pouring milk in her tea. She then added a teaspoon of sugar and stirred the hot liquid in a graceful manner. "But it's nothing you need to worry about."
"Oh," Violet said and took a sip of her tea. She then looked up at Mirage.
"Madison, did you ever have a boyfriend? You know, before you worked with Syndrome?"
Of course, Madison thought to herself. In fact, my first real boyfriend was Syndrome. Of course he was known as "Buddy" way back before he decided to hurt innocent people and kill other supers.
"Once," Mirage answered instead, stirring her spoon in the tea. "He was one of the smartest people I knew. He used to always invent new gadgets and things to help people."
"Really? That's cool," exclaimed Violet.
Mirage smiled sadly and nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, he was really a great guy but then," Her voice trailed off slightly. "He just changed. It was like he wasn't even the same person anymore. Suddenly, he just stopped caring about anyone else. He was suddenly all about himself."
"That sucks," Violet said. "Do you know what happened to the guy?"
Yes, in fact he came over yesterday and declared he would have revenge on your family and I since I rejected his advances.
"No," answered Madison.
Violet gave a yawn and looked over at the kitchen clock. She then got up, placed her tea cup in the dishwasher, thanked Mirage for the tea, and wished her goodnight. The blonde watched the girl disappear into the dark hallway and looked back at her empty tea cup blankly.
It wasn't like she nothing but bad memories with Syndrome. Before he took this whole super hero business seriously, he had been more then her boyfriend, he had been the only friend she had.
But all good things must come to an end, she thought bitterly.
Madison sighed as she remembered the day she and Syndrome went their separate ways. After helping the Incredibles by giving them the password for the rocket, she had traveled from the island to tend to Syndrome after his robot had turned on him.
"Hurry up, Mirage! If we leave now we can get their stupid little brat and hit them where it really hurts," Syndrome had said to her with eyes that glowed with rage.
He grabbed her by the hand and attempted to pull her along with him to the limo that waited for him. He turned around in surprise when Mirage refused to move.
"What the hell are you doing, Babe? If we don't leave now, we'll miss our chance!" he exclaimed with annoyance.
"I'm not going anywhere with you. I told you before I'm not helping you destroy innocent lives anymore! I came to take you back to the island, not help you in another failed scheme" she had explained forcefully to him.
Syndrome stared at her with shock and dropped her petite hand in a manner of disgust.
"What the hell do you mean by 'failed'? Is that all they are to you? Do you not realize that it was my failed plans that helped make my company what it is? It's my failed plans that bought us a lavish lifestyle!"
"I don't care about that, Syndrome!" she interrupted. "I just want you to forget this whole thing. Who cares about the Incredibles, the company, or being a super hero? I just want things to go back to the way they were before all this! If you go on with this plan of revenge mark my words, you're going regret it! Ask yourself if you really want to risk your life for the sake of having payback!"
Syndrome said nothing as the two stood facing each other. She had looked at him with big pleading jade eyes and he returned the gaze with icy coldness.
"You know what, Mirage? I don't need someone who doesn't believe in me! If you don't want to help me anymore then fine! Get out of my sight! I don't need you anyway! I don't need some chick to spend all my money and then later turn on me!"
Her temper started to flare up with his hateful words and she couldn't control what was coming out of her mouth.
"What are you saying? We're through? Fine! I don't need someone who acts like a child anyway!"
With tears streaming down her beautiful face, Mirage did the only thing she could think of. She reached towards her hand, yanked off a beautiful diamond ring, and flung it on the ground towards Syndrome.
"Take it."
Syndrome looked down at the small engagement ring and back up at Mirage with mouth a gaped. With that she had spun around and ran down the street with tears streaming down her face.
Mirage opened her eyes and looked up at the Parr's kitchen clock. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and placed the tea cup and saucer into the dishwasher. Then she turned off the kitchen light and walked into the dark hallway towards the guest room.
It's just nerves, she thought to herself as she walked into the room and shut the door. It's just my nerves.
A/N: Yay! All done! Now please read and respond!
