CHAPTER 4
Dante as he was drinking his morning coffee he thought lot about the conversation he and Helen had last night. No matter how much he tries to rationalize it could not reach a conclusion where he could be happy in the Dante the Demonkiller part. But he could be happy as Dante the family man. For years he kept his personas as a Super and a normal person separate to protect those he cares about in his life. But now in a normal life it seems one of those has to be laid to rest to loves those in his live he has now. Dante sees Helen drinking coffee across the room whole reading her messages on her phone. Dante sighs and gets up to get ready to leave, but before he does he goes over to Helen, causing her to look up at him to see what he wants. Dante then puts his arms around her and hugs her tightly. Helen was a bit surprised at first but smiles and puts down her coffee and returns the hug. He understands and he will do his best to maintain their new existence. Even if it's not the ideal he wanted. But he works with what he got. One of the rules he lives by is expect the unexpected and adapt to everything.
With a smile Dante leaves for work out the door. Once he drives away the demons that stalked them from last night peeked from their hide places. The Dreamrunner will kill Dante at work while the rest kill his family at home. Once Dante reached work and stepped into the elevator he controlled his breathing for the dull, colorless environment in which he works in. at his cubical he types away at his computer screen on a document that will be printed out. On his desk a red light on his black work phone beeped with an incoming call. After he finally finishes with the paragraphed he was working on reaches over to press the message button to transmit the call to the headset he was wearing. He was then greeted with an excruciating ear rape, thanks to his boss.
"HAVEN'T YOU GOTTEN HIM, WHERE THE HELL IS HE!? PLEASE!" Mr. Huph yelled at his secretary.
Once Mr. Huph finally moved away his secretary was able to give Dante the heads-up. "Mr. Huph would like to talk to you in his office." she said.
"Now?" Dante asked, knowing the answer.
"Now..."
Dante ends the call and removes the headset and sticks his fingers in his eyes to massage the inside from the sudden assault they received. The nephilim runs his hands through his black hair and sighs before he eventually gets up from his office and heads to Huph's Office.
"Break a leg, Dante." said a fellow coworker.
"Yeah, yeah." Dante said depressingly.
When he finally was away from cubical a woman, the same one that was observing him, Lucius and Valen from the night before, watches him leave and slowly walks into his cubical and leaves something on his desk.
At Huph's Office, he sharpens his Pencil and aligns it with other 3 on his desktop calendar. They all were perfectly sharpened, all of equal length and they have the company motto: "Your Life is in our Hands" engraved on each. Mr. Huph gestured to the chair beside Dante. "Sit down, Dante."
Dante does, though his action moved the 4th pencil. To which Huph re-aligns it. In the time he had Dante work for the company he figured that there may be more to him than most people realize. For starters Dante is a tall guy but also slim. His moves make it seem like he's dense, as if maybe his skeleton was made of a very strong metal. Regardless of these interesting observations Mr. Huph has discovered something on Dante's accord that must be dealt with.
"I'm not happy, Dante. Not. Happy." Mr. Huph stands up with a pissed off look. He gets out of his chair and begins to walk around Dante. "Ask me why."
"Okay. Why?" Dante asked uncaringly while rolling his eyes.
"Why what? Be specific, Dante." Mr. Huph stated.
"Why are you unhappy?" Dante clarified uncaringly.
"Your customers make me unhappy." Mr. Huph states.
Dante brows rise to the expected news. "What, you've gotten complaints?"
Mr. Huph smiles, finding what Dante said amusing. "Complaints? I can handle. What I can't handle is your customers' inexplicable knowledge of lnsuricare's inner workings! They're experts! EXPERTS, Dante! Exploiting every loophole, dodging every obstacle! Posting guides on wikiHow! They're PENETRATING the bureaucracy!"
"Did I do something illegal?" Dante asked, wanting to get to the point of this meeting.
"Nooo..." Mr. Huph groaned begrudgingly.
"Are you saying we shouldn't help our customers?" Dante asked a question that he's been itching to ask his boss.
Mr. Huph strides the carpet briefly. "The law requires that I answer no." Mr. Huph may have been a duchebag, but there was something in what he just said that gave a hint to Dante that even if Mr. Hugh really wanted to help people, his hands are tied and he's learn to live with that.
"We're supposed to help people!" Dante stated.
"We're supposed to help OUURRRRRR PEOPLE!" Mr. Huph lamented. "Starting with our stockholders, Dante! Who's helping them out, huh?!" Mr. Huph finally sighs and regains composure. He places his hand on a letter, moving it slightly. Dante and everyone worker in the building received this at some point. The letter reads what follows:
{Memo: Policy Notification}
{To: Employee}
{From: Gilbert Huph}
{Due to financial cut-backs, you will be expected to self-expense all office supplies, including but not limited to pencils, erasers, pens, paper, stationery, folders, staples, paper clips, brads, and photocopies. All parking will now be metered by the hour. Electricity consumption and all telephone charges will be deducted from your paycheck.
The Board of Directors at Insuricare wishes to thank you for your selfless sacrifice through this time of financial uncertainty. It is because of you, the employee, that Insuricare has recorded its highest profit in years. Remember, a successful company makes for successful employees. Every penny you save is another penny that goes in...[the rest is covered by Huph's finger]}
{Salutations, Gilbert Huph}
Another way of wording it would be like this:
{Dear employee,
{Threat, threat, threat, threat, threat, threat, threat, threat.}
{Sincerely, Your loyal boss}
Mr Hugh began to repeat a speech that he gave to everyone about them and the company's infrastructure. ""You know, Dante... A company..."
"Is like an enormous clock." Dante answered monotonously.
"...is like an enormous clo- Yes, precisely!" Mr. Huph smiles upon seeing Dante get the idea. Dante looks down at Huph's hands as he gestures what he's explaining. "It only works...if all the little cogs...mesh together! Now, a clock needs to be clean, well-lubricated and wound tight. The best clocks have jewel movements, cogs that fit, that cooperate by design. Mr. Huph chuckles as he clarifies what he means. "I'm being metaphorical, Dante...You know what I mean by cooperative cogs?"
Dante listened but he couldn't care less. He just wanted to leave the office and get on with his day. he looks out the window for a change of scenery and that when he sees it. So one emerged from the shadows of an alley and attacked someone who was standing on the sidewalk. He grabbed him and hurled him against the dumpster and proceeds to kick him repeatedly. Dante eyes widened as the color returned to his face.
"Dante? Dante..." Mr. Huph grabs Dante by the chin and pulls him down toward him. "LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU, SPARDA!"
"That man out there, he needs help!" Dante says.
"Do NOT change the subject, Dante! We're discussing YOUR! ATTITUDE!" Mr. Huph warned.
"He is getting mugged!" Dante points out the window.
Mr. Huph finally looks out the window down to the alley where the mugging is happening. "Well, let's hope we don't cover him!" Mr. Huph says uncaringly.
Not having for one second more Dante gets up out of his seat and heads for the door. "I'll be right back." Dante was a man of action and he was going to ACT!
And just when Dante puts his hand on the doorknob, Mr. Huph threatens him: "Stop... RIGHT NOW, OR YOU'RE FIRED!"
Dante stops; Mr. Huph grins evilly. "Close the door."
Dante reluctantly does as his rages begin to rise steady.
"Get over here... now." Mr. Huph taps his foot and points to where he's at, treating Dante as if he was a naughty dog or an unruly child.
Dante go of the door knob, now crushed out of shape with it glowing red hot from his power, and walks over to Mr. Huph.
"I'm not happy, Dante. Not happy." Mr. Huph states once more while Dante watches the mugger getting away, who by the way didn't take anything because there was nothing of value on his victim. it was all for nothing.
"He got away." Dante growls lowly like an enraged predatory animal ready to attack the hand that feeds it.
"Good thing, too." Mr. Huph added.
Dante eyes widened as he finally snapped. The band Combichrist asked a very good question in their song, Scarred: You ever get the feeling that everything in America is completely fucked up?
"Heh! You were this close to losing your j-"
Dante angrily grabs Mr. Huph by the throat with his right hand and summons his Eryx Gauntlet on his left hand. He then pummeled Mr. Huph repeatedly until he throws him through 4 office walls. He tumbled and landed against a wall of filing drawers. Everyone on who was in the area was shock and surprised at what happened. They all then looked down through the hole through the 4 walls to see Dante, stares at him in disbelief.
At first, Dante felt a rush of angry that had building over time. Second, he felt the tidal wave of euphoria of release his pent-up frustrations in one glorious punch to the face and balls of an evil corporate system. And finally he felt the blood drain from his face in terror as he realized what he just done. All-in-all, the only thing Dante could mutter was: "Shit."
Mr. Huph was rushed to the hospital. Dante concerned on the bastard condition waited outside the room where Gilbert Huph is hospitalized. Dante waited for the doctor to come by but when they did they brought someone else along. A group of CIA and FBI agents that accompany a man who may have hand the same mentors as Agent K from MIB. His name is Rick Dicker.
Ever since the Superhero Relocation Program went into effect there was a team created to handle the relocating of supers as well as the maximum security lockup of every dangerous criminal, enhanced or otherwise, in secret prison facilities around the world run by the US. But when a super blows their cover and is exposed the people like Rick Dicker are called to handle the situation.
When Rick Dicker arrived and saw Dante he could do nothing but sigh exhaustedly before he when inside. Rick Dicker task was to erase the memory of Dante being a super from Mr. Huph's mind. Once it was down and Mr. Huph awoke Rick Dicker provided a logical explanation to what happened. Mr. Huph of course gave his logically answer. Rick Dicker comes out of the room and Dante looks up at him. The agent turns to leave for the elevator causing the nephilim to follow after him, worried.
"How is he?" Dante asked nervously.
"He'll live." Rick Dicker replied stoically.
"I'm fired, aren't I?"
"Oh, you think?"
"What can I say, Rick?"
"Nothing you haven't said before."
"Someone was in trouble."
"Someone's always in trouble."
"I had to do something."
"Yeah. Every time you say those words, it means a month and a half of trouble for me, Dante." They reached the elevator and Rick presses the down button. "It means hundreds of thousands of taxpayer's dollars."
"I know." Dante replies understand.
"We gotta pay to keep the company quiet. We gotta pay damages, erase memories, relocate your family. Every time it gets harder. Money, money, money, money, money, w-we can't keep doing this, Dante!" the door finally opens Rick enters the elevator. "We appreciate what you did in the old days, but those days are over. From now on, you're on your own." The door closes, but Rick stops it to say some more words: "Uuuum ... Listen, Dante. As someone who did fight beside you and your friends during the whole Infinity Stone crisis back then, maybe I could relocate you. You know, for old times' sake."
As much as Dante would love that it would be too soon. "No. I can't do that to my family. Everyone just got settled. I'll make it work. Thanks."
"Okay. Take care of yourself." Rick Dicker concludes lets go of the door letting it close.
Dante sighs and decided to take the stairs to process everything that happened. When he opened the door an arm reached out of a golden portal and yanked Dante into it. The golden portal opened and dropped Dante on the roof of the hospital. Dante landed on both his feet and looked around to find who or want brought him here.
"I was hoping to draw you in the alley when you were in your boss's office."
Dante turned around to find a man, the same one he saw in the alley who mugging that someone. Dante gritted his teeth and clenched his hands. "You . . ."
"But to kill you on this roof alone with no one to see or intervene would be a pleasure." The man's form began to change into the form of the Dreamrunner demon that possessed him.
Dante smirk summoned Rebellion on his back. "The feelings mutual."
Elsewhere, back at the house Valen pulled up on his scooter and walked to the door. He rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer.
Violet opened the door "Hey, Uncle V!" Violet greeted with a smile.
"Nice to see you. I'm here to pick up Griffon and Shadow.
"Sure, come on in." Violet let Valen inside.
Valen entered walked over to the couch to sit down and relax. Griffon and Shadow enter into the room with Dash.
"Morning boss." Griffon greeted. "Sleep well with the miss'?"
Valen closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "I and Aunt Amy are fine. She was mad at first but we patched it up in the end. "
"Of course you did Uncle V; you always have a way with words." Violet said some words of encouragement.
Outside the house one of the demons watched them the family through the window.
"Damn it! It's the rut of Sparda's litter. He will be able to sense us if we strike." Riot demon snarled.
"Then we will just have to wait for him to leave." Bathos said.
"Fuck! I'm getting restless I need to cut something and I don't in the next 60 seconds I'm going to start with you!" Riot point one of his bladed fingers at the aerial chubby winged demon.
Back inside Valen looked around wondering where Helen is. "Excuse me kids, where is your mother?"
"Mom? I think she's in the backyard." Dash said.
"I'll be right back. I just need to ask her a question about her recipe for one of her desserts." Valen said and got up and head for the door to the backyard.
He opened the sliding door to find Helen in the garden watering the plants. "I heard from Dante the rest of the other moves didn't count because …?" Valen said walked over to hear
Helen turned around. "Oh, hey V. The rest of the other moves didn't count because I finished unpacking the boxes."
"Well that's good that you finally found a place you can stay in, again." Valen said.
"Thanks even with all these hiccups I think we all can finally settle down." Helen said.
"So you guys are cool?" Valen asked.
"Yes, I think we are, all things considered. What about you and Amy?" Helen asked.
"Well … had to sleep on the couch." "But we are good." Valen admits.
"Ohh: The Couch. The one of the ultimate burns of marriage." Helen commented.
"Either that or burning yourself in the morning with hot coffee because have haven't fully waken up yet."
"I've done that." Helen said.
The two laugh for a moment. Valen then noticed a something strange on her back. It was a glowing green dot moving slowly up her head.
"Get down!" Valen shouted tackled Helen to the ground. Valen looked up to see a Bathos demon hovering in the air loading it crossbow to fire again. Valen throw his cane like a spear into head. he teleported toward the demon to rip it out, causing it to disintegrate. he landed and Helen was on her feet.
"What was that?" she asked.
"A demon." Valen replied and the two of them noticed a Riot and Fury appearing.
"And looks like he's not alone." Helen said. She and Valen to defensive stances as two demons approached with teeth and claws ready to rip and tear.
"Helen, Shadow and Griffon are inside with the kids. If you set them up, I'll knock them down."
Helen nodded. "Sounds like a plan, let's get gardening."
The demons attack and Helen stretched and whipped at the demons. She rolled; she jumped and even flipped in the air like a gymnast before tying the two up allowing Valen to deliver the finally blow that destroyed them completely. All that was done under the space of three minutes the while keeping then whole situation unknown to the neighbors. Helen and Valen finally checked the perimeter before back inside to check on the kids; Violet and Dash where playing Shadow and Griffon, Helen thanked God that the kids were unaware of the short skirmish that happened outside.
"I don't remember a Fury and Riot demons being so easy to take down; the smaller one, sure, but not the other two." Valen commented.
"Times change, maybe they were getting old." Helen said
"No … I sensed they were something, but I won't say old. More like young punks."
"I just hope Dante is okay." Helen said.
Back on the roof of a building Dante was engaged with the Dreamrunner demon. It employed hit-and-run tactics causing Dante to be on his toes. It appeared to strike; Dante would engage it before it would disappear through the gold portal. Dante got an idea for when it would strike. It appeared spinning out of the portal to deliver a killing blow. Dante hurled his sword at forcing the Dreamrunner to dodge it via a portal. Then he reached out his hand to it call it to him, the Dreamrunners portal appeared behind him. The sword flew at him just as the Dream runner appeared. Dante smirked and leaned to the side letting his sword pass by him and hit the demon. With a howl it flipped in the air and fell hard on the rooftop ground. Dante walked over and stood over it and pressed blade deeper into it chest.
"Who sent you here?" Dante asked in a dead serious tone.
The Dreamrunner laughed behind its grinning mask before it died and disintegrated, leaving the body of the man it possessed behind with Dante's sword in his chest. Dante quickly pulled out Rebellion and put his hand on the wound but the man was already gone. Dante closed the man eyes and noticed his left hand had the man's blood on it. He closed his hand into a fist clenching it tightly. The only thing he could do was leave him outside the hospital. He watched from his car as someone took noticed and ran inside. The staff quickly came out and carried him in. finally seeing it down Dante sighed and drove on home.
Dante drove up to the house as the sky over head was a grey rainy overcast. He gets out of the car shuts the door, in one successful try. He turns to the driveway. The same child from before was watching him.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Dante asked in a irritated tone.
"I don't know... something amazing, I guess..." Rusty said meekly.
Dante looks depressed before he goes inside. "Me too, kid." he sighed.
He enters inside to find Helen on the couch folding clothes while watching TV. Hears him come in and sees him come inside more exhausted as usually.
"Hey honey." Dante said.
"Hey, you had a good day at work." Helen asked.
"Let's just say … it was eventful." Dante said and kissed her on the forehead before going on to his office.
Helen looked over at Valen who was ready a book. He looked up at her with concern. "I don't think this is a good idea keeping this a secret from him, or the kids." he said.
"I know, we just moved in, But we need to make this work. It all we have, Valen."
Valen nods in understanding his sister-in-law's motive. "Alright, you have my discretion until you decided the time is right."
"Thanks." she said and turned to the dark beasts on the floor. "Griffon, Shadow, I appreciate it if you two don't say anything to Dante until then, m'kay?"
Shadow came over and rubbed up against Helen's legs. She smiles and notices that Shadows head is wrapped in her bra. "Shadow, why are you wearing one of my bras?"Helen asked before turning her attention to Griffon who was lurking around the pile of clothes.
"Hey, princess? Is this a real black G-string?" Griffon said.
Helen punched Griffon in the head hard enough to send him onto the floor. "Good one." he groaned.
"Thank you." Helen said proudly and retrieves her unmentionables.
Dante enters his old office and turns on the light. Today was a long, grueling mess of a day and he just needed sometimes to himself for a few minutes. He closed the door and walked over to his desk to open his briefcase. He pulls out his Insuricare Employee Manual and in well deserve disgust he throws it in the trashcan, along with his other paper work in his suitcase.
Good riddance.
He'll just have to break to Helen at some point, but for now he will try to make it all work, somehow. Just then he heard something that got his attention. While dumping all the contents of this suitcase, a strange package hits the can. Looks down and sees a large yellow envelope sticking out the top of the can. He takes it out and opens it to find a clipboard sized touchpad. He touches the screen to wake it up to a default black screen, but something activated on it.
"Hold still?" Dante reads the two flickering words vibrate the device emits a sound and a facial recognition scan.
MATCH: MR. INCREDIBLE.
Dante gets startled and throws the tablet on the floor. Unharmed, it scans the room for a few seconds.
ROOM IS SECURE. COMMENCE MESSAGE
Dante walked over to the tablet and picked it up as it began to play a HD 8K MP4 message that illuminated his face and the room in a blue electronic light.
Hello, Mr. Incredible. Yes, we know who you are. Rest assured, your secret is safe with us. My name is Mirage. We have something in common. According to the government, neither of us exist. Please pay attention, as this message is classified and will not be repeated.
He picked it up and moved it side-to-side showing him a neat holographic effect on the screen as the video played. The woman in the video message is an extremely elegant, attractive and tan-skinned woman with mid-back length platinum-blonde hair that has bangs swept to the left side and green eyes. As she speaks her voice strongly suggests a Central American or European accent, but Dante didn't really care. Her manner of speaking does tell him that she is very seductive and highly intelligent. When began to get to the point on the matter Dante quickly gets to his pencil case and tries to get a pencil, one is not working and then one is normal. He starts taking notes on Mirage's message.
I represent a top secret division of the government, designing and testing experimental technology, and we have need of your unique abilities. Something has happened at our testing facility.
"Honey!" Helen called to Dante From behind the door.
"Huh? What?" Dante asked, while trying to listen to the message.
"Dinner's ready!" Helen said.
"Okay!" Dante calls back and goes back to listen to Mirage's message.
A highly experimental attack robot has escaped control. Although it is contained within an isolated area, it threatens to cause incalculable damage to itself and to our facilities, jeopardizing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of equipment in research. Because of its highly sensitive nature, this mission would have not existed.
"Is someone in there?" Helen asked.
"It's the TV, trying to watch." Dante said nervously.
"Well, stop trying! It's time for dinner!" Helen called louder.
"ONE FRIGGIN MINUTE!" Dante yells backs.
If you accept, your payment will be triple your current annual salary. Call the number on the card. Voice-matching will be used to ensure security. The supers aren't gone, Mr. Incredible. You're still here. You can still do great things. Or … you can listen to police scanners.
Mirage's expression when she said 'police scanners' hinted she was a bit surprised and embarrassed to find out that Dante did.
Your choice. You have 24 hours to respond. Think about it.
The device shuts off and Dante sits down in his rolling desk chair. His mind was spinning in questions on everything he heard. Who was this person? Whom does she work for? Why are they interested in him? And perhaps the most important question of all: Why now of all times? Then Dante realizes what Mirage said ... and he looks at his past that decorated all around the room. There he was in pictures and magazines, he had relic from all his adventures from took him all over the world into outer space and beyond. Hell, even a child gave him a drawing of him saving their school from falling into water while fight off a large demon that was going to send them to their deaths. Even though he doesn't care about the hero worship he gets, it was still a welcome change from all the hate he got from people and demons back in Limbo City. Knowing that this one chance could bring his glory days back, maybe not just for him but for all supers ... he then looks at his old armored suit, with a smile.
The tablet began beeping, as Mirage's phone number is printed. He picked it up and looked at it before looking back at the tablet, which was beeping faster and louder.
THIS MESSAGE WILL SELF-DESTRUCT.
"Uh-oh."
*BOOM* Dante stumbles out of the office in a cloud of smoke, coughing. The smoke rises and triggers the fire alarm and sprinkler system. Helen yells, Violet shouts in distress, while Dash expresses joy.
Wow, that sprinkler system works well. He thought to himself as the water showered him.
After the sprinkler stops the family back to dry out the house with every method in the book before they could just sit back and wait for the drying to take place. Helen was ordering the dining table. He then walks to his husband and idles as he blow-dries the rolls of open books.
"You … are one distracted guy."Helen said.
Dante snaps out of his trance of blow-drying books. "Hmm? Am I? I don't mean to be."
What Helen said is saying much. Dante can be distracted by a lot of things. one reason because a lot of it is throw in his face. There was the one incident that made headlines in the city paper: RIOTING AT THE CANDY STORE!
Helen strokes Dante's right in a reassuring "I know you miss being a hero and your job is frustrating. I just want you to know how much it means to me that you stay at it anyway." she stands on her toes as she pulls him down and kisses his cheek.
Dante is at a crossroads. He feels he should tell the truth but he doesn't wish to make her upset again, more so even, upon hearing the fact that he got fired. However on the other hand he could tell her something that she would like to hear, considering he has been given an offer today. An offer he could not possibly refuse.
Dante clears his throat before speaking "Honey? About the job?" he began.
"What?" she asked.
"Something's happened." he went on.
"What?" she asked feeling something bad coming.
"The, uh..."
"What...?"
"The company is sending me to, uh, a conference."
Helen was surprised. "A conference?"
Dante stammers for a moment "Out of town. And I'm just gonna be gone for a few days." he then clench his eyes and teeth as he braces himself for her finally verdict.
Helen ponders on this for a moment. "They've never sent you to a conference before...This is good, isn't it?"
Dante opened his eyes, "Yes." he added.
"You see? They're finally recognizing your talents, you're moving up!" Helen praised.
"Yes." Dante nodded.
"Honey! Awww ... This is wonderful!" she cheered.
"Yes, it is." Dante said softly.
He was happy that he will get a chance to relive the glory days but most importantly he would be helping his family. Like they say: If their happy, you're happy. Your success is their success.
Dante quickly thought of something to seal the deal. "Uh, honey?"
"Yeah?"
"Considering I got a promotion, and that I ruined dinner, why don't I take us all out for pizza?"
"Hmm … well I all things considered. I guess it the least you can do." Helen said.
So they did; the family went out for pizza at Pizza Hut and had a great time. When they got back how Dante sat in his office browsing YouTube for a particular video on Supers. Considering supers are now a part of history he's surprise to find they didn't wipeout everything on them. He guessed harsh decisions require a bit of balancing on the other end. Finally, Dante found it and plugged in his earbuds before hits play.
The video was footage of an interview with three familiar supers: Him, Helen and Lucius.
MR. INCREDIBLE INTERVIEW
Dante aka Mr. Incredible to his seat in the interview chair, while trying to fit a small mic on in his armored suit.
"Is this on?" Dante asked his face hidden by a plated mechanical helmet with glowing eyes and his voice changed by the helmets voice changer.
"That's fine." Interviewer reassured him.
"I can break through walls, fight giant skyscraper-sized monsters I just can't …"
"It's fine."
"I can't get this on … Okay, got it." Dante rearranged himself before the questions began.
"So, Mr. Incredible… do you have a secret identity?" Interviewer asked.
"Every superhero has a secret identity. I don't know a single one who doesn't. I mean, come on? Who wants the pressure of being super all the time?"
"Uh-huh. So how did you pick your Super name and attire?"
Dante laughed a little before answering. "Well, it's actually an interesting story on both. The Suit, for starters, was a gift from a friend, Tony Stark."
"From the Iron Man? Wow!"
"Yeah. I after the battle with Thanos I of course attended his funeral to say goodbye. Afterwards I Pepper Potts presented me a suit and Stark made for me, or rather tailor-made for me and all my abilities encase I needed that added protection in the most toughest of battles. In his final message for me his said: 'Dude, don't ever make the mistake I made. Here is something to hide yourself from the world and all its idiots while doing some good. And leave my other suits alone! They're mine, not yours, don't want people to get the wrong idea that I somehow comeback from the dead. Be you, NOT me. If you don't want it don't be a dick and sell it on Amazon. Jeff is a gloryhog." The interviewer laughed before Dante continued on. "Now as to where me Super name came from, the best place I can remember was A pair of TV anchors that actually first coined the name, 'Mr. Incredible'. I didn't have a name when beginning. I wasn't one to take a name when helping people. I didn't need one I was this names hero that people saw. So … these TV who followed my exploits decided to give me a name and after some many ideas they finally settle on the Mr. Incredible. I didn't hate the name they gave I thought in it way it worked. It was better being called that, than That guy or What's-his-face, right?"
"Really interesting. What about life?" she asked next.
"Life? Well life can be fair and a big steaming pile of unfair. One good example of unfair is this job. No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved, you know? For a little bit. I feel like the maid. I just cleaned up this mess. Can we keep it clean … for TEN MINUTES?" Dante laughed as he almost broke down."But when it comes to fair … Sometimes l think I'd just like the simple life, you know? Relax a little and raise a family. I always thought about it, despite what other people say and … you know like that."
FROZONE INTERVIEW
"So what about secret identity." the interviewer began.
Lucius scratched his chin before speaking."I believe in the phase: it good to leave something to the imagination. But Superladies, they're always trying to tell you their secret identity. Think it'll strengthen the relationship or something like that. I said, "Girl, I don't want to know about your mild-mannered alter ego." or anything like that. I mean, you tell me you're a super-mega-ultra-lightning-babe, that's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good."
"How you come by you super name?"
"Well, I always had a fascination with science from time to time, even as a kid. When I was little I remember going to the science museum, and that feeling you get when learn new things. You're a kid and you enter a world that is so above and beyond your own. Then you discover what these morons are doing to your world. I saw this picture of this Polar Bear walk on the North Pole ice. The tour guide explained that as the Ozone shrinks and the planet heats up the ice caps shrink. That Polar Bear, all alone up there, will disappear unless the planet cools off. Chills. You see where this is going, right? When I discovered my power to control ice I decided to be the change I want to see in the world: Telling everyone that they need to chill before we all lose it to unnecessary heat. So that's how I became the chilliest, handsomest Polar Bear you see today."
"When did you discover your powers?"
"I first discovered my powers when I jumped into a pool during a friend's pool party."
ELASTIGIRL INTERVIEW
"So, do you have a secret identity?" the Interview asked.
Helen rolled her eyes and smiled. "Of course I have a secret identity. Can you see me in this at the supermarket? Come on. Who'd want to go shopping as Elastigirl, y'know what I mean?"
"What was the most embarrassing thing that happened while as a super?" the interviewer asked next.
"The most embarrassing thing that ever happened? Well there several but if I was to pick one … it would be a that would have to be stopping a car from getting jacked. Uh-huh, happened in the worst possible time. I was in the bathroom and then there was a crime in progress just outside the bathroom window of the building I was in so I quick changed in to my costume and jump out the window beat up the thug who were trying to steal this guys car. When I stood up to return the keys the guy was looking in a different direction and he had removed his coat and offered to me to wear. When I ask why he point down … and I looked …. And I saw I had everything on but I was bottom less. Oh yeah, I was totally embarrassed that I snatched the coat abd quickly put it on. No that was what I call a real quick change. The guy was real gentlemen but he saw too much me than he needed to be. Ya' know what I mean? Some people think I not a redhead. Well, he got the accidental truth." Helen then turned to the camera to say: "Sorry buddy."
"When did you discover your powers?" The interview suggested.
"I discovered mine when I was teen and I was playing ping-pong with by brothers. One hit the ball one way and my arm stretched after it like rubber. My older brother gave me the name as a joke back then but I think he inadvertently shaped my future."
"In the long run do you ever see yourself settling down, or no?
"Settle down? Are you kidding? I'm at the top of my game! I'm right up there with the big dogs! Girls, come on. Leave the saving of the world to the men? They can't do this stick by themselves. I don't think so …. I don't think so."
Dante exited out back to his computer desktop. He leaned back in his chair giving Mirage's offer one last thought. And despite it all the downsides he figured it was time to do something for him that in turn will help his family. He took out the care and made the call.
MIRAGE
866-787-7476
He moved the care side-to-side to see the fading in and out holographic effect on the cards was very nifty. Finally the after a few moments of ringing the phone finally was picked up.
"Hello?" Mirage answered over phone.
Dante turned around in his chair to face his armor suits with red dragon paint on the dark plated torso.
"This is Mr. Incredible. I'm in."
A/N
Well another chapter has finished another reason for people to stick around for the next ones.
Here is some interesting trivia about this chapter. Frozone's childhood back-story is loosely based on my own experiences. Think back to elementary school and when the teachers taught real science around 3rd-5th grades. They would show science movies or popular cartoons that had science in it (Magic School Bus anyone?). Then comes the fun part; you go on field trips to science museums and whatnot of the like. That rush and awe of wonder when I was a kid was beautiful and sad upon remembering those days … when everything was new, straightforward and fun.
But I can capture that magic again by … doing stuff. COVID-19 maybe got us all hogtied but that doesn't me I can't sneak into a museum at night, cut the camera footage and just enjoy myself. What? I'm a thrill seeker. One time I snuck onto an army base and made off with one of their vehicles, altered its look and in a mechanic shop and BOOM, I got me a new SUV. And I got away with it. But I'm not going to try it again until 2 months have passed and steal from a different army base in another state. If you believe this story, then you believe. If you don't, you don't.
Anyway until then folks, peace out. ;3