Ch 2: Too Late

Violet remembered the tears streaming down her face when she first heard if the dreaded news of her kidnapped brother. She didn't believe it at first but when she watched the sickening 47 second proof that her brother was indeed kidnapped, she forced herself to take in the information and deem it to be reality, because it is as much as she wished it wasn't.

And one thing she was very certain, was that the 24 hours was ticking away.

(Countdown)

1th hour

Bob and Helen paced around their room, feverishly thinking of a solution to save their son. They didn't have the money to pay to the malicious kidnapper. A million dollars was way too much.

5th hour

Helen tended to Jack-Jack, though she spilled his milk and dropped his food and she mopped it up. Bob called Lucius but he didn't pick up the phone. He smashed the phone and realised he had made a mistake as that was the only phone they had.

17th hour

Bob went to Lucius's house, but there was no one at home. He and Honey had went on a holiday to whatever place, leaving the Parrs to deal with their own plight unknowingly. Meanwhile, Violet tried to sleep but she obviously couldn't, her thoughts haunted with thoughts about Dash. What if he died? She wouldn't be able to apologise to him about how horrible she was for a sister.

9th hour

Dash shivered as Syndrome whispered in his ear, "Your parents still haven't given me the money yet. They don't love you, Dash!" And Dash spat back, "They won't donate the money to you!"

"Doesn't that mean they don't love you?" Syndrome countered. Dash kept quiet.

2nd hour

Violet was in school, but she couldn't concentrate. She didn't sleep at all, hence she was dead tired and fought to stay awake, but it was a herculean task. Bob and Helen knew the time is near, and they had tried to bargain but the kidnapper didn't reply at all. They sent as much money as they could, but they still couldn't cover the amount they needed to pay. They called experts to track location where the message were sent from but somehow the kidnapper was able to bounce the signal about, and for a moment it was at China, then Singapore, America, New Zealand, Timor Leste… It was hopeless.

1st hour

As the time went by, Helen felt her worry and fear turn into anger. She believed it was Bob's fault - he was closer to Dash than she was during the cursed battle and he could have saved him from the kidnappers that had purposely set loose the Omnidroid so they could capture one of the family and use it as a leverage against the family - and that meant that the kidnappers knew their secret identity which was a cause of concern but getting Dash back was a bigger concern.

Helen watched as Bob shifted uncomfortably on the couch and suddenly anger overwhelmed her. She shouted, "Why didn't you save him, Bob?"

"What?"

And soon the fight ensued as both party hurled profanities and insults at each other until the laptop pinged dad an email popped up. Helen stopped and instantly broke into tears as Bob clicked on the file.

They watched in horror as the figure grabbed Dash's hand and Das tried to fight back but some people forced him down such that he couldn't move. The criminal whipped out a bloodied knife and laughed like a maniac (stereotypical!) before sinking it in Dash's right hand's pinkie. Helen realised what he was going to do, and even though she knew it was she recording, she still shouted, "Don't touch my son!"

The parents watched in horror and disgust as Dash's finger was cut off his palm while the poor 14-year-old boy cried. The video ended with the kidnapper saying, "Check your mailbox."

It was after a period of silence than Bob stood with jelly like legs to the mailbox and took out a package. He already knew what was in it as he slowly opened it. It was Dash's finger, curled like a bloody quotation mark and Bob suddenly fought the urge to laugh.

Dash woke up. He was on the operating table, where his finger was cut off - a wave of nausea hit him, and he weakly rolled to his side before bile rushed to his throat and he retched all over the floor. Trembling weakly, he struggled to sit up. He had lost blood when he was stabbed with the scalpel and when he well, lost a finger. He was hungry from unable to eat food for 3 days. His throat hurt from screaming, and he was also thirsty.

And as if on cue, the door opened, and three very mean-looking guards threw a few slices of plain bread at him and one put down a glass of water. "Better finish that up punk!" one snarled like a bully would do to his or her victim before they marched out of the room and slammed the door shut. Dash was wary that the food might be poisoned, but he didn't care. He inhaled all the food and gulped down the water.

Meanwhile, Syndrome planned on his next course of action. Torturing the kid was fun, but somehow it wasn't enough. His family, including that brat, had destroyed his chance of being a super - and now he would never get that chance anymore. Hatred swirled in his heart as he looked at the security feed. The boy was curling into a ball, wincing when something accidentally came into contact with the where his pinkie was supposed to be.

Syndrome didn't need the money, but all he needed was his parent's reactions. He had hacked into Bob Parr's laptop and was able to watch everything unfold, how both parents were frightened out of their mind. It was entertaining, really.

And that was when an idea popped into his mind. He would break the kid emotionally.

That might not be up to your standards. Well, it's my 1st.