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Bob and Mirage's Super Consultant Agency.
We help you transition into the retired hero life.
Bob admired the sign before unscrewing the nails. He was going to miss this place.
"Bob." He turned to see Rick Dickers on the ground. He looked just as morbid as he used to. Bob could swear that that man never aged. "We need to talk."
Talk? That was never good. Bob walked down the ladder rungs. He clasped his hands with Rick's.
"What's going on, Rick?"
"We tried to contact Helen first, but she wasn't home." That struck Bob as odd. Helen was always home, especially nowadays. "We investigated Syndrome's location. We thought we'd frozen all his accounts thirteen years ago. Turns out we forgot the one account that every man has. His mother's. He's been living in his mother's basement, but that's not it. He wasn't alone."
Rick handed him plastic evidence bags. One had a binky in it. Another had a picture of a kid.
"We found clothing, too. We cross referenced that binky with the one of your son. Perfect match. Bob, your son isn't dead."
Bob stared off into the sunset, wondering what this meant. For the first time since Mirage's death, he felt the strange sensation of hope.
"Oh and Bob," Rick started. Bob looked at him. "I'm sorry for your loss."
Bob nodded.
Violet saddled up next to Dash. His eyes were fixed on the street corner down the block.
"I almost thought you weren't going to come," he commented, eyes never leaving that point.
"And let some kid beat up on my little brother? I don't think so. That's my job," Violet smiled. "I had to check in somewhere." Dash didn't say anything.
He stripped out of his civvies to reveal a bold red suit with a yellow 'i' ono its chest.
"You look good," Violet said. trying and failing to hide her glee.
"Yeah, well. According to Edna, retro is in and old is the new new," he shrugged.
It had been a while since Dash had worn the suit. Thirteen years is a lot of time. Dash had doubled in size. His blond hair strung down into his eyes. He wasn't fat or bulky, and the suit accented this by revealing his lean frame.
"It's time," Violet checked behind her shoulder, hoping that her mom may have changed her mind. No sign her. Violet sighed and followed Dash into the faint glow of the street lamp. Violet peered into the darkness.
"I think I-"
A hunched figure appeared near the lamp, but it didn't come any closer. It lifted its head slightly.
"Trikey!" Dash said. Trikey's pale face practically glowed in the light. He was like a caged bird, his eyes squirting from side to side. His expression pained Violet. What had this kid done to him? His mouth opened, then shut just as quickly. Dash took a faulty step toward him. He shook his head from left to right and stepped back into the shadows.
That's when the lights cut off. Dash pressed his back up against Violet's. It felt natural.
"You look better with the lights off," Dash whispered.
"Shut up, you little insect," She bit back. She was happy for the normal banter.
A tiny light to the left quieted Dash's response. It flickered between orange and yellow. As it came closer, they were able to see that it was a flame and it wasn't tiny at all. In the center was a teenager. The flames seemed to be consuming him. Where his eyes and nose should have been, were gaping holes.
"Oh my god!" Violet gasped. Dash ran up to the flame. Violet trailed close behind.
"Quick! Stop, drop, and roll!" Dash remembered his flame resistant suit. He didn't know if it would be enough to douse the flames. He embraced the burning person.
"Wait a second," Violet slowed her run. "The flames, they're coming from h-"
A laser shot her in the stomach, cutting off her epiphany.
"Vi?" Dash looked back. He could barely make out anything in the light. Luckily, the lights chose that moment to turn back on.
The burning kid grabbed his neck. Dash struggled. The kid's flames slowly went away and were replaced by troll skin. A massive red monster took the kid's place. Dash felt himself losing the fight. The monster began to repeatedly strike Dash. Each hit felt like a ripple going through his body. His nose crunched under the monster's fist. His vision faded in and out.
Pang!
There was a pause between punches
Pang!
Pang!
Pang!
Pang!
Dash strained to open an eye. The monster was punching him, but none of the hits were connecting. He twisted around and saw Violet climbing to her feet. One of her hands protected her wounded stomach, while the other stretched out toward Dash.
The monster roared, then shifted into Syntax. A blue substance surrounded his fist. That couldn't be good. Dash leaned away. The fist moved through Violet's force field. It would've connected with Dash's face, but Syntax had made a mistake. He hadn't just phased his hand, but his entire body. Dash was able to slip through through his other hand.
"What now?" Dash asked, running up to Violet. His body had already started the healing process. A perk to being fast was that everything was fast, including cell regeneration. Violet checked her wound. The laser had only brushed her stomach before she was able to set up the field.
"I don't know. He seems to have played most of his cards," she calculated. "So far we know he has laser vision, can phase through solid objects, turn into a troll monster-"
"Turn into steel," Dash offered, rubbing his head.
"But it doesn't seem like he can use them at the same time," she continued.
"So?"
"So he could easily defeat us separately," Violet waited for him to catch on.
"But together he won't be able to attack us effectively," Dash finished for her. They smiled at each other, knowingly.
"Hello? Revenge-seeking supervillain who kidnapped your friend over here," Syntax waved.
Dash ran around him in circles. Violet faded out of view. He had to choose. Violet or Dash? The invisible one or the speedster? Search or fight? Who would make better bait? He decided on Dash. He fired a laser in Dash's path.
"Wrong choice," Violet said. Her body formed around Dash's. She had created a force field ball for Dash to run in. The laser bounced back into Syntax. He fell to the ground.
Dash picked him up and rapidly punched him. Syntax moaned.
"Where's Trikey?" Dash yelled. Syntax laughed.
"He asked you a question," Violet said.
"Is that really what you want to know?" a dazed smile passed over his face. He stretched out his hand. A gps marked three blinking dots. "Three people you care about who are you going to save? The countdown begins." Syntax passed out.
Violet and Dash looked at each other and at the gps.
"Bomb," they both mouthed, neither wanting to speak it out loud.