Mr. Incredible was being held in his cell on the island, mourning the loss of his family via plane crash just hours ago. He lost everything over a single little incident that happened years ago. How did it get to this point?
He silently sobs and opens his eyes to see Buddy Pine, young and in his Incrediboy garb, looking up at him with a pained expression on his face like he was just betrayed.
"Mr. Incredible..?"
Bob says nothing, shaking his head as if willing this figment of his imagination to go away. He didn't want to look at the boy from long ago, that boy was now a man.
A man that murdered his entire family without hesitation, not caring at all who they were.
All that mattered to him was getting even.
Suddenly, he was off the chains, sitting down in the middle of nowhere.
He looked around and eventually, his memories were replayed right in front of him as if he was a bystander watching it unfold.
He saw that dreadful night with Buddy, the kid wasn't listening to a word he was telling him, he couldn't let him be his sidekick because being a Super was a very dangerous job, one that costed him the lives of a few Supers he called friends.
Being a super wasn't all fun and games, it was a duty and they gave their lives to take steps beyond what law enforcement officers couldn't take on their own.
And this kid just didn't get it.
"Hey, hey, you wanna know how I get around so fast? See, I got these rocket boots."
"Go home, Buddy. Now."
He saw his younger self, clear as day, clearly frustrated after having to deal with an attempted suicide, being late to his own wedding and now Bomb Voyage robbing the bank like all the villains knew the Supers would be attending this wedding despite it being a very private occasion.
And Buddy definitely wasn't helping.
"You always, always say 'Be true to yourself', but you never say which part of yourself to be true to! Well, I've finally figured it out. I am your ward. Incrediboy!"
"And now you have officially carried it too far, Buddy."
"This is because I don't have powers, isn't it? Well, not every superhero has powers, you know, you can be super without them! I invented these! I can fly! Can you fly?"
Wait.. he invented those? Bob looked at the boots Buddy was wearing and while they looked rough around the edges, they definitely looked impressive coming from a boy Buddy's age. There was no way, how on earth did he..?
"Fly home, Buddy. I work alone."
"Please, just give me a chance. I'll show you, I'll go get the police!"
This part. For years, Bob had seen it as the day the Glory Days ended.
Years, he blamed Mr. Sansweet, Bomb Voyage and even Buddy for the actions he took that day, the day everyone asked so much of him.
But, looking at it now, Bob felt none of the resentment he once held.
Instead, he saw that if he had just been a little more patient with Buddy, he could have helped him understand.
Which would've made him miss the tour bus robbery, miss the suicide attempt and, ultimately, Bomb Voyage.
"Buddy! Wait! No, stop! There's a bomb!"
Bob saw his younger self reach for Buddy's cape for said bomb, but instead of the blue cloth, he instead grabbed Syndrome's jet black cape.
Mr. Incredible looked confused until he looked beyond and saw Syndrome, who then looked back and smirked evilly.
"Buddy?"
"My name is not Buddy. Not anymore."
The entire world turned dark and Bob was now witnessing the scene from earlier, except his younger self was the one interrogating Buddy Pine and Elastigirl was in Mirage's place, both of them wearing their prime-time suits at the peak of the Golden Age.
"I've told you again and again, Buddy. I work alone."
"I just want to help you!"
"Well, I don't want your help! You think this is a game?!"
"Please! I can help! I can invent more than just rocket boots!"
"You just don't get it."
A switch was pulled and Bob winced at hearing Buddy's cries as 1,000 volts coursed through his young body.
"You can't be my sidekick, Buddy! I. Work. Alone!
"But.. but.. you team up with other.. other supers.. what makes me different..?"
Another switch pulled. 4,000 volts this time.
Bob had to look away and force himself to ignore the kid screaming from the absolute torture he was being given. He couldn't believe he was witnessing himself do this.. he would never.. not like this.
He wanted to make this stop, but when he tried, his voice just wouldn't come out.
"You're.. you're.. making a mistake... Mr. Incredible.. I can help.."
"Buddy. You're not affiliated with me."
Another switch with 10,000 volts went through. The entire room went dark with only the sparks of electricity illuminating the area, Bob winced in preparation of hearing more screams, but they were silent.
Instead, all he heard was the echo of the last words he ever told Buddy.
"You're not affiliated with me!"
The entire scene switched back to Buddy about to fly off with the bomb on his cape.
It was happening again, but Bob was in the spot his younger self was moments before, like the universe was giving him another chance and he wasn't going to let it happen, not this time.
He hurriedly moved to stop Buddy, but was once again, tied to his cell, helpless as he watched him fly off with the bomb, the beeps only growing louder in his ears until Buddy was suddenly turned into a missile, the one that destroyed the plane with Bob's family in it.
He watched the explosion in horror as another voice echoed in his ears, Mirage's.
"We have a confirmed hit. Target.. has been destroyed."
Bob only felt himself sink into a hole of depression. For years, it was never his fault for the Golden Age ending, it was just a bad day. Nothing, but a bad day.
"Mr. Incredible..?"
His eyes opened once more. Buddy was still there, still in his Incrediboy garb and still worried.
"What's happening..? Why are you tied up?"
A shadow appeared from behind Buddy as a pair of familiar white gloves pulled him into the darkness.
More voices echoed in the chamber, memories of his encounters with Syndrome playing clear as day.
"I only wanted to help!"
"I was wrong to treat you that way! I'm sorry!"
"Too late!"
The plane exploded once more in his mind.
No survivors were found.
"15 years too late.."
His eyes clenched shut. He tried to shut the world out, but all he could see was his family.
He had neglected them all just so he could relive the days before all this happened.
Elastigirl- no, Helen, his faithful, devoted wife appeared before him.
Gone was the suit she wore, he couldn't recall the last time he had seen her wear it while his suit was on full display in his office.
Memories of her now replayed in his mind.
"I know you miss being a superhero and your job is frustrating, but I just want you to know how much it means to me that you keep doing it for us."
"I love you.. so very much.."
Helen faded away into an echo and the room was dark once more.
Bob dared to open his eyes and saw Buddy in front of him again, only this time, he was older and wearing that sinister Syndrome getup.
Gone was the innocent boy that, while he was a horrible listener, he had a pure heart. A heart so naive to the dangers of this world.
One he now recognized, just wanted to help.
Bob had no idea why, but he felt the need to say something to him, hallucination or not.
"I'm... I'm so sorry, Buddy..."
"You brought this upon yourself."
"Please, it was just a bad day..."
"And now, you pay for it with their lives."
The dismissal angered Bob, no villain that he ever fought was this cold, not even Baron von Ruthless who never harmed women or children if he could help it.
"You were just a kid then! I wasn't going to be responsible if anything happened to you!"
Syndrome stayed silent and an evil smile slowly rose on his face.
"Look at you, so eager to relive your glory days, you became responsible for what happened to them. Now, they're gone and you're free to live those days. No Helen, no Violet, no Dash and no Jack-Jack to tell you what you can and can't do."
"No... I didn't mean to hurt them... they weren't suppose to-"
"Well, they did! And it's ALL. YOUR. FAULT. What'd you expect?! That Mr. Incredible could make a comeback and everything could go back just the way they were?"
Bob only heard his younger voice echo in the entire chamber in response.
"I work alone."
Silence fell hard and Bob didn't know how much time has passed.
At one point, the Syndrome vanished, the last thing he saw was a young Buddy Pine, looking at him from the doorway, still wearing the betrayed look on his face.
"Buddy... please... forgive me. I didn't mean to..."
His voice trailed off as Buddy just shook his head and left, never to return.
Bob never felt so alone in his life. He prayed to whatever God there was out there that if he was given another chance, he would happily forget the glory days and appreciate his family more.
He would even be willing to throw away his entire identity and never again be Mr. Incredible if it meant he could have his family back.
But, that second chance wouldn't come. And, even then, it wouldn't help him. So many people had waited once for their favorite Supers to return, hoping their deaths had just been exaggerated like in the comics.
Yet they never did, their deaths being all too real.
Gazerbeam's final resting place was on an island he had never heard of and he died alone in that cave with no one to help him and no one to mourn him.
If he was truly dead, then Elastigirl was no more.
Even his own kids, killed right before they had a chance to make their own superhero identities.
Violet... Dash... Jack-Jack.
He felt rage build up within him, bubbling over like a volcano and ready to erupt.
In that moment, he realized he didn't care anymore. With nothing to lose, he was going to make everyone on this island pay, even if it was the last thing he would ever do.
Bob was going to die like the rest or die trying to bring the island down, whatever came first, in order to avenge his family.
He knew he would be leaving behind Lucius, who would then be the last Super alive with ties to the NSA.
But this would be worth it if it meant that he could live on.
Bob was ready.
No.
Mr. Incredible... was ready.
He fell asleep at one point and didn't wake up until he hit the cold floor with small footsteps making their way towards him.
Mirage... he would never hurt a woman.
But she did nothing as his family died and if she caught him once, she would catch him again.
He wasn't going to kill her, no, but he was definitely going to make her feel his pain.
And if she was as heartless as her boss...
He would make an exception just this once.