Incredibles II: Underminer

by Inc 234

Our heroes face the impossible; machines tunneling without a trace, miles of dark, deadly underground passages, and thousands of android-like ants. The Underminer must be defeated before the Western US is destroyed by the "Line of Fire" - or worse. It's too much, so they do the unthinkable...ally themselves with a supervillain...if not, the Underminer wins it all. Updated 6/18

Incredibles II: Underminer

(Still in work)

by

Inc 234

-ii-

Based on the original Pixar film The Incredibles©

Written and Directed

by

Brad Bird

With few exceptions, the characters, and place names are copyrighted by

Pixar Animation Studios

1200 Park Ave, Emeryville, CA 94608

(510) 922-3000

The story is an original work of fiction by the author,

any similarities to creative work done by Pixar Animation Studios is purely coincidental.

To the best of the author's knowledge, all original characters

are a fabrication of the author and are not previously copyrighted.

Any similarities to actual people are coincidental.

The Incredibles logo used for the book cover is copyrighted by Pixar

It was copied from an open source and modified by the author.

2005

These assemblages of words

finishing the trilogy

- charitably referred to as stories -

are dedicated to a real writer and the father of an Incredible family

Brad Bird

Introduction

Taken from the end of the Incredibles movie

The Parrs were leaving the stadium in a celebratory mood; Dash had "won" second place during the track meet, riding high on his dad's shoulders with the trophy, almost as big he was, in hand.

But the celebration was cut short by what felt like a small earthquake, a very localized one. Only the cars in the parking lot were effected; the people in the stadium and surrounding buildings hardly noticed a thing.

Before the family had realized it, the drill from an enormous boring machine punched through the surface, scattering and flipping cars like toys. Once through, it leveled off on the asphalt then shut down. Before the massive drill stopped it's rotation, a door on the topside opened up, allowing a small platform to be raised up via a worm-gear driven shaft.

Standing on the platform was the form of a small person...more mole-like than man. He was small, dirty, and dressed like a miner; complete with hardhat and lamp accents. Despite the oddity of the form, the most notable thing about this...person, was the lack of hands...the microphone he held, was in his metal claw.

"Behold, the Underminer," the strong, theatrical voice began. "I might be beneath you, but nothing is beneath me. I hereby declare war on piece and happiness, soon all will tremble before me."

Before the announcement was over, the Incredibles were masked and ready for action.

1

The Incredibles Take Action

Before anyone else had a chance to make a move; Dash was off his dad's shoulders, closed the distance, blurred up the side of the mammoth machine, made it to the top, blindsiding the Underminer as he was being retracted. The force of the collision shot the villain off his pedestal in a high arc and was halfway to the ground before he knew what happened, Dash carried by his own inertia followed just behind. Helen had to make a choice on who to catch, she made the obvious one, and was there to catch her son midway, while the Underminer was allowed to crash in the parking lot, sparks hissed and popped intermittently, with thin columns of smoke wafting up from the broken form.

The four of them just stood there in silence for a moment trying to make sense of what just happened.

"That was easy," Bob said in a somewhat suspicious tone as he looked at the smoldering figure.

"There maybe a lot more of these...things, inside," cautioned Helen as she scanned the outside of the machine. "I don't think anything that size could be operated by just one...a...person."

The family approached the massive drill, to save time they decided to split up to examine it. Bob took the left side near the front and located the machine's small forward access door, ripping it off its hinges; he tried to enter, but gave up, only making it half way through the opening.

"Over here," Bob called out as his head cleared the opening. Helen was there a moment later, followed closely by the kids.

"I think your better suited for this. From what little I saw, even if I tore out a bigger doorway, there wouldn't be enough room for me."

Helen smiled, and slipped in effortlessly. Navigation was straight forward in spite of the fact that there seemed to be more pipes, valves and conduits stuffed into this thing than anyone could have imagined. Thick wire bundles appeared to carry its load to every square inch of the vehicle. The only accessible path was the dimly lit catwalks and vertical maintenance ladders.

Helen finally made it to the cockpit, like the other areas, it too was poorly lit and claustrophobic, even for Helen. Like most of the machine, it was crammed with pipes and electrical conduits, gauges and levers, looking like something out of a Jules Vern novel or an intense Steampunk dream.

Because the cramped space only had the one access, the inspection was done almost before it began. Helen made her way back out, giving everything a second look as she retraced her steps.

"No one else there...barely enough room for Sparky over there. What about the back end, there's got to be somebody else in this thing."

The Parr's scrutinized the machine's exterior in hopes of finding some way into the aft portion, by far the biggest section.

"There's a few access doors along the bottom here, different compartments maybe?" Helen guessed.

"Only one way to find out," Bob said as he popped one of the doors off its frame.

Because of the cramped conditions she had encountered earlier, Helen decided to go in first, entering with caution. Taking a quick look around, she noticed that although fairly well stuffed, there was more than enough room for her somewhat less flexible husband.

"Come on up," she said as her head poked though the opening. "Just be careful, there's all kinds of things in here to run your head into."

"I don't think I'll suffer any damage if I bang into anything," Bob said dismissively.

"I wasn't worried about you, I don't need you tearing up the machine."

"Oh, silly me, what was I thinking?" Bob said to himself.

Bob made his way in with little effort, the two youngest Parrs followed close behind. While there was a little more room, there was no light, except the small amount coming through doorway.

"Anyone see anything resembling a light switch?" Bob asked no one in particular as he attempted to peer thought the darkness. A second later several dim maintenance lights came on with a click. A few more switches were thrown, illuminating the remainder of the back end.

"How's that?" Helen came back.

"Not bad – better than nothing I guess."

She glanced the cavern over. "Not by much," she admitted.

Surprisingly, the access doors didn't lead to different compartments, but to one huge open bay taken up by an enormous engine, transmission and a complex hydraulic drive train. Despite the cavernous size, like the front, there wasn't that much room. It didn't take long to determine nothing more was to be found.

The four, exited as they had entered. Standing off a few yards from the vehicle they gave it another once over.

"I can't believe that one...thing...could drive this drill," Helen reiterated.

"It could have been controlled remotely by someone in the tunnel," Dash suggested.

"Well then, let's see where this monster came from," Bob said as he led the family toward the sloping edge of the tunnel. They started down slowly, the floor's relatively steep slope took some getting used to.

Sixty feet in, about the time the floor started to level off, the light had become almost nonexistent, but there was enough of it for them to see something that took their breath away. They stood there in shock for a few silent seconds, staring at what was a few feet in front of them.

"It's…it's impossible," Helen said under her breath.

The family stood there in disbelief. Ahead of them – was the end of the tunnel.

2

18 Months Later

The "tunnel" had been investigated by just about every law enforcement entity in America, with the latest technology available. Even with the help of geologists, along with other scientists, absolutely no clues were to be found and no one had an idea how to proceed. Luckily, nothing more was ever seen or heard of the Underminer, nor were there any instances vaguely resembling what had happened that day. As the months went by, less and less press was given the event, after a year the Underminer was relegated to everyones fading memory.

There were however, enough burglars, bank robbers and purse snatchers to keep everyone in the family busy. After a few months the Incredibles wrote the Underminer off. Within a year and a half, life for the Parr family had returned to "normal" – for a while anyway.

-ii-

A police car was cutting through the outer suburbs on its way to a call, followed closely by the fire department's heavy rescue and an ambulance, two squad cars were bringing up the rear rounding off the high speed parade. The engines the fire department had sent out took a different rout, but their sirens could be heard off in the distance, along with a few other squad cars adding to the din.

Standing at the living room window, Bob watched with disinterest as the emergency vehicles screamed past the house.

"Sounds big, they may need help," Helen suggested.

Bob looked at her with a tired expression on his face. "After the last two weeks? I don't think so," he said as he let the curtain drop back into place, then walked over to the table and picked up the paper.

"Even cops get a day off every now and then," he said sitting down. "I'm sure they can handle it on their own."

"Speaking of handling it on their own, the kids have been pretty quiet, I wonder what they're up to," Helen said with slight suspicion.

"I don't know, playing a game or something in the dining room," Bob mumbled as he opened the evening paper.

"Playing something together…quietly? I wonder how long that will last," Helen said, her suspicions growing.

-ii-

"Fifteen two, fifteen four, pair for ten," Violet said, counting out her Cribbage hand.

"Ten? Were you get ten from?" Dash asked in an accusing tone.

"I can count stupid," Vi retorted.

"No you can't."

"Your just mad because you're losing."

"I'm losing because you cheat."

"Be quiet and deal."

"I demand a recount."

Violet rolled her eyes. "OK. Look, right here. Fifteen two, fifteen four, pair for…oh, six…sorry," her voice trailing off as she discovered her mistake. She backed her peg off two points, calling it good.

"See! You cheat."

"It was a mistake."

"Yeah, that's what all the cheaters say," Dash mumbled under his breath.

"I'm not cheating."

"Are too."

"Are you going to play or not?"

"Not if you're going to cheat."

"I'm not cheating."

Bob listened with despair as the argument's volume escalated, then took in a breath and let it out. "So much for Shangri la," he said to himself.

He got up and was about to quell the adolescent storm when there was once again silence.

Bob remained motionless as he listened – the quiet continued. "Hmm…maybe there's hope after all," he said as he sat back down, folding the paper to his favorite section.

"Hey, no fair. Let me out!" Dash demanded, his voice muffled by the force field.

"Not until you take it back," Vi countered.

"No way."

"Then, no way your getting out," she threatened, putting her face close to the bubble.

Dash brought his face close to hers. "When I get out of here…" he growled in a menacing tone.

"Ooo, stop, you're scaring me," she mocked him, producing a faux body shiver.

"You better be," he warned.

Then Dash did a little thinking. "Moooom, tell Violet to let me out," he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"I'm not taking it back. Cheater!"

Violet immediately reduced the size of the bubble, cramping Dash, driving home her point.

"Hey, come on, it's hard to breath in this thing."

"Good, when you turn blue, I'll let you out."

"Daaaad, make Violet stop," he yelled again in desperation.

"All right Violet…quit messing around and let your brother out," Bob sighed, his voice drifting in from the living room.

Violet reluctantly released her prisoner. "Wimp," she said quietly.

-ii-

The next day Bob was in his study taking care of the few priceless mementos that survived Syndromes flaming wreckage. He finished tightening the back of the frame of one, then turned it over to inspect his handy work. It was the key to the city presented years ago by a grateful mayor, neatly framed and ready to take it's rightful place on his "I love me" wall. The key had been badly scorched and bent out of shape from the heat, the new mayor was willing to replace it, but Bob wanted to keep the original, it was one of a the few things that could never be replaced.

"It's beautiful," a soft voice said approvingly.

"Thanks honey," Bob replied.

Helen leaned forward handing him a folder containing three replacement magazine covers.

"Wow, where did you get these?" Bob exclaimed quietly.

"I found them in that shop downtown that deals in vintage books and magazines," Helen said a little triumphantly. "The guy said they were almost impossible to find now, it's a good thing I came in when I did."

Bob thanked her again, as she left the room.

He looked at them a few seconds, then placed them over to the side and focused on the final project; the card.

Bob saved this one for last, it was hand drawn by a bus load of children he had saved many years ago, in fact most of them probably had kids in school now.

It had darkened from the smoke and was dangerously brittle from the heat, but luckily the most important elements of this priceless work of art had been spared; the bus and the names, two of which were from grateful children still recouping in the hospital.

He paused for a moment, thought a bit, and gently closed the folder, postponing the operation for another day.

3

The Underminer's Plan

Bob was in his office when Helen brought the kids home from school. He was making his way to the living room when he noticed Dash sitting motionless at the dining table, staring at a three by two foot wide sheet of glass set upright in a mount.

"An ant farm," Bob said, startling Dash somewhat. "Yeah I remember having one when I was a kid. Of course it wasn't as big as that one."

"Yeah, Miss. Sylvander said I had to bring it home and 'observe' it for a couple of weeks as part of my science project."

"That sounds pretty interesting."

"That part's cool, it's the million-page paper I have to write that stinks."

"I doubt Miss. Sylvander will make you write a million page paper."

"You don't know her. She's real hot...I mean...ah...she gets real hot, if you don't write long papers...she's a great teacher, everyone loves her, but she can crack a whip hard when she wants."

Bob smiled at the Freudian slip.

"I'll give you a hand with your 'million page' paper if you want."

"Thanks dad," Dash said with a somewhat forced smile as he watched his dad leave the room.

"I don't need help failing...I can do that on my own," he mumbled after his dad was out of earshot.

Then a small smile crossed his face.

"Maybe mom will help. Yeah!" he said to himself.

"What's that sweetie. Help with what?" Helen said as she entered the room.

"Huh? Oh, a...nothing I was just..."

"So this is what was in the box. Is this for your project?"

"Yeah, it's kinda cool. This is the queen's room here, and this is were they keep the food, and this... ah...is were they sleep, or something...maybe, I don't know. But they got tunnels all over the place, but they only come out here...kind of weird."

Helen gazed at the underground city while pulling up a chair and sitting down. Rotating it to get a better look, her eyes followed the paths made by these little engineers, analyzing the connections and chambers. Her eyes widened.

"Bob!" Her voice was loud enough to reach everywhere in the house, her tone got Bob there quick.

"What's up?" he asked in a worried tone.

"The Underminer's plan in miniature...I think," said a cautiously optimistic Helen.

-ii-

Rick was at the Parr's house within the hour.

"I got here as fast as I could Helen," Rick announced as he was shown into the dinning room.

"It sounded important."

"Could be the answer we've been looking for," she replied hopefully.

Helen showed him the ant farm, and explained her suspicions as to the possible similarities between nature and the Underminer.

"Insects are efficient in what they do," Rick mused. "Anyone taking on a mission underground, may just use subterranean insects as a model." He thought for a moment. "But for what purpose?"

"If I had something like their drill, I'd hit the banks," Vi said with a grin. "It would supplement the stipend my parents call an allowance."

"Hey, I give you fifty cents a week, a lot more than..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know...you got like a penny a month and had to walk five miles to school barefoot in the snow, up hill against the wind...both ways...yada, yada, yada."

"I never said it was that bad," Bob said defending himself.

Violet just rolled her eyes.

"It's a good point Violet," Rick injected in an effort to get back on track. "But banks don't actually have that much cash in their vaults. Well, not enough to justify the Underminer's hardware anyway. No, this is something big."

Helen was still analyzing the farm and noticed a small path under the little plastic barn.

"What would happen if you tunneled under a building?"

The room went still.

Rick broke the silence. "It would drop into the opening," he answered while playing the scenario over in his mind. "Do that to random buildings, and you would have mass panic; the OEM, PD, FD, FBI,CIA and every other office with initials would be there. But with the panic...nobody could do anything. The terror would continue unabated, for quite awhile."

"Yeah, but the Underminer broke though last year, Dash took him out. We haven't heard anything since then," Violet added.

Rick went over to the farm using it as a visual aid.

"There is a virtual city underground, only one path leads to the surface, and that was the path that you witnessed him breaking through," he said."The fact that he sent a disposable minion to the surface and that the tunnel was blocked, tells me that he meant not only to brag of impending doom, but the inability to find all this," he finished, separating his hands to encompass the underground city.

Everyone was quiet, the magnitude of what Rick said was starting to sink in.

It was Bob's turn to break the silence. "How are we supposed to find...that?" he said, pointing at the farm. "And how much time do we have?"

"I don't know," Rick answered with a worried voice.

"You don't know..." Bob began, prompting Rick to continue.

Rick had a far away look in his eyes. "Anything," came the solemn reply.

"I hope the hospitals are stocked up on bandages," Vi said more to herself than anyone

"Hospital," Rick mumbled.

Then, without a word, he turned and hurried from the house. The roar of the engine and squealing of tires spoke of a dire urgency. Super powers may not do what's required, but a super intellect may be just what they need...and Rick knows just where to find it.

-ii-

A couple of weeks later Rick was back at the Parr's, conducting an informal meeting in the dinning room.

"It's about the Underminer," Rick said after a sip of coffee. "Two weeks ago we placed a mole in the Underminer's network..."

Dash turned his head slightly towards Violet. "Did he just say mole?"

Violet rolled her eyes. "Yeah," she said with a slight nod. "Lame."

Rick paused, pretending to think. "We've sent one of our guys in to – spy – on the Underminer," he said correcting himself, then looked over at siblings. "Better?"

"Yes sir," Dash replied a little embarrassed. Violet just nodded.

Rick smiled a little and continued. "He's no geologist, but he's intelligent, he can find and get into places we can't. I don't know how he does it, but he's been the best source of information we have."

"But it's been over a year since the Underminer was taken out, no one has seen or heard anything."

"That's true, but Helen got me thinking. There is probably and entire empire under our feet and a plan waiting to be executed, neither we know nothing of."

"I take it he found something."

"More than anyone could have anticipated."

"How much more."

"The Underminer's got a few small projects on the table, but the main goal has us worried...scared actually."

"What's the plan?"

"Destabilizing the major faults."

"He plans on taking out most of southern California?!"

"No, we're not falling into the ocean," Rick said dismissively.

"But, if he does enough to the San Andreas," Bob interrupted.

Rick thought for a moment. "Look at it this way, If I were to take a power drill and drill a hole through your wall to the outside, what would happen?"

"Helen would kill you," Bob said without thinking.

Rick sighed. "Besides that."

"Nothing really, I guess."

"Your air conditioning would leak out, but other than that, neither you, nor the house wouldn't know the difference."

"The San Andreas is just a very small portion of a massive tectonic plate; drilling it would be like drilling into your wall."

"So why are we so worried about the Underminer's grand plan?"

"A line of fire."

Everyone just looked at him.

"OK, think of a line of eruptions..."

"Like volcano type eruptions?" Dash interrupted.

"Exactly. Think about a lot of volcanoes along the fault line. Now think of all the major cities in proximity to those eruptions. It's not the water I'm afraid of Bob, it's the fire. The Underminer is within weeks of getting his plan operational."

"Can't anybody do anything about it?"

"Yeah, the good news is, he said he could neutralized it in a few days," Rick said, then paused.

"So, what's the bad news?" Bob said, picking up on the hesitation.

"We haven't heard from him in the past thirty six hours," Rick said, then took in a deep breath. "Bob, we need the team to go down there and get the job done. We'll bring you up to date with all the info he's given us so far, hopefully it won't be too difficult to figure out what to do."

"How will we know your guy when we find him?"

"If he's dead, you'll never find him...if he's alive, he'll be incarcerated. But your job is not to find him; it's to neutralize the Underminer. Once that's done, we can go in, find our guy and dismantle the empire."

"Why not just send in the troops, you have a pretty good idea were everything is at."

"The only entrance is small, the passages – thirty plus miles of them that we know about – are not much bigger, all critical systems are strategically placed and heavily defended. It's a job for a very small team, my guy is down, probably dead. Your group is the only one that can possibly succeed."

Bob looked around the room...everyone was ready and willing, then turned to Rick. "Sure, we'll dig up the treasure for you, just give us the map."

4

Into the Depths

The only source of light that night was the city, but at that distance it was just enough to see the buildings making up the abandoned mine. The old mining company had shut down years ago and the buildings were left to eventually go back to the earth; they were cold, gray, and dead. The corroding gate in the ten foot chain link fence surrounding the property hadn't been open in so long, it forgot how. Nothing had changed, except for the copious amounts of razor wire added to the top, threatening anyone stupid enough to think about climbing over.

"This is it? The opening to a supervillain's empire?" Bob asked, a little disappointed. "It looks like it's about to fall in."

"Don't let the looks fool you. There's some impressive technology under that dust," Jim informed him.

"Like what?"

Jim pulled out a small flashlight with a red lens. "Exhibit A," he said, opening up a small map of the complex. "The turbo lift is right here, behind a wooden door."

"A wood door, you're kidding me right?"

"The door is only a veneer, the actual door is about eight inches of case hardened steel, the massive steel frame of which, is encased in six feet of reinforced concrete."

"Sounds like a bank vault."

"Exactly," Jim confirmed. "Don't take anything for granted, nothing is as it seems."

"What are these dots?"

"Those are the optical triggers we know about...I'm sure there are many more, break a beam and you're in a world of hurt."

"How are we going to get access to this turbo lift?"

"These cards are your master keys," Jim told the team as he handed each one their credit card sized electronic key. "It will get you through virtually any door."

"Where did you get them from?"

"The agent that's trapped down there made them – don't ask me how, that's miles above my mental pay-grade."

"What about security?"

"It's minimal from what he's gathered, but for what there is, it's more than likely very lethal. So, again, do not take anything for granted."

"OK, so how do we get in?"

Jim referred to the map again. "Here's the route you take. He says there's on opening he made in the fence...here, it may be a bit difficult to spot, but is there. None of the doors or windows work, the actual entrance is here, it looks like solid wall, but you'll find a slot in it about five feet up, somewhere in this area...put the card in and the door will open up."

"Sounds simple enough."

"Yeah, it works every time."

"How many times has he used it?"

"Every day for over two weeks."

"You're the one he gives the information to?"

"Yep, every night about this time."

"I guess we're about ready."

"Any questions?" Jim asked the group.

"You want us to find him?"

"That's not the plan Bob."

"That's not what I asked."

Jim stood silent for a few seconds.

"Yeah, if it doesn't endanger the mission. I would appreciate it, so would he."

"He may not be part of our mission, but something tells me we can't do it without him."

Jim smiled. "It really doesn't matter what anyone said you can or can't do, once you're inside that door – your the boss."

"We'll find him."

"Thanks Bob, I hope so."

Jim shook Bob's hand, then the team silently jogged down the slight incline towards the unknown. Using infrared binoculars, Jim watched their progress through the fence and across the vast open area to the safety of the outer wall, making sure there were no surprises for them as Bob searched for the hidden card slot. He continued watching over them until the last member of the Incredibles team quickly and silently disappeared through the secret door.

They were now on their own.

-ii-

Once the family was inside the main building, they stood silent for a few minutes, getting accustomed to the dim light, listening, and orienting themselves. The building seemed empty and still, against the defining silence, they crossed the open floor as quietly as possible to the staircase leading to the turbo lift, then glided down the single flight of steps.

The wooden door was as described, the card was inserted, there was a click, and the door swung open.

After everyone was in the lift, the plexiglass door shut and the car was on its way down, at a speed that put your stomach in your throat. It only took a few seconds to descend the full depth of the pit.

"If it goes up that fast, I'm in trouble," Violet whispered after climbing out of the car.

Bob put a finger to his lips. Again they stood for a minute to take stock of there situation.

The dimly lit tunnel was straight and long, the end, if it had one, disappeared into the darkness.

5

The Prison

"I hate to say this, but we need to split up," Bob said reluctantly.

"A little risky isn't it?"

"It's not my first choice, but we have a lot of ground to cover and no time to do it in."

"We have our maps, we'll section it off, explore and meet up."

Everyone got their assignments, Bob elected to take the smaller passages on his own, Helen took the kids and explored the main tunnel.

The first few minutes in the first passage were uneventful, his eyes were adjusting to the darkness, but it occurred to him that in order to adjust, there has to be a light source somewhere.

His suspicions were proven correct a few steps later; there was a glimmer of light coming from just around the shallow bend ahead. As Bob rounded the bend, he saw light coming from an entry to a large room. A little brightness underground he thought, means activity.

"Mmm…this looks interesting," he mumbled quietly to himself.

Bob strained to listen, but there were no sounds coming from the lit room, the only thing he heard in the heavy silence were his faint footsteps…then a soft, metallic 'click'.

-ii-

The floor was out from under him before he knew what was happening, the newly discovered electronic trigger did its job. Despite his fast reflexes, Bob couldn't get a handhold on anything, and was soon on his way to the floor 24 feet below.

He hit the ground hard, knocking the breath out of him. Normally, a short fall like this wouldn't have bothered him, but it's different when you can't see the ground coming up to meet you, and he had never fallen in total darkness before.

A few seconds later he was up and attempting to look though the darkness, while giving his body time to take care of the few minor aches.

At first all he saw was total blackness, but a tiny sliver of light, making its way through who knows how much rock, caught his attention. As his eyes grew accustomed to dark, the faint light illuminated surprisingly well, once fully adjusted he could make out a few details of the small room he was in.

Not a room in the usual sense of the word, more of a naturally formed pit, it was a little damp and roughly fifteen by fifteen feet, with a trapdoor for a ceiling. But, natural or man-made, a cell was a cell.

While Bob slowly shuffled around the room feeling the moist walls, he busied his mind with possible escape plans – strangely aware he was being watched.

-ii-

"There's no way out," a voice said. It was weak, but in the absolute silence, it filled the cell as it reverberated off the walls.

Bob turned towards the voice somewhat startled. "What…who are you?" he asked in a low inquisitive voice.

In the dim light, Bob could just make out a figure sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall, drawn up, with his head on his knees and hands tucked in between his body and legs in an effort to keep warm against the cool underground air.

Bob backed up a little, allowing the faint light to reflect off his suit; it wasn't much, but it helped.

The image was vague, the face was scarred from burns and lacerations, his head had short reddish hair on the unburned areas and evidence of reconstruction in the facial area in the attempts to provide some normality. Despite the trauma done to his body, he was recognized almost immediately.

In a mixture of shock and anger Bob uttered a name he thought he would never say again,

"Syndrome!" he spat.

"Syndrome's dead," the broken figure said quietly.

"This is impossible. You were killed in the explosion…you're dead…I watched it happen."

"It wasn't me that got sucked in…my rocket boot was ingested just before my cape started to drag me in. The motor exploded just as I hit the spinner…I was thrown clear."

Buddy paused a second, thinking and recuperating from the exertion.

"That's all I remember."

In a fit of rage Bob grabbed Buddy by the neck preparing to crush it. "Maybe I'll finish the job," he said as he gritted his teeth.

Even if he had the strength, Buddy wouldn't have resisted, preferring a quick death to the cold lingering one promised by his imprisonment.

"I wish…you would," Buddy managed with a wheeze.

But Bob knew he was not the judge and by nature not an executioner.

Buddy was right; the bold, swaggering, egotistical Syndrome was gone. All that was left, if only for a moment, was a broken-down, withering bit of humanity, with no self-worth…or hope.

A strange sense of compassion swept over Bob as he held Buddy's limp body; he knew judgment was being meted out and required no help from him. He lowered Buddy gently back to the floor.

Bob's rage may have been quelled, but anger and distrust remained.

"How did you get here, a little falling out with your boss?" Bob said pointedly.

"Who? The Underminer? No, I came here to destroy his plans – possibly him too," Buddy said without emotion.

"Destroy him! Well it's obvious your weapons don't work like they used to."

"No weapons – just me."

"Oh, so you're a super now."

"No."

"I don't understand. You were the epitome of evil, and now your the good guy?"

Buddy knew Bob would have a hard time believing anything he said. His time was running out and Buddy had a few issues with Mr. Perfect.

He was cold, starved and dehydrated, with hardly enough strength to sit up, but he felt a massive surge of adrenaline run through his worn-out body and he would use the last ounce of it to knock Bob of his pedestal.

"Yeah, I made some bad decisions, after you summarily dismissed me. I could have gone somewhere, helped were I could, and proven myself. Then maybe you would come to respect me…but I didn't."

"Seems like an easy decision to make, why didn't you make it?"

"Because you were the one I could count on, so I thought. No one else mattered – just you. But, you kept rejecting me every time I wanted to help – the fourth time was the breaking point."

"That sounds more like an excuse than a reason."

"I was a kid Bob …" he shot back, "…and they don't always take the best option, but the worst part is, you didn't stay around to help me pick a better one."

Buddy brought his head forward, his eyes narrowed.

"Did you?"

Buddy paused again to catch his breath.

"I was the most intellectual kid this world has ever known, but I still needed encouragement, some kind of support, a...a mentor. I needed help. But, you didn't want to know," he sighed. "Just like everyone else."

"Even so, you should have…"

"Look, I don't need a lecture, especially from you," he spat. Buddy took a moment to collect himself. "I know what I should have done, and I know what I did! Yes, I made some bad decisions...yes, I hated you so much I killed your friends to make you pay – with interest – for what you did to me. And yes, now I hold myself responsible for those decisions."

Bob was taken aback by what Buddy said, changing his attitude somewhat. "So, you take on the Underminer unarmed."

"Not totally, no."

"With what then?"

"I told you, me. The body's not much, but there's nothing wrong with my mind."

Bob looked around, it seemed impossible to escape this place. So it didn't matter how strong or intelligent you were, you were pretty much stuck.

"I guess it doesn't matter, I don't see any way to leave this place."

"You can leave; there's no way out for me," Buddy said, in a way that revealed both the psychological and physical situation.

It was obvious to Bob, that Buddy knew something and was willing to help, even though the information was no use to himself.

"You're willing to help me get out of here?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"You're the good guy remember? But, unlike last time, maybe you'll actually let me help you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Remember sixteen years ago…Bomb Voyage? I was going to fly off and get the police for you?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Well, if I were anyone else – anyone else – you would have shown some gratitude; but not to me…not only do you stop me from going, but you handed me over…"

"Listen, Buddy…" Bob interrupted.

"…and if that wasn't bad enough," Buddy continued, totally ignoring Bob, "you humiliated me. 'Take him home, tell his mommy and daddy how naughty he's been'," Buddy paraphrased sarcastically.

"Buddy, that's…"

"Worst of all, blaming me – publicly – for you letting Bomb Voyage get away. Do you have any idea…"

"Buddy, will you shut up!" Bob snapped, his voice thundering off the walls."Look, back then I worked…"

"Alone. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I knew that. I respected that and I respected you enough to accept it. But I still wanted to do something, without being in the way. I went to get the police…for you…to help you…Mr. Incredible. But Mr. 'I-got-to-work-alone' thought I wasn't good…"

"I saved your life!" Bob shot back loudly in defense.

Buddy was stunned, perplexity replaced the anger on his face. He sat thinking about the events, his eyes following his thoughts, but couldn't come up with anything that would support Bob's statement.

"Huh? How?" he asked suspiciously.

"I was grateful Buddy, very grateful. But when you turned to leave, Bomb Voyage tossed a bomb on your cape, he knew I would do anything to get it off and give him time to escape – it worked."

"I didn't know, you could have warned me."

"Warn you? You've got to be kidding me. I tried. I yelled 'Buddy don't'…that didn't work, 'No. STOP. There's a bomb. I'm trying to help' ," Bob explained, punctuating his words with animation.

"None of it worked," he continued. "What else could I do? I used simple words Buddy, no more than two syllables each. I figured you were smart enough to understand them."

"I guess I didn't hear you."

"Yeah, because you were too busy yakking…hey, you want to be a super? Ya' got shut up sometimes and listen; pay attention to people."

"Just like you paid attention to me – right?"

Bob paused a moment.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. What happened to the bomb?"

"I finally got it off, no help from you – it landed on the tracks."

"The tracks," Buddy mused. "The el."

"Yeah."

Reality hit Buddy hard; sixteen years of hatred based on misconceptions was gone, historical truth thrust Buddy from hopeless into the most unyielding, darkest kind of depression. He sat there, head down, hands tucked in, rocking side to side, talking more to himself than Bob.

"So it was my fault…Bomb Voyage…the train…everything," he started to sob as reality set in. "You save…I murder. All I ever wanted to do, was help. They should have let me die."

As Bob watched Buddy's agonizing and self-hatred, he started to understand the part that he himself played in the creation of Syndrome. Historical truth didn't stop with Buddy; it came straight for Mr. Incredible, bringing with it the heavy burden of guilt, and when it got done with him, the super hero would have first-hand understanding of humiliation and the painful process of accountability.

They both learned an important lesson in the last ten minutes…

Life, death and truth can be harsh.

Bob's voice was now a little softer; more concerned.

"Buddy, sometimes people try too hard and don't think things through. It a…it wasn't all your fault…I was the adult, you were the kid…I'm just as respon…?"

"The door you fell through is easy to get to and take out, it's only an inch or two thick, should be easy."

"Buddy, I…"

"There's nothing more to say. Go…just go."

"If I break through, the door could land on you."

"It doesn't really mater any more, does it?" Buddy's voice was hollow, almost an inaudible whisper.

Bob knew there was nothing he could do, he's always had a hard time dealing with people; this was a quantum leap past any people skills he may have. But, it was time to make a decision.

Weighed down by guilt, he turned to leave.

"Bob."

He stopped and half-turned his head towards the voice.

"Yeah, Buddy?" he said quietly.

"I didn't have your understanding or support when I needed it. Don't make that mistake with your kids, please – they have nowhere else to go."

Looking at the ground, Bob thought about it for a second, and unseen by Buddy, nodded his head slightly, then climbed the wall.

The door ripped off its hinges easily. Bob let it swing down on its latches, where it swayed precariously, a second later he had hoisted himself up to the cave floor. As he was getting to his feet, he heard the latches give way and what was left of the door hit the ground 24 feet below.

He had heard twisted metal striking hard surfaces before, but no sound made him sick like this one.

Bob stood there for a minute, looking down, thinking. He turned his head slightly towards were the door had been, as if trying to remember; playing the last few minutes over in his mind.

Something was eating at him, something so obvious he couldn't see it...what was it?

If he had heard of Buddy's survival, that would have been traumatic enough, but face to face blew his mind, it would take a while to get over the shock. Maybe when everything settles down a bit and he's able to get his mind around the events, whatever it is he's trying to remember will come to him. But that will have to wait.

A decision had to be made now, but unknown to Bob, there was only one right option; if he failed to choose it, and soon, his family would be destroyed and in the not too distant future, the world.

6

Violet on Her Own

After looking for some time, Bob finally found the rest of the family. Not knowing what to tell them, he decided not to say anything about what happened, not that they would believe him any way.

"There you are, find anything yet?" Bob asked innocently.

"A lot of rock and dirt, I don't think this map is the most accurate I've ever used. How about you?" Helen replied.

"Dad, we have a lot of looking around to do. Can I see if there's anything going on in one of the smaller tunnels? I promise I won't go far, or do anything stupid," Violet added before her dad could answer the question.

"No, I think splitting up was a bad idea. We need to do this together."

"I can do this on my own," Violet said with frustration in her voice.

"Trust me, staying together is safer," her dad said in a strong, yet compassionate voice.

"Dad, I can take care of myself. I'm not a kid."

"I know you're not, that's not the point."

Violet was frustrated, she knew he was being reasonable, but at the same time felt he was a little over-protective. 'How can I prove I can be on my own, if I never get the chance; I'll be a hundred years old before he lets me do anything,' she thought.

As they progressed down the main tunnel, Violet sees an interesting looking side tunnel that appeared to be well used, this maybe a chance to prove her capability.

She falls back a little, then slips away from the group and proceeds on her own.

The little corridor was small but not cramped, 'Maybe some sort of service tunnel', she thought. Not much further in, the passage started to widen up, soon she was standing in a room about the size of a small house.

Before entering, she did a quick survey; the dimly lit room was large, but empty, with two other small passages feeding into it, one to each side, about half-way in. She knew no one else was in the passage she just came down, but the appearance of other entryways increased the chances that someone may walk in on her, 'Not being seen is a good thing.'

With that, she disappeared and proceeded into the larger chamber.

Although she couldn't be seen…she could be heard.

Ordinarily, she could sneak around quietly, but in the deafening stillness, every movement was amplified, small particles of rock on the stone floor made an unusually loud grinding noise with every step, even her heartbeat it seemed could give her away.

Violet was a little uncomfortable with the noise production. 'My stereo isn't this loud,' she thought, 'but, at least no one can come into the room without me knowing it.' It was a trade-off, she felt a bit better, but was beginning to wish she hadn't come here to start with…not without back-up anyway; even having her brother here would make the situation better.

This of course, she would deny categorically.

As Violet made her way across the chamber, she was wondering why anyone would build a such a large room with just three small entries. It wasn't until she neared the other side that she realized there was much more; what she thought was the opposite wall in the shadows was actually the unlit entrance to a cavern.

"This place is huge," she whispered to herself.

The minimal chamber light didn't produce enough to see what was in the cavern, it did however, highlight a few things closer to the front, enough that she could guesstimate the size, if not the function of this super warehouse-sized room once she got used to the light.

She stood there for a moment taking in all the new information and trying to surmise its significance. Feeling secure in the fact that no other sound was heard since entering the chamber, and without checking, she became visible.

Then, thunder.

Something hard violently struck metal; the suddenness and intensity of the sound, split the absolute quiet with the heart-stopping report of an explosion.

Violet spun around and was on one knee with one hand up in front of her before she herself was aware of what was happening.

The force-field she produced in that instant, encapsulated a soldier not more than twenty feet away, within a heartbeat of firing his weapon. The concussion in such a small space rendered the guard painfully unconscious.

Violet, her heart still pounding in her ears, surveyed the scene. Two guards lay were they fell, while a figure in the shadows made his exit, limping through one of the passages as he used the walls for support.

Violet saw him a second before he disappeared in the darkness, then turned back to the two grossly supine figures; the one she bubbled and another a few feet closer. Vi knew what happened to the back-up, but how did the lead get taken out? The rock laying close to the dented helmet, was a solid clue. It wouldn't take Holmes to help her deduce this one.

Actually, she didn't care how or why; just that it happened.

Violet looked back toward the exit her guardian angel used, something very familiar…but impossible.

She stood there for a moment taking it in, thinking. Then it came to her…impossible or not, she knew exactly what happened and who it was that saved her life.

"Dad's never going to believe this," she said softly, shaking her head in disbelief.

-ii-

Violet knew she had to get back to her family quickly before anything else happened; because if it did, there could be no help, her angel flew off and no one else knew where she was. She couldn't count on a second rescue.

In spite of this, Vi walked slowly. Her mind bringing up and working out past events, things that were said, and relationships. She began to understand more what her mom meant outside the island cave when she said…'we can't afford to doubt…don't think,' she thought, paraphrasing the memories, 'Don't doubt, don't think…just do it…it's in your blood, your instinct.'

"No doubt - trust. No reasoning - instinct. Trust, instinct," her lips were silently forming the words as she walked. Her mind was replaying some of the scenes from the past year, as she tried to analyze the successes and failures of her power.

"Flying out to the island, I was a complete failure."

On the plane, going to help her father, she couldn't make a bubble big enough to protect a toaster, never mind the doomed aircraft. "I never used my power for anything like that…it was too big," she rationalized. "How about the cave? Never got a bubble any bigger there either, no matter how hard I tried." Vi tried, but couldn't come with a good rational answer. "I didn't know what I was doing."

Then she thought of the events of the last few minutes.

"I didn't know what I was doing just now either, but it worked out; just like Dash in the jungle and when the plane crashed on our house."

Her thoughts became deeper. "I didn't have time to think."

Then a little revelation slipped in. "Everything worked out when there was no time…when I had time, I failed."

"No doubt, no reasoning…trust, instinct." The words started to take on meaning; it's taken awhile, but Violet was now on her way to finally understanding her powers.

-ii-

"There you are," her mom said in a relieved voice, breaking her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"We lost sight of you for a while."

"I saw…ah...was looking for anything that looked interesting."

Bob noted the word 'saw'. "Did you find something?"

"Well…"

Violet was caught in a dilemma; the truth would be disastrous, not telling him would be a lie. Violet had modified the truth a bit, and even stretched it somewhat – that was bad enough, but an outright lie…she couldn't handle that.

The only thing to do was to tell the truth, admitting she had put herself in mortal danger through disobedience and carelessness; she would be grounded for the rest of her natural life, but worse, she would have to endure the lectures.

On top of that, they would trust her less and watch her more. If she felt confined now, just wait until they put her in a virtual straight jacket.

Maybe she could tell him the abbreviated version, leaving out the – I was almost killed part – or tell the whole truth and get it over with.

Violet made her decision, she was ready to stand accountable. But what came out didn't even make sense to her.

"I didn't mean to dad…" she blurted out, "…I was just…I'm just wanted, I mean I just wanted…I don't know...I messed up...but I'm OK...really, I'm so sorry dad, your right...I promise I won't do it a gain." She looked at the floor, waiting for her life sentence to be handed down.

"Vi, what are you talking about?" her dad said, a bit confused.

Violet swallowed hard and was just about to speak when…

"I think she's trying to come up with a way to tell us she hasn't been looking too hard," Helen deciphered.

Mom just saved the day.

"What do you mean?"

"Well it's hard to look for 'interesting' things while you're walking around looking at the ground and talking to yourself," Helen said, downplaying a little, she had a feeling there was more to it, but decided that Vi wouldn't take any more chances, so she left it at that.

"Unless of course you trip over it," Bob directed towards Violet.

"Sorry, I'm just a little preoccupied I guess."

"Now is not the time to be preoccupied, someone can easily come up from behind and you'd never know it, until it was too late."

Vi shivered slightly. "I know that for a fact," she said softly.

"What's that sweetie?"

"Hum? Oh, I…ah…was just agreeing with dad."

She knew this was only a reprieve, sooner or later she would tell him, but now was not the time.

"We'll look a little longer then call it a night," Bob said sounding a bit worn out.

"Vi, stick close."

"Don't worry dad," she said. "I'm not going anywhere...I'm staying between you and mom."

7

The Kids Disappear

After the rendezvous with Jim and a quick debriefing, the family ate, re-hydrated, then took some time for a few hours rest. Bob though, stayed awake for awhile thinking about his time in the pit with Buddy. Why did he not mention the meeting to Jim? Maybe that part of his mind was still traumatized by the encounter. Knowing he needed the rest, he did his best to suppress the thoughts, relax, and drift off.

The five hours later, the family was back in the tunnels, picking up where they left off.

Bob and Helen entered what they thought was just another large room, but, what they saw took their breath away. They had found what they thought may be a clone factory; an enormous man-made cavern on a scale so large it was virtually impossible to calculate its size, it seemed that almost any building in Metroville laid horizontally could fit inside it.

"Incubators?" Helen tried

"Kind of small."

"Just a guess."

Violet's eye got big.

"This is what I saw..." she stopped.

"Saw where?"

Violet was trapped.

"Earlier, I thought I saw something similar to this." Violet said, downplaying it.

"And you didn't say anything?"

"It wasn't exactly like this, just a bunch of cans on racks...I thought they might be supplies or something. I didn't give it much thought."

"From now on, let us know about anything you find."

"OK."

Another reprieve.

The team was hesitant to enter, there was no information about this chamber on the map. After checking for laser triggers, like Jim had shown them, and visually inspecting what they could, they were cautiously optimistic of entering with minimal problems.

"It seems safe enough, stay together and keep your eyes open."

"That means no looking at the floor Vi," her mom quietly warned her.

There was no response.

"Vi?"

"Vi!" Helen called out in a loud whisper. The returning echos were the only response.

"I'll see if I can find her mom," Dash volunteered.

"No. We'll all..." Bob started to say, but it was too late, Dash was gone.

"Vi!"

"Dash!"

There was no reply from either. Anxiety and fear replaced cautious optimism.

-ii-

"We have to find them," said Bob stating the obvious.

"I know, but we'll do it smart...slow and together. What ever happened to them, could easily happen to us."

Side by side they walked down into the massive chamber, keeping an eye on each other while scouting for their two issues. Bob started to feel a little funny and was going to tell Helen that they had to leave and come up with a different plan, when...

"Bob..." Helen whispered.

Bob turned just in time to see Helen collapse. He held his breath, caught Helen on the way down and carried her out. Bob placed his wife on the floor of the tunnel, while he himself had to sit down and take it easy for a few minutes.

-ii-

"What was that all about?" Helen asked holding her head.

"I don't know, some kind of gas maybe."

"I didn't smell anything."

"If it were CO2 or something like it, we wouldn't have smelled it, neither would Violet and Dash. They'd fall faster than we did."

"How did the gas get in there?"

"From what little I know, it's heavier than air so it settles to the floor, where it came from I don't have a clue...somewhere above us more than likely, but I've heard caves and mines are full of the stuff."

"What do we do?"

"How long can you hold your breath?"

-ii-

They both decided it was worth the risk, if Vi and Dash were rendered unconscious, they would be fairly close to the opening. Helen figured they would have at least two minutes before having to exit...that should hopefully give them enough time to find them. Hope was all they had, because Vi and Dash had no time.

8

Buddy vs. Underminer

Bob and Helen made several attempts, but could find no evidence that either of the kids were in the cavern. They did discover however, that although the cavern seemed endless, it wasn't that wide, so a large area could be covered in a short amount of time.

"They have to be in there somewhere," Helen's voice showing frustration.

"It's not like they can just disappear...well Dash anyway," Bob said thinking.

"Bob," Helen said, getting his attention, "Did you notice an area a little darker than the rest of the wall?"

"Yeah, but I didn't think about it that much, I figured it was just a discoloration," Bob admitted.

"So did I, but I've also seen a couple of small tunnels that looked just like that in low light levels."

They looked at each other

"Do you think?"

Within seconds they were back in the cavern, a few seconds later stepping up into the discoloration.

"How do you feel?" Bob whispered.

"A little relieved."

"No, I mean..."

"I know what you mean...I feel fine."

After a short walk, the small tunnel intersected a larger one.

"You go left, I'll take the right."

Bob and Helen split up, it wasn't that long before Bob found a chamber on the right, he started to step in, but froze in horror at what he saw, Violet and Dash were chained to the wall with a soldier ant on each of them. Their huge mandibles gripping their necks lightly. He started into the room.

"Stay right there," a voice commanded.

Bob looked over, there stood the real Underminer, remote in hand, so he backed up slightly, giving the Underminer a little room, this also put him back into the small tunnel in case Helen should return unexpectedly.

"If I press this button, the kid's heads come off. So don't do anything that would cause that to happen."

"What do you want?"

"To be left alone while I work."

Bob saw Helen in his periphery coming back down the tunnel, she was about a fifty feet away when he motioned for her to hold her position. The Underminer didn't know she was there and Bob wanted to keep it that way.

"I'm not leaving without them."

"They're safe with me, as long as I feel safe from you."

"You won't take offense if I don't believe you?"

"You have my word."

"The word of a psycho about to destroy thousands of lives for his own amusement, doesn't mean a lot to me."

"I don't see you have much choice."

"I have a lot of choices."

"True. I'll put it this way...I don't want to see you make the wrong one."

-ii-

Buddy had arrived in the chamber to the side and slightly behind the Underminer and heard enough to figure out what was going on. The situation was bad. The Underminer was too calm. He had to find a way to stir the pot hard by using the Underminer's common sense, ignorance, narcissism...or all the above. He needed to do it fast because things could get ugly quick.

"Why don't you just let them go?" came a voice from behind the Underminer.

The Underminer looked off to his side cautiously.

"It looks like I'm being surrounded," he said calmly. "The same holds for you too. Get too close, and daddy here will be shown parts of his kids he's never seen before."

"There's no reason for violence. They're not what you need right now anyway."

"They're exactly what I need right now, insurance."

"Insuring what?"

"That I finish what I started, unmolested."

"You've already won."

"Won? Not yet, I've only started on my plan."

"You are the winner...but too blind to see what's staring you in the face."

"Meaning what?"

"If you kill the Incredibles now, they will die heroes, and be honored as such. But you...you will be remembered as nothing better than a dirt bag taking the easy way out."

"What? Are you telling me just to let them go? You think of me as a fool."

"If you let them go, and get to the surface, they can see your plan in action...knowing there is nothing they can do. You will have escaped and who knows, maybe even retire to some tropical island. They will feel the the shame of defeat at your hands, then and only then, will you be remembered as a supervillain."

"What about, I finish what I'm doing...then I leave you all here to die, nobody will know."

"You could do that, but it's a mistake."

"I don't see it as a mistake."

"That's because you're a moron."

"I suppose you're some kind of genius?" Anger was building in his voice.

"Next to you, everyone's a genius."

"You don't think I will hesitate to kill these children? Nothing is beneath me," he yelled.

"Except your IQ."

"You think of yourself as superior to me...but you resort to name calling, like some uneducated child."

"I'm sorry, being in the presents of stupidity does that to me."

"You mock me?"

"No, just calling it the way I see it."

"I should push this button out of contempt for you," he spat.

"Then you'll die where you stand, and your plan will fail."

The Underminer realized he was being led on and was loosing control, so calmed down a bit.

"Very well, you proved your point, I will let them go and see them safely to the surface, they will see my plan, trembling at its power, and feel the agony of defeat. But, you must die first. Are you willing to accept that?"

"Yes. I may die, but I will do so with honor. But if you die, you'll be remembered as an insignificant piss ant, and your mediocre plan will die with you. Are your willing to accept that?"

"I will not have to make that sacrifice. But, before your life ends, tell me, why the loyalty? Because he saved you from me?"

"No," Buddy replied without emotion. "Because he saved me from myself."

-ii-

The fight ensued, Buddy started strong, but because of his condition, he weakened rapidly.

"That's it?" the Underminer said laughing. "You fight like a little girl."

"Take me on loser, I'll show you how little girls fight," Violet yelled.

The Underminer ignored her. "But what can you expect from a guy named 'Buddy'? he said, then laughed hard.

Maybe you should come back when you get a little bigger." He guffawed.

"Go home…Buddy." The Underminer roared.

Those words were spoken by his idol many years before; it was an epic blow that launched him into the deepest pit any human could possibly endure. To be immersed in pure evil and do the unconscionable; murder heroes, cause pain and destruction...to become what he hated most.

Those three words caused years of suppressed rejection, loneliness and hatred to came flooding back and was added to the intense contempt and loathing Buddy held for this worthless piece of…villain. The Underminer had unknowingly started down the path to his own extinction.

Bob saw the quiet rage building up in Buddy's eyes. "Oh oh," he said softly. The Underminer opened a can of worms so big, Bob couldn't close it.

Buddy exploded, his staff striking the Underminer in a series of rapid blows, the blurring staff was virtually impossible to block, the Underminer's thick clothes and hardhat did nothing to protect him from the damage being inflicted. Buddy drove the Underminer back until the villain was at the edge of a rock shelf eight feet over the floor.

With a quickness that impressed even Dash, Buddy swung the staff over and up, catching the Underminer just below the ribs, catapulting him over the edge. The Underminer hit the rock floor, landing hard on his back. With his body already wracked with pain, the Underminer hardly felt a thing.

Buddy leaped off the ledge, staff drawn back, ready to run the Underminer though. But the Underminer rolled to one side, the point of the staff digging deep into the loose rock causing Buddy to vault over. The villain was quick to kick the staff to one side, but not before Buddy completed his arc, landing in back of the Underminer. Buddy touched down on both feet and crouched low to absorb the shock while simultaneously drawing the staff back once more to attack.

The Underminer had somehow found the strength to get up and turn around, just in time to see Buddy lunge the staff full force towards him, the staff had found its mark and continued though. The Underminer never really appreciated what happened, he was dead before he hit the ground.

Despite the victory, Buddy stood there in horror, the intensity of the shock paralyzed his body, he felt as if his heart would explode. It wasn't the dead body, it was the dead thumb on a depressed button that drove him to his knees.

As he was trying to reconcile the event, somewhere in his mind, he heard Bob talking to the kids asking if they were alright. Paralysis left him for a moment, he jerked around to see Bob breaking the shackles off the siblings arms. They were unharmed, Buddy was stupefied, until he looked at the ground near where the pair were chained to the wall. The ants lay in three neat pieces; body, head, jaws. Violet had bubbled the heads as a last resort, effectively separating the three parts.

The immense swing of emotion from intense grief to elation, was too much for Buddy to handle.

Driven by the chaos in his mind, Buddy brought the staff up again for another death blow, he yelled at the corps like a wild man as he lunged the staff once again towards the Underminer. Bob quickly moved in from behind and caught the staff on it's way home, bringing it back across Buddy's chest, using it to pin Buddy to himself, with only enough pressure to confine.

Buddy was now wedged between the staff and Bob, getting free was impossible, but that didn't stop him from using every ounce of energy trying.

"It's over Buddy," Bob said softly. They stood there for a few minutes, Bob continued the restraint until he felt the last of Buddy's rage ebb from his soul.

Finally Buddy's body went limp.

"I'm OK Bob," he said wearily.

"I know," Bob said patting him on the shoulder. "Let's tear this place apart and go home."

Bob released Vi and Dash from the remainder of their restraints, then the three of them started out. Dash look back at Buddy. "I'll be right back," he told his dad.

"Buddy, you got to show me how you do that," Dash exclaimed, totally awestruck.

"No little man. You don't need to know how to destroy people – killing is always the last option," he told Dash.

"I know Buddy," Dash replied with understanding. "I'm talking about defense."

Buddy grinned. "Yeah. That I will do."

Without trying, Buddy had now become a super hero's mentor.

9

Helen Doesn't Know

Bob and Vi had left the chamber and met up with Helen who had arrived near the opening a minute earlier and knew about the Underminer's demise; Dash and Buddy were left behind talking.

Bob, Helen, and Vi started down the tunnel.

"He's my hero," Helen stated with gratitude. "I'd like to meet him, get to know him. Of course there's something familiar..."

"What?" Bob said a little surprised. "Of course you.." he stopped mid sentence. His eyes widened, and the cold chill of reality ran through his body – she doesn't know who he is.

"Of course I what?"

"Wait here," Bob said quickly as he started back to intercept Buddy and Dash before they got too close.

"Where are you going?"

"Just wait there for a minute...please," he replied with a little panic.

Bob got back to the pair as they started to leave the chamber.

"Hey dad," Dash said excitedly. "Buddy said he would teach me some self defense moves later on."

"That's great," Bob said nervously, his mind racing. "Now is a good time."

"Bob, the Underminer may be out of the game, but there is still a lot of work to be done. He may have had a backup."

"Yeah, I know...but a...self defense is very important. And there's no time like the present," Bob said with a forced smile.

"Bob, with respect..."

"Trust me...now you have the opportunity for some quality time."

"OK Bob, no problem...maybe Vi would like..."

"Great! Yeah...fantastic. I'll get her, stay here...don't move."

"How about Helen?"

"NO!" came the panicked response. "I mean...ah...she can't right now...we have a..ah...meeting."

Bob hurried back to Helen and Vi. "Violet, I need a little time with your mom. Dash is learning a little self defense, it would be good for you to learn some yourself."

"Ah, I guess. When?"

"Now, is good. Go," he said, jerking his head towards Buddy and Dash.

Vi was puzzled, but did as her dad asked.

"What's going on? Is everything OK?" Helen asked with concern.

"Yeah, everything is fine, I hope," Bob reassured her, not knowing how long things would remain that way.

"I have to tell you something very important, and I need you to hear me out."

"Bob, you're worrying me."

"Nothing to worry about, I promise. Everything is good...great in fact...maybe."

"Then why do I have to hear you out?"

Bob took in a breath, and moistened his lips. He had to think fast, because he was in way over his head.

-ii-

Imagine, if you will, telling some one you love...who just happens to be a super...that the man she wants to meet, to show him gratitude and respect for risking his life for the safety of her children, is the same guy that murdered a dozen supers, attempted to murder you, and brought chaos and destruction to a major city...the same guy that destroyed her home in the attempt to kidnap her baby and raise as his sidekick...and is the same guy that she thought was dead...

...you thought of an opening line yet?

-ii-

"The guy that took out the Underminer..." Bob began.

Helen said nothing, but the expression on her face bordered on panic, the kids were alone with him.

"No, no, no. Everything is OK, the kids are in good hands...their safe," he tried to reassured her.

"I was going to tell you, that he's the guy Rick sent down here...the mole," Bob confided.

"He's alive, that's good to know, Rick will be pleased. But why all the suspense?"

"Well, he's done some really bad things in the past, unconscionable, actually. He did them to get back at me for something I did...or I should say, didn't do...years ago. In other words, I'm mostly to blame for his past."

"You know him?" Helen's face showing more than a little surprise.

"Yes, but do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Helen stared at him as she tried to make sense of what her husband was saying.

"Do you understand," he softly repeated.

"I think so."

"We've reconciled. Both of us are deeply sorry for everything we did that led to his problems. He's something he's always wanted to be, a good guy. You can trust him...Rick does and so do I."

"Who is he Bob?" She stood there, her eyes were getting moist and nausea crept into stomach...in the back of her mind, Helen new; as impossible as it seemed, she knew.

"So if you give him a chance..."

"Who is he Bob?" Helen whispered with force, her patience was running out.

He found it impossible to say the name.

"We thought he was dead," Bob offered instead.

"No!" Helen whispered loudly in shock. "Syndrome?"

"Syndrome's dead...forever," Bob quickly reassured her.

"What? Who then?" Helen interrupted, irritated and confused.

"Syndrome is dead; but Buddy's alive."

To Helen it was surreal, she was emotionally frozen; not knowing what to think, say, or do.

Bob read in her, the same emotions he felt not that long ago.

"Listen, I know it's a lot to take in right now, and promise I'll explain it all later. But everything is alright and it will all work out; we need each other."

Everyone, but Helen, knew Buddy and was beginning to accept him; Dash didn't know him that well, but was impressed with what he saw; Vi owed him her life; and Bob and he had started to work it out. Helen was the wild card, she didn't know him personally and hasn't had any positive life altering experiences; all were bad.

The only redeeming fact, was that Bob admitted it was mostly his fault and she knew he would explain it later, to her satisfaction, as promised. She was satisfied with that – for now.

"I have a plan," the voice somewhat startled her from her thoughts.

There he was, only four feet away, Buddy Pine.

Between the shock of his appearance, changed nature, and the fact that he was indeed alive; Helen could do nothing but stand and stare.

"Buddy?" she managed quietly.

"Yes ma'am, it's me," Buddy said with genuine politeness in his voice. "I apologize for the situation, I was supposed to do this on my own – it just didn't work out that way. So here you are, having to make up for my failure – I guess I can't do anything on my own, bad or good," he said with a small grin.

Then the grin left his face and found it hard to face her. "I know you hate me, you'll never consider me a friend, trust or even respect me. I understand that, I would feel the same if in your place." Then he looked her in the eye. "I do give you my word though, that when this mission is over, and it will be soon, you'll never see nor hear from me again."

Helen swallowed hard, then her demeanor changed.

"What I'd like to do...when this is over, is to sit down and have you..." Helen cut her eyes to Bob, "...both of you, fill me in on what is going on."

"It may take awhile; we are talking the past 18 years," Bob said, smiling nervously.

"I'll make a pot of coffee," she replied without humor. Then turned and left the pair to join the kids.

10

Fresh Air

"They're going to want to know about this," Buddy said as they walked down the main tunnel.

"You going up?"

"Yeah, I've got to get out of here for a while and get some fresh air, something to eat and about a gallon

of water."

"You think Jim's there?"

"Normally he is, but given the time it may be some one else."

"I thought you met up at a certain time."

"We do, but they have surveillance on this place around the clock...somebody will be there."

-ii-

"I hate this thing," Violet said as they approached the lift.

Buddy gave her a knowing smile. "It's not as bad going up."

-ii-

"So the Underminer's history," Jim said with some relief.

"Yeah, that leaves about two dozen LMDs and about twenty drills."

"LMDs?"

"Yeah, Little Miner Dudes. His minions."

Jim just smiled and shook his head.

"That doesn't seem like a lot, there has to be something else down there."

"Security."

"Which is what?"

"I'm not sure, but it has to be petty formidable, just haven't found all of it yet, and that bothers me."

"How's that?"

"The plans aren't telling me everything, in fact I've found more than one error."

"Maybe they're old plans," Jim suggested.

"Maybe...or maybe they were meant to be found," Buddy said more to himself than Jim.

"Why leave plans out were people can see them?"

"They weren't left out. In fact, the room they were in was fairly well hidden..." Buddy thought again for a second. "But not too well hidden."

"So what are you doing next?"

"Rethink, I've been going on somewhat erroneous info."

"Square one?" Jim asked, a little disappointed by the setback.

"Not quite, but yeah, I have to go back over a few things."

"What kind of things?"

"The security for one, the drawings led me to a large part of the security, which I found, but I'm sure there's much more it didn't show. The number of minions and soldiers will probably have to be recalculated, I've seen virtually nothing in the way of personnel in the past weeks."

"What about the timetable and methodology?"

Buddy nodded his head slightly, still deep in thought. "That too."

"With the Underminer out of the way, it should make things a bit easier," Jim added with some hope in his voice.

Buddy stood there thinking. "Unless."

"Unless what?"

"A fail safe."

"Like what?"

"If the Underminer gets taken out, the plan goes forward automatically. The problem with that is, there will be no guidance, just a set of instructions," Buddy said, thinking out loud.

"Even so, you say there's only about 24 minions to pilot the drills...just stop them."

"Yeah, that's easy enough...unless they're already gone."

"Couldn't you just follow them up the tubes and take them out?"

"Only if you knew which tubes they took," Buddy replied.

"I don't understand."

"There are approximately fifty starter tunnels...basically pilot holes...about a quarter to a half mile long, going in different directions, that is, if the plans were accurate – which I'm beginning to doubt. If they are indeed factual, a lot of time would be wasted in trying to track down which tunnel was in use." Buddy thought a moment. "The biggest problem is how do you stop the drills? Granted all the armor is towards the front, but the rear is pretty hefty too."

"And the blast in such a confined space would vaporize anybody in that section of the tunnel," Jim volunteered.

"We've got to back down now." Buddy's voice had a sense of urgency to it.

"You need food and water first."

Buddy downed a couple of power bars and chased them with a quart of water as his mind worked the problem. After a few minutes, he stuffed his pockets with a dozen more bars and grabbing a quart bottle of chilled water, he set off.

"Come on, we may be out of time already," Buddy said over his shoulder.

As before, Jim kept a watchful eye on the team until they disappeared from view.

11

The Underminer's No Mastermind

"This reminds me of a video game I used to play," Buddy said softly, as they navigated their way through the endless maze of tunnels.

"Which one is that?" asked Dash.

"The post apocalyptic were the player navigates through tunnels like these. Watching out for hidden traps and camouflaged triggers."

"Is that the one, you can trigger a secret door and let out a million zombies without knowing."

Buddy smiled slightly, "Yeah, that's the one."

"The bad thing is, this game can't be reset," Bob added.

"The game," Buddy said absentmindedly.

"What about the game?"

"I think I know who's behind all this."

"If it's not the Underminer, then who?"

"Later, I need more proof."

"Why."

"Because if it is him, knowing will give us a better chance of survival, and a way to destroy this place faster."

They continued on for a while with Buddy leading the way through the upper cross tunnel. He stopped suddenly, turned, looked at the wall for a moment and said, "This should be it."

"This should be what?"

"The door to the grand gallery," Buddy replied as he searched for the slot. "The drawings didn't even title the area, basically it's small and meaningless, but now that I know not to trust anything I've seen, it may be just the opposite."

Bob and Helen looked at each other, as did Violet and Dash.

Buddy noted their reactions. "I thought I saw a soldier coming out of this section of wall not long before I was incarcerated – by my ignorance. Trouble is, I didn't actually see the door."

Before any of them could make a comment on possible brain malfunctions, Buddy slipped his card in the concealed slot. A section of the wall moved back a few inches, then almost silently, slid to the side. They stood in the four foot opening for a moment, and marveled at the enormous cavern in front of them.

-ii-

The team made it to the grand gallery, a 100 foot vaulted ceiling covered the expansive cavern. But there was nothing there.

Buddy walked over to the edge of the gallery, looking at wall sixty feet or so away. Between him and the wall was nothing but air and a drop that seemed endless. There were ten holes bored side by side into the wall's smooth face, each thirty feet in diameter – just big enough for a boring machine.

"Those are the holes I was telling you about," Buddy told the rest as they approached. "It's impossible to get to them without a gantry like that one." Worry suddenly appeared on Buddy's face. "Wait, the plans I looked at the other day showed a gantry that serviced each tunnel in that wall," he said nodding towards it. "There should be at least one gantry, either articulated or on some type of rail. Having only one that can't reach the other nine doesn't make sense."

"What difference does it make?"

"The intel I passed onto Rick was based on the engineering drawings I was able to study. Two rows – meaning two galleries like this one – ten holes each. There should be anothergallerybelow us with enough gantries to extend out to each tunnel. Giving Underminer the capability to launch twenty drills at once if need be."

Everyone looked over the railing expecting to see ten more thirty foot diameter tunnels. What they saw was surreal, six rows – sixty tunnels – all carefully spaced.

"Sixty drills," Buddy said under his breath. "Each hole divides, Nick."

"Who's Nick?"

"The one behind this."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Nick's all about numbers...big ones. Sixty drills simultaneously deployed through dividing tunnels."

"It would be impossible to track that many."

"Exactly. Unquantifiable chaos, he called it."

"Is there any way of stopping them?"

"Knowing Nick? No." Then Buddy thought a minute. "Possibly, but I wouldn't count on it. These drills are on a one way ride, that's why he's using LMDs."

Buddy turned around, and for the first time since entering the gallery, took stock on the enormity of the cavern.

"This area has been sanitized." Buddy said as his eyes darted around the cavern.

"I take it there was more here?"

"According to the plans, should be much more," came Buddy's almost absent minded reply as he continued to think.

"Like how much more?" Bob asked.

Buddy was silent, looking around taking mental measurements and calculating. The expression on his face went from puzzled to worried, his breathing quickened, his eyes followed his thoughts.

"What's wrong Buddy?"

"Soccer pitches, not football," he mumbled.

"What?"

"Red herring," Buddy said to himself.

"Buddy, what are you talking about?"

Buddy glanced around the gallery, something caught his eye.

"Elevator."

"You're not making any sense."

"Follow me," came the simple response.

12

Further into the Unknown

The elevator was tucked away in the rock wall, unnoticed until then. It was similar to the turbo lift in design, but a little smaller and somewhat slower; a fact the Violet was thankful for. The team entered the lift, Helen stood next to the small panel of buttons, like a normal elevator's, but the bottom button was blank. "What floor?" she asked.

"Push the blank one and see what happens."

Helen did, with a bit of reserve, but nothing happened.

"How about nine?"

Helen pressed the button marked nine. The lift door closed quickly and immediately started its descent.

As the glass car passed the gallery's floor, Buddy inhaled deeply.

"What's wrong?"

Buddy replied with mumblings, his face showed signs of multitasking; fear, disbelief, and advanced calculations. It got worse with each floor passed, as Buddy scanned each during the few seconds given him as the car made it's way to the gallery selected.

"Buddy what's going on?" Helen asked, "Your scaring us a little."

"Span ratio," was all he said.

"Care to explain?"

"I'm trying to think," Buddy snapped in a low voice, still watching the passing floors.

As they reached the seventh floor, Buddy's eyes widened somewhat. He continued looking at the far wall as they passed the next two floors, "Floors with no holes. Wrong...it's all wrong."

"What's wrong Buddy...tell us something."

"Too many floors with nothing there...no practical purpose, spans can't support themselves, no drills, only one gantry – eyewash, no LMD's, never were I'll bet."

The family was confused with the babbling; concern, bordering on fear, was creeping in. They desperately wanted to know what was going on in Buddy's mind, but they thought better than to press him for information. He would explain things in his own time.

The lift reached it's destination, the door opened to a gallery identical to the others...enormous and empty. After a quick glance, Buddy got everybody back into the lift. Once they were in, he inserted his key card and pressed the blank button; the car made one more descent...to the last gallery.

Again, the car stopped and the door opened. But this floor was different, it wasn't a gallery, it was a huge office, the ceiling was only twelve feet, and a computer console was the main piece of furniture. But like the others, it opened up to the wall look at it a second, then turned to face the computer. With a few seconds of study, he tapped a key. The monitor immediately lit up, displaying what looked like a blueprint.

"No password needed?" Helen asked a little surprised.

"This is Nick's place, the only way to get here is with a card...no need for a password."

Buddy thought for a second, "Like most things here, this was meant to be found."

"By who?"

"Anybody unfortunate enough to make it down here," Buddy stated as he analyzed the plans.

"What do you mean by unfortunate?"

"They wouldn't have come via the lift, they would have come a different way...that would have started the reaction...providing it hadn't started already."

"The lift is the only way to this floor isn't it?" Dash inquired.

"No, you can easily repel from the floor above."

"That's true," he said looking towards the ceiling's edge.

"Yeah," Buddy said nodding his head slightly. "This is the real deal."

"The actual plans to the complex?"

"Yep."

The team looked at the display, showing the typical elevation and orientation views of the complex. The orientation appeared to be nothing more than a large rectangle made up of tentiny rectangles stacked one on top of the other, a sliver of a gap then hundreds of very long, horizontal parallel lines making up the rest of it.

"What are these?" Violet asked pointing to the tiny rectangles.

"The galleries."

Violet swallowed hard. "You mean like the galleries above us?"

"The same. In fact, this one," Buddy began, pointing at the upper rectangle, "is the gallery we originally entered...this space is the opposite wall with the holes, and this dot, represents the lift."

"If those are the galleries, what are all these long lines lines?"

"Tunnels."

"Where do they go?"

"Nowhere."

"What do you mean?"

"They don't go anywhere...there's sixty tunnels splitting into about ten more, approximately six hundred, closely spaced, parallel tunnels, all going nowhere."

Buddy continued to study the plans, a small glimmer of hope was in his eyes, unseen by the rest of the team. In spite of that, he felt conned, made a fool of in a high-stakes, intellectual game.

"I've been had," Buddy said with a mix of anger and disbelief. "Everything was staged, and I bought into it all the way."

"Why, because the drills are gone or that there are more than you thought?"

"It's not about the drills, the line of fire, or anything else we thought of...it was all a fabrication, none of it real," Buddy said hurriedly. "The plans and engineering drawings were meant to steer away from all this. If someone had stumbled onto the galleries, they would be confused and have to rethink all while fighting whatever security is in place. If this room was ever found it would be much to late."

"What was the actual plan then?"

"One drill on a suicide mission, to breach a soft spot causing the interior of this entire complex to collapse and fill with magma."

"Where's the drill at? Maybe we can stop it."

"Dash, go over to that depression and tell me what you see."

Dash did as he was requested, covering the 50 or so yards quickly, he came up on a large hole going straight down, looking more like a huge well than a tunnel.

"Just a hole like the others, only going straight down."

"Anything else?" Buddy asked, his voice little shaky.

Dash crawled to the edge, with a his mom holding on to him, while he looked in, "No, nothing but air."

"We need to leave."

"Hey Buddy, this thing is going down, but I feel a little bit of a breeze coming from it. Does that mean anything?"

There was a slight tremor. It was hardly felt, small enough that any other time no one would pay attention to it, but in this situation, Buddy did everything he could not to show the panic consuming him.

"It means we have to leave...right now."

"What's happening Buddy?"

"He's creating a caldera, a big one, enough to take out not only Metroville...but a large part of the country."

"What's a caldera?" asked Dash.

"I'll explain on the way...if we have enough time."

Seconds later the team was on its way up, the first leg of their escape to the surface, Buddy secretly wondering if they really had the time.

13

Soldier Ants

The small lift quickly made it back to the first floor, the team wasted no time in leaving the upper gallery. They were in an all out sprint, taking the shortest possible rout to the turbo lift with no concern for the triggers, when Dash picked up a sound coming deep from the tunnel they were in, it sounded like hundreds of little tap dancers out of sync.

"Hey Buddy, what's that noise?"

Buddy stopped, the others followed suit, he strained to hear, but in a second he could hear it loud enough to know exactly what it was.

"Violet. Can you seal off the tunnel?" he asked with urgency.

"Yes, but I thought we..."

"Seal it off."

"But..."

"Do it now Violet," he commanded.

No sooner did violet put up her shield, that everyone saw the reason for the command. Hundreds of soldier ants – large, mutant soldier ants – were pouring down the tunnel like a mudslide. They were the size of pit bulls, with enormous mandibles that could easily take a man's head off.

"What do we do now?"

"Go back the way we came."

"Vi, can you hold them back while running?"

"I can try."

"Vi seal it off," Helen said almost yelling.

"It is."

"No, there."

Violet turned to see another avalanche, she quickly sealed off the rear of the tunnel, as the six legged mutants poured in from the other direction. The ants were trying to force their way through both barriers, climbing on each other in an attempt to get over the nonexistent top, attacking the force field with huge steel jaws. Soon, all that was seen on the other side of each shield was a living wall of death.

"We have to go through them," Buddy stated.

"You can't be serious."

"Bob, look around...there's no way out."

"Dad, I can't last for very long, holding off this much pressure is draining me." Violet warned.

"None of us will," Buddy informed everyone.

"What are you saying?"

"We'll pass out from lack of oxygen before Violet runs out of power."

"So we have a few minutes before we're dismembered?"

"No, they're only programmed to restrain, not kill."

"Programmed?"

"Yeah, you don't think their real do you? Remember the ones that Violet decapitated?"

"I remember. So, if their not going to shred us, then what's the problem?"

"Because I killed the only person that could release us."

"Maybe Jim will send someone down here and get us in time."

"Bob, Indiana Jones couldn't find us in time," Buddy said raising his voice. "Even without the ants, we may be deep fried soon."

"What do you mean by 'deep fried'?"

"Forget it, if we don't out of here soon we won't be alive long enough to worry about it."

"Alright, if we have to fight, what's the fastest way to shut them down?"

"Hit them between the eye's...as hard as you can."

"That's it?"

"The processor and transceiver are there. If transceiver isn't destroyed, the unit will send a distress pulse causing more ants to be released."

"Are you sure?"

"Look, Nick relies on quantity not quality...his plan expects people like me, not supers like you."

"Dad, I'm getting a little light headed," Violet said weakly.

"It's up to you; we either fight to live, or die here."

Bob looked around, nobody said a word. But he could tell by their positions, they were ready.

Bob took a deep breath...

"Vi, drop the shields."

14

Fight for Life

Violet lowered her shields, and the two walls of ants descended on them as one life form. Everyone was using their power and skill in the most efficient way possible.

Helen would grab one in each hand from the front and slingshot it towards those to the back of her, for each one catapulted four or five were destroyed. Bob too was clearing out a path by crushing their heads before sending the mechanical insects behind him in rapid succession, destroying in multiples.

Buddy was making fair progress with the staff, until he saw one of the ants secure Violet at the neck and drag her down, despite her awesome powers, she couldn't keep up with the onslaught.

"Bob, Helen, Vi's down," Buddy called out as he made his way to over in an attempt to free her, he succeeded in destroying the insect, freeing Vi, but as soon as he did, he felt the cold steel jaws on his own neck, the pain paralyzing him. Soon, he too was down. Bob and Helen could do nothing, if they helped Buddy, the ants would have the advantage, so they were forced to continue the fight at Buddy's expense.

The ant had loosened his grip on Buddy enough to move around to the front and get into a better position to drag him. Buddy felt the flow of blood to his head slow to a trickle, the last thing he saw clearly was the ant's disgusting head inches from his.

Between the unbearable pain and loss of blood flow, it wasn't long before he became delusional.

As Buddy's mind went numb, he felt as if he were in a metal garbage can, with the lid fastened down, and a storm, showering him with marble sized hail. Hundreds of high velocity ice rocks pelted the can, the noise was deafening, his head was about to explode, all he wanted to do was scream, but the pain shooting through his mind prevented his body from doing anything.

Buddy felt the ant's mandibles mercifully loosen up a little, just enough to to send a little relief to his oxygen starved brain. As he began to regain some of his senses, the hallucinations tapered off, his head still hurt, but at least the continuous noise wasn't sending shock waves of torture through it. His eyes were starting to focus better, enough to see the ant's head was still there – but the rest of it was conspicuously missing.

There was enough strength in his arms to separate the mandibles somewhat, letting the head drop to the floor. He stood up slowly, once he was on his feet his vision started to clear and was awestruck at what he saw.

What was once an avalanche of terror, was reduced to a scrapyard. Headless bodies had been thrown into odd piles, while the heads were nothing more than pieces of junk strewn ankle deep over the floor.

In front of him stood Dash, staff at his side.

"Did you do this?" he asked his protégé.

"Yes sir."

Buddy nodded his head slightly as he looked around, then back at Dash.

"You've done very well young man."

Dash presented the staff to Buddy. "I've learned from the Master."

Buddy accepted the staff, Dash gave a small bow, then left to join his family.

Buddy stood there bewildered, he had never been shown that level of respect before – by anyone.

"Hey, Uncle Buddy, coming with us?" Helen said with a smile.

Buddy continued to stand there amazed at what just happened.

Helen touched Buddy softly on the shoulder. "Buddy?"

His mind returned to the present. "Huh," he said with a start. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"I was wondering if you would like to come with us. We have to get out of here, and we would prefer you to come along."

"Yes ma'am."

"Helen."

Buddy smiled a little. "Yes...Helen."

15

The Fall of an Empire

For some reason the lights flickered, dimmed, then turned red.

"What's happening?"

"The breach."

"What kind of breech?"

"The drill hit the weak section I told you about, now the stuff will soon make it to the galleries, after that, it will flow through the tunnels."

"What do we do now?"

"Get out of Dodge...fast."

"I thought lava flowed real slow," Dash said.

"Not when kept heated by a tunnel," Buddy replied, then stood motionless for a few seconds.

"You feel the breeze?"

"Yeah, just like the tunnel."

"That's the lava pushing the air in front of it. You may only have a minute or two to get to the turbo lift."

Buddy turned and started to go back the way they had come.

"Where are you going? The lift is this way."

"I know, there's something I have to do."

"You said we only have a minute."

"I'm going with my original plan...so shut up and get out of here...you got less than a minute now."

With that said, Buddy disappeared around the corner. Further down the tunnel the walls were starting to glow and the breeze was picking up.

"Run like the wind," Dash said nervously.

"No..." commanded his dad, "...faster."

-ii-

Dash was the first one to the lift, followed by Helen. It was an agonizing thirty seconds before Vi and Bob showed up. Once the family was together, the lift was boarded, a second later the Incredibles were being shot up the tube.

"You're getting a little slow Violet. Dad almost beat you," Dash teased.

"Cut her a little slack Dash, she stayed with me – just in case."

A violent tremor shook the earth, flexing the lift tube, but the lift continued. A second shock wave hit, this time deforming the tube rails, the lift hit the bent rails full force, severing that side of the car and nearly derailing the other side. The car squealed loudly and shuttered to a jerky halt, then hung precariously in the tube.

"Looks like we have to take the ladder the rest of the way."

Bob knocked out the tube's large plexiglass panel nearest the emergency ladder.

"Dash you're first, go."

Dash made it up the thirty foot section within a second, Helen didn't need the ladder, and with Violet hanging on to her, they both made it up almost as fast. Bob was slow, but didn't take take as long as they thought he would.

"Wow dad, that was quick – for you."

"Adrenalin is my best friend."

There was another violent quake, this one almost knocked them off their feet, but they managed to clear the lift entrance and the stairs. Half way across the open expanse of the building, they were knocked down by a tremendous jolt, with successive tremors keeping them down. They felt the air pressure building up in the old structure, the sound of the air being forced out of the shaft was intense, the thick door and walls did little to resist being destroyed. The weakened building was starting to collapse from the tremors, pieces were falling all around them, but the bulk of the building was held up by the immense pressure.

The tremors made running impossible, the building was doomed, and whatever was coming up from the bowels earth would be there in seconds.

"Vi, we're not going to make it out in time."

With that, she bubbled the family. Almost immediately steam exploded from the hole, disintegrating the warehouse, and producing a shock wave heard for miles. When there were no more bits and pieces falling from the sky, Violet released everyone.

The Parrs stood in awe of this 150 foot geyser of high velocity, super heated steam; the roar was defining. Then they got to thinking...

"Steam?" Bob and Helen said at once.

"Call me Dory, but I don't remember running from that."

It didn't take long for the pressure to wane, soon the steam was gone; but the quakes were just beginning.

-ii-

The family found their footing, saw a clear path and headed for town, it was only a few miles, easily walked, but the intermittent shock waves made it feel like they were walking backwards.

"We'll never get there at this rate."

"Perseverance, Bob."

Then there was a slight jolt, vertically – down. The ground was displaced only four inches or so, but that was enough to get them running.

"If that's the main chambers collapsing, we're in trouble."

"How's that?"

"Each chamber's ceiling is about a 100 feet and there are at least ten of them, one over the other remember?"

With each tremor, the ground sunk further than it did before, the Incredibles could hardly keep in front of the disappearing earth.

"Dash run, we'll meet you at the city limit."

"I'd rather stay with you guys."

"There's a fine line between loyalty and stupidity...now run," his dad ordered. "Helen, take Vi and get out of here."

"What about you?"

"I can take a 300..."

Bob was cut off by a violent quake as the main chambers started to collapse.

He took a quick look back, "500 foot drop, you can't."

"I could put a force field around us."

"That would work great as long as we didn't get buried alive."

"Point taken."

Vi piggybacked her mom, with enormous strides Helen quickly put distance between them and death.

Bob was alone, with the crumbling land gaining on him fast...but he knew his family would be safe, and that was good enough for him.

The tremors were becoming more intense, the ground was falling hard and fast. Twice he started to follow the collapse, a quick leap to solid ground kept him from plummeting the first time. The second time the ground fell too fast, he jumped, almost missing the crumbling wall, but got a small handhold. Barely hanging on, he managed to scamper up the wall, get his feet on the surface and get clear before that ground disappeared too. After what seemed an hour, Bob felt he had run ten miles...not the half mile actually covered, mercifully the tremors had stopped, the ground was sliding, but just enough to find its own level. Bob was on his hands and knees breathing hard; completely exhausted.

As he was kneeling there, he felt the solid earth and listened to the calming sound of the rolling surf...it was over. With Terra Firma under him, Bob slowly stood up and turned to see the results of nature's tantrum. What he saw was hard to believe.

The vast emptiness of the land was gone, in it's place was a canyon, more than a half mile wide and what appeared to be miles long, the bottom Bob couldn't see from his position...nor did he really want to. The only original ground left, was a very thin stretch of land separating the canyon from the sea. Bob knew it wouldn't last long, he could see the water intrusion through the lower parts of the wall and it was increasing fast, massive amounts of earth were systematically being loosened by the torrents and hurled into the canyon.

His family was back at his side, they all stood quietly to marvel at the power of nature...what had happened and what was to come.

It only took a few minutes for the pressure of the water to collapse the ribbon thin strip. The sea came crashing in, shaking the ground under them, the massive tear in the earth had only existed a minute or so, but within seconds it became a bay. This has to be a record, somewhere.

The Parr family gazed out over the bay in silent respect, the newly formed body of water had become a memorial.

"Buddy Bay," Bob said quietly.

Dash was saddened most by the loss of his mentor, Violet gently stroked his hair, although she herself was never that close to anybody and would probably never get the chance, she somehow felt his sense of loss and did what she could for him.

The gentle rhythm of the surf was interrupted by faint coughing, as if someone were choking. They all turned to see if help was needed, except Dash, who's mind was still focused on the death of his friend.

The sudden departure of his family broke his concentration. He turned and saw his folks running towards a figure crawling out of the surf, coughing hard in an attempt to clear his lungs. Dash knew immediately who it was, he ran excitedly towards his hero, showering his family with sand as he flew past.

"Buddy," Dash exclaimed, as he tried his best to help his mentor.

By the time the others got there, Buddy was breathing better.

"What were you doing in the ocean Buddy?"

"Ran out of gas," he managed.

"Ran out of gas?" everyone said at once.

"I admit I'm not the smartest guy in the world, so you're going to have to walk me through this one."

"My original plan Bob."

"Could you help me out a little more?"

Buddy smiled weakly. "I thought, if I could drill through the sea bed at the right spot, I could flood the major chambers. The vents would allow the sea water to fill all the connecting tunnels."

"Sounds simple enough, why didn't you just do that in the beginning?"

"I didn't know how it would effect the stability of the surface...I couldn't take the chance. So I looked for another way to shut down the major command area...but, I was trapped before I got the chance."

"I guess the magma pretty much forced you to do it any way."

Buddy nodded his head. "Yeah."

"Hopefully the water reached the magma and capped it before it got too far in."

"Well, it did more than that," Bob said smiling. "Come here, there's something you should see."

-ii-

"Wait a minute," Bob said as they walked. "You said the drills never existed."

"They didn't," Buddy said, then a mischievous smile crossed his face. "I didn't say anything about the spares."

They reached the bank of the new bay. Buddy looked out over the water, standing there for a while, fascinated.

"Underminer Bay," he said finally.

"Sorry, it's already named. We called it Buddy Bay," Bob informed him.

"You only name places after dead people," Buddy said turning his head towards Bob. Then he noticed everyone was looking at him. "Oh."

"Nothing personal Buddy, but I do like Underminer Bay better."

"So do I Dash," Buddy agreed. "So do I."

16

Questions, Answers, and Explanations

"Hey Buddy, can you explain how you know it was Nick...and how you knew what was going to happen?" Bob asked in a serious tone.

"Yeah, and how you knew to use the drill...how did you know it was even there?" added Violet.

"You never got the chance to tell me what you meant by a caldera," Dash said, not to be left out.

"I'll explain on the way," Buddy said looking back over his shoulder. "We have enough time."

"On the way were?"

"Home."

"Where's home?"

"Any place with a shower and a bed."

-ii-

"To answer your question about Nick. I suspected him near the end, everything seemed too easy; the plans, surveys, geologic information and the engineering information, was difficult to get, but not as hard as it should have been. I chalked it up to the Underminer and the lack of security...but that's what Nick wanted me to think. Remember, I assumed it was the Underminer working on his own...another mistake."

"Right at the end you said something about unquantifiable confusion."

"Yeah, unquantifiable chaos."

"Yeah, chaos, sorry."

"No big deal, it's pretty much all the same really."

"If Nick uses chaos in his plan, why did you suspect the concrete tunnel or well, whatever it was?"

"Nick will use chaos one of two ways; as the main part of the plan, or to hide his intentions. In this case...it was to hide."

"This maybe a dumb question, but what was the Underminer doing there after launching the drills that didn't exist?" Bob asked.

"It's not a dumb question, I've been thinking about that myself," Buddy reassured him. "I honestly don't think the Underminer had a clue on what was going on. He was a pawn much like we were."

"So he wasn't supposed to make it out," Bob stated.

"No, I don't think so. Once he initiated the program thinking he was prepping the drills, that was it as far as he was concerned, he would probably kick back and watch the destruction, not knowing he would soon be part of it. The main drill launched automatically, more than likely part of a fail safe.I doubt Underminer knew it was even there."

"He said, he wanted to finish what he started."

"Probably to monitor what he thought was the progress of the drilling, but it didn't matter, because by the time nothing happened, and he figured it was a scam...if he figured it out...it would be too late."

"So, he was collateral damage?"

"No, more like a loose end," Buddy said, then got quiet,walkingalong in deep thought for a moment. "This may not sound right, but I did him a favor."

"What about the other drills?" Violet asked, getting her turn in.

"I had noticed the drills earlier in my reconnaissance, but I figured they where spares and didn't give them much thought."

"When did you know they were a way of escaping?" she wondered.

"When I saw the concrete tube on the plans – the only truth in a pack of lies by the way – I knew what Nick had planned and I knew there was not only an escape, but a way to cancel his plans...those drills were it, but I had four to choose from."

"So, how did you choose the right one?"

"By the gradient indicator," Buddy said. "I only had time to check two of the drills...maybe three...I was lucky though, because the first one I checked was preset at the right angle. I thought that's got to be it, so I fired it up and hoped for the best. What I didn't know, was that all the drills started up and took off."

"How do you know all the drills went?

"Because one drill couldn't make a big enough hole, even thirty feet...it would have taken a lot more."

"Maybe the Underminer set it up," Vi offered.

"No, there's no reason for him to get out like that, besides, it would shut down everything he was hoping would happen," he explained, thenpaused. "That was the solution to the problem."

"Nick gives you the solution to destroy his mission...that's a reach," Bob said, cutting in.

"Not really, admittedly Nick is as sadistic as he is brilliant, but in his defense, I will admit he'll always leave a solution."

"That doesn't make sense," Vi said.

"In a strange way it does, remember earlier, I made a reference to the game?"

"Yeah."

"Nick looks on these challenges, as games. Yes, he'll stack the deck hard against you, making it virtually impossible to win, but if it was a no-win for the opponent...it wouldn't be fair, so to speak. So he gives the adversary a way out."

"It still sounds a little weird."

"Don't get me wrong, it's not easy. The Underminer challenge wasn't that hard, but as I said before, he led us into assuming he had no part in it, therefore, no one would look for the answer...that's why it was so obvious."

"For you maybe," she came back.

Buddy thought a moment and shrugged, "True."

"Caldera," Dash said quickly. "I wanted my question to get in before Vi started asking a bunch more."

Buddy smiled. "OK, you're familiar with volcanoes?"

"Yeah."

"Instead of a large magma chamber deep in the earth, there's a really large one just under the surface."

"OK."

"Unlike the typical volcano that has magma coming to the surface and flowing down the sides as lava, a caldera will explode and send magma, rocks, boulders, lava bombs, trees and everything else on the surface...including the surface, just about everywhere. It's nowhere the size of the Yellowstone caldera obviously – but it would still do destruction on an incalculable level. "

Dash thought about it a minute, "Wow."

"So Nick was going after a lot more devastation than a chain of your run-of-the-mill volcanoes," Bob said.

"Oh yeah, not only the devastation, but the terror."

"How so?"

"Volcanoes give you warning, a caldera may or may not. So people live in fear of one of these things punching through. You know it's there...and there's nothing you can do, and when it explodes..."

"There's nothing you can do." Bob finished.

Buddy nodded his head, "Basically, a volcano you can live with...a caldera you can't." He continued, "A caldera may not do anything for a thousand years, maybe a million...but you don't know that. It's not so much the eruption, Nick likes to watch people live in terror, anxiety and panic. He lives for it. But to be honest, there wasn't that much surface...a few hundred feet or so. I'd give the odds on an eruption within five years."

"Then Metroville would be leveled."

"Yeah...and what ever survived would be covered in ash. A modern day Pompeii – the reference of course relating to this section of the country, not just a metropolitan area."

"You think he'll try something of his own?" Helen inquired.

"I don't think...I know."

"Heaven help us if he does," she replied.

-ii-

"Buddy, can I ask you something?" Violet asked quietly.

"Sure."

They separated a little from the group.

"I found a room filled with racks of canisters, thousands of them...what were they?"

"Are you talking about the cavern adjoining the smaller room you were in with the two soldiers?"

Violet's face turned red. "I thought that was you. Yeah, that's the one."

"Those cases were storage for the ants, until needed."

"All of them?"

"No, by my best estimation only about ten thousand, per room."

"Per room? How many rooms were there?"

"According to the faulty plans that I was using, that was the only one. But judging by the symmetry of the layout, there were at least four."

"That's at least forty thousand ants!"

"Nice math, I'm glad to see public education still works."

"You're a funny guy, but we only dealt with about a hundred."

"Actually, closer to a hundred and fifty, but like I said before, they're only released as needed."

"That's why we had to destroy the transmitters," Violet said, thinking of earlier.

Buddy smiled. "You are sharp."

Violet looked at him through squinting eyes. "Don't make me hurt you."

17

Buddy's Redemption

It was two hours before dawn at the small anonymous airstrip. Buddy stood in the doorway gazing out at the airfield, turning the events of the past few days over in his head as he waited for the small government jet to take him to some undisclosed location. More than likely some dark hole. He remembered what Liza had told him about the government possibly using his talents, not locking them away; he wanted to believe that.

Either way, Buddy knew he had done well, the mission was complete. Rick had kept his word and given Buddy more latitude than he deserved, that's all he could expect.

In spite of this, he felt his usefulness was over and now it's time to pay for his crimes, he regretted doing what he did, but he did it none the less; nothing could change that. He took solace in the fact that he did this one thing, this one good thing. It didn't make up for the past, it was just a good thing, and he was happy with that.

-ii-

The Incredible family was in the background discussing the same events with Rick.

"We owe you a lot. Buddy had gathered a lot of good intel, and we're grateful for that. But your family put an end to the Underminer and his plans; you even saved one of our greatest assets. I hate to think what would have happened if his project got off the ground," Rick said in a solemn but relieved tone.

"The Underminer's empire definitely fell," Bob replied.

"More than five hundred feet I'm told."

"Yeah, but it was nothing, we're just here to help." Bob said, his standard reply as he skirted around Buddy's key roll in the defeat of the underground villain.

"Bob," Helen quietly admonished him.

"OK, Buddy helped," Bob admitted.

"Booob," Helen still not satisfied with the quantity and quality of credit Bob was giving Buddy.

Bob took a deep breath. "A lot. He…a…was the one that took out the Underminer, and it was his attack plan that was used to destroy the facility...and he almost died doing it."

Rick shook his head and smiled. "Things sure do change."

A whine in the distance grew steadily louder, indicating the private jet had taxied off the active and would be parking at any time. Rick excused himself and went out to meet it, leaving the family to continue their discussion.

By now Violet and her father had separated from the group and were talking in low tones near the back of the room. From the pained look on Vi's face as she looked at the floor she was finally letting her dad know what happened in the caves and that Buddy had saved her from the guard.

-ii-

Rick came back in from the ramp.

"Buddy, it's time to go," he informed him.

Still looking off in the distance, he gave a small nod and turned to say his good-by's, but the family was in celebratory discussions and he didn't feel like interrupting. Besides, he wasn't good at good-by's so left well enough alone and started his walk to the jet...the first step to total isolation for the rest of his life.

Bob stops him half way to the jet.

"Listen, Buddy…ah…thanks for all the help."

"Thanks for pulling me out of the hole," Buddy responded quietly but with genuine gratitude.

Buddy turns and proceeds to the plane, Bob kicks himself for wimping out, and starts to walk out after him. What Bob must say is difficult and time's running out.

"Buddy…wait."

Buddy stops and half turns to Bob.

"You ah…you risked your life for my family. You…saved Violet's life…thank you," Bob took a deep breath. "I…ah…think that…you're the hero, not me. It was an honor for me to help you, a little."

Buddy nods his head slightly. "Thanks Bob, that means more to me than you'll ever know. It was a privilege to finally get to work with you, that's all I ever really wanted. It would be nice to do it again, but I don't think that will ever happen. A shame really." Then turns to leave.

He had finally fulfilled his life's dream, while he thought about that – not his future – an almost imperceptible smile appears on his face as he continued to the plane.

Bob watched as Buddy boarded the jet, then disappeared into the dark interior, a second later the door was closed and sealed.

Bob thought about what Buddy had told him. "Yeah, it would have been nice," he said as he watched the plane taxi out. He sighed, then returned to his family.

-ii-

"Mom! Dad! Come over here," Dash exclaimed, "Look."

Violet and Dash were watching the little TV in the waiting area, when a news flash interrupted their show.

"…repeating, the major banks in US, Europe and Japan had their assets frozen moments ago, by an unknown villain. This unidentified, technological super villain has demanded total acknowledgment of his supremacy by all peoples of the earth or all data will be lost; accounts, transactions, files…everything. This would be a catastrophe of epic proportions, destroying the economic world as we know it. It would take a genius, a mental superhero, the likes of which the world has never known to stop him…"

"Who's got the intellect to stop a guy like that?" Helen asked softly to no one in particular.

Then, as revelation seemed to come to the four members of the Parr family simultaneously, they turned their heads towards the airfield, and watched as the silhouette offa small government plane lifted off a dark runway.

END