Red with Envy
Disclaimer: I do not own the Incredibles, or any of the characters there within.
The door hissed open softly at her presence. She paused in the doorway, hesitant to answer the call of redemption. Her gaze faltered pityingly over the man who slumped utterly defeated in the bindings of the cell. His spirit was broken.
She would make amends to that.
With her jaw set, Mirage moved carefully but quickly to the computer, taking only a brief moment to glance over the readings that he was alive and conscious. Hope laced with a small touch of relief, lanced through her being as she pressed the release firmly with her palm. The sound of a body colliding with the floor confirmed that he had been freed.
Making great strides across the room with nary a pause, she worked her way quickly up the steps to kneel before the doubled Super.
"Mr. Incredible," she spoke softly, placing her hand on his shoulder, "there isn't much time—"
His hand shot out and caught her around the throat, dragging her up easily from the ground as he went. Her hands flew immediately to her neck in dire need to ease the pressure, but of course, it proved in vain.
"No, there isn't any time." He snarled in a low, dangerous voice.
No, no! Mirage cried in her mind, her windpipe too shockingly constricted to breathe. Can you not see I have come to help you?
Mirage narrowed her eyes to the pain, desperately clawing at his hand with lacquered fingernails for leverage as he continued. The burning in her lungs for air made her quail in agony. She was unused to so much maltreatment in so short a span of time.
"You have taken everything from me. What else is left to be done?" his grip tightened and Mirage coughed and spluttered terribly.
"No!" she managed to rasp finally. "You're family is alive! They're here—on the island!"
His eyes widened at her words; could she be trusted? Aside from the lies of battling the Omnidriod that nearly executed him, it was after all, not she who sought his death. All of those lovely feelings were lent to Syndrome. She, however, had remained true to her every word. The paycheck found its way home and he did manage to feel that rush of heroism he had so longed to feel again.
He released her for the second time that day and she fell unceremoniously to the ground, gently massaging her sore neck. Her throat burned something fierce both inside and out. Suddenly she was off the ground again, her arms pinned to her sides. She flinched reflexively; who wouldn't after having nearly been crushed twice in the past twenty-four hours?
When nothing happened and she still felt aloft in mid-air, she hesitantly opened her eyes to a beaming Super.
He pulled her to him once more and her face froze with horror; was she under assault again?
To Mirage's surprise, it was quite the opposite. Mr. Incredible embraced her wholly and without merit; squeezing her to him like he had found an angel.
To be pressed against a man filled her with a trembling happiness—one she had so long forgotten; so long thought it had been lost to her. She felt safe in his arms; invincible, protected. She had not had this feeling since she was but a child. She felt safe and warm.
At home.
She had worked hard to make something of herself when her family had passed away. All work and no play. She had to give up some of the finer things and sacrifice yet others for this existence; it had been no easy task. When Syndrome came into her life and opened so many doors to a brilliant future, she had hoped also to find a love that might satiate this newly arisen desire. He did provide for her a chance to sate that destructible thirst for power, but he sorely lacked what she sought for in a man. He was still…just a boy. A boy who owned powerful toys. This slight deficiency made all the difference. Now she finally understood what all the fuss was about to be held in the strong arms of a man.
It had been a dream of fancy long forgotten and now, she deemed, it was all she had ever really wanted.
Mirage allowed herself a smile of content to grace her features as she pressed her cheek closer to his broad chest. Hard muscle and a soft heart beat; she was melting in this happiness; this sweet security. She wished that this moment would last forever.
This was bliss.
Her eyes cracked open gently at the hiss of an open door; a door which should not have been open. Mirage paused in her contentment to evaluate the figure at the door.
A crimson uniform not unlike Mr. Incredible's, adorned its figure. Why in fact, it was an exact replica of Mr. Incredible's suit.
But a perfect match would mean—
Mirage's eyes widened as she jerked back involuntarily in those strong arms and Mr. Incredible, startled, also looked toward the door.
For a moment, there was no movement at all—from the control desk to the doorway. Then everything split and tore and separated as the two who had embraced threw the other away; jerking apart to look aloofly innocent.
The woman in the doorway was not fooled as the fury and shock on her face did not falter. Mr. Incredible chuckled guiltily and rubbed his hand nervously on the back of his head.
"Hi honey," he smiled sheepishly.
Mirage also smiled uncomfortably with a slight inhale of irresolution. Still somewhat dizzied by the embrace, she became more aware of her arrangement and she came to realize that her hand was still on Mr. Incredible's broad chest. She snatched her hand away as if burned. This man was not hers; though how she wished it.
Mirage assessed the woman that stood opposite them. She was a lovely creature even through the silent rage that was so apparent on her face. Mirage could see why Mr. Incredible would have taken her as his wife.
Mirage cleared her throat softly. Stepping forward as she offered a hand of companionship, she spoke graciously:
"You must be Mrs. Incredible—"
A hand appeared beside her face, attached to a very elongated arm. She was struck hard across the face and all of the pressure within those long twenty-hours had become too much to bear. Mirage collapsed hard to the floor for a remarkable third time that day.
She shook her head slightly, propped on one elbow; nursing a reddening cheek with her palm.
It was a misunderstanding.
She was always misunderstood.
Mirage was, if anything, envious of Mrs. Incredible. The latter had everything Mirage had ever wanted; a loving husband and beautiful children. The first, Mirage had given up for the greater good; a husband would have been out of the question for this business and the second was due to her frame. Her fragile body was simply not capable of bearing children. Mrs. Incredible had someone to go home to; to steady her if she faltered. She had children to try her patience and lend her maternal strength. She had a family to keep her feeling full of life. Mrs. Incredible was also empowered in such a way that Mirage was not and never was to be.
Mirage had been denied all of these things and her anger and remorse burned with as much intensity as the marring red of her offended cheek. Red with envy. She threw a cutting glare of spite toward the woman in red.
Mrs. Incredible fought her husband valiantly, as any betrayed woman would, even as he reeled her in with her own arm. Mirage watched detachedly of the spectacle. For the married couple, she was presented there not as a person, but as a problem.
"Let go of me you—you scoundrel!"
Mr. Incredible did not reply as Mrs. Incredible continued her barrage of insults. He pulled her up to him quickly and caught her rambling lips in his.
Mirage looked on in passionate jealousy and longing. The simple but tangible symbol of that which could have given her all she had ever wanted and would ever need. It was all so close within her reach, but yet so far.
Mirage closed her eyes briefly and shook her head once more. Though she was torn between frustration of misunderstanding and sorrow of all she had missed; the rile she had felt a moment before had begun to mellow. The sting in her cheek was fading and her anger had begun to ebb.
"You will not believe how happy I am to see you," Mr. Incredible sighed in obvious relief, overjoyed that his wife was alive and well. "Where are the kids?"
"I saw them—they were being chased and…" she replied worriedly, unable to finish.
"They may have escaped."
Mirage spoke for the first time since she had been struck, quite abrasively, across the face. She drew to her full height as Mr. Incredible aided her in standing, in which she was very grateful he did. Mirage met Mrs. Incredible's gaze steadily. A flicker of remorse for her wild actions and fear for her children; passed over Mrs. Incredible's features. Mirage found she could not despise this woman for all she had. A kindred spirit of woman to woman of mutual and unspoken understanding passed between them and the brief moment caused Mirage to forgive and forget, even if Mrs. Incredible did not apologize for her rash actions.
Mirage dipped her head slightly to the flustered red-haired woman in silent accord before she drew her eyes level to Mr. Incredible's.
"They were last spotted by the cliff face" she nodded to him, acknowledging that he knew where this land mark was situated.
Mr. Incredible and Mrs. Incredible turned to each other and agreed silently on their mission. Both turned and ran full tilt for the open door, still arguing over what had happened and leaving a melancholy Mirage to watch after them. Mirage stood in dismay, wishing she were running alongside Mr. Incredible toward an adventure of action and danger.
Mirage sighed as she slumped dejectedly into the chair beside her, nursing a slightly bruised cheek and a heavy heart. She may not have been able to join the excursion, she mused sadly as she switched on several of the screens that was comprised of live digital picture; her eyes of the island. She would at least be permitted to watch.
Though didn't she always?
Watch and wait. It was such a tedious game and she had long since wanted to be a player instead of stand by and recapitulate events like some machine programmed for nothing of greater use. Mirage laced her fingers before her mouth and shut her eyes to the screens; too pained to watch the couple in their luxurious flight to freedom.
Her head tilted only slightly in the direction of approaching footsteps; ones she recognized even before the voice reverberated through the room.
"The soldier's said you would be here," Syndrome leaned casually from the doorway and he paused for a moment. "I wanted to discuss what happened before…and I'm…" his words, which hinted of apology, had drifted off as his eyes rested on the empty cell block. "What the—where is he?" he snapped hideously. "Where is Mr. Incredible?"
Mirage was not stirred by his horrendous yell.
"They have escaped." She stated simply and without emotion. When Syndrome did not reply, she turned her head and glanced at him coolly through half-lidded eyes. Had the situation not been so dire, she might have laughed at his incredulous expression. "Elastigirl freed him. I was not prompt enough to capture him myself."
There was a shocked silence, although more on Syndrome's behalf than of the brooding woman.
"But they were—how could you just…what were you—" he began suspiciously, but Mirage soberly cut him off.
"They are fleeing as we speak. You had better hurry if you wish to catch them."
Syndrome made a choked sound of absurdity.
"When I return, we will have a discussion of your insolent behavior." He snapped and raced off to reclaim his dominance of the Incredible family.
Mirage chose only to steeple her fingers before her and monitor the screens; watching and waiting. What would have been a request of forgiveness from her employer and lover had revolved just as quickly as Mr. Incredible had fallen free from the bindings into an accusation of fault. She had been betrayed on all sides and now she stood alone; not knowing quite where to turn. Syndrome may find it prudent to forgive her, but she was not willing to forgive him. Mr. Incredible was more open to her now that she had aided him, but Mrs. Incredible on the other hand, had made it quite clear that she did not seek any more of her aid.
Mrs. Incredible had everything Mirage had ever wanted…and Mirage had been deprived of it all. The life that she had yearned after resided in the heart and soul of that red-haired woman.
She dared not touch the red that still marred her cheek; the red that still stung there bitterly. Mirage did not stir even as a single tear slid down that same angry cheek. Though she would not admit it to anyone, not even to herself; her body betrayed her. She was indeed red with envy and the sting of its memory would forever reside within her heart and soul.
A/N: I was struggling with the idea of making this story another of its own. In the end I decided that the idea and feeling I was trying to convey here was different to that of my first story on Mirage; where the first story explores her relationship with Syndrome and that single mad moment of insanity, this story deals more with the aspect of jealousy—a very different emotion! So therefore my stories have been separated.
I had this wonderful idea to write and I didn't know quite how to end it…so, don't think too much over the ending. Poor Mirage deserves another chance!
I mused over the idea of this scene (another that I simply adored!) and this idea popped into my head, what if Mirage may have harbored some jealousy of our mother and heroine? My evidence may not be entirely justifiably but I did catch a grimace of something on Mirage's face during the scene and this went beyond just the pain of a slap. (Yes, I pay unneeded attention to detail !)
In answer to Go10's question: I am honored that you would think me capable of doing a sort of all-round story that involved all the characters, my only remorse is a lack of time and the posting would be more than slow. I would more than love to do this idea nonetheless, is there any preference in which this project shall be in the undertaking? Feel free to e-mail me an idea or inspiration.
I am also still taking into consideration other scene's that include Mirage, because I ENJOY making a big deal out of little details, even if it requires a small stretch of the truth as far as following the along the lines of the movie grin.
Ok! That's enough of my jabbering! I hope everyone enjoyed this fic as much as the first (and a huge thank you to all who replied to the first one!)
Please review!!!