Winds of Change
Freedom. It wasn't something Violet Parr had thought much about before, but it was something she certainly appreciated now. Not TOTAL freedom of course, after all the very nature of a Secret Identity was that it couldn't be shouted from the rooftops, but at least she was able to be herself when she donned her suit and became Invisigirl.
A full year after the defeat of Syndrome and the second rise of the Superheroes, The Incredibles were among the most beloved superheroes on the planet. Their parents took it in stride and Violet herself was too preoccupied with school concerns now that she didn't have to ignore her powers. Dashiel, however, had become an incorrigible little ball of ego.
"Who's the Dash? I'm the Dash!" Dash shouted at the top of his lungs as he streaked through the living room at full speed. Violet looked up from one of her schoolbooks to glare after him, but it was already far too late.
"Violet, hurry up and get going, you're going to be late for school." Helen Parr, Violet's mother, reminded her as she walked through the house with a little waddling form running along behind her to keep up. Jack-Jack's powers seemed to be growing every day, making him almost as much of a handful as Dash was at that age. Though nothing would ever compare to trying to keep up with a 30 MPH toddler.
"Yeah I'm going." Violet grumped as she slapped her book shut and pushed herself up from the chair. Before she could take a single step Dash raced through the room.
"Lova ya bye mom see ya!" He vanished out the front door.
"Hey, no superpowers at school! I MEAN IT!" Helen screamed after her son, though he was probably too far away to hear by now. Helen sighed and put her hand on her forehead. "That boy is going to be the death of me..."
Violet chuckled and walked up to kiss her mother on the cheek. "See you after school mom."
"Have a good day honey." Helen smiled back. Violet turned to leave the house, hefting her backpack up over her shoulder and emerging into the brusque Winter chill. She made her way down the sidewalk to the bus stop and sat down. There was a small group of other kids gathered around, one of whom was her old childhood friend from way back.
"Hey Violet." Lisa made her way through the crowd to sit beside her, dropping her backpack on the seat. "Man, this cold is killing me. It's like walking through a damn blizzard. And it's not even snowing yet." She shook her head. "I hate the Winter, I hate it hate it hate it!"
"You say that every year. Then you run out and start flinging snowballs at everyone you see shouting 'I love Winter' at the top of your lungs." Violet reminded her old friend with a companionable smile.
"Well I hate the cold, but I love pelting people with ice." Lisa sighed. "It's so hard dealing with having a complicated identity." Violet refrained from commenting on that, instead waiting for the bus to show up so they could board and make the ride to school. When they arrived it was covered in a dull gray haze as the clouds moved in overhead.
"Speaking of snow." Violet reached out one well-gloved hand as a small piece of white powder fell on top of it.
"Woohoo! I love Winter!" Lisa bounded off excitedly, leaving Violet to laugh and shake her head. Well, at least the girl was happy, so Violet turned to walk toward the school building. She didn't want to be late for class, Dash did bad enough in school without her adding to their parents' problems. She walked into class and sat down obediently to wait for class to start.
Class was long and uneventful, so Violet was glad when she was finally able to emerge out into the now snow-covered outdoors. She was about to head toward the cafeteria when something cold slammed right into her ear, stunning her and knocking her to the ground. "Aaaaghggjgghg!" Violet gurgled in pain, clutching at her ear in agony.
"Aah! Sorry Violet!" Lisa ran up to her and knelt down beside her. "I didn't mean to hit you there. Oohh that has to sting." Violet glared up at her angrily. "I know, you're mad, I'm sorry! Come on, I'll help you up." Lisa grabbed her arm and pulled Violet upward. Violet climbed to her feet, swaying dramatically until her friend grabbed her shoulders to stop her. "Whoa, careful there."
"Ugh... I think I'm fine..." Violet grunted in pain as she picked pieces of snow out of her ear with the tip of her pinky finger. "Will you at least shout warnings before you fire? You could seriously hurt someone." It took Violet a moment to realize she was sounding more like a superhero than she did last year when she was cheering the girl on. Maybe experience was shaping her... or maybe getting clocked in the ear by an ice-ball had taught her this lesson just now.
"Okay, I will. Are you sure you're okay?" Lisa asked.
"Yeah, just a little headache." Violet assured her with a smile. They both stopped when they heard a set of footsteps tromping up the snow behind them, stopping right next to them. They both turned around to see a rather brawny looking boy in a thick overcoat and snow coating his face and pale red cheeks. His eyes were flaring angrily.
"You... little..." He grabbed her collar and yanked her face up close to his. "How DARE you hit ME in the face with a snowball, you annoying little rat." He clenched his other fist in anger. Lisa squeaked in fear and tried to squirm away, but he held her tightly.
"I'm... sorry..." She said meekly.
"Too late you..." He was interrupted by Violet.
"Hey, let go of her!" Violet marched up to them and grabbed Lisa's arm, pulling her away from the larger boy's grip. "She said she was sorry, hurting her won't accomplish anything! So just back off!" she shouted. Before she or anyone else could react, a sharp crack resounded across the school as the boy's palm slapped against her cheek, spinning her around and throwing her to the snow.
"Violet!" Lisa knelt down beside her worriedly, then looked up at the bully. "What do you think you're doing, hitting a girl!? Didn't your mom ever teach you anything!?" Meanwhile Violet was pushing herself up to her hands and knees, clearing her head and putting a hand to her cheek. It stung pretty bad, and would probably leave a bruise.
"I hit anyone who hits me first." The boy grabbed her again. "Like you." Lisa squeaked and squeezed her eyes shut as the boy brought his fist back behind his head. Violet pushed herself to her feet and whirled back toward the boy, clenching her fists at her sides.
"Put her down right now." Violet growled darkly. All eyes turned on her, taken aback by the threat hidden in her tone. The boy stared at her for a moment, then smirked and shoved Lisa away from him. He stomped up to Violet, moving one foot away from her and leaning down over her, displaying his impressive height advantage.
"Or what, girl?" He growled. "Are you going to hit me with that stick you call an arm?" Violet growled, her fists shaking in anger as she stared up at his taunting face. "Go ahead. I'd like to see you try."
Violet moved her fist back, raising her other hand in front of her. She brought her fist forward with a furious scream, slamming it into his jaw. Every student in the gathered crowd gasped as the massive bully whirled as though struck by a man twice his size, flying through the air to the snow several feet away from her.
Violet stared in shock as all eyes turned back to her. Looking down, she saw the crackle of her power floating two feet in front of her still-clenched fist. Quickly she opened her hand and the power dissipated, but the others didn't stop staring at her. That was no force field... what was it? Whatever it was, everyone had seen it... she'd revealed herself...
"Violet..." Lisa stepped forward, but Violet moved away from her. The young superhero whirled and ran as fast as she could, her heart pounding like a jackhammer. "Violet! Wait!" Lisa cried, but Violet ignored her. She can out of the school grounds, pumping her legs as hard as she could. How could she do this? Not only had she revealed her secret identity, but she'd used her powers to knock out a fellow student. Her parents were going to kill her.
She ran as fast as she could until her side ached and her breath came in shuddering gasps. Finally she collapsed against the side of a wall, sliding down it and wrapping her arms around her legs. She was confused... she didn't know what has happened, or what she could do about it now. She didn't want to face the inevitable wrath when her parents found out what she did... but what now...?
All she could do was duck into the alley, yanking her normal clothes off and sliding into her Invisigirl outfit, the only way she could remain completely undetected by the rest of the world. She activated her power of invisibility and turned to head back further into the alley, spotting a nearby fire escape. She gripped it and climbed up quickly.
She emerged onto the roof, not caring about the biting cold as she walked slowly across it. What had she done? How could she reveal her secret so stupidly? Why was she such an incredible screw up? All she could do was create a bubble and try to hide from the world...
She walked to the edge of the roof and pushed the snow off of it, sitting down and swinging her legs over the side. She stared down at the blanket of snow on the street far below her. She felt numb... cold and numb, though her superhero suit was well insulated against the biting Winter cold. It felt like it was stinging straight through the fabric, though she knew this wasn't physical cold...
She lowered her head to her chest... and cried. It was all she could think to do. Just cry softly into the Winter snow, as if it cared one way or the other about how badly she'd messed up. And what would that bastard's parents do when they discovered that she'd hurt their son? They could sue... possibly have her arrested...
She felt like a disgrace. She was a super hero, the incredible Invisigirl, and all she could do was cry. It was all so stupid... she felt so stupid and helpless. Like she was a baby again, crying out for her mommy to come save her from her own stupidity.
"Violet... honey?" Helen said softly, moving toward the ledge. Violet snapped to attention in surprise, climbing to her feet. She'd kept her invisibility active, though she now saw her own footsteps in the snow behind her. "Wait, I'm not angry... it's okay." Helen approached slowly, holding her arms out. She was wearing her own Elastigirl outfit.
"I didn't mean to..." Violet's voice quaked as she spoke.
"I know you didn't sweety." Helen replied. "I heard the story from Lisa... it's not your fault."
"I don't even kn... know what happened..." Violet let her invisibility cloak fade out, appearing suddenly in front of her mother. Now more than ever she felt like a child, waiting to be screamed at or protected by her mother. "I was just trying to keep him from hitting Lisa, I didn't mean to... I didn't even know I could..."
"Sshhh... come here sweety." Helen said. Violet looked at her, then stepped off the ledge and into her mother's arms. Helen wrapped her up in a tight hug, holding her close. "It's okay, nobody's angry at you... it was just an accident..." She cooed.
"But I revealed... I mean they know..." Violet said.
"No, they don't. They didn't see anything. It's okay. Your secret's still safe." Helen told her. "Now come home with me, tell us exactly what happened, and I'll make you something warm to drink, okay?" Violet felt her mother run a hand over her cheek, wiping away a stray tear that had frozen in place. Violet nodded slowly, sniffling away her tears. The snow continued to fall across the city, unaffected by the trauma of the day.
"And then I guess... I just freaked out and ran..." Violet finished her recollection of events from the school. Her parents, Helen and Bob, had listened through the whole story. "I was just so scared everyone figured me out right there... that I completely messed up all of our secret identities. And then with the fighting and the hurting and..."
"It's okay, sweety." Helen said.
"Yeah, it sounds like you were just doing the right thing." Bob commented. "Just what a Superhero should do."
"But you do know there was a better way than hitting him, don't you?" Helen said. Violet nodded morosely. "Then I don't think we need to punish you... if anyone should be punished it's this Andrew kid." Helen scoffed. "What kind of boy actually punches a girl for throwing a snowball?"
"The kind who needs a good smack." Bob said.
"Bob! Don't encourage needless violence!" Helen exclaimed.
"The kid obviously needs it!" Bob complained. Violet giggled while Helen shot her husband the look of Satan getting ready to drag him into the pit. "... But maybe you weren't the one who needed to do the smacking." He amended. This seemed to satisfy Helen, who turned back to Violet.
"The thing is, I don't know how I did it. I hit him and it was like... like these gloves appeared in front of my hands." Violet said. "It was like my force-field, but different. I've never been able to do this before." She said, looking down at her hands."
"Well, sweety, girls your age are still... developing." Helen told her. "It's not unheard of for a Super around your age to have their powers grow and change with their bodies."
"Yeah. You know my old buddy Frozone? As a kid he could only change the shape of ice. Then when he grew up he could turn moisture INTO ice. Your powers are just developing." Bob added. "Just... try not to deck any more kids at school with them, alright?"
"Okay, I'll try not to." Violet nodded. She stood up as the front door opened and Dash walked into the room importantly.
"The Dash is home!" He announced. When he noticed the rest of his family gathered in the living room he huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I missed something good didn't I?"
"Nothing you need to worry about." Helen told him.
"Come on and tell me!" Dash insisted.
"Buzz off." Violet wrapped him in a force field and pushed him across the room as she passed by on her way to the staircase. Dash yelled in anger until the field dissipated, dropping him to the floor while Violet made her way into her room and locked the door behind her. She moved into the center of the room, looking down at her hands as she plopped down on the bed. She dropped her backpack beside her, and her super suit fell to the floor.
"New powers..." she held up her hands, trying to get the strange gloves to appear again. She didn't see anything happen though. "Hmm... how do I turn it on?" She tried to make a pole or a playing card or anything, but nothing appeared in front of her. "Maybe it was just a fluke..." She shook her head. "No way... but maybe I'm going about this all wrong..."
She stood up and held her hands in front of her, conjuring a force field in the space in front of her. She walked around the force field slowly, running the palm of one hand along the solid glittering surface. She stopped and put both hands on it, pushing inward. To her surprise the field bent inward like a sponge.
She moved her hands back, and it stayed that way, so she started moving the field around experimentally until she had a glittering staff held in both hands. "So it's not a new power... just an extension of the old one." She mused, running her hands overt he newly formed staff. "Not bad... I guess I just need practice to make it START in different shapes."
"Violet?" Violet's heart almost burst and her staff dissipated as she whirled around. Lisa was standing in the doorway, watching her with a worried expression on her face. "Violet, are you okay?"
"I'm... f... fine..." Violet looked down and quickly kicked her super suit under her bed. "Just... just needed to work some things out." She smiled nervously. Lisa either didn't notice, or didn't comment as she walked into the room.
"Yeah... I just needed to thank you for standing up for me." Lisa said. "I hope your parents weren't too hard on you for punching Andrew out."
"Nah, they understand. They're really cool." Violet replied.
"That's good to know..." Lisa said. For several long moments there was an uncomfortable silence, as if there was a flood of questions waiting to be asked but too afraid to come out. "If... if you want to talk about anything, I'll listen." Lisa said. It was a friendly offer, but Violet knew exactly what she was talking about. She was wondering about Violet's powers.
"I... I really can't..." Violet replied uncomfortably.
"Okay... I understand." Lisa nodded. "Guess there are some things you just can't trust anyone with..." She turned to leave, and Violet could only watch her go. The super heroine watched her best friend leave, then fell back onto her bed, flinging her arms out to the sides. She knew it would be betraying her whole family to reveal her secret identity... so why did she feel like a heel for refusing to tell Lisa?
Oh well, she couldn't tell no matter how much she wanted to. And right now she had to figure out how to use these powers before she accidentally hurt someone with them again. She just hoped that everyone will have forgotten today's incident by tomorrow...
Yeah right. The following day Violet wanted to sink invisibly into a deep dark corner and cower for a while. Every pair of eyes in school was on her, studying her, as if trying to decide what undoubtedly horrible rumors were and were not true. It almost seemed like a few were about to run over and attack her, but thankfully nobody went that far. They all kept their distance... even Lisa stayed as far away from her as possible.
Well, they didn't know her secret identity. But they knew SOMETHING was freaky about her... and that was perhaps even worse. If they knew she was a Superhero they would know she was a good guy at least. As it was, they weren't sure if she was an alien, an evil mole-girl, a supervillain, or what. Of course, she couldn't correct them... so her lonely stretch here would have to begin.
She sat through class, flanked on every side by empty seats. Then went through lunch, with a table all to herself. It was almost like it had been before the second rise of the Superheroes, except then she'd WANTED to be alone. Why did it feel like her powers always got in the way, no matter what she could or could not do with them?
When the final bell rang she found herself flanked by empty seats on the school bus, as her parents were too busy to pick her up between work, crime fighting, and Jack-Jack. She endured the ride home, emerging from the bus to walk the rest of the way toward her house. Lisa only lived two blocks away from her, but somehow she doubted the girl would bother to come see her. So she went up to her room to practice this new application of her powers.
The next two weeks passed this way. Nobody would come near Violet, while Dash came home each day and told tales of his disgusting boyhood exploits with his friends. She knew her parents were growing more concerned by the day, but she was growing accustomed to her isolation. It wasn't like she'd never been through it before, it was just going back to what she once knew.
And the isolation actually paid off where crime fighting was concerned. She had plenty of time to practice, and after two weeks she no longer had to physically mold her fields into different shapes. She could do it mentally, though the results weren't very pretty. Yet more practice would yield better results... but as it turned out, she ran out of time.
An explosion rocked the city down to its foundation, an ominous rumble splitting the air for miles around. Violet whirled in her bedroom, staring out the window to where a massive wave of searing fire was stretching high into the sky from just two blocks away. She was the only one home at the time; her mom had gone to the store with Jack-Jack while her dad took Dash to his sports practice.
"Guess it's time to see if this new power can hold up..." She took a deep breath and pulled her super suit out of her closet, quickly sliding it on, putting her black mask on last. She crawled out of her room, pulling herself up onto the roof of her house. She had to move quickly, and it seemed like a good time to try out a trick she came up with.
She moved to the front of her house, spreading her hands out to the sides. Her field formed behind her, wrapping around her chest as two flat pieces extended to each side. The round, glittering wings flapped slightly, catching the breeze better than she'd expected. Well, no more stalling... it was time to test these things out.
She leaned forward, letting herself fall off the front of the building. Her wings caught the air instantly, hefting her upward. It took her a moment to figure out how to go forward, but once she had it she found herself sailing through the sky with the grace of an eagle. "It works... it works! Wooohoooo!" She let out an exhilarated cry.
"Congratulations Super, now fry!" A dark voice exclaimed just before a jet of fire engulfed her. Violet was pushed into the ground hard by the force of the flames. Thankfully, her durable fireproof suit absorbed much of both the flames and the impact.
Violet looked up to see a wicked looking demon of flames standing over her. It raised a fiery sword high over its head and brought it down, but Violet raised her arms, covering herself in a force field just in time to stop the blade. It shattered, but quickly reformed.
"Maybe it was a mistake to come alone..." Violet muttered to herself as she levitated to the center of her force field. The demon grabbed it and held it up like a pearl.
"I've studied you heroes... you will not protect yourselves when innocents are in danger." The demon turned to look down at the street, where a pile of people were cowering... including Lisa. "Perhaps I should just take them, instead of you." The demon raised its hand toward the unconscious civilians. Violet knew exactly what would happen... but the demon was right, she couldn't let them suffer.
Flames licked out toward the civilians, but were stopped as Violet redirected her field to cover them. This of course, left herself without protection. The fist tightened around her fragile body, then slammed her into the ground like a railroad spike. The shield around the civilians dissipated as Violet screamed and groaned in pain.
She pushed herself to her hands and knees, shaking in pain, but the demon grabbed her again and hurled her into the side of a nearby burnt building. She plunged into the ashes, slamming into the ground hard. The only reason she was still alive was her suit, but that couldn't hold up forever.
The demon plucked her from the ashes, lifting her out of the building. Her mask remained behind in the building, but she didn't have time to worry about that. "You are merely a child... why would you dare stand against me?" The demon growled victoriously.
"Because... it was right..." Violet replied.
"Then you shall die for what was right." The demon's fist tightened around her, crushing her slowly. Violet screamed in pain, tears sliding down her cheeks as the demon cackled, seeming to grow stronger by the second.
"INVISIGIRL!" three cries of alarm erupted from around them as three similarly clad heroes rushed to the rescue. Mr. Incredible leapt into the air, slamming his fist into the demon's stomach. The punch knocked it back, but only enough to send it stumbling. The massive living fireball looked down at Violet with an arrogant grin.
"Your death will come another time... when I choose." It hurled her over its shoulder carelessly, sending her flying through the air. She slammed into the street limply, rolling to a stop near the cowering civilians. The sound of battle ensued nearby, but she was in too much pain to look. Her entire body ached, and her vision was foggy.
"Violet..." A soft voice lulled her into the darkness.
A steady beeping sound greeted her when she awakened. Her body felt weak, but her head was slowly losing the fog. She was able to open her eyes and see, though the light was searingly bright. "Ow... someone turn the lights down..." Violet complained softly.
"Violet!?" Dash's excited voice came back. Instantly his head was poking over hers. "Violet you're awake! I've gotta tell everyone else!" The boy vanished in a red and black blur, streaking out the door. Violet watched him go, then turned to take stock of her surroundings. It was a large solid steel room with a massive medical looking machine in the center. Her suit was lying on the floor, and she realized she was in her bra and panties. The beeping was coming from a wire connected to her chest over her heart.
She sat up, rubbing her head painfully. Then she heard several sets of footsteps rush into the room. "Violet!" Both of her parents rushed her, wrapping their arms around her tightly.
"Violet, honey, you're okay! We were so worried!" Her mother kissed her cheek furiously, her arms doing laps around Violet to keep hold of her. "God don't EVER run off on your own to save the world again!"
"I'm sorry... I thought with my new powers I could... I mean..." Violet looked down ashamedly. "I didn't think I'd mess up so bad..."
"Hey, you didn't mess up. You saved those people. We're very proud of you." Her father rested his hand on her shoulder. Violet smiled up at him slightly, then looked around again.
"So... where are we? This doesn't look like a hospital."
"Hospital?" A somewhat scratchy voice exclaimed, as though offended. Her parents moved and looked back to reveal a tiny little woman marching toward them. "That's no way to keep a secret identity secret, letting doctors poke and prod at you. And the service, absolutely unacceptable!" The woman approached and climbed up on a stool to look her over.
"Violet, honey, this is Edna." Her mother said. "She's the best friend a superhero can have. She designed our super suits."
"You need to be more careful about your mask. You came close to being exposed to the world, also no way to keep your secret identity secret." Edna chided her, slapping her on the forehead.
"Ow... sorry..." Violet rubbed her forehead, more for the emotional sting than any physical pain. "I guess Dash probably saved me..."
"No, he didn't. You got lucky she did what she did, and so did she." Edna countered. Violet blinked in confusion. 'She'?
Everyone turned back toward the door as Lisa walked into the room gingerly, looking straight at Violet. "Violet... are you feeling better?" Lisa smiled sheepishly. Violet just stared in surprise. They were all standing around with their masks off... fully exposed...
"Violet dear, Lisa kept your face hidden from everyone else until we could get to you." Her mother said. "She saved our secret." Violet looked up at her, then turned to watch Lisa approached the medical bed, wringing her hands in front of her.
"I... know I've been a jerk... I really didn't think you were... I didn't know you were a hero..." Lisa stopped beside the bed, staring at her guiltily. "I'm so sorry Violet... I never should have..."
"No... you shouldn't." Violet replied acidly. "Whether I was a hero or not... but now that you know this you decide I'm good enough for you again?" Violet scoffed. "Thank you for helping me... but I don't need a friend who only likes me because I'm a hero." Violet looked away from her pointedly, closing her eyes. An oppressive silence dominated the room until Lisa spoke again in a shivering voice.
"O... okay... I'll... s-see you at school..." A pair of footsteps darted out of the room.
"Come on everyone, we should let the girl rest." Edna stated as she ushered the rest of her family out of the room. Violet looked back toward the door, then lay back down on the bed, closing her eyes. She didn't want to let the tears out... but they came regardless.
Violet returned to school two days later, as if she hadn't risked her life to try to save half the city. She got the same silent treatment and suspicious glares, only now it was coupled with rumors about where she'd been the last two days. Being a superhero really was a thankless task. And she thought certain other heroes were just whining when they said that. The only difference was Lisa, who no longer shared in the rumor mills, but still avoided her at all costs. That suited Violet just fine. She didn't particularly want to have anything to do with her.
And so life proceeded, with Violet more alone than ever but honing her powers to a fine point. She was able to conjure several perfectly shaped objects out of the air by now, ones she thought might be useful in combat or travel. A pair of roller blades, a pair of wings, a broadsword, and the gauntlets she'd clocked Andrew with in school. It was all weightless energy, so their size didn't matter.
All in all, she was feeling pretty good about herself several weeks later as she went through her daily routine of munching on her lunch at her private table in the school cafeteria. She stood up to leave, dumping her tray's contents in the trash and heading out into the snow-covered landscape. Christmas was looming nigh, and twinkling colored lights flashed throughout the entire school.
She stopped when she saw Andrew watching her. He'd spent longer out of commission than she'd spent after her fight with the fire demon, though she suspected he hammed it up to get out of school. "Hey, freak." He pushed himself off the wall and walked up to her.
"You know, most guys would have the brains not to taunt the girl who kicked their butt." Violet pointed out. She wasn't in the mood for this.
"Well let's just say I don't make the same mistake twice." Andrew smirked. Violet quirked one eyebrow when she heard several sets of footsteps marching through the snow toward her. She was surrounded on all sides now by beefy football players. She could take them of course, but she would have to use her powers to do it. She got lucky nobody put it together the first time, she couldn't risk it again.
But she could still bluff. "You know I can still beat all of you. I am 'the freak' after all." She stated. Andrew didn't fall for it, stepping up close to her.
"Prove it, girly." He demanded. Violet stepped back away from him, but showing that little bit of fear only opened the floodgates.
The snow crunched underneath her as she fell to the snow, coughing and curled up in a fetal position as the four boys laughed and turned to leave, having proven their masculinity to themselves. Violet remained on the ground, trying to catch her breath and stop herself from shivering.
When others began to emerge from the cafeteria, they simply stepped around or over her until she finally pushed herself up and leaned against the wall, holding her bruised stomach. Even Lisa walked past her, though Violet knew she'd seen her leaning against the wall. Who needed her anyway?
The rest of her school day went without a hitch, but when she got home her mom definitely took notice of her somewhat stiff movements.
"Violet... are you okay?" Her mom asked worriedly as Violet grabbed a cold drink from the fridge and put it against her stomach under her shirt. The cold felt wonderful against her bruises.
"I'll be fine mom... just some divine retribution for my outburst a few weeks ago I guess." Violet smirked and made her way into the living room to plop down on one of the couches. Her mom followed and sat down beside her, frowning.
"That Andrew boy? Didn't you tell anyone?" She asked.
"Like anybody would care. Even the principal is scared of me." Violet smirked. "He would probably find it hilarious." She looked down as she pulled the soda out from under her shirt and popped it open to take a swig. "Everyone at that school hates me..." She didn't even say it like a self-pitying or paranoid statement. It was just a simple fact of her life.
"I'm sure it'll all blow over..." Her mom smiled and squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. "And you'll forget it ever happened..."
Yeah freaking right. The next day after lunch at the same time, same place, Violet ran into Andrew once again with his buddies. "Hey Punching Bag."
"Didn't you already get your manhood back yesterday?" Violet asked irritably. She quickly realized taunting wasn't the wisest move as Andrew walked up to her and grabbed her jaw, hefting upward so that she was standing on the tips of her toes.
"Show some respect, freak." Andrew shoved her back, sending her back into the snow. She tried to get up, but two of his buddies pinned her arms to the ground, holding her down. Andrew walked up to stand over her. "Or I'll make you show some respect." He looked up when the first students began emerging from the cafeteria. For a moment Violet hoped that someone would see and come to her aid...
But that was a foolish hope. They passed by as if they were all invisible, at times stepping right over Violet on their way to wherever they had to go. Andrew looked down at her with a vicious grin. "Nobody to help you freak..." He knelt down and raised his fist...
When school finally let out Violet rushed straight home, forgoing the bus and taking her own new means of rolling transportation home. She let her roller blades dissipate as she neared the house and walked inside, making her whole body vanish as she passed through the living room to hide her obvious bruises. Her mom was busy with Jack-Jack and Dash wasn't home yet, so she made it to her room unhindered and plopped down on her bed to cry.
Was this what her life had become from now on? Hated by everyone she came across? Beaten daily by a bully, and ignored by supposed friends even while she made it her duty to go out and save them all from dire threats? Her family swore to fight for justice... well what kind of whacked out justice was this? She couldn't even fight back or she would be betraying her family's trust.
Her tears were the only certainly as she drifted off into a healing sleep.
Several more weeks passed, more weeks of lunchtime beatings until Violet was sure her body was beginning to go numb. But she didn't tell. Her mom wouldn't do a thing to help her, and her dad just might break the boy's neck if he knew what was going on. She really didn't want to put him in that position, however tempting the idea was.
It was the last day before Christmas Break now. A break from the daily beatings that had become part of her normal routine. A few times she'd attempted to sneak out and avoid them, but they always caught up with her sooner or later and doubled the punishment in retribution. So she stopped trying and just walked into them day after day.
One week before the happiest day of the year, she found herself again face to face with Andrew, who approached her with his cronies behind him. He didn't even say anything, he just grabbed her by the sweater collar and shoved her roughly up against the wall.
Today however something different happened. "That's enough!" A shrill voice screamed from behind Andrew. The three boys looked back to see Lisa glaring at them, her eyes bloodshot and her cheeks wet. "Haven't you proven your point yet!? You beat her, we all get it! You're better than her! Enough is enough, you can stop now!"
"Oh, are you gonna make us?" Andrew turned toward her, letting Violet drop to the snow as he marched up to her former friend. "If I don't wanna stop, are you gonna do something about it? Hm?" He shoved her back roughly, but she remained on her feet, standing tall in front of him.
"I'm not going to watch anymore... I want you to stop, or I'll do whatever I have to." Lisa shot back. "That girl is the greatest person I know... she's a million times the human being you will ever be.
"Boohoo." Andrew grabbed her and raised his fist.
"Is violence all you know how to use?" Lisa scowled over his hand holding her jacket. "I guess that is the mark of a moron." A swift blow to her stomach silenced her and drove her to her knees, coughing and gasping for air. Violet climbed to her feet, watching the exchange numbly. Andrew turned back to her, pointing his finger at her.
"Don't think you're off the hook." Andrew told her. Violet looked past him to see Lisa still curled up on the snow, gasping for air. Violet would let herself go down for the greater good... but watching her friends go down was just going too far. Even if it was an ex-friend. Besides, if she did this right, she could do it without ever showing obvious use of her powers.
"Oh, are you going to f-" He didn't even have time to finish before Violet jammed her fist into his stomach, the gauntlet forming at the last second to add plenty of force to it. The gauntlet dissipated and she pulled her fist back, letting him crumple to the snow alongside Lisa. She turned to the boy's lackeys, but they just shook their heads and ran in the other direction.
"Lisa?" Violet knelt down beside her friend, helping her sit up on the snow. "Deep breaths, you'll be okay."
"Th... thanks Violet..." Lisa croaked out between gasps, giving her a small smile. "And... I'm still sorry..." she shook her head.
"Come on... I'll help you up." Violet helped her friend climb to her feet shakily. She was recovering rapidly now. "Thank you for trying to save me... I've never had anyone but my family do that..."
"Hey... it's what people should do for each other." Lisa nodded. "It's... also what friends are for...?" She gave Violet a questioning gaze. Violet stared back, then smiled and wrapped her friend in a light hug.
"It sure is." Violet said. When they pulled back Lisa was wiping a tear out of her eyes. "Would you like to come over for Christmas some time? My mom makes a killer pie."
"I'd love to." Lisa smiled. So they stepped over the body of the fallen bully together on their way to their next class.
Christmas time was a time of family togetherness. A time for the brotherhood of man, peace on Earth, and conversely, to greedily demand more presents and food than any other time of the year. Parents dreaded it, Violet liked it, but Dash loved it with a passion, mostly because he could be downstairs, open the presents, and be back in bed before anyone could notice he was down there. He kept trying to convince them the Ghost of Christmas Presents was doing it, but their parents were never fooled.
"Hark the Herald angels siiing..." Helen sang.
"Glory to my Christmas Presents." Dash finished.
"You know it's not too late to take those back." Helen told him snidely.
"Oh you can't resist this face mom, no matter what my attitude is like." Dash flashed her his best charming boy smile. Violet and Lisa just shook their heads, trying to ignore them as they sat down in front of the TV to watch It's A Wonderful Life.
"I gotta say Violet, this has been a great Christmas." Lisa smiled over at her. "And you're right, your mom's pie is the best."
"Yeah. Yeah things are pretty good..." Violet smiled to herself as she swished her glass of eggnog around. A glance at the nearby window told her that the sky outside was growing dark. Christmas was almost over, and it was about time for Lisa to be heading home. "When did you have to be home again?" she asked. Lisa looked over at a nearby clock.
"Ewe. Fifteen minutes ago." Lisa winced.
"Ouch. Want me to walk you home?" Violet asked.
"Actually sure... I'd feel a lot safer walking in the dark with you around." Lisa smiled. Violet smiled back and stood up from the couch, grabbing a nearby jacket and sliding it on over her sweater.
"I'm gonna walk Lisa home, I'll be back in a few minutes." Violet called into the kitchen.
"Don't be too long honey." Her mom shouted back.
"I won't." Violet left the house with Lisa at her side, pacing down the snow-covered sidewalk at a moderate pace. They both had their hands jammed into their pockets, looking down at the sidewalk. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence really, just a silent knowledge that things weren't quite like they were before Violet's secret had been exposed.
"Do you believe in destiny?" Lisa asked suddenly. "Like, how things always work out a certain way for a reason?"
"I don't know..." Violet shrugged. "Why do you ask?"
"I mean, what are the chances of you being a Super?" Lisa asked. "The chances are like a million to one."
"Well, both of my parents are Supers." Violet pointed out.
"But they could've had someone else just as easily. But no, they had you, Violet Parr, my best friend in the world." Lisa shook her head. "Don't you think there has to be a reason for that?"
"Not really." Violet shrugged. "Just means I got lucky... or unlucky, depending."
"Well..." Lisa trailed off when they both heard the tromp of footsteps on the snow around them. It was fully night now, the only lights coming from the dull street lamps that dotted the sidewalks. "Does that sound... too big to be human to you...?" Lisa asked fearfully.
"It sounds familiar..." Violet said in a hushed tone. "Lisa, get back to my house, tell my parents I need them, now." Lisa nodded and took off back the way they came, but something emerged from the ground in front of her, knocking her back to land in the snow beside Violet. "Lisa!" Violet knelt down beside her friend to make sure she was alive, then looked up as the fire-demon emerged from the ground.
"Little one..." The demon raised one fiery fist high into the sky and brought it down, cracking the pavement right beside Violet and her friend.
"What are you here for? What do you want with us?" Violet demanded.
"That is not for you to know." The demon moved its hand toward her, trying to grab her. But Violet whirled on his hand, the sparkling Force Broadsword forming quickly in time to slice three fingers right off of his hand. The demon howled in surprise and rage, rising up to its full height, the flames licking angrily at the sky.
"I've had enough of the world gunning for me, and doing nothing but withdrawing into a shell..." Violet growled. "Letting the world pound at me until I start to crack... and waiting for someone to come to my rescue. No more!"
The demon howled and flung his fist forward, a jet of white-hot fire streaking toward both girls. Violet put up a field around herself and Lisa to deflect the flames while she picked up her friend. When the flames died she took off toward a nearby building. The demon gave chase, raising one flaring hand high above its head into the night sky.
Violet dodged to the side as the fire licked out, narrowly avoiding it. She put Lisa on the ground while the smoke was still obscuring her and quickly started covering her with snow. Lisa groaned and opened one eye in surprise, regaining consciousness. "Stay here Lisa, I'll keep him away from you." Violet said quickly. Lisa nodded slightly as Violet finished her burial and took off in the opposite direction.
She ran out onto the street and her Force Skates appeared on her feet, carrying her rapidly down the street while the demon gave chase still. Violet looked back as the demon charged another blast of fire, but Violet weaved down an adjacent street to avoid the burst. The demon howled in frustration, its entire body flaring for another assault.
Violet fell to her feet on the street and looked around. People were emerging from their homes to see what was happening, and the demon was charging up to detonate all around itself. Violet raised her hands, summoning a field to encase the demon as its flames erupted.
The fire tore at her field, far larger than she was used to creating. It hurt every fiber of her body to keep it up, but she did until the flames died down. The field dropped... and Violet fell to her knees panting. The demon stomped up to her, staring down at her in a considering manner.
"You are brave... that will only make you more filling..." The monster reached for her with its good hand, but again Violet swept the sparkling Force Broadsword in a wide arc. This time the demon was prepared, and she missed, but the demon grabbed her once she sword was out of range and hefted her off the ground, holding her hands to her sides.
Violet howled in anger, her power manifesting once again as a pair of glittering translucent wings sprang from her back. They cut through the demon's hand, causing it to drop her so she could take flight, moving right between its legs before turning skyward into the starry darkness. She thought she made it, but she forgot to keep an eye on the demon.
Flames engulfed her body, no longer protected by the strong super suit Edna had made for her. Violet howled in pain and lost her concentration, falling from the sky as her wings vanished. She plunged into a thick snow-bank that at once saved her from the fall, and put out the flames on her body. But she was far from safe. Her skin was blackened and burned, and the demon was approaching steadily.
Violet's knees shook as she stood once again, forcing herself up to face the approaching demon. Her arms hung limp, and her back was hunched down, but she refused to fall to her knees again.
"You have nothing left, girl." The demon stated as it approached her, stopping right in front of her. "Give up, and you will give me more nourishment."
"No..." Violet replied darkly. "I won't feed you... you'll have to kill me first." Violet insisted.
"Very well..." The demon raised one claw and brought it down quickly on top of her. At the last second Violet threw herself backward, the glittering wings sprouting from her back and slamming into the ground to throw her forward up the arm. She ran up the large arm, the wings reforming into the large broadsword as she leapt from the creature's bicep.
The sword swept through the air in a shining arc. The creature tried to move its hand in defense, but the energy blade just cut straight through it, continuing straight through to slice through the creature's neck in one swift stroke. Violet's power gave out as she continued through the jump, slamming heavily into the snow as the demon landed limp behind her.
Violet lay on the snow weakly, shivering but pleased with herself. When she looked up however, her heart sank. People were gathering in the park, staring at her in amazement. If she'd managed to somehow avoid exposing herself before, there was no chance she was getting similarly lucky now.
"Violet!" She heard her mom's voice shout over the mumbling crowd as she broke through the crowd, in her super hero costume. "Violet, Lisa told us you were attacked! Are you okay!?"
"I'm fine..." Violet looked back at the decapitated creature behind her. "I won... but..." She looked at the crowd again. Her mother looked around, taking in the situation, then looked down at her daughter with a gentle expression on her face.
"Don't worry... we'll work everything out..." She told her tenderly. Violet had no idea how they could do that, but she was sure her mother would keep her word.
How does one keep an exposed superhero identity secret? Do they brainwash everyone who knew it? Do they eliminated the witnesses? Do they move away into the witness protection program? Apparently they just convince the townsfolk who know the truth not to tell. And indeed, the people kept their word. Nobody mentioned Violet's nighttime battle, except the news channels, who reported that Invisigirl had been the one involved. There was no taped evidence, so nobody could prove it was Violet herself.
It was the first time violet could remember where the people she'd been fighting for actually helped her. It was a great reminder of the kind of thing she and her family continually fought for. And so was Lisa...
Things with her best friend had only been getting better since the battle. Lisa figured that she owed Violet her life twice over now, and swore to stand by her no matter what she had to face until the end of her life. It seemed childish and ridiculous, but Violet really appreciated it. They did everything together now, even sat on Violet's roof at night watching the stars...
"Do you believe in justice?" Lisa asked curiously, looking over at Violet lying right beside her. Violet looked back at her with a gentle smile, one that was almost tinged with a hint of knowledge.
"Of course... it's what I do." Violet said. Lisa smiled and they both turned back to their stargazing. Nothing really needed to be said on the matter. Justice was what was right... and it seemed it always prevailed in the end, no matter how hard the road got. Justice gave Invisigirl the strength to fight her own battles... justice gave Violet her best friend in the world... and justice would see her through the rest of her days.
THE END