visualpurple: French is not a language I know well either; I'm going from dictionaries and phrase books. I hope everyone knows "Oui" "Yes" and "Non" "No".
Nini Nina. Sicket's Sis: Welcome back!
Chapter 5, Violence
Hector and the children set out early the next morning to do the downtown chores. The Parrs also intended to use every opportunity to look for Duncan and Isadora.
The first stop was the mansion of Mrs. Morrow, who wanted all of her doorknobs polished. It wasn't easy to get to work so early after staying up so late the night before studying the Underminer's tunneling machine, the Deus Ex Machina.
Mrs. Morrow came out to inspect the work. She had a bluish complexion and spoke with a slight Russian accent.
"Za doorknobs are not shiny enoff," she complained. "I wahnt zem to glow, or I will make you glow instead. I was once za famous Lady Cherenkov and I still have my radioactive powers."
"Lady Cherenkov? I've never heard of you before," said Dash.
"I was famous, I tell you. Zey even made a cartoon villain based on me, Lady Lightning-Bug. Lucky for zem, za cartoon was never released. My spies in za industry told me it was very bad, and I would have had to kill zose who made it."
After they finished at Mrs. Morrow's house, they went down the street to Mr. Lesko's. His yard was full of corn stalks. He didn't speak to them, but merely pointed at a wheelbarrow and weeding tools before stomping back into his house.
"I recognize him," said Violet, "Especially with all this corn. He's the Corn King."
Mr. Lesko poked his head out of the window and snapped, "No jokes about how my name is corny, or my powers are corny, or anything like that."
"We weren't going to," said Dash, "No need to pop off like that."
Jack-Jack giggled. Mr. Lesko growled and shut the window.
It was a long, exhausting morning of one chore after another. Dash's speed and his sibling's powers helped to get through them all but it still wasn't easy. At noon they took a lunch break while the crows moved from roosting uptown to roosting downtown. One of the afternoon chores would be to polish the new metal fountain shaped like an enormous crow, and they weren't looking forward to it because the morning's roosting had no doubt left it very messy.
Just as they were finishing lunch, there was a hubbub in the street outside.
"Count Brody has been captured!" someone yelled.
The children ran out into the street and joined the mob headed to the town jail.
"I'm looking forward to this," said a man in the crowd. "We haven't had a good burning at the stake in a long time."
Officer Luciana was standing at the door of the jail. "No-one is allowed inside except for the Parr children. They can identify the scoundrel."
Luciana opened the door to the cell area and told them, "He's in the next to the last cell on the left."
The man the Incredibles found in the next to the last cell on the left was wearing a gray sweatsuit with a "J" on the front. He was well-built, muscular, mustached, and definitely not Count Buddy.
"I'm The Jock," said the man, "You've got to tell them I'm not Count Buddy. I knew your parents in the old days."
"Do you know about the real V.F.D?" asked Violet.
"Of course, but first I need to tell you something important. Quigley --", The Jock cut off abruptly as Officer Luciana marched up to them.
"Visitin' time's up," said Luciana.
She escorted the children down the hall and out of the building. There was something familiar about her voice and walk, the children thought.Esmé Sansweet! Recognition came too late. As soon as she had them outside the jail, her whole manner changed.
"These children just murdered Count Brody!" she shouted.
The crowd gasped.
"They spoiled our fun!" someone yelled.
"Yeah, they should be burned at the stake instead!" said another.
"She's lying, we didn't kill anyone!" Dash yelled.
"Hector, please go and tell the Elders we're being framed," Violet called out.
"Gabbobb!" Jack-Jack agreed.
Hector was very skittish about talking to the Elders.
"Je ne parle pas anglais," he said, which means "I don't speak English."
A man pushed through the crowd. He was wearing a turquoise blazer, silver pants, and green plastic shoes. His chest was bare except for a detective's badge on a gold chain. And unlike the man in the cell, he definitely was Count Buddy.
"It's not cool to contradict a police officer. I'm Detective Dupin, and I'll get to the bottom of this crime," said Syndrome, snapping his fingers.
"You're not Detective Dupin, you're Count Buddy!" Violet said.
"You see how confused suspects get when they try to lie?" said Syndrome. "It's just not cool. Keep an eye on them, all of you, while I check out the crime scene."
Under the eyes of several dozen supervillains there wasn't much the children could do to escape. There was the muffled sound of an energy blast from inside, and then Syndrome came out again.
"Yep, he's dead all right," said Count Buddy. "And there's clear evidence these kids did it: high-speed punch marks and force-field burns. But what really did him in is an energy blast from the baby."
The mob shouted angrily and several people fired energy beams from their hands or eyes that hit the Parrs and knocked them out.
When they regained consciousness they were in one of the other cells of the jail. Syndrome was smirking at them from the other side of the bars.
"These cells have held a good many supers over the years," Count Buddy said. "They prevent anyone inside from using their powers. So here's the deal I'll offer you. Decide among yourselves which two of you will get a quick death, being shot while trying to escape. The third one will get the slow, painful death of burning at the stake."
"You monster," said Violet, "We're not going to make a choice like that!"
"Tough decision, eh? I don't mean to be cruel... Actually, I do! Hee hah hah hoo! I'll be back this evening for your choice. In the meantime, enjoy your bread and water."
Syndrome walked away, still chuckling to himself.