Ultraviolet

Original summary: Violet runs away from home, away from her problems. Meanwhile, a new villain threatens to break the family apart, with Violet as his prime target.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Incredibles and other related information.

Author's notes: The main story was completed on August 23rd, 2005. Subsequent chapters belong to Codename: S.P.E.C.I.A.L, a follow-up on the story's villains. For the new reader's sake, the original summary is included above. Reviews are still welcomed…

Announcement: 15 Feb. 06: I received a private message from Tyrant231 to change the title of this story because of the film release of the same name. I have decided against it, not to stir up legal issues, because the name bears relevance to the theme of the whole fic, which is 'Beyond Violet' (literally translated from Ultraviolet). Also, I've been using the title for some time now, so please don't accuse me of stealing the title from the movie…

Chapter 1

No one's Bullet-proof

"Vi, stay where you are and give me some protection if necessary."

For the third time this week, the Incredibles were on a night mission to foil some criminal's plan. This time, they were facing four bank robbers. When the Incredibles arrived on the scene, the robbers were hauling sacks of cash and jewellery to their getaway vehicle, a van with peeling blue paint. It seems like they were expecting the arrival of the Incredibles. Dropping the loot by the roadside, they pulled out an assortment of handguns and semi-automatic rifles, ready to fire upon the Super.

Crouched behind a pillar, Violet peeked around the corner and cast a large force field around her father, deflecting shots from the thugs' firearms, as he ploughed into them. Guns clattered to the floor as they were sent flying. Before one of them could scramble forward to pick up his weapon, Dash had dumped it on the sidewalk, before running back in time to give him a kick to the face. From Violet's vantage point, she saw the thug's getaway driver pick up the fallen loot, before her mother knocked him out with an extended fist to his face.

The battle's half won, Violet thought, as she watched her father take on two robbers single-handedly. Meanwhile, Elastigirl was wrestling the stubborn driver, who refused to be taken in. Dash was running around in circles around one of the robbers, tripping him every few seconds. The last robber, whom Violet presumed was knocked out, was in fact crawling inch by inch towards his handgun. Violet caught sight of it through the corner of her eye. Feeling a rush of adrenaline, she contemplated taking on the robber by herself. Her lack of action during the past few missions had bored her; she was only supposed to attack only in critical situations.

OK, it looks critical now, Violet thought with a lopsided grin. Besides, she argued with her rational mind, I can't scream and give away my position.

Turning herself invisible, she rounded the corner and took off towards the robber at a sprint. She leapt into the air and aimed a kick at the back of the robber's head, but it was too late. The robber picked up the gun, scrambled to his feet and took aim at the largest target: Mr Incredible.

"Dad!"

Violet turned around in time to realise that her father was in danger. She swung her hands out in time to cast a force field around her father. Her concentration broken, she fell on her front with a thud, desperate to maintain that force field. The shots deflected off the barrier, while Violet's invisibility faded.

The robber stopped firing, taking a step back in shock. He turned his head around, looking for the source of the scream. Whipping his body around, he trained the gun on her petite body, ready to fire. Reflex too over as she swung her arms in front of her, projecting a force field around herself. It came on just as the gunman pulled the trigger; she could see, as though in slow motion, a single bullet streaking towards her.

Her force field started to waver, disappearing for a split second before reappearing. Everyone looked on as Violet's only protection from the bullet, her force field, faded. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for imminent death.

The air in front of her turned icy-cold. Was this what death felt like? Violet wondered, before realising that the bullets have not hit her. Peeling her eyes open slowly, she saw a white mass suspended momentarily in mid-air, before falling to the ground with a thud. Embedded in its centre was a single bullet. Jerking her neck up, she saw a lanky Super in a white-and-turquoise suit; it was Frozone. The gunman was behind him, now resembling an ice sculpture.

"Hey there, girl." He smiled, revealing pearl-white teeth. "I've got your back covered." He reached out a hand and pulled Violet to her feet. Surveying her surroundings, she saw the rest of the thugs tied up. Dash was picking up any guns lying around and Elastigirl was returning the cash to the security guards.

"Well, I guess I'd better check on the cops, see what's taking them so long." Frozone gave a thumbs-up before casting an icy pathway in front of him.

Though the Supers' efforts against Syndrome were recognised by the public, no action was done to bring them back officially. When they do make an appearance, they have to leave quickly to avoid, among other things, being sued. So far, none of the Supers have been sued, and they were confident that within months, a new law would be passed which protects the rights of the Supers. In the meantime, the Supers have to keep a low profile.

A weak "thank you" was all Violet could mutter to her saviour before he took off. She was still badly shaken up by her close brush with death. Beside her feet was the very bullet that almost killed her, surrounded by shattered ice shards.

Dash sprinted up to her, tapping her on her back and brought her back to reality. "Hey, Vi, Dad says to get back to the car now." Barely after he finished, he had sprinted back towards where their car was parked: in a dark alley nearby. Violet took off at a trot, and by the time she reached the vehicle, her mother and brother were settled in their seats. Her father, however, was leaning against a wall with crossed arms, tapping his feet every few seconds. Violet opened her mouth to speak, but her father turned towards the car before she could speak.

"I'll talk to you when we get home," he said simply and got into the driver seat. Violet got into the back seat, buckled her seat belt and stared out of the window. A black cat jumped off a trash can lid, just as the car engine whirled into action. The car turned out of the alley and sped off, just as a couple of police squad cars pulled in front of the bank. In the Incredible's family car, there was utter silence. The usual post-mission banter between Violet and Dash was replaced with silence, something Violet was thankful for. It stretched on until the car pulled into the garage.

"I'm going to take a bath." Dash announced as soon as the car pulled to a stop, before speeding off.

Helen muttered something about going to check on Jack-Jack. Violet climbed out of the car, her head hung low, as her father grunted, "Living room."

Violet dragged her feet as she sat on the sofa, keeping her head low as her father sat in his armchair. For a while, neither father nor daughter spoke a word, although Bob kept shifting around uncomfortably in his seat. Finally, he said in a soft voice, "You do know you could have been killed just now?"

Violet raised her head and replied in the same tone as her father's. "Would you rather get killed yourself?"

The pained look on his face said quite clearly that, yes, he would rather die than put her daughter in danger. "I would have managed to escape… somehow. I've experienced this several times, there was no need for you to expose yourself."

"That was back in your prime, before you had us. How can you compare yourself now with the Mr Incredible of the old Glory Days? Besides, this wasn't our first mission, when will you let me have some action?"

"We agreed that your powers are to be used defensively, and you should only attack when you are in immediate danger. It's the only reason we allow our children to be out there with us… you have no idea how much pressure I'm under…"

Violet chortled, and felt a warm tear roll down her cheek. "Yeah, a whole lot of pressure from the public and the media, hailing the return of the Supers. Pressure when they feature you, Mom, even Dash in the papers, while I'm only rumoured to exist, because they can't catch a picture of me in the flesh."

"We have our reasons, Vi. It goes beyond our age or experience. It is our powers that help us in our fights. Your mother and I can handle any common thug. Dash can use his superspeed to get out of trouble, and even use his acceleration for offensive use. Your powers, though strong, can only aid you in the defensive aspect. Your physical body limits your strength, speed and reach. You may not be well-suited for attacking, but your powers offer protection that all of us wish we had."

Violet had no reply for that. Could she really do nothing else except defend? She kept the thought in her mind even as her father walked her to her bedroom before going off to bed himself. Alone in her room, Violet peeled off her mask and shed her suit, before changing into her pyjamas. She stifled a yawn and got into bed. She stared at the ceiling for a long time, before drifting off into a troubled sleep.

Trivia: Ultraviolet, as an idea, was conceived on November 30th, 2004, about thirty minutes after I watched the movie. The first idea I had for this fic involved Violet running away after her date with Tony, but the idea got scrapped for a few reasons. It showed me, on my first official released piece of fan fiction that some ideas have to make way for better ones.