Ultraviolet

Chapter 10

Respite to Intermission

Helen bent down, placing the tray of warm chicken soup in front of Violet's room, like she had been doing for a few weeks now. Sighing, she tapped lightly on the door, staying for a second before heading downstairs. The experience Violet had gone through must be terrible for her to cut herself off from the outside world for more than a month. What had she been doing during this period of time had been a mystery for Helen, neither did she wish to probe further. For the millionth time, she wondered if her daughter would ever come out of that room.

She paused by Jack-Jack's cot, smiling down at the sleeping child. The child was in his afternoon nap, sucking on his thumb. Helen pulled his tiny quilt over his body, whispering softly, "I'm sorry for putting you through all that, Jack-Jack. Maybe..." Helen paused, smile fading. "Maybe you'll be able to protect us next time, once you discover your powers…"

Helen's attention was drawn to the dining room, towards the slurping sounds from the dining table. At least Dash was there to enjoy her pasta lunch. He seemed to be unaffected by their kidnapping, not like Helen had talked to him about it. Helen felt that, like Violet, perhaps it would be best not to stir up bad memories. Or maybe it was because of his age and gender, allowing him to treat that day in captive as 'just a big adventure'?

Helen sighed again, wondering if she'll ever figure out her children's secrets. It's an essential part of motherhood, Helen, learn to deal with it, she thought as she settled down in the new sofa. They had been able to fix up most of the damage done by Bloodhound and their kidnappers, finishing the job in the most low-profile manner so as to prevent suspicion from neighbours.

Outside, Helen could see Bob's car turn into the newly shovelled driveway. Snow pile-ups in the driveway was inevitable in this period of time, shovelled out of the way along with the masses of snow on the sidewalk. Moments later, the door swung wide open, as Bob stepped into the room, hanging up his cap and coat.

"Helen…" Bob started, averting the stern gaze from his wife. Up till now, any discussion on their marriage matters often ended up in abrupt ends; the only consensus reached was that there will be no divorce, and that everything will be resolved eventually.

"So where did you go… Bob?" Helen asked, hesitating on the last word.

"I… er… went to the state prison. To see Mirage," Bob blurted out. Helen was surprised with Bob's honesty, maybe he was tired of hiding his actions from now on. Her expression softened, leaving Bob sighing in relief.

"I was expecting you to go see her for a while. So it's all over?"

"Yes… yes it is… but I hope you'd at least let me keep her as a friend. A good friend, and nothing more. I swear…" Bob's solemn expression was broken up by Helen's soft chuckle.

"It's enough, Bob. I trust you," Helen whispered as she pulled herself close to Bob, hugging her. They let go after several seconds, after realising that Dash was staring at them, having finished his meal.

Helen straightened her clothes, her voice half-serious as she commanded Dash to return to his room. Pulling herself back from Bob, the couple settled in the sofa, stuck for a moment of awkward silence.

"How long… will she be there?" Helen asked, trying to make conversation, even if it was on another awkward topic.

"Until the court can find a proper time to give her a trial…" Bob's monotonous answer was interrupted as he changed the topic. "Speaking of that, these official government letters came in the mail today. From the National Supers Agency." Taken aback, Helen reached for her letter, and both supers pulled out stacks of paper from within the large brown envelope.

Helen's eyes scanned the official report, ignoring the technicalities and trivial details while grabbing the gist of the report, occasionally muttering some word or phrase. "Ban on Supers… lifted… NSA as new governing body having direct control over all matters concerning supers… equal rights and status as police… hired at NSA's discretion." Helen's fingers flicked through the report, hardly able to believe what was written there. The supers were coming back!

"There's plenty of details in there… tried to get Rick to explain half the load of crap to me, but he wasn't in his office…" Bob started, before being interrupted by the doorbell. "I'll get it," he muttered, heaving his body off the sofa and pulling open the door to see Rick Dicker outside, rubbing his gloved palms together in the cold.

"Well invite me in, Bob. It's freezing outside." Bob muttered his apologies, stepping aside to allow him to enter. Taking his coat for him, Bob further offered to get him a cup of tea while Helen invited him over to have a seat. The silence stretched over for a moment as Bob fumbled to find a cup. Neither spoke till the trio was seated in a circle, steaming cup of tea in Rick's hands. Rick took a sip of tea before breaking the silence. "I see you've got the letter," he grunted.

"Yeah, it came in today. So you know everything this report says?" Bob inquired casually.

"Yes, since I was the one who drafted it over the months." Taking a sip of tea, he continued. "The ban has indeed been lifted. As you can see, I had pushed for Supers to have the same rights as the police. If the cops are allowed to kick down doors and blast up walls with their handguns, so why can't you Supers?"

"That's good," Bob agreed. "So what's this part about hiring of supers?"

"Basically, the NSA will be monitoring you Supers to carry out your work like the cops does, after you obtain a permit of sorts from us. Basically, you'll be another branch of the internal security division, on par with the police force, except you don't get paid, at least for the moment…" Rick's voice trailed off, ending with a sigh. Bob could see the multiple creases in Rick's forehead deepen as he frowned.

Helen thumbed through the report for the last time, looking for a specific part she thought was left out. "It doesn't say anything about children taking part in the action, Rick…"

"Neither does it say anything about them not being able to participate, Helen. I kinda predicted you people would bring this up, especially your children, and got it prepared. Parents have a right to decide what's best for their child, and it saves me from having to listen to a thousand complaints from your children." Draining the last from his cup, Rick faced Bob, pointing out a group of particulars form and permission slips behind the reports for him to fill in.

"This here is for you to register their official Super name, powers, and costume characteristics. Only when these three are recognised will this Super be a legal crime fighter…" Rick droned on to Bob, who was staring blankly at the piles of paper in front of him. "Look, why don't I get you a lift to the office, and we can settle the registration now. Get Lucius along if you want, we can pick him up along the way." Bob tapped a couple of buttons on the phone, conversing briefly with his best friend before hanging up. As Rick reached for his coat, his eyes seemed to brighten as he turned towards Helen and Bob.

"One last thing. Your baby boy… Can I have a look at him?"

Helen led him to Jack-Jack's cot, as he peered over at the sleeping baby, nodding his head in satisfaction. Acknowledging the raised eyebrows from Helen, Rick started while putting on his coat, "As the last part of my drafting of the new Supers Act, I had to interrogate this girl… what's her name… that babysitter…."

Helen's temper flared as she jabbed a finger in Rick's face. "Kari? She gave Jack-Jack to Syndrome…"

"Calm down, Helen. You may want to hear this out first. She may be the only other living person who witnessed Jack-Jack's powers in action." With that, he recounted the entire story to Bob and Helen.

"Five powers?" Helen exclaimed as soon as he had finished. "It's such a rare occurrence… even to have more than two powers. And how come we haven't seen him use it up till now?"

"He's only a child, Helen. Something must have agitated the inert ability in his mind for him to use his powers. Until his mental prowess develops fully, though. Then he'll be using his powers uncontrollably…" Sighing, Rick continued, "The kid has potential, Helen. Glad to know that there's someone new to take over." Glancing at his watch, he put on his coat. "See you around, Helen. Bob, let's go."

The couple pulled into a hug for a fleeting moment before Bob climbed into the waiting limousine after Rick, closing the door behind him carefully. Within seconds, it was speeding off into the distant, heading for the city.

Helen sighed, closing the door behind her. Her stomach rumbling, she headed for the dining table, settling down in the chair in front of her half-eaten plate of spaghetti. For a minute, she ate in peace, until someone pulled out the chair across her.

"Shouldn't you be up…" Helen started, thinking that she'd never have a decent meal with Dash around, when she looked up.

"I'm hungry, Mom. Is there anything to eat around here?" Violet asked, yawning while giving Helen a reassuring wink.

Stunned was an understatement as Helen stared at her daughter's carefree greeting. With her extended arms, she grabbed Bob's share of lunch, laying it down in front of Violet, all this while keeping her eyes on her, as though she would just disappear if Helen had looked away.

Violet nodded in gratitude, smiling mildly as she picked up her fork before dropping it again. "I'm alright, Mom. I've… been thinking about stuff this few weeks. Sorting out my thoughts. Forgetting what I want to forget…" Pausing for a second, she let a single tear flow down her cheek before continuing. "Though I may never be able to…"

Helen reached across the table, hugging Violet. "Don't worry about a thing, Vi."

Violet pulled away from her mother's arms, as she gestured to her to continue eating. Helen continued to stare at Violet as she started on her spaghetti. "Mom… are you OK?" Violet asked, staring back in concern.

"I'm fine, Vi. It's just that… it's good to have you back. Though half of your winter break's gone by now, I want you to…"

"Continue living life as normal?" Violet completed the sentence for her mother. "Speaking of normal, what was Mr Dicker here for?"

Helen explained the entire Supers Act to Violet, as she cheered the actions taken to bring back the Supers, especially the fact that they were allowed to participate. "So what names are Dad going to put for us?"

"Well he's definitely Mr Incredible, I'm Elastigirl… the two of you I'm not too sure."

"I'd better call him to make sure I get a cool name…"

"No need for that, Vi. I'm sure he'll know what's best for us."

"So… is everything cleared up between the two of you?" Violet asked hesitantly, unsure of the reaction she would get.

"Yes, thankfully it's all over now…" Helen sighed, spearing a meatball with her fork and taking a bite from it.

Violet's gaze shifts towards the floor, thinking about her parents' problem, which meant thinking about Mirage. Her captors had told her to visit her. Besides, she's really quite innocent, so perhaps Violet should offer an apology for getting her involved in this. "Mom… I'm not really hungry anymore. I… I think I'm going to visit… Tony instead."

"Well, alright. Remember to put on your winter stuff; I left them downstairs with the laundry."

Violet stuffed on her woollen gloves, boots and coat, and grabbed her scarf and cap before heading for the door. Shouting goodbye to her mother, she paused to put on her headgear. In the distance, she noticed someone jogging in the direction of their house.

"Tony?" Violet whispered, rushing out onto the sidewalk towards her boyfriend. The two embraced each other for a brief moment; Violet glanced back to make sure her mother wasn't looking.

"Violet…" Tony hesitated, eyes shifting around as he shuffled his weight around restlessly. He seemed to be relieving some thoughts in his mind, shuddering as Violet touched his shoulder.

"What's wrong, Tony?"

"Nothing, really… It's just that… It's been a long time since we've met, haven't we?" Tony coughed, further avoiding meeting Violet's eyes. "A while back, when I went to your house, there was no one there. Then, your mother said you were sick, and refused to allow me to see you… so…"

Violet placed a finger on Tony's lip, as he looked into Violet's eyes. "I wasn't able to see you, Tony… For a while I thought I won't be able to see you again…" She lifted her finger, using it to brush off the tears gathering in her eyes.

"Is there anything that you can tell me now? I mean… last time you kinda blew me off…"

Violet's secret, along with the rest of the family's, hung on the edge of her tongue. It would be so simple to just reveal everything her family had been hiding for the past fifteen years, especially to Tony, probably the only other person Violet would trust with her secret.

"Have… Have you ever wanted to say something you've promised never to say?"

Tony thought about it for a moment, scratching his head, "I guess… only if I can absolutely trust that person. So… does that have anything to do with your problem?"

Violet took a deep breath, letting it out quickly. "OK, here goes. My family is… not exactly normal…" There was a momentary silence as Violet realised that Tony didn't exactly interpret it the way she had meant.

"You don't mean to say… your father's a super villain out to take over the world?" Tony burst out in laughter, unable to control himself.

"No…" Violet said, exasperated with Tony's casual remarks. She was surprised that his words were so close, yet so far from the truth. "Forget it, Tony. Let's just leave it at that." Looking up, she broke into a grin. "Maybe if we stayed together long enough, I'll tell you…"

The couple stood for a minute, laughing at the thought of them still being together beyond their high school life. Tony reached out, brushing Violet's hair out of the way, leaning forward to kiss Violet. Violet closed her eyes, ready to embrace the moment, when she remembered her purpose for coming out. Her fingers stopped Tony's lips, just inches from her face while taking a few steps back.

"Tony, I'm sorry… I really gotta run…" Tony's eyes slid away, nodding to acknowledge Violet's words. "It's just that there's some things I can't tell you… At least not yet…" Violet muttered, as Tony's hand hung by his side.

"It's OK, Violet. I guess I'll see you around," Tony sighed with a reluctant wave, turning at the bend towards his house.

Violet paused to watch Tony's retreating back as he disappeared over the horizon, stuffing her hands into her pockets before continuing on her way to the state prison.

"Please be seated. The prisoner is being escorted here now," the warden said curtly, gesturing to an open booth. Behind a tiny counter was the prisoner's seating area, separated from her by bulletproof Plexiglas. As Violet surveyed the surroundings, security cameras trained down on her, observing her every move.

In the distant, Violet heard sounds of metal gates sliding open, and Mirage being led out by four heavily armed guards. She was haggard in her prison uniform, definitely not the elegant Mirage that Violet knew her to be. Standing a little way off, the guards stood ready, hands placed firmly on their rifles, as Mirage sat down. She pointed her finger to her right, and Violet noticed a phone receiver built into the wall. Either this is a high-security prison, or the prisoner is placed under high security, Violet thought as she picked up the receiver. Absolutely no contact with the prisoner was allowed.

"Violet…" Mirage started, staring off into blank space beyond Violet. "They got me out of jail… offered me this job… said that I had no choice left… I brought everything on you… Apologising is all I can do…" She paused, looking up in surprise at Violet's smile.

"Just tell me everything about those Specialists people," Violet asked, calming Mirage down. She kept silent for a full minute, head hung low. "Mirage…" Violet called softly, shaking Mirage out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Violet…" Mirage's voice was flustered, as she looked at the guards behind her. Lowering her voice and covering up the receiver, she whispered, "They came to me this morning and…"

The reinforced steel wall behind Mirage blew apart, the force knocking over the guards and sending shrapnel scattered over their fallen bodies. Mirage looked back for a moment, turning around and cowering under the counter, out of Violet's sight. Violet backed away from the Plexiglas as a loud alarm blared.

The dust and debris cleared from the opening in the wall, sent sweeping away by the wind generated by the helicopter beyond. Behind the clear cockpit were the Specialists, each seated behind a separate console. By now, guards were pouring in from all corridors, weapons aimed on the hovering helicopter.

"Fire!" The muffled command was obeyed instantly; volleys of shots were fired, before the guards scrambled back behind cover. Violet watched all this silently, as a spherical force field surrounded the helicopter. Violet frowned; she hadn't set off her force field accidentally, so why was there…

A group of guards scrambled back, making way for two guards, one of them with a rocket launcher slung on his shoulder. There wasn't even a chance for them to fire. Machine gun fire kept the soldiers at bay while the Specialists climbed out from their seats, jumping out from an open hatch. As they did so, the helicopter rose out of sight, turning invisible as it went.

The leader pulled out a couple of grenades, sending them rolling on the floor. Green gas, exactly like the one Violet succumbed to before, flushed the room. Guards dropped to the floor, sending guns clattering as the Specialists moved on, entering the prison building just as the gas subsided.

"Serena and Anna, secure the target. Ken; get ready for our exit." Violet looked over the Plexiglas panel to see the two female Specialists bend down beside Mirage, injecting a syringe of fluid into her veins and heaving her slumped body over their shoulders. The leader turned to Violet. "Defeating you will be a walk in the park, Violet." Turning, he signalled for the group to follow. They continued out into the prison courtyard, and Violet knew that any protest by her was futile. She watched as they climbed back on the now-visible helicopter, before it took off into the horizon.

Violet picked up her backpack from the guard post, left behind for 'security reasons,' recounting everything that happened. "Defeating me will be… 'A walk in the park'…" Violet repeated his words, musing over his choice of words. She snapped her fingers, heading for the nearest restroom. Pulling out her Super-suit, she was changed in a moment. She needed to go to the Metroville Park.

Trivia: The 'intermission' part of the chapter title was because I announced a three months' break after this chapter's release. After that… number of reviews dropped, once-loyal readers turned away… but if I didn't take that break, UV may not have turned out this way.

Up till now you've probably read several mentions of Tony Rydinger, but there's no concrete development in their relationship… yet. It'll stay that way at least through this story. In the fandom outside, there are three groups, each with their supporters: Violet/Tony, Violet/Syndrome and Violet/OC. There are arguments for all three sides, but I chose neither. I'll probably keep up these kinds of interaction between them until the next few fics.