A/N: Basically a rewrite of the old Incredibles BOOM comic "Secrets and Lies" written from Elasigirl's first-person perspective on the whole ordeal. I've always been interested on her feelings in dealing with Mirage and Xerex besides what is shown in the drawings. Updates every Wednesday :)
In a city like Municiberg, it can be easy to get fooled by the nice buildings and friendly citizens. But, if you lived here long enough, you'd know that there was far more depth than the place let on. Depth as in Super heroes and Super villains hiding amongst the shadows and ready to spring into action for good or evil. I align myself with the former of course - being a villain never pays off.
For the past few months, I've begun to refamiliarize myself with my line of work… alongside my family that is. It isn't always easy, of course, but that's expected. I made a promise to my husband that we would stick through it together - for better, or worse. It's more challenging at times than others, and I fear for the kids' safety, but overall we all share the same confidence when we run into battle together as the Incredibles - Mr. Incredible with his strength, Vi with her invisibility, Dash with his speed, and me, Elastigirl, with my handy stretching abilities.
Today had started out as a pretty regular day. Bob had taken the kids out to the park for a little bit to get some fresh air. It would do them all good now that I thought about it. Bob was still reeling from the battle we'd had on the beach nearly a month ago with the Confederacy of Crime, a loosely put together team of supervillains with no set leader. Poor Dash needed to relax after all the craziness that happened with Mezmerlla trapping his mind in a false reality that time she hypnotized us on the rooftop a couple weeks back. And Vi… I could tell she was still hurt after her boyfriend, Xander, and his family had to move far away from civilization. The reason? His mother had to be a villain as well - Organa to be specific, one of my own personal arch-enemies. With time, I knew she'd eventually get over it.
My own destination on this day however was slightly different. I parked my car in front of the grocery store that I had told them I'd be shopping at. It was a lie - a little white one, but a lie nonetheless. A was a bit angry with myself. Bob had nearly broken my trust completely after all that business with Syndrome's Operation Kronos and the Omnidroid. I'd told him there wouldn't be any more secrets between us, and he'd kept his end of the deal as far as I knew. I didn't feel like I was keeping mine though. I knew something about this particular mission I was called to do would be different. It's a bit unusual for Dicker to have contacted me directly, request to meet, and then urge that I come alone.
Thoughts on my mind were still swirling as I came into the NSA's prestigious building, sitting right next to the Town Hall. The secretary at the desk - Belinda I think her name was - looked up upon hearing the sound of my boots clicking on the tile floor as I walked up to her desk.
"I'm here to see Dicker," I said.
Belinda nodded once, notified Dicker on the intercom, and I was then given permission to go in.
His office was a familiar place, nothing hardly changed in the past fifteen years that I hadn't been in here - the photos were still in the same places, the walls still the same color. Dicker had briefed me on many different assignments during the Glory Days in this very room. It was also the room where he'd offered me various different Team Leader positions, all of which I'd declined. Funny how I still found myself on a team all these years later. Life certainly had a way of doing the darnest things.
I pushed open the door and he sat expectantly waiting for me, with his arms folded in front of him on the desk.
"You called for me, Rick?" I asked.
"Ah yes, Helen. Please come in," he gestured with a hand.
I made my way over to the front of the desk, about to sit on the chair that was there. "What's this about Rick? You haven't called me on to take a mission solo in quite a while," I asked. He held out a newspaper for me to take.
"See for yourself," he said.
I glanced down to read the headline. Blazed across the front page read 'EIFFEL TOWER ATTACKED!' and a picture of the French arsonist Bomb Voyage was just below it.
"Bomb Voyage? Talk about a blast from the past. I haven't thought of him in years…"
Dicker nodded."He was never caught. Disappeared when all the heroes went underground. Now that you're all back…" He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before continuing. "This is a mess. The Eiffel Tower… it's just gone. Atomized in the blink of an eye."
I shook my head. This really was a crazy situation… but… what did I have to do with it? "Rick… I think we should call Bob. He fought Bomb Voyage more times than I can remember. He knows him."
"No… " Dicker said, putting his hand up, "and before you argue, I've got two reasons." He put his arm down and hesitantly looked at me. "Neither of which you're going to like."
I gave him a dry look. "All right." It's not like I had much of a choice when it came to these kinds of things.
Dicker pressed a button on the intercom. "Belinda? Send in my 2 o'clock." He then turned back to me.
"This situation is more complicated than you can possibly imagine. So I need you to trust me"
I snorted."Well, that's a little cryptic. C'mon Rick, we've known each other for - "
The door opening and a smooth voice interrupted the rest of my sentence. "Agent Dicker, Mrs. Parr," a voice greeted. I turned around, meeting a ghastly sight I'd wished to never see again. It was her. It's hard to forget the woman that contributed to the destruction of many Supers, my husband almost included in that number as well.
"Ah. I see" I managed once I was able to swallow down the initial reaction.
"Helen… listen." Dicker started again. I could hear the plea in his voice. "This is a volatile situation…"
"You have no idea how aware I am of that Rick." I cut in icily.
"The government in France has formally asked for our intervention…" he continued.
"That's good. I'm glad"
"And Mirage is a key agent in the investigation. We need her…"
"Fine. That's fine."
"So maybe you should stop strangling her now."
I sighed, glancing at my arm and the strong grip I was currently holding on her neck. "Of course" I let go, albeit reluctantly, and she dropped to the ground with a thunk. I could hear as she hacked for air down by my feet.
"Are you serious Rick?" I half yelled. "You expect me to work with her? After what she almost did to my family?!"
"Yes, I do." He said, a little more forcefully. "And here's the reason…"
"What is it Rick?" I demanded. What possible reason could there be to force me to have to work with that bit -
"Xerex. Xerex is back."
Wait… what?!
