Disclaimer: I do not own Static Shock or The Incredibles

Chapter Twelve: Edna Mode

Life moved on for the inhabitants of the Sanctum. The bruise faded from Francis' face over the following weeks, as did the animosity between the pyro and Bob. They had reached a sort of truce. Things were as peaceful within the household as they had been since Francis' arrival.

While Francis recovered from his concussion, Bob cancelled all his training sessions. Francis found himself with free time. It was unheard of. He didn't know what to do with himself. He wasn't used to not being jerked out of bed at ungodly hours and Francis even had trouble falling asleep without his exhaustion to aid him.

Helen had Francis doing some housework, and he didn't mind. Francis did everything that was asked of him without complaint. He didn't enjoy most of the chores, but he complied. He was eager for a second-chance at a first impression.

Two weeks after the "incident," Francis resumed training. It was back to the pool and the weight room, but Francis didn't mind. Bob had set a date over winter break for their first real session so that they would have a couple of days to experiment with his powers due to the vacation. Francis stared at the calendar in the kitchen, getting more anxious as each day passed by.

The day before their break was to begin, Francis and Virgil were walking out of school side-by-side, chatting amicably. Both were dressed warmly. It was getting colder and colder as the days grew shorter. It wasn't uncommon to see snowflakes drifting from the sky these days. Virgil was wearing a coat and gloves and he still shivered when the bitter wind swept over them. Francis smirked. He was wearing a sweatshirt and was perfectly at ease. It took extreme cold to bother him.

"That's not even fair." Virgil muttered, looking enviously over at Francis. "You're not supposed to be using your powers."

"I'm not." Francis said immediately, and then paused. Was he using his powers? He'd never thought about it. Maybe he used his powers subconsciously to heat himself during the winter. That actually made sense. Francis shrugged. "Not like I'm lighting up or anything."

Virgil still grumbled. "I do not want to fly home today." He looked up. The sky was a dark gray, heavy with clouds. It looked like a snowstorm was coming. "Better get going before this opens up."

"You're all exposed up there. Don't you get cold?" Francis asked. They walked towards the parking lot.

Virgil nodded. "Oh yeah, but it's not that bad. The design on my coat allows it to be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It's pretty cool."

"Yeah?" Francis asked, quirking an eyebrow in interest. They reached the motorcycle. Violet wasn't in sight. Francis would have to wait. He unlocked the bike and flipped the seat compartment open. He stuffed his backpack in and pulled a roll of duct tape out.

Wordlessly, Francis began unwinding a stretch of tape before tearing it with his teeth. He wrapped the tape around the sleeve of his sweatshirt where it met his wrist and around the top of his hand. "What's that for?" Virgil asked

"S'for the wind." Francis mumbled around another mouthful of tape. He wound it around his other hand. "It keeps the sleeves down and the wind from puffing up my shirt. I hate that."

"That's actually kind of smart." Virgil said, impressed. "Or you could just wear a jacket like normal people."

Francis smirked. "What fun is that?" He threw the tape back into the compartment and slapped it shut.

Virgil laughed. "You are so weird."

Francis was going to respond but he cocked his head to the side instead, listening intently. There were faint sirens in the distance. He frowned. They sounded like they were getting closer.

Sure enough, other students heard the sirens fast-approaching and turned to look down the street. A blue sports car barreled towards them, swerving around other cars on the road. Two police cars were in hot pursuit.

There were two men clad in dark colors in the sports car, one had a gun and was leaning out of the passenger side window, aiming at the police behind them. He fired off a round. The windshield on one of the cruisers shattered and the driver veered, nearly hopping the curb.

Students scattered away from the sidewalk as the chase came closer.

One of the police officers in the undamaged car rolled down his window to return fire. He blew out a tire on the sports car with a well-aimed shot. The criminal driving seemed to lose control of the car, fighting with the steering wheel. The car took on a life of its own.

The sports car jumped the curb and mowed down the chain link fence environing Dakota High School's parking lot, crashing through other vehicles. Students screamed and ran. The sports car was headed straight for Virgil and Francis.

On instinct alone, Francis grabbed Virgil by the collar of his coat and threw the younger boy out of the car's path. Francis dove in the other direction. He landed on his side and threw his hand out towards the car, a fireball leaping into existence at his fingertips. The fireball flew under the rampaging car just before it smashed into Francis' bike. The blast launched the sports car into the air.

It came down with the thud of bending metal and breaking glass. The two criminals inside the car scurried away just as fire caught onto the rest of the vehicle. It took only seconds for the flames to find the gas tank and the car exploded in a shower of debris.

Francis covered his head and felt slivers of metal and glass slice the air around his body.

After a few moments, there was silence. Francis lifted his head. The car was a smoldering wreck. The top had been blown clear off and fire licked at the skeleton. Francis searched for Virgil and saw him a few yards away lying over the body of another student. The dread-locked boy lifted his head and locked eyes with Francis. He was okay.

Virgil rolled away from the other student who also appeared unharmed. They stood shakily, looking the other over for injuries, brushing shards of glass off their coats. The student thanked Virgil and stared at the flaming spectacle.

Francis sat up slowly, checking himself. There was a tear in his sweatshirt above his shoulder and a sliver of glass was embedded in his skin. It wasn't too deep. Francis pulled it out, wincing a little. He unwrapped a bit of the duct tape he had previously wound around his wrists and tore off a smaller piece, sticking it over the wound. The pyro got to his feet.

The police were quickly on the scene, herding students away from the remnants of the sports car. One of them ran over to Francis and grabbed the boy by the shoulders, guiding him away from the blaze.

The two criminals were being handcuffed and led away. They seemed dazed.

Francis looked over his shoulder as he walked away. His bike was lying on its side, the paint job a little worse for wear but still in one piece. He smiled.

"...you boys were the closest." One officer was saying. Francis hadn't even realized he was standing next to Virgil. There were two officers in front of them. They looked concerned, not suspicious. Francis let out a breath. They hadn't seen anything.

Virgil shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't see anything. I was just trying to get out of the way."

They all looked at Francis. He shook his head in fake wonderment. "Dunno, the fuel tank must've caught somehow."

The officers nodded. One, wearing sunglasses, smiled and patted Francis and Virgil on the shoulder. Francis hid a wince. "I'm glad you boys are alright. It's probably best if you head home. We've got things under control now."

The two teens nodded and turned to walk away. He heard the two cops conversing behind him. "It's a good thing the car stopped when it did. That thing was heading straight for the school. Who knows how much damage it would have done?"

Francis and Virgil got the bike back on its wheels and rolled it away before anyone could tell them not to. Once they had put a sufficient distance between them and the others, Virgil grabbed Francis' arm. "Dude."

"You can't prove anything." Francis said hurriedly.

"You blew up a car!" Virgil hissed.

"It was gonna plow into the school." Francis argued. "I did a good thing."

"Did anyone see you?" Virgil asked worriedly.

Francis shook his head. "I was on the side of the car not facing everyone. The car would've blocked their view."

Virgil let out a sigh in relief. "That's good." He looked at the bike. "Is this going to run?"

Francis quickly checked the mechanics. "Yeah, should be fine for the ride home. I'll fix it up there."

"Guys!" Violet ran up to them. She punched Francis in the arm. Hard. "Did you do that?"

"Sorta." Francis allowed.

"You are so dead." Violet said. "The news crews are already here." The three turned around. Sure enough, the street was becoming clogged with news vans and reporters leaped out, running around with microphones and cameramen. They jostled for the best position in front of the dying flames.

Francis groaned. "No fair. I just got out of trouble."

"Let's just get home, fast." Violet suggested. There was no argument.

Francis and Violet tiptoed into the house. It was quiet. Violet checked the kitchen. Francis went to the living room. Nobody in sight.

Francis wanted to cry in relief. He had a few more minutes of freedom at least.

Violet came back from the kitchen, two pops in hand. She gave one to Francis and sat down on the couch, turning the TV on.

"Mom left a note saying she was taking Jack-Jack to a play date. I have no idea where Dad is. He could be in his den." Violet said. She turned to the news. Seeing as how Dakota was a town away, the car chase and explosion weren't top news. They were, however, on the bill for the six o' clock update.

Francis plopped down on the easy chair, legs dangling over the armrest. "How much trouble do you think I'm in?"

Violet shrugged. "Depends. You're going to have to argue your case."

"Yeah?" Francis let his head drop over the other armrest. "You mean like show how using my powers in public to blow up a car was a good thing?"

"I wouldn't phrase it that way." Violet advised. "But yeah."

"Huh." Francis contemplated at the carpet. "I can do that."

Violet's phone went off. She pulled it from her pocket ad read her text. "Oh, awesome!"

"What?" Francis asked. He felt the blood rushing to his head and he sat up. He popped the tab on his drink and chugged half the beverage in one gulp.

"No school tomorrow." Violet answered. "Early start to our vacation. Not bad." She smiled at Francis. "I guess I have you to thank for this."

"You're welcome." Francis raised his can in a toast.

At dinner, Bob brought in a small TV and set it on the counter so everyone could see the screen.

"What're you doing Dad?" Dash asked.

"Oh, I just thought we could all enjoy a little TV with our dinner tonight." Bob answered with an ominously cheery tone. He took his seat at the head of the table.

Francis glanced worriedly between the TV and Bob. It was a few minutes from six and nobody had mentioned Francis using his powers. He smelled a scheme.

Bob casually glanced at his watch and then turned the TV on. It was already set to the news channel. The live update opened with a nice bird's eye view of Dakota High School. A female reporter, Shelly Sandoval, suddenly filled the screen. The report had been filmed earlier in the day. The wreckage of the sports car was still flaming in the background.

Francis choked and hurriedly reached for his glass of water.

"Oh hey, how about that. Your schools on TV." Bob said cheerily. "Anything interesting happen today?"

Lucius and Helen kept straight faces. They were clearly in on Bob's little spectacle.

"Um, nope." Francis said. "Normal. Boring."

"Yeah." Virgil and Violet were quick to add their agreements.

"Whoa! Is that a car? On fire?" Dash asked excitedly.

"It seems so." Bob said. "I wonder how a car at your school caught on fire?"

"Okay, okay." Francis groaned. "I did it. Sorry."

"Sorry's not really good enough kid." Lucius said. "This is serious business."

"Francis," Helen started. "Do you understand that our secret identities are our most prized possessions? Without them, we are nothing. People would use them against us, they would destroy our lives." She wiped at the corner of her mouth daintily with a napkin before continuing. "We placed an enormous amount of trust in you when we told you our secret identities."

"I didn't jeopardize your identities." Francis argued.

Bob shook his head. "If someone figured out you were a Super, don't you think they could trace you back here? To this house? Don't you think they'd find this living arrangement a bit odd? When you put your identity at risk, you endanger ours as well."

Francis looked down at his plate. "Sorry."

"Well, go on." Lucius said. Francis looked up. "Plead your case."

"Okay." Francis collected his thoughts. "There was this police chase and the tire on the bad guys' car got blown out. They lost control and the car veered into the parking lot. It was plowing through all these cars and kids were running around, it was crazy." Francis paused. "I saved Virgil's life."

Virgil nodded. "Yeah, he did. He pushed me out of the way, the car was headed straight for us."

The adults looked impressed. Helen made a 'go on' gesture.

"The car was heading for the school so I figured it would be best to stop it. Someone was going to get hurt. I threw a fireball under the car and that blew it into the air. Then it caught on fire and exploded. But it stopped. And nobody got hurt." Francis thought that was everything. "Oh yeah, nobody saw me either. I'm sure."

"You can never be a hundred percent sure." Bob said. He rose from his chair. "Huddle."

Lucius, Helen, and Bob left the room. Francis watched them go anxiously.

"That wasn't too bad." Violet said.

"Yeah, not the most eloquent argument in the world, but you made your point." Virgil added.

Francis rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the critique. Now I know not to join the debate team."

"You blew up a car?" Dash asked. "That is so cool!"

Francis ruffled Dash's hair. "Shut up Shorty. They're gonna think I'm a bad influence."

"You are a bad influence." Violet said, but she said it with a smile.

The adults filed back in. Francis looked up, awaiting the verdict.

Lucius smiled. "You're off the hook."

Francis let out a little whoop.

"But," Helen put a premature stop to his celebration. "You're going to do the dishes tonight and help with the laundry tomorrow. And we expect you to be more careful in the future. We won't be as lenient if this happens a second time."

Francis nodded. "Okay, sure." He was just glad he wasn't in trouble.

Bob smirked at Francis. "Set your alarm for seven. We've got a lot to do tomorrow."

Francis yawned, following Bob to the garage. It was so early the sun hadn't risen yet. It was the coldest day of the year so far. Francis had even thrown a bomber jacket on over his sweatshirt due to the chill.

Bob unlocked his black sports car. Francis' eyes widened. He hadn't been allowed near this car. It was a thing of beauty. "We're taking that?"

"Yup, get in." Bob climbed into the driver's seat.

Francis clambered in excitedly and stared at the dashboard in awe. Bob grinned at the teen's reaction and started the motor.

Francis settled back in his seat, looking out the window. A fresh layer of snow had fallen over night, just a couple of inches, not enough for a snowplow to come clean up the streets. The car left fresh tire tracks in the driveway as they pulled out. Francis smirked at the sight of two jack-o'-lanterns covered in snow. It was probably time to take those down.

Bob turned the radio on and they drove in silence, the faint strains of Christmas music the only sound in the car.

"So, where're we going?" Francis finally asked.

"We talked it over last night and decided that if there's going to be the risk of you using your powers in public, it's probably best if you have a uniform. That way you won't blow all our secret identities." Bob answered.

"Oh. Cool." Francis sat up. "I get a suit?"

Bob smiled. "That's the thing. There's only one person who can make Supersuits and she's fairly temperamental. She has to agree to make you a suit."

"Do you think she will?" Francis asked.

Bob grinned. "I think so. She loves a challenge."

Francis started to smile, then frowned. "Wait…"

"Don't worry about it kid." Bob reached over and very softly punched Francis' arm in a playful manner.

They drove to the very edge of Metroville, to the high-end area where the city meets the ocean. This was where all the wealthy inhabitants lived and the duo drove past mansion after mansion, Francis gaping in awe at the sheer size and grandeur of the houses.

Bob pulled into the driveway that led up a hill to a house perched on a cliff over the water. They stopped at a gate. The sun was just rising over the horizon, casting a golden glow over the ocean and the snow covered lawn.

"Yes? Who is it?" A screen on the gate flickered into life. Francis could see what looked like the top half of a woman's head. Bob smiled. "Hey E."

"Oh it's you." The woman said. "Who is that with you?"

"A new Super."

The eyes turned on Francis and stared at him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"I see. Come in, come in. There is no time to waste." The screen went black and the gates swung open.

Bob drove through and pulled up to the house. The house was enormous. Francis nearly fell over backwards as he stared up at it.

"Come on." Bob pulled on Francis' arm.

They walked into a huge open foyer. The house was one of those modern types. Big bold shapes and straight lines in primary colors seemed to be the standard decoration. It didn't seem very homey, but it was very impressive.

"There you are! What took you so long to come and visit me?" The voice seemed to come from nowhere.

Francis looked around and finally spotted a very short woman, the same woman from the security screen, standing in a doorway. She only came up to his waist. She was wearing round glasses that filled her entire face and a stylish black outfit. She posed in the doorway, one hand on her waist and the other in the air, bent at the wrist. She stared haughtily at the two Supers. "Well don't just stand there, come in already." She turned and disappeared through the doorway.

Francis was confused. Bob clapped a hand on Francis' shoulder and steered the teen after the short woman. He laughed to himself. The poor kid had no idea what he was getting into.

"Sit down." The woman climbed onto a black chair and gestured vaguely at an adjacent couch. Francis and Bob sat down. The woman lifted a martini glass from the low table in front of her. Francis wrinkled his nose. Alcohol? It was eight in the morning.

"Francis, this is Edna Mode. The best Supersuit designer to ever walk the Earth." Bob introduced them.

"Oh please, you embarrass me." Edna waved her hand. "Do go on."

Bob chuckled. "How's life been treating you E?"

"Oh no complaints. I've been keeping very busy since you disposed of that horrible Syndrome man. All the old heroes are coming out of the woodwork, wanting new designs or repairs. I'm exhausted from the work load." She looked down her nose at Francis, an impressive feat considering her diminutive stature. "And who is this?"

"Francis Stone. He's Blazestone and Downburst's son." Bob supplied. Francis looked between the two. Apparently he wasn't supposed to talk.

"I wasn't aware they were an item." Edna said, interest gleaming in her eyes. She liked gossip as much as the next person.

"I don't think they were." Bob looked to Francis for confirmation. Francis nodded. Bob continued. "Francis is staying at the Sanctum and he needs a suit."

"Oh I couldn't possibly. I am far too busy." Edna looked away, examining her fingernails.

"You'd be doing us a real big favor E. Francis is starting training and he needs a fire retardant uniform."

"Fire you say?" Edna asked. She looked at Francis. "You are a pyrotech, like your mother?"

Francis nodded.

"Mmm." Edna traced a circle onto the chair's armrest. "It would be interesting. You have a very unique body type and a dynamic appearance. I'm sure I could create something suitable for a boy like yourself."

Bob nudged Francis. He coughed awkwardly. "I would really appreciate it if you could make me a suit. I've always envied Bob's. I think it's a real work of art."

Bingo. Yahtzee. That was the right thing to say.

Edna burst into a wide, and frankly, creepy smile. "Oh well if you insist." She practically pounced at a notepad lying on the table and began scribbling furiously, glancing up at Francis every now and then. "Yes, yes, bold colors. Simple design. It will be brilliant. My best work yet."

Francis stared wide-eyed at the formidable little woman. Bob grinned at him. "Don't worry." He whispered. "She's a little eccentric but she's the best there is. Plus, she's a family friend, so be nice." Francis nodded obediently.

Edna jumped to her feet brandishing the notepad like a sword. "Come, follow me to my workshop. There is much to do." She scurried away. Bob and Francis quickly followed.

She led them down to the basement. Lights in the ceiling clicked on as she strode past. Glass cases lined the walls, displaying Supersuits and designer clothes. They reached a metal door. Edna placed her hand to a sensor pad, typed a code into a numerical lock, and placed her eye over a scanner. A microphone slid out of the door. "Edna Mode." She said clearly.

A laser gun popped out of the ceiling and pointed at Bob and Francis.

Francis jumped but Bob's restraining hand held him still. The older Super was unfazed.

"And two guests." Edna clarified. The gun retracted into the ceiling. She laughed as the doors slid open. "I always forget about the guests."

They followed Edna into her workshop. There were all sorts of machines whose purposes Francis couldn't eve guess at littering the room. Edna sat down at a small table and patted the seat beside her, looking pointedly at Bob.

Francis stood awkwardly in front of the two adults. Edna swirled her glass and regarded the teenager in front of her. "First order of business, measurements." She clapped her hands.

Two mechanical arms positioned themselves on either side of Francis, a yellow tape measure held between them. Francis stared apprehensively at it.

In a blur, the arms went to work. They lifted Francis' arms and measured his wingspan and then his height from foot to forehead.

"5' 10'' not very tall." Edna commented from her seat. Bob snickered beside her.

Francis scowled. He wasn't short, he just wasn't tall either.

The arms measured around his waist, neck, and head. They measured the width of his arms and legs, accounting for muscle mass. All the while Edna kept track of the data collected and jotted it down on her notepad, Bob watching over her shoulder.

Francis had never been so uncomfortable in his life. He had better be getting a kick-ass Supersuit.

When the arms finished their job they retreated back to where they had come from.

Edna continued writing on her notepad for several more minutes, muttering to herself. Eventually, she seemed pleased with that she had created. She slapped the pad shut and smiled at the two Supers. "It will be magnificent. Go now. Come back in three days. It will be ready then."

"Uh…" Francis was stunned. He had no idea how to respond to this strange woman.

"Thanks E. You're a life saver." Bob got to his feet.

"Go, go. Leave me to my work." Edna shooed them away.

Bob and Francis walked back to the car.

They were halfway home before Francis said anything. "That was weird."

Bob shrugged. "Yeah, but you get used to it."

"Does this mean I have to wait three more days before I can start training?"

"Yes it does."

Francis groaned and threw his head back against the seat. "Damn."

Three days later, Francis and Bob returned to Edna Mode's house. She greeted them enthusiastically and whisked Francis off to the workshop to show him his new suit. She practically pushed him into a dressing room; she was surprisingly strong for such a short person.

Francis came out in his new uniform for inspection. Bob gave him a thumbs up.

Edna was beside herself. She claimed Bob's newest suit was trash compared to this.

"Okay, let's see it."

Francis looked around the living room, a confused expression on his face. "Huh?"

"Your new suit." Helen clarified. Lucius, Virgil, Violet, and Dash were all looking at him expectantly. "Let's see it. Go put it on."

"Were you waiting for me to walk in?" Francis asked.

"Yes. Now go."

Bob laughed and walked past Francis to join his family. "Better do what she says."

Francis rolled his eyes but went to the bathroom to change. He examined his reflection in the mirror before facing the crowd. Francis smirked at himself. He looked good. Spandex definitely suited him.

He returned to the living room, actually feeling self-conscious now that there were going to be six pairs of judgmental eyes on him. He stood in the doorway, shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably.

Lucius whistled. "That is one good looking suit."

"Yeah?" Francis asked.

His suit was simple in design. His shirt was made from a spandex-like material that clung to his body but didn't hinder his movements. The collar hit high on his neck; the outline of his Adam's apple was visible through the fabric. The sleeves were short, cutting off just above his biceps like a muscle shirt would. The coloration was black with red trimming around the collar and sleeves. There was a simple red flame design emblazoned across his chest and red flames creeping over his side and across his stomach. He wore black fingerless gloves with a red Velcro patch for adjustment. The pants were black and were baggier and looser fitting than the shirt. Edna had catered to Francis' usual clothing style. There was a black belt looped through his pants with a red buckle. On the pants were red pads were Francis' knees were, offering protection should he fall. The pants were tucked into black boots that had red laces. The boots were lightweight and easy to walk in.

Francis knew the whole ensemble was fireproof and friction-resistant. There were several other handy features that Edna had mentioned, like durability and waterproof fabric.

"Put the mask on." Violet said.

"Yeah, we need the whole look." Virgil added.

Francis slid the black skintight mask on. It fit over his eyes perfectly.

There was a round of whistles and catcalls. Francis blushed.

"You look really good." Helen said.

"Thanks." Francis ducked his head in embarrassment but he couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

Author's Note:

Ugh, this chapter did not want to be written. I just didn't know how to fill the space. The only thing I knew going into this chapter was that they would go to Edna and she would make Francis uncomfortable. That's not really enough to make a chapter. But I made it work by including some action! Police chases, flaming cars! Yay! When in doubt, blow something up. That's my motto.

Hey you guys! Check this, I actually drew Francis' uniform. Just because I painstakingly went back and forth over what it should look like for weeks and I want you guys to see what's in my head. Forgive my horrible drawing skills, they get the job done. http :/ / fhgzehyde .deviantart .com /#/ d2seijd and of course just delete the spaces from within the link and it should work.

PLEASE REVIEW!

FHGVZEhyde