Test of the heart.

Englishwitch.
The Incredibles.
Test of the heart.
Chapter 13- Power Shift

Disclaimer- I do not own The Incredible's, it is a Disney/ Pixar animation motion picture.

In the mayors office there was a light knock at the door. Mayor John Farnsman glanced up from his paperwork and tossed the pen onto the desk.
“Come in.”

The door opened and his secretary opened the door and poked her head inside.
“Sir, there is a young boy here to see you. He claims to have an appointment.” She said doubtfully. John looked at his diary and nodded.
“That’ll be about the interview for a school newspaper. Send him in, and bring some drinks. Whatever kids like these days.”

The secretary nodded and stepped out of the room. A second later a young boy stepped into the room. He looked about twelve years old, had strawberry blond hair and brown eyes. He wore a red T-shirt and blue jeans. The mayor smiled and rose from his seat.
“Hello there, Michael is it? All alone are we?” He asked, Michael nodded.
“I have some friends waiting outside.” He said as he took his seat. Mayor John sat back down and smiled his famous fake smile.
“I am honoured that you have chosen to interview me for your school newspaper, and I will answer any questions that you have to the best of my ability.” He said the rehearsed speech perfectly. Michael smiled in a way that was actually quite disturbing, it reminded the mayor of a predator he had seen in a documentary that had just spotted its prey.
“That’s nice to know sir. This one isn’t for the paper, just out of curiosity. How do you hand over power to the next mayor?”

John stared hard at the young boy. That was the most unusual question he had ever heard. Still, what harm could it do? And it was good for his reputation if he answered all the child’s questions.
“Fairly simple really. There are a couple of public ceremonies that show there is a new mayor. A long time ago it all meant something, but now it’s all ceremony. All I really have to do now is sign a simple form that releases me from power and hands it over to someone else.”

Michael nodded and rubbed his hands together and smiled even wider.
“Can I see one of these forms?” Michael asked. Another unusual question, but he was just a boy, there could be no harm in it. Mayor John pulled out a sheet of paper from the bottom draw of his desk.
“This is it, all I have to do is sign one line, someone else signs the other and then I’m not mayor anymore.”

Michael looked over the form, he didn’t understand all of the legal jargon printed on it, but it was the right form for certain. He put the piece of paper onto the desk and glared at the mayor.
“Good. Now sign it.” He demanded. John laughed out loud. A large fake laugh that all politicians master. Michael crossed his arms and didn’t even smile. After a few seconds Johns laugh faded and he looked at the boy in confusion.
“I’m sorry Michael. I’m not going to make you mayor.”

Michael laughed coldly and looked at John with a steely gaze.
“Not me, my friend.” He said. He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly.

The window behind John shattered and he jumped out of his seat and leapt in front of the desk. The Omnidroid-micro landed on the desk, its claws sinking into the wood. It looked at the mayor, its green eye glowing brightly.

John turned to Michael and leapt away in fear. Michael was almost seven feet tall and growing a coat of fur. His face began to push out into a muzzle and he clothing tore as muscles expanded and flexed.

The droid slinked to the floor in a cat-like way and reared up on its two legs. Its feet clicked and whirred and vanished within the robots body and were replaced by two circular saws.
“Good day Mr. Mayor.” Called a voice from the window. John turned and stared, his first thought was ‘I’m saved.’ But a second later, he knew he was wrong.

It looked like two supers were standing outside the window, standing on thin air. One of them, a girl, he recognised because of the red suit with a gold V on it, but couldn’t recall her name. The young man however he didn’t recognise at all. He had a black P on his chest and a blue and white suit. The two supers were holding hands and John noticed that on the boy’s wrist was a white band of plastic with several buttons on it.

Psychewave stepped inside with Vanisher at his side. The two of them, still holding hands, stepped onto the floor of the office.
“Take a seat Mr. Mayor.” Psychewave said pointing to the chair. John stayed rooted to the spot. Psychewave scowled, he didn’t like being ignored.
“NOW.” He shouted. John slowly started to edge his way to the desk and eased himself slowly into his chair. Psychewave stood by his left, Vanisher by his right and the omnidroid directly in front of the desk. Shifter stood by the door, using his wolf ears to listen to the sounds beyond. They had attracted attention, but no one yet had found the courage to look inside the office.

John looked at Psychewave and then to Vanisher. He realised what their scheme was.
“No.” He said to Psychewave in his most commanding voice. Psychewave scowled and pressed a button on his remote. The circular saws on the omnidroid started to spin with a high-pitched scream that hurt everyone’s ears.
“I believe you are mistaken about your number of options mayor. ‘No’ is most certainly not one of them. Now sign.” Psychewave yelled over the noise of the saws.

There was a light knocking at the door, unheard by all but Shifter. The secretary peeked her head inside and froze at the sight before her. Before she had time to even scream Shifter grabbed her neck and dragged her inside.

Psychewave smiled and pressed another button on the remote. The saws stopped and spinning and were replaced by another weapon. These looked like serrated scissors.
“Mayor, sign the form.” Psychewave demanded, tapping on the table.

John looked at the form. Just one little signature and these super villains would be in total control of the entire city. God only knee what sort of havoc they would cause.
“No.” He stated clearly. Shifter growled loudly, making the secretary sob loudly in fear.
“What do we need him to sign some stupid form for? We’ve taken city hall. The city is ours.” He growled in his gruff voice. Psychewave shook his head.
“Once it’s official, no one can touch us. Not the police, not the army, not even the other supers. The laws they hold so dear will bind them. Now mayor, sign the form.”

John tossed the pen onto the desk and folded his arms across his chest.
“I won’t do it.” He said. The omnidroid’s scissors clicked together threateningly but John was unfazed. Psychewave growled loudly and slammed his fist onto the desk.
“You forced me to do this mayor.” He tapped away at the remote control and the droid turned around and faced the secretary.
“You’re so casual with your own life, how about another’s?”

The secretary screamed loudly as the droid edged closer, it’s scissor weapons snapped together wildly, aimed at her neck. John tried to climb out of his seat but Vanisher and Psychewave forced him back down.
“Sign it. NOW.” He bellowed at the top of his lungs. One of the scissors scratched at the secretary’s skin, leaving a thin red line.
“ALL RIGHT ALL RIGHT.”

Psychewave quickly pressed a button and the omnidroid backed off and dropped onto all fours, replacing it’s scissor weapons with the paws as it did so.
“Now sign.” Demanded Psychewave. “I can do a lot worse than scissors.”

John picked up the pen and, after only a second of hesitation, scrawled his name across the line on the bottom of the page.
“Sign here.” He said with disgust in his voice, pointing at the second line next to the one he’d just signed. Psychewave picked up the pen and scribbled his name onto the line.

He threw the pen on the desk triumphantly.
“If you don’t mind, you are in my seat.” He said casually as he watched the ink dry. John climbed from the chair and Psychewave took his place.
“How does it feel my love?” Asked Vanisher passionately.
“Comfy chair. I could get used to this.” He glanced over to Shifter. “You can let her go now big guy.”

Shifter released his grip on the secretary. The crying woman ran out of the room the second shifter let her go. John made to follow her.
“Not so fast.”

Shifter stepped in the doorway and John turned back to Psychewave.
“What now boy? You have taken my office, threatened my staff and stolen my city. What more could you possibly need me for?”

Psychewave smiled broadly and put his hands together on the desk.
“Oh my dear sir. I have plenty more use for you yet.”

************************

The next day.
“We have interrupted your regular scheduled programming to take you live to town hall where Mayor Farnsman has called for a special announcement.”
“Thank you studio. I’m here at town hall where Mayor Farnsman has called a public gathering to make a special announcement. There are a surprising number of people here to say the gathering was called at such short notice. At an estimated guess I would say at least seventy members of the public are here today and- Hold on, the mayor is coming out now.”

The crowd broke into cheers and applause as the mayor, dressed in a fine suit, took the stage that had been set up in front of town hall. The applause of the crowd faded away as John stood in front of the microphone. He stood solemnly for a moment before he started speaking.
“Today is a day that will go down in the history of our city. Today we are placed upon the road to the future, our city has the privilege of taking the first step toward a great prosperity that will be a beacon to all others.
“Though they have served us for most of human history. But now their strength will serve us in a new way. They will guide us to a new age of peace. With their power guiding us, humanity will be able to fulfil its destiny.” He said all this slowly and carefully, hating every word of the speech that Psychewave had prepared for him. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, the supers, Psychewave, Vanisher and Shifter. From now on, they shall run the city in my place.”

There was no applause, only confused mutterings as the three hero’s wandered onto the stage. Psychewave waved to the audience and stood in front of the microphone.
“Thank you Mr. Farnsman. Citizens, this is truly a glorious day. The day when supers take a more direct role is guiding human destiny.”

The crowd yelled angrily and Vanisher slid a little closer to Psychewave, shifter tensed, waiting for moment when he could transform to his werewolf form and attack.
“You think we’re going to let you tell us what to do?” An angry voice yelled from the crowd. Something flew toward the stage and acting on instinct Vanisher grabbed Psychewave and popped a shield around the two of them. Shifter jumped down into the crowd and grew into his were-form.

An empty beer can bounced harmlessly off of Vanisher’s shield. Shifter grabbed the man who threw it and dragged him to the stage. Vanisher dropped her shield and Psychewave stepped forward.
“You have no choice.” Psychewave said as he forced the man to his feet. “Everything is official, the city is ours.”

The man pushed Psychewave away and glared at him angrily.
“I’m not going to stand for this. No brat of a kid is going to tell me how to run my life. Super or not.”

Shifter grabbed the guy by the scruff of the neck and lifted him from the floor.
“Don’t.” Psychewave said. Shifter looked at the man intensely for a few more seconds and dropped him to the ground. The man scrambled to his feet and ran off to the rapidly dissipating crowd.

Psychewave spread his arms out wide and used his telekinetic powers to rise himself up into the air, he hovered twenty feet above the ground and looked down at the audience.
“People, I am Psychewave. These are my colleagues, Psychewave and Shifter. The former mayor has handed over power to us, everything is official. Behold your new mayor, me.” He stayed in the air to let people get a good look at him. People yelled angrily at him.
“We don’t want you here.”
“Get lost.”
“Give us a real mayor.”
“What do you kids think you know?”

The voices continued to grow louder and angrier. Vanisher saw the crowed quickly becoming a mob. Shifter tilted his head back and roared at the op of his lungs. Many people screamed and dropped to the ground, others ran away and Psychewave floated back down to the ground. And stood by his furry companion.
“Easy Shifter. Take it easy.”

Vanisher turned to the crowd and looked at the crowd and tried to smile sweetly, but many people thought it looked quite evil.
“We don’t want to hurt. We only want to help. Try and see our vision. Supers help you in small ways everyday. But with a position of power, like the mayors office, we can bring major change that will help you in hundreds of large ways forever.”

She intended to continue, but from the gang of people laying on the ground, a young man, a teenager stood up.
“Violet.” He called. Vanisher looked at him intensely. Short brown hair and good looks. He looked familiar to Vanisher, but she couldn’t quite place him. Psychewave stepped forward and stood by Vanisher’s side, but said nothing.
“This isn’t like you Vi’.” He said stepping his way through the crowd toward he stage. Vanisher glared down at him.
“What do you know. You don’t know who I am.” She yelled down to him.

He looked up at her, his soft blue eyes made her chest flutter.
“Don’t you remember?” He asked curiously. Vanisher scwled an shook her head.
“I don’t have a clue or a care who you are.” She snapped at him. The boy stood right in front of the stage.
“Violet, this isn’t you. You don’t think conquering the city, or hurting people is a good thing. You’ve changed, all because of him.” He pointed to Psychewave. Psychewave stepped forward but Vanisher stuck out her arm and stopped him. She jumped off of the stage and stood right in front of the boy.
“My name is not Violet. It is Vanisher. I know exactly what I am doing.”

The stranger, no older than Vanisher shook his head.
“No, Violet, look at me, try and remember. I don’t know what he’s done to you, but you can beat it. I know you can.”

Acting totally on impulse Vanisher whipped her arm out and the boy by the throat.
“Who do you think you are? You know nothing of Psychewave or his vision. You know nothing of me. Everything I’ve done has been my own choice.” She began to squeeze tighter and the young man bean to choke, his face began to turn red.
“Vi’ I love you.” He cocked out with what was obviously the last breath in his lungs.

Vanisher gasped and released him. He fell to the floor and sucked air into his lungs.
“You don’t even know me. Why did you say that?” She asked with a puzzled tone. Tony sucked air into his lungs and looked up at her with tears in his eyes.
“I know you better than you think. The Violet I know wouldn’t let anyone get hurt, she wouldn’t get what she wants by frightening people. That’s not what hero’s do. Think Violet, try and remember. Look past what he has done to you. Look into your heart. There is still a hero in there, fighting to get back out.”

What was he talking about? She had made free choices all of the way through. She had no idea who he was, but he called her Violet, he said he loved her and somehow, when she looked at him she felt something. Like a flutter in her stomach. Was that love? She looked into his gentle eyes and felt the flutter again. Yes, it was love. She loved him.

Vanisher gasped in shock. In her head, images, thoughts and feelings raced through her mind. Memories, forced to be forgotten by some unknown force returned to her in full. She was Violet. Violet Parr. And the young boy she had just tried to strangle was-
“Tony.” She gasped as she knelt down by his side. “My god, what have I done. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t know.”

Violet looked up at Psychewave and glared at him furiously. Her memories, her mind, her entire soul had been removed. And somehow he was responsible.

To be continued.