Incredible Times

Prologue

I sit in a wooden chair against a plain wall. A light suddenly flashes on, and I squint  to adjust to the harsh brightness in my eyes. I fumble to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear as the interviewer, sitting between two rolling cameras, begins to speak.

"It's a pleasure to have you all here this afternoon. As you know, this interview is being conducted for an exclusive program being broadcasted about the super community. Our hope is to show our audience another side of Metroville's well-known superheroes — as well as introduce them to our up-and-coming supers," he says with a pointed glance at me. I feel myself sink in my seat a little bit. No pressure.

The interview begins. 

"So," he says. "Elastigirl... do you have a secret identity?"

I play with the microphone clipped to my suit before I say, "Of course I have a secret identity." I pause, thinking about my next words. I take a shaky breath, and say, "Can you see me in this at the um... at the... at the supermarket? Come on. Who'd want to go shopping as Elastigirl, you know what I mean?"

A few people on production laugh at my comment. I let out a small sigh of relief as I feel the  tension in my body release. This was my first televised interview, and I wanted to give the public a good impression. It was comforting to know that I was already appealing to my audience, or at least, the audience right in front of me.

The questions keep coming, and I answer them as best as I can. I feel much more relaxed as the interview progresses, and considering how nervous I was minutes before, I'm relieved at how well this is going.

Next to me, two other supers answer similar questions. Frozone, tall and lean, known to have the power to produce snow and ice, sits to my immediate left. He answers all of his questions smoothly as if he had done this a hundred times before. And perhaps he had. On Frozone's opposite side sits the notorious Mr. Incredible. Frozone looks like a twig in comparison to his colleague. Mr. Incredible's broad shoulders, large chest, and muscular limbs could have any super villain quavering in their boots. It would take a great deal of ignorance to not know about Mr. Incredible and his superhuman strength. I study his face as he watches Frozone answer another question. He wears a smug grin on his face that I knew would be impossible to wipe off no matter what happened during this interview. I hated it.

The interviewer begins to speak again, snapping me back from my thoughts.

"This next one is for Mr. Incredible," he says. He looks to his right, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Mr. Incredible sit up with excitement, the smile on his face growing even more. God, he just wants to hear himself talk, I think to myself as I roll my eyes.

"Do you enjoy the superhero life, Mr. Incredible?"

Mr. Incredible clears his throat dramatically. "Well, Dwayne, sometimes I think I'd enjoy the simple life, you know? Relax a little and raise a family."

Oh come on. He doesn't really believe that, does he? 

"Settle down?!" I outburst. One of the producers of the program begins to protest, but the interviewer, Dwayne, just holds his hand up in authority, obviously wanting to hear more. I catch my breath, a little surprised at myself for acting so recklessly. I pause, considering my options. I couldn't express my doubts about the legitimacy of Mr. Incredible's words. That would end horribly for both of us. I could wade in the shallow end of the pool, playing it off and acknowledging the fact that Mr. Incredible has his own personal goals in life. Or I could express my own opinion on the subject. It would be a huge risk, a jump off the high dive, and it would take a whole lot faith that I would complete the dive gracefully, and not in a belly flop. 

All of these thoughts swarm my head in only milliseconds, but I feel like I have been sitting there in contemplation for hours. I take a breath, knowing that this decision would make or break my career. 

I bend my knees, and jump.

"Settle down?!" I repeat, not wanting to lose my newfound confidence. "Are you kidding?! I'm at the top of my game! I'm right up there with the big dogs!" I gesture towards the others, acknowledging the fact that I am sitting next to two of the greatest superheroes of this era. I don't want people to forget that Elastigirl paved her own way to get here, and only in the span of four months. I catch the eye of Mr. Incredible, who looks nearly as shocked as I am, the grin previously plastered on his face slowly fading.

"Girls, come on," I continue. This was it. Time to make a real name for myself. "Leave the saving of the world to the men?" I point my thumb in the direction of Frozone and Mr. Incredible for emphasis on the word 'men.' I feel myself entering the water, but I don't know exactly how successful the entry is yet. I put on a brave face, knowing that I would only find out after the program airs. I stare straight at the camera, and with a smile and a slight shake of my head, I say, "I don't think so... I don't think so."