Incredible Times

Chapter 9

I sprint into the apartment building without giving Bob a proper goodbye. I'll admit, since nobody is around, I use my powers to climb the stairs five steps at a time.

After changing into my supersuit, I open my bedroom window and hoist myself out into the open air. From there, I grab hold of a nearby lightpost and begin my journey to the ASA headquarters.

Swinging from lightpost to lightpost as if they were monkey bars, I realize how much faster this is than taking a cab. Faster, but exhausting.

After ten minutes of swinging, I drop in front of the ASA headquarters, heaving to catch my breath. Still, I jog into the building, my tardiness still hanging over me. 

I burst into the conference room on the first floor to find Carla and a few others sitting around the table, deep in discussion. They all look in my direction at the sudden commotion.

I try my best to collect myself before saying, "Sorry I'm late. Time slipped away from me this morning." 

"Don't worry about it," Carla reassures me. She gestures to the seat next to her, and I shoot her a grateful glance as I take my seat. 

"President Gibbs," a board member starts from across the table. "Are you sure that this is the best time to do this?" He flits his eyes in my direction, and I can't help but feel that they've been arguing about me. 

"Of course, of course!" Carla waves him off. "I have complete confidence that she'll be pleased with this new development of ours, Fred." 

"Excuse me," I interrupt. "Does this have something to do with me?" 

Carla flashes her teeth at me. "Why, of course. Nearly everything we discuss has to do with you." 

I fold my hands in my lap as my cheeks flush red with embarrassment. 

"Mr. Dundee here doesn't think that we should be doing this, but I have faith in you, Elastigirl." 

"Doing what exactly?" I ask. 

"Well, let's go take a look, shall we?" Carla stands up from her chair, and the others follow her lead. Carla starts toward the doorway, and I hustle to catch up with her. 

Carla leads me and the others down a bright corridor, her heels hitting the floor with loud clicks. 

"Ever since your acceptance into the ASA, we have taken notice of your exceptional continued service to the city of Metroville," Carla explains. Her voice echoes in the wide space, making her sound even louder than normal. "We have also noticed that your primary method of transport happens to rely on your powers." 

I listen so intently that I nearly run into a large steel door at the end of the hallway. Carla punches in a passcode into the keypad on the wall, and the door slides open. 

She turns to look me in the eye, and says, "That's why we've decided to help." 

Carla strides across the threshold into a monstrous industrial room. Along the walls are various machines and tools that you wouldn't find at your local hardware store. People dressed in heavy denim suits tinker with parts at workbenches scattered about. Light filters in from a series of openings along one of the walls that stretch from floor to ceiling. 

After taking it all in, I realize that this is a garage of sorts. 

The garage stretches for ages, and at the opposite end, I can spot an area concealed by a temporary blockade of fabric. 

Naturally, this is where Carla leads me. 

We slow down as we approach the curtain. Carla turns to me with a proud smile.