First Impressions
Bob Parr and his best friend, Lucius, walked down the rain-soaked streets of Manhattan on a Saturday sharing a normal guy's night out-normal, except for the fact that they were superheroes.
"Who does she think she is?" Bob said, staring at the latest headline on the newsstand.
Lucius looked over as well.
"Who? Elastigirl?"
"Catchy name." Bob said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"I don't know, man-but she sure is Little Miss Thang lately."
"I know. She's beating us everywhere. When's the last time we got a headline?"
Lucius picked up the newspaper, looking at the picture of Elastigirl beaming as she stood with the family she had just rescued from a burning building.
"I like the outfit." Lucius shrugged.
"I'm sure she got Edna to do it." Bob said moodily.
"Come on, man, she can't be all bad. The more Supers, the less victims."
Bob looked at the picture for a moment.
"You're right. And I mean, press-grabbing aside, she is pretty cute."
"Oh, I get it. All this animosity, and you think she's cute. Wouldn't mind running into her in a dark alley, right, Incredible?" Lucius grinned.
Bob just grinned, putting the newspaper back as Lucius laughed triumphantly.
"Thank you, Elastigirl!" The old man picked up his briefcase, scurrying away as Elastigirl held the mugger against the alley wall with her elongated arm.
"Just doing my job." She called after him, punching the mugger in the face with her other arm and dropping him to the ground unconscious.
Elastigirl handcuffed him to a nearby pipe.
"Have a great night. They usually pick up the trash in the morning." She grinned, dusting her hands off and standing up.
"Cute line." A sudden deep voice said behind her.
She spun around, only to run straight into the rock-solid chest of Mr. Incredible.
"Mr. Incredible." She said, standing back so she could see his face.
"Elastigirl. We meet at last."
She snorted with laughter.
"Who TALKS like that?"
"I'm sorry?" He looked confused.
"We meet at last," She mimicked his voice, "How cheesy."
He looked offended.
"Sorry, it's just-I mean, you're a pretty easy target. A guy who calls himself Mr. Incredible has got to have some sort of complex."
"I didn't come here to be insulted!"
"Oh, really? Then why did you come here? To admire my handiwork?"
"No…I heard a report about a mugging and-"
"Well, you're a little late. But, gold star for effort, Incredible."
"Fine. Forget it. And to think I was actually looking forward to meeting you." He started to walk away and had almost reached the end of the alley when her long arm snaked out, catching his shoulder.
He turned around, and she retracted the arm, walking over to him.
"Why were you looking forward to meeting me?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I mean, you're the Super everyone's talking about these days. Just wanted to see what all the noise was about."
"And?" She put her hands on her hips.
"I'm not impressed." He said coldly.
She stepped closer to him, making his heart beat a little faster.
"Well, you might want to rethink that analysis. I'm very…bendy." She winked, putting a hand on his heavily muscled arm.
Mr. Incredible tried to sputter a response.
"You certainly have a way with words. See you around." She smiled, sauntering off in her red, sparkling uniform.
"She said that?" Frozone asked incredulously as he and Mr. Incredible were patrolling in Mr. Incredible's sleek, black car the next night.
"And it just came out of nowhere-one second we were arguing, and then she said the whole 'bendy' thing!" Mr. Incredible couldn't help but grin slightly at the memory of it.
Frozone let out a low whistle.
They walked in silence for a while.
"So how do you think I could see her again?" Mr. Incredible finally asked.
Frozone smiled.
"What?"
"Nothing. Just laughing at my boy's new crush."
Mr. Incredible sighed.
"She thinks I'm an idiot though."
"Why do you say that?"
"I told you about all the scathing insults, right?"
"Well, yeah, but maybe she was just flirting with you."
"How do you mean?"
"You know, doing that whole hot-and-cold thing chicks love. Messes with our minds."
"You think she'd be interested?"
"I don't know. Ask her, not me." Frozone shrugged.
Suddenly, a police car zoomed by, lights flashing and siren whirring.
"All right, my man, your woman problems have got to wait. Duty calls."
"The fun never stops." Mr. Incredible sighed, and slammed his foot on the gas, trailing the police car.
Mr. Incredible screeched around the corner in the bank's basement, hot on the trail of the robber. Frozone had gone to freeze all the exits.
Suddenly, Elastigirl appeared at the other end of the hallway. The robber was trapped between them. They looked up, surprised to see each other, and froze for a second. The robber took his chance to try to dive through one of the nearby doorways. At the exact same moment, Elastigirl's arm encircled the robber's neck just as Mr. Incredible tackled him to the ground.
Mr. Incredible stood up, holding the man by the scruff of the collar. Elastigirl withdrew her arm, rubbing her wrist.
"Geez, Incredidoof, I think you broke my arm."
"Sorry." He said sheepishly.
"We've got to stop meeting like this." She said, shaking her arm out.
"It's…uh…good to see you again." He said, tripping slightly over his words.
She smiled slightly, a genuine smile.
The robber looked between the two of them.
"I don't know what you two have got going on here, but can I just go?"
"NO!" They said in unison, remembering he was there.
Frozone came skating into the room.
"I got here as fast as I-" He stopped, seeing the apprehended criminal and Elastigirl.
"Oh. Hey there, Elastigirl."
"Frozone. Heard nothing but good things about you." She smiled brightly at him.
"Likewise. Especially from my buddy Incredible here."
Elastigirl raised an eyebrow, looking at Mr. Incredible.
"Dude!" Mr. Incredible hit him in the arm, Frozone wincing.
The cops came hurrying into the basement during the awkward silence that followed.
"Thank you, you three. We'll take it from here." The cops cuffed the robber, carting him off.
The three Supers stood there in silence for a moment. Frozone grinned widely, looking between them.
"Well…uh…I got some unfreezing to do. See you later, Incredible. Keep it flexy, Elastigirl." Frozone gave them a small wave, walking off.
"I think that was just a convenient excuse to leave us to Round Two." She smiled, crossing her arms.
"Round Two?" He said, leaning up against the wall.
She rolled her eyes.
"Never mind. So…nice save with the little kid in the well. Saw the article."
"Oh, thanks." His ears turned slightly red, as he self-consciously shifted his weight from foot to foot.
"You know, I don't get it. How do kids just fall down wells? Where are their parents?" Elastigirl mused.
"I know! Sometimes it seems like these people are just trying to get into trouble just so we have something to do."
"I'm sure some girl wouldn't mind getting in trouble if they could be saved by you." She said.
"Oh, come on…" He shrugged, trying to sound modest.
"So. Super-strength. That's your thing."
He nodded.
"Do you work out or are you just…like that?"
"Like what?"
"You know, built like a Greek statue."
"Every day's a workout." He said, stretching casually so she could get a better look at his muscles.
"I never did catch your name." She said.
"It's Robert. Or Bob. Whatever."
"Wow. That was easy. Most of you Super types are pretty crazy about the secret identity thing."
"I trust you." He said simply.
She looked surprised.
"Well. It's been real, but I got to run. Next time you're in a dark alley defending the greater good-maybe I'll see you there."
"You're leaving?"
"We're superheroes. We can't just hang around all night talking."
"But…maybe sometime we could…"
"Could what?" She turned around, looking amused.
"Go out. You know, on a date."
"Sure. Why not?"
He smiled.
"Really?"
"Yeah." She smiled back.
"Do you have a number where I could-"
"I'll be around." She assured him, walking towards the staircase.
"At least tell me your name." He went after her.
She bit her lip, looking at him for a long moment.
"We're getting there, Incredible."
"Never thought a crime-free night could be this much fun." She pulled her long brown jacket more tightly around her thin frame in the cold night air as Bob walked her home.
"So you really had a good time?"
"Yeah, I really did. Although I was little disappointed that you don't have spandex date wear."
"What?" He looked over at her.
"I'm kidding. So you said Edna did your costume?"
"Yeah."
"She's a trip, huh?"
Bob laughed.
"Crazy little lady."
They walked in silence for a while, approaching a reasonably nice apartment building.
"Well, here's where I get off."
"We should do this again sometime." Bob said, not wanting her to leave.
"Definitely." She smiled, a strand of auburn hair blowing across her face in the crisp autumn wind.
He tucked it back behind her ear, leaving his hand on her cheek. She smiled, his hand warm against the cold.
"Smooth move, Incredible." She said quietly.
"Well, I try." He said, his voice huskier than usual.
She closed her eyes as he leaned toward her, and felt his lips softly brush against hers. She opened her eyes.
"What? That bad?" He looked at her nervously.
"No, it was fine. But hardly superhero worthy." She shrugged, grinning teasingly.
"Oh, really?" He said, leaning towards her again.
"Yeah, I mean, you call yourself Mr. Incredible, so I guess I was just expecting-"
He kissed her then, and it was the kind of kiss that made it hard for her to stay standing after it ended some time later.
"Something more like that?" He raised his eyebrows, as she sagged slightly in his strong arms.
"Uh…yeah. Something like that." She said breathlessly.
"Goodnight then." He smoothed down her slightly mussed hair.
"Night." She replied, her voice a little higher pitched than usual.
He nodded, out of things to say and finding it hard to speak when his heart seemed to be thudding in his throat.
"Wait." She called after him.
"What is it?"
"It's Helen. My name…it's Helen."
A/N- Please review!