Antonio and the kids are running around the halls, looking around. They quickly hide as Mirabel chases after them. They walk past vases, with the kids hiding behind them. The teenage girl suddenly appears out of nowhere.
"Boo!"
The four kids scream comically, causing the older girl to laugh. They look up at her in annoyance.
It has been a week since Encanto was declared allies with San Angel. They had been adjusting well... for the most part. The kids blow raspberries up at her, running past her to hide again. Mirabel's smirks and follows after them. She runs past her parents and Zano. Julita and Agustin look at each other knowingly before their daughter comes back for a hug. She pulls Zano along to help her. He just chuckles as he runs off with her and both of them end up in her room.
But Mirabel gasps at the sight in front of her because someone is in her room... they're clothed in a black cloak, so she can't tell who it is just by looking at them.
"Hello, darling." They lift off the hood to reveal a strange woman. "Did you think I was gone forever?" She smirks as she has wrinkles on her face. She saunters up to Mirabel, stroking her face. "What's the matter, dear?" She lightly touches Mirabel's hair bunched up in a bun. "Aren't you happy to see your mummy?" she shifts into a skeleton. She then holds up her skeleton hands and the black rocks appear in front of her.
Mirabel gasps sharply as they surround her. She tries to run away, but she gets cornered. Panting, the girl looks up, her whole body glowing. But her hair unravels and becomes long, much to her horror.
"And look, your hair has returned!" Reflections of the woman and La Sombra are on the rocks. "Isn't it wonderful? Come now, dear, let's get you back to your tower, where you will be safe and secure. I think I'll take the boy too. Princesita!"
Shooting out of her bed Mirabel gasps as her glow is illuminating intensely and Chapa sits up in shock. Her glow dims and she pants slowly as she lays back down. Unknown to her something on her back was also glowing but went unnoticed.
————
San Angel- Zano's room
Zano sits up in bed, holding his hair. The darkness is above him like a cloud, and he looks up in horror. It was happening again... the black cloud went away after a few seconds. He takes short breaths, sweating a bit. What was that all about? Why did that dream show only Mirabel at the end...? These nightmares started right after he and Mirabel touched those black rocks... which indirectly caused her to get glowing powers, and for Zano to gain the destructive power of the rocks... which is something he'd never use at any time. He thought the possibility of those kinds of powers was passed as he gained his superpowers yet that wasn't the case now...
He looks out towards the window to the town and sits up rubbing his neck. He needed to get away... Meaning he'd have to sneak out, but he needed alone time. He takes out his teleporter and goes somewhere quiet.
————
San Angel - Sanchez Kitchen
Maria and Grandpapí are eating breakfast alone, the old veteran being silent. "Papa?" She speaks up and he looks up in confusion. "You haven't touched your food," She glances at his full plate of oranges, toast, and a pile of eggs.
"No, no, I-I've touched it. I moved my eggs here to here, you see?" He chuckles a bit, but she could notice that something was wrong.
"Oh, papa, it's been nearly a week. Just talk to him," She places her hand on top of his. He sighs slowly.
"You do recall my last conversation with your son didn't go quite as I had hoped?"
Manolo arrived and joined them at the table, "General, you confined him to the walls of San Angel under Marshall law. If that's a grandparent-grandchild conversation, I would hate to see what talking to is," Manolo chuckles a bit.
"Better than sending him to boarding school," Maria said.
"Just because it was a difficult choice doesn't mean it wasn't the right one," He looks down towards his food. "You know that Zano is special from his siblings."
"Yes, but like Manolo, he grew up away from that life," Maria said. "Well until the girls, Chico, and Blanca became heroes but that was shot term."
"And as for the supernatural side, it never showed up when magic was around him before and I doubt it would now," Manolo said.
"Then why do I get the feeling these magic rocks have tampered with that side? You've seen his birthmark glowing!"
"Cause nothing is ever easy in our family," Just as Maria said this, Zano comes down fully dressed and glowing.
"Morning," he says to them.
"Morning. How did you sleep?"
"It was okay," he said as he sat down and ate his food in silence.
Manolo: "You know we were just talking about you."
"Oh, what about?" he said not surprised but still curious.
"Given the recent developments. We think it would be best for you and Mirabel to see Edna about your abilities."
"Maybe even find a way for you to control them better." Grandpapí adds, "Could allow you to continue your schooling here."
Zano: "I guess, but I thought Miss E was on sabbatical."
"Yes but according to your sisters, she tends to make exceptions."
—At Edna Mode's abode—
A portal opens up in front of a laser gate. Angelina, Mirabel, and Zano step out of the portal holding the gear they got from El Dorado and Angie brings her super suit.
"Whoa this place is bigger than Casita," Mirabel says amazed at the mansion's size, then gets confused, "And she lives by herself?"
"She has staff to maintain it but when you see her workshop you'll see why for yourself," Zano says.
"Too bad your parents were too busy to come I think they'd like E."Angelina tells her cousin as she approaches the security terminal with a monitor.
"They send their love. Though I'm surprised Abuela didn't tag along with us." Mirabel says.
"Well considering our past. We agreed it would be best if she held off from meeting E right now." Angie nervously replies.
"She wanted to slap her too after she heard." Zano guessed.
"And then some," she pushes a button. The monster turns on and displays a video feed of a guard.
Guard: "Do you have an appointment?"
Angie gets closer to the speaker, "I'm an old friend. I called earlier and wanted to..."
The Guard cuts her off, "Sorry mam, but all visitors are required to make a reservation-"
Just then a short lady with round glasses steps in, shooing the guard away with a magazine, "Hey, get back to work! Go check the electric fence or something!" Angie and Zano smile as they recognize the voice of that person. Edna Mode.
E gets up to the camera on her end, "What is it? Who are you? What do you want?"
Angie gets closer and pulls her hair back in an attempt to get E to remember her.
"My God, you've gotten fat." Angie laughs at her bold words. " Come in, Come, come!" Edna pushed a button and the Gates opened. Angie leads the teens down the path until they reach Edna's mansion at the top of the hill.
"Darling!" Edna says as she greets them at the door. "E! You look amazing," Angie says as she and Edna hug and air kiss each other.
"I know darling the feeling is reciprocated." She looks at Zano and gasps. "And that must be the twin's little brother Zano!"
"Nice to see you again Señora Mode."
"You've gotten bigger and yet you still have those skinny legs." She says, "And please dear call me Edna, or E I've known you since you were in pampers."
Mirabel peeks her head from behind Zano, "And who is this?"
"Edna this is my cousin Mirabel." Mirabel steps out from behind Zano and waves shyly to the small woman.
"Oh, the baby girl," Edna walks over to get a closer look around Mirabel. Despite Mirabel being taller she can't help feeling small when E observes her. "Hm. Timid as expected but quite lovely. Love the glasses by the way."
Mirabel relaxes from the compliment, "Oh thank you I like yours too and your outfit. Self-made right?"
"I like this one." The little woman says to Angelina, who smiles at her old friend's words. "Now then no use standing out here come! Come inside and brief me on everything that's been going on with you." Edna says as she pulls Angie inside.
Zano turns to the gobsmacked Mirabel, "So what do you think of Edna?"
"She's certainly more intimidating than I imagined," She smiles, "And abrasive with her words."
"Come on guys!" Angie calls for them as they head inside the mansion.
———
Eventually, the two teens catch up and are now following Angie and Edna down the hallway, having a chat. "I'm glad to hear about Javi and Blanca. And congratulations on working things out with your grandmother before I could get to her. Yes, things are going quite well. Quite well. My God, no complaints. But, you know, it is not the same. Not the same at all."
The four then step into an elevator that takes them down, "Edna you have no idea how glad I am to see you after all these years," Angie says. "Yes, I'm sure you are darling and I'm glad you showed up too. Besides this isn't the first time you showed up to my place uninvited."
"I called ahead but you hung up before I could schedule anything," Angie tells her.
"Sorry darling I was excited to hear from you. Work's gotten a bit stale."
They then exit the Elevator and walk towards a huge balcony. Zano then decided to speak up, "Weren't you just in the news about a year ago? Some show in Prague?"
"Milan, darling. Milan." They reach the big balcony with Edna walking down the stairs, ranting about the supermodels she has worked with. "Supermodels. HA! Nothing super about them. Spoiled, stupid, little stick figures with poofy hair who think only about themselves. FEH! I used to design for GODS!" She states as she looks at the giant statue of a hero.
Edna turns to the Female triplet, "But perhaps you come with a challenge, eh? I was surprised to get your call."
"E, I just need a power assessment for these two and a patch job for my old suit." She says as she hands her the hero suit.
Edna examines her suit, "Hmm. This is megamesh. Outmoded, but very sturdy. And you've torn right through it!" She exclaims as she puts her hand through the hole in the sleeve. Edna then looks at Angie with a suspicious smirk, "What have you been doing Angelina? Moonlighting hero work?"
"Must have happened when we went to rescue the kids from La Sombra. Course it could have happened a long time ago." She replies, "Also aside from the test I was hoping you could make them something to help them monitor their powers for research purposes."
"I see." Edna then walks over to a garbage can next to a large round table and throws away Angie's suit. "Eugh, This is a hobo suit. Darling. You can't be seen in this! I won't allow it! Five years ago, maybe, but now? Feh."
Angie grabs her suit and looks back at E, "What do you mean? You designed it."
"I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now." She sits on a chair, thinking of an idea. "You need a new suit. That much is certain and the children as well if these rocks start casing them again."
Zano: "What?"
"A new suit?" Mirabel repeats.
"Where the heck am I gonna get a new suit?" Angie asks as she sits down across from Edna.
"You can't! It's impossible! I'm far too busy. So ask me now, before I again become sane." Edna crosses her arms and looks away from them.
"Wait... you want to make me a new suit? What about Mirabel and Zano?"
"You push too hard, darling! But I accept." Edna opens a drawer and pulls out a notebook and pen. She begins writing down notes on the design of Angie, Mirabel, and Zano's suits. "It will be bold. Dramatic!"
Angie: "Yeah."
Edna: "Heroic!"
"Yeah, something classic, like Dynaguy!" Zano said with a hint of enthusiasm. "Oh, I saw a picture of him! He had a great look!" Mirabel said.
"With the cape and the boots-"
"No capes!" Zano stops as Edna throws a paper ball at him.
This puzzles Mirabel and Zano.
Zano clears his throat. "Isn't that my decision?"
"Do you remember Thunderhead? Tall, storm powers. Nice man. Good with kids."
Mirabel: "Oh like Tía Pepa."
Angie: "Minus the male hero part... and dead part."
Mirabel's eyes widened, "Dead?"
Edna jumps onto the table, "November 15th of '48! All was well, another day saved when his cape snagged on a missile fin."
Any hero in Angie's generation knows the whole story of what happened to Thunderhead. Or when you're Zano, who's descended from supers it's pretty much common sense. "After he took the bad guy down, and turned the missle away from the city, he turned to bow to the hostage without realizing his cape got snagged on the fin. So when it launched his cape got snagged and he went with it."
"Why didn't he tear the cape off or turn the missile off?" Mirabel asks.
"Thunderhead was not the brightest bulb..." Angelina tells her, "And E don't you think you're exaggerating a bit."
"Stratogale! April 23rd, '47. Cape caught in a jet turbine."
Angie rubs her head, "Oh no."
"Yup sucked right in, after she saved a plane from a steep dive. If only she didn't stop to wave to the passengers." Zano explains making the teen girl more nervous.
Angie tries to talk to Edna in an attempt to calm her and Mirabel down, "E, you can't generalize about these things."
"Meta Man, Express elevator!"
"Dynaguy, snagged on takeoff!"
"Splashdown, sucked into a vortex!"
"NO CAPES!" Edna then steps off the table and starts heading towards a flight of stairs. "Now, go on. Your new suit will be finished before your next assignment." Angie then steps up so she can walk over to her. "E, last time was an emergency. You know I'm retired from hero work."
"As am I, Angel. Yet, here we are."
Angie then makes her way over to her holding out her old suit, "E, I only need a patch job. For... sentimental reasons."
Edna sighs before snatching Angie's old suit out of her hand, "Fine. I will also fix the hobo suit." She says as she continues walking up the stairs.
"And test Mira and Zano's powers!" Angie added.
"Yes, Yes of course. Tell them to wait in the lab you know where it is!" she says from the top.
"You're the best of the best, E!"
"Yes, I know, darling." (whispering) "I know."
—————
Encanto - Casita
Alma is seen having tea with General Posada, Manolo & Maria Sanchez, Julieta, Agustin, and Doña Rivera.
"I was surprised to hear that you wanted to speak with us about the children," Alma explains. "Especially since they're not even back from Señora Mode."
"Given the circumstances, this was something that couldn't wait," Grandpapí sighs, he looks to Doña Rivera and Manolo for help.
Manolo nods and turns to Alma, "Señora what do you know about magical creatures?"
"I know some of them exist," she gestured to Chapa, the winged jaguar, and Col, the skeleton puma. "But I take it you've seen more than that."
"Sí, many times in my youth, but I never knew how close they were to us until we adopted my cousin's son," Manolo says, as Maria holds his hand.
"Cousin's son?" Agustin repeats curiously.
Doña Rivera says, "My grandson Zachariah Amodaus Noa Ofilio Sanchez-Rivera or Zano as he prefers." she finished
All three Madrigals shared a quiet look and Alma spoke, "Please Elaborate."
——————
Back at the Mode residence. Angie is leading Mirabel and Zano down the hallway to the door of Edna's lab.
"Is Edna really going to make us super suits?" Zano asks.
"Maybe but she knows superheroes are illegal now and you two are minors she wouldn't encourage you two to go out and fight crime behind your parent's backs."
"Isn't that what Acacia and Zita did?" Mirabel asked.
"Supers were legal back then," she said as they turned a corner, "But that's not the point. You two are here for assessments and training suits to help understand these powers. Though knowing E she'd try to make them bold like the fashion Icon she is maybe something with an animal headdress."
Mirabel was intrigued, "Really?"
"Yes really, this one guy had a rooster headdress complete with feathers and a beak."
Mirabel giggles a bit and looks around the hall in awe, noticing a lot of pictures with heroes, "Señora Edna was really close to the supers, huh?"
Angie: "Edna helped instruct a lot of new heroes into the basics of heroics for a long time even before Decker."
"Was she a retired superhero back then?" the young Madrigal asked since it's hard to tell how old Edna is.
"Hero yes, but super no." Angie stops to a portrait of Edna at the opening of the NSA with a young Decker, "You see Mirabel before the National Super Agency was formed, a lot of supers were divided."
"Divided? But weren't they all for protecting the innocent?"
"In general yes, the Superheroes were but a lot of them didn't even know there were other heroes with the same goal. Which was an issue when a hero was faced with a situation where they were outmatched even when they had a partner."
"And some Heros were deemed vigilantes or outlaws by the authorities in their residence," Zano said.
"They were alone," Mirabel concluded.
"Yes, but when the NSA formed it was Edna who brought the heroes together however she didn't stop with the ones in the USA she recruited supers from all over the world who needed help in understanding their powers. It didn't matter if they wanted to be heroes or just ordinary civilians Edna gave them a place to be themselves."
"Funny that most of them ended up in costumes anyway," Zano pointed out, "Sure E is all about the outfits but she knew they had a choice. Course now it's all pretty much mute since Supers were illegal but hey I wasn't there for orientation." He adds with crossed arms.
Mirable, confused about what Zano said, turned to her Uncle Bruno's daughter for some context.
But before either Madrigal could say anything. Angie's phone rang, and she answered. "Hello? Oh, hi honey, wait what? Okay, I'll be there just tell Dad to remain calm-ish." She ends the call and turns to the teens. "Somethings come up. Can you two explain to E, I had to step out for a bit."
"Sure, but what happened?" Mirabel asked.
"Not sure but Dad and Tía are freaking out and I need to get there for damage control," she explains as she summons a portal. "I'll be back."
As soon as Angie enters the portal Edna arrives holding Angie's old suit.
"Hey E, Angie..."
"Had a family emergency I know darling. I know. Here." She hands the suit to Mirabel. "I need both hands. Thank you. Now follow me."
Mirabel blinks and looks at Zano who just shrugs and suggests they follow the little woman down the hall.
"You know when I first heard about the Madrigals I was enthralled by your history."
"Really?"
"Yes, darling. I found it almost as interesting as the Rivera's course I did make suits for them. It's a shame your mother, aunt, and uncle weren't heroes in their youth. Oh, they would have looked so fabulous in my suits."
"I don't know about that." E looks at her. "I mean I'm sure they would look great!" She giggled nervously, "but seeing my mom and tíos fighting bad guys is a bit hard to imagine." she said "Heck before Casita fell I never thought Isa could do that kind of stuff. Luisa yes but Isa always seemed too prissy to get her hands dirty."
"That's why some villains have henchmen." He said with a smirk.
Mirabel narrows her eyes at him, "Zano..."
"Come on if you had known earlier about supervillains would you or would you not imagine Isa as one." he inquired. "And I'm referring to the bitter repressed Isa that Camilo told me about."
Mirabel sighed and gave an honest response "Okay you have a point. Isa was not the perfect sister but she wasn't evil just super aggravating," she said recalling how she felt when Isa gracefully helped out compared to clumsy her.
"People are often more than they appear to be darling." Edna says, "Zachariah knows that better than anyone."
Zano groans at the use of his real name. "E..."
"Now as for your suits, I'll need your measurements of course but first I feel a demonstration is in order." Edna turns to the 4 security panels to her lab and uses her wand to type the code into the keypad. Then places her hand on a hand scanner to scan it. Then lowers her glasses so an eye scanner can scan her eye. After all that, she turns to the final panel as a Microphone is deployed.
"Edna Mode."
A ceiling block opens and a turret is deployed and aims at Mirabel and Zano, thinking they are a threat. Mirabel jumps back in fear, while Edna turns to the microphone. "And guests."
The turret now recognizes Mirabel and Zano as guests and retreats back into the ceiling. The automatic door to the lab opens up and Edna walks in with them following her. Mirabel is a bit awestruck as this is her first time seeing futuristic technology in person.
"Wow," Mirabel says, "No wonder you have a big house."
"Told ya," Zano says.
"It does help with storage and when I need to test the material," Edna says.
They walk by 3 mannequins that back away into a mini chamber, and a table with a laser cutter that is retracted back.
They eventually reach a long testing chamber with a table and 2 spinning chairs in front of it. "Come, sit," Edna says. She sits down and pours 2 cups of coffee and hands one to Mirabel. "Cream and sugar?" Mirabel takes the other chair and accepts the coffee. "Gracias."
"I'm good," Zano says.
Edna puts the cup down and pulls something out, "Here darling you'll find this thread suitable to patch the suit."
"Uh thank you but I thought you told Angie you would do it?"
"I said I'd have it fixed, I didn't say by who. But who better to do it than you? The skirt alone."
Mirabel holds her skirt a bit, "Oh, you like it."
"It's very unique darling, very original. You even managed to stitch your name into it." Edna pointed out, "Also you're prepared which is good as you'll find that this thread works fine with the kit in your bag."
Mirabel looks at the thread, "But how did you-"
"I've been making clothes for years darling I can spot a needle in a haystack and make fabric out of it."
Mirabel just stares at the strange woman, "Are you sure you don't have any powers? Maybe in the magical department?"
"I prefer the term abilities, darling," Edna turns towards the chamber as its lights turn on. "Now let's start off with the base of the suit."
"Wait I thought you were going to test our powers first?" Mirabel says since that is what they came here for in the first place.
"Oh, I am. Zano, you know what to do?"
"Right." He gets up and goes through the sliding door.
"Where is he-?"
"Shh, dahling, shh."
The left door of the chamber opens up and someone in a black spandex suit and helmet comes out. The person is moved down the testing chamber on the platform, with the table and chairs following it. "I cut the spandex suit to match Zano's new size, it is also comfortable for sensitive skin."
The guy inside the suit rolls his eyes, "Pfft, my sister can make something like–"
BOOM!
"Whoa!"
Mirabel is startled when the floor of the testing chamber all of a sudden combusts into flames. "It can also withstand a temperature of over 1000 degrees!" Edna says excitedly. As the fire disappears, Edna moves on. "Completely bulletproof." 4 machine guns are deployed and begin firing at the suit. Zano summons the rocks to block some of the bullets but some manage to hit the suit and bounce off when they hit it.
"Zano?!" Mirabel shrieks as she realizes who is in the suit, and turns to Edna, "Are you crazy?!"
"Relax darling he's completely safe inside the suit." Mirabel turns to the chamber worried, "Trust me I've perfected this feature long before I made your cousin's suits but this one is machine washable, that's a new feature."
Mirabel puts down her cup of coffee and looks at Edna, realizing now that Edna is planning to make superhero suits . "What on Earth do you think we will be doing?"
"Well, I'm sure I don't know dahling. You never know what will happen a raid, a natural disaster. Fortune does favor the prepared so you gotta go with the basics. And if the situation is not intense, you'll look fabulous in the suit anyway." Mirabel looks at her confused. "But superheroes are ill-WOAH!"
The platform quickly returns to the other end, and Edna, asks Zano to perform his other abilities. He first vanished into black smoke.
"Hmm, vanishing into smoke: normal," she notes then speaks into the mic, "Can you summon the rocks again darling? I'd like to get a sample."
"They're indestructible." He replied, but from Edna's side, it was muffled.
"What was that dear?"
"He said the rocks are indestructible. Nothing could break, pull, or even bend them." Mirabel listed, "Heck Ignacio's flames couldn't even melt them. Lucky for us Zano can send them away otherwise we'd have a real crisis on our hands if they keep growing."
"I see," Edna ponders then gets an idea, "Darling if you can please summon one rock and then summon another to spike through the first." She instructed.
Zano was skeptical but he gave it a shot. He summoned one rock from the ground and then had another spike up and slice the first one in two much to his surprise.
"It worked!" Mirabel cheered.
"Looks like the rock's only weakness is each other." Edna sends two robots to gather the pieces as Zano sends the rocks back to the ground.
"Excellent work darling," Edna says as she marks down her observations. "Now aside from the glowing is there anything else I should know? Maybe something about your senses perhaps?"
Zano removes his helmet, "Senses are the same as usual and so far it's just the glow and rocks. Oh, and the moon-shaped can also glow."
Mirabel interjected, "There was that time during Día De Los Muertos when we saw the ghosts of non-relatives before everyone else in town could."
Zano: "But after the celebration ended we could no longer see them."
Mirabel: "My Abuelo said that since San Angel and Encanto are allies the veil that prevents us from seeing the spirits was raised. Yet he also said that our powers also played a part in it."
"Did he tell you anything else darling?"
Mirabel shook her head, "He couldn't say more 'cause something wants us to figure this out on our own."
"Same with my family."
Edna writes what both teens said down, "Hmm-hm. Very well. I have all I need from you. Go relax and escort Miss Madrigal to the chamber."
Mirabel gulps. "Don't worry darling since this is your first time we will only test you with the basics."
'Oh joy.' Mirabel thought.
———