Aged Like Wine

It was dusty up in the attic. Ingrid dusted off a shelf and started digging through a box. At fifty-two, Ingrid had decided it was finally time to sort through the attic. Her two kids, Edward, 21 and Dierdre, 19 were both away at college, and her husband Kieran, 55 had recently retired from his kob as a high school teacher.

Kieran's footsteps creaked as he climbed up the wooden ladder as his wife moved a box. "How's everything going? Need any help?".

Ingrid shook her head as she started looking through another something out of another box "No, but I did find something." She slowly lifted the bundle of red and silver fabric out of the box.

"Is that?" Kieran stepped closer "You kept it? After all these years…" As she unravelled the costume, the deep crimson material with its silver trim still looked striking.

Like many other hero costumes, this one had a symbol on the chest, a pair of wings shaped like the letter 'V'. The symbol of Valkyrie. "Yes. I wanted to bury it, or to burn it,” Ingrid said softly, “but I couldn’t bring myself to destroy it.” She gave a small, ironic laugh. “Valkyrie… who couldn’t even fly.” Kieran stepped closer, his expression warm. “You should try it on. Maybe go out for a test run.”

"I mean I could wear it" She shrugged "But I'm pretty sure my powers would have faded away by now. Haven't used them in over 25 years" she smiled "Still, it couldn't hurt to try it on."

Once Kieran gave her some privacy, Ingrid got to work. It was difficult for her; over the years since she was last Valkyrie, she had put on some of weight, yet she managed to squeeze into the outfit. Then, she left the attic to show her husband.

When she found him on the couch, Kieran turned to look at her upon hearing her footsteps. "Wow, it looks good on you"

"It's a bit tight, but it feels right. I doubt I still have my powers, but maybe I could return to my hero work."

"We can test it if you want. See if you can still lift a car" Kieran responded eagerly. "Maybe our old car." The two of them made their way to the garage where their old black sedan rested. Kieran hopped in and slowly drove the car out.

Kieran grinned "Well then. Let's see if you can lift the car" he slowly climbed out of the old sedan and stepped away to watch Ingrid as she approached the back of the car. She placed her hands firmly beneath the rear bumper and she lifted. With a groan of aged metal, the car slowly lifted off the ground. Ingrid held it up, seemingly effortlessly, then raised it above her hand.

"Weird." She raised an eyebrow "It's lighter than I remember. I had trouble lifting smaller cars, but this one feels almost weightless". Kieran clapped "Try throwing it. Just a little bit."

Ingrid gave the car a little toss, throwing it across the yard, her mouth open wide in shock and disbelief "I was only expecting a few feet at most" Kieran laughed, clearly thrilled. “You’re stronger than ever. What else can you do?”

"I…" But before she could do anything else, sirens wailed in the distance, slowly heading closer "I guess I've gotta help now...". With a sigh, Ingrid turned to face the direction of the sirens, then, with a sonic boom, she vanished in a blur, leaving Kieran standing in the front yard.

Ingrid shot across town in a blur of crimson and silver. "I'm way faster than I remembered". In just a few heartbeats, she had arrived at the scene with a skid. A few overturned cars and cops firing at a tech-clad villain known as Rampart.

"And who are you?" Rampart exclaimed as Valkyrie suddenly appeared. "I'm Valkyrie. I just came out of retirement. I don't know exactly what's going on here, but you're clearly doing something bad, and I'm here to stop you.''

"Valkyrie?" Rampart laughed "One of those old, washed up heroes from decades ago?" He prepared to attack, raising his arm and firing a small missile straight at Valkyrie, which she twisted out of the way with her enhanced speed, the projectile exploding harmlessly against a nearby building. She closed the distance in a flash and slammed her fist into his armored chest. The impact leaving a dent and knocking him back.

Rampart fired a few more projectiles, a mix of missiles, bullets and energy blasts. Valkyrie dodged each one effortlessly. Rampart fired a missile towards one of the cop cars, hoping that Valkyrie would take the bait.

Of course she did. She leapt forward, blocking the missile with her own body. Then she felt something hit her in the stomach. Rampart had punched her, launching her into the sky like a cannonball.

Valkyrie rocketed upwards, the ground rapidly falling away. Then just as quick as her launch, gravity began to reclaim her and she descended rapidly. Her entire life flashed before her eyes as she braced for an impact that she was certain would kill her. But it never came. Instead, her fall ceased. Valkyrie hovered almost a hundred feet in the sky. A smile climbed up her face "Well that's new".

She smirked, then rocketed downward towards Rampart, slamming him into the ground, leaving a crater with flight enhanced super strength. "Thanks for that. Might never have discovered that I could fly.''

Rampant groaned and steadily got up from the crater, his high tech suit, now heavily damaged with wires and jagged metal pieces poking out. "How....how are you doing this?" He stumbled forward "You're supposed to be obsolete''

"I guess I've aged like wine." Valkyrie replied with a wink. Rampart's destroyed suit collapsed and Valkyrie turned around. "He's all yours" she said to the cops before launching into the sky. Flying felt completely natural to her, as if her body had simply waited for twenty-five years. She sliced through the warm afternoon sky, taking the scenic route back home and watching the cityscape drift by beneath her. The sheer joy of flight bubbled up in her chest, making her laugh out loud against the rushing wind.

She slowly, and quietly landed on her driveway, Kieran looking up in awe as she descended "Ingrid? You never told me you could fly?" Ingrid stepped closer "It was amazing. My powers never faded." The two of them stepped inside "Turns out they evolved. I've still got it" Ingrid started removing her costume, starting with her boots. "And I know that deep down, I've got even more."