Sorry for missing a few days. Updates will probably be more spread out from now on. I reached 1,000 views today, and I'd just like to say again that I want to improve my writing by doing this fanfic, so please review and let me know what you think. Honestly, I don't think I'm very good, so you won't hurt my feelings with some constructive criticism. You could also make suggestions for where the story goes. I may not always take them, but I appreciate ideas. Anyway, on to the chapter.
Mallory stared up at the front of the school numbly. She'd really done it. She'd really left. She sighed and walked through the door, lugging her bags behind her.
"Hi, Mallory Johnson checking in from a two week vacation," she told the woman at the front desk. The secretary checked her in and opened the door for her.
"You need help with your bags?" she asked, a kind smile on her face.
"No, I've got it, thanks," Mallory replied, her smile not reaching her eyes. With Inferno gone she felt like her fire had gone out. Her emotions that usually drove her were dulled, the sharp anger that usually served to keep her head clear and instincts sharp was gone, and it left her in a haze, just going through the motions.
She pressed the fifth floor button in the elevator.
She'd left her suit at the cave, hadn't even said goodbye to the team. Their faces flashed before her eyes as the elevator started up. They'd come to be almost like family in just too short weeks, and she wondered what she had ever done without the playful bickering, without Kalder and Megan trying to keep peace between the team, without Robin playing pranks on them and then hiding in the rafters and cackling, without Wally there to calm her anger with a joke and an easy grin.
The elevator doors opened and Mallory walked down the hall to her dorm. She swiped her card over the scanner and walked in. The room felt big after going back to her childhood room, and lonely. The white walls were cold, emotionless, and kind of depressing.
She put the bags by the closet and glanced idly out the window. Metropolis didn't extend it's usual invitation when she gazed out at the city.
"Mal! You're back!" Jen yelled from the doorway. Mallory forced a smile on her face and turned to her friend.
"Hey," she said. Jen stopped just before she hugged her. "What's wrong?" she asked.
Mallory let her smile fall off her face, tears pricking behind her eyes.
"I -uh, I lost an old friend while I was visiting my parents," she said.
Jen pulled Mallory into a hug and Mallory finally let it out, sobbing into her friend's shoulder. She cried for losing the team, for losing her partnership with Superman, and for losing the price of herself that she liked the most.
Mallory walked out of her training room two weeks later, sweaty and tired. Don was waiting for her and the observation booth.
"You're doing better," Don said, his voice measured, like he'd been thinking about what to say.
"But?" Mallory asked.
"But you don't seem to enjoy it anymore. You weren't taking your usual risks," he said. Mallory shrugged.
"Did something happen during your vacation? You came back - different." Don asked, his face softening.
"No," Mallory lied, looking away. She wasn't looking for his sympathy.
Don nodded and his face turned back to business. "Right, well, I'll see you tomorrow," he said.
Mallory nodded and walked back to her dorm to get a shower before she had to go to her class. When she got out of the shower, she noticed something on the bed.
She walked closer and looked at it. It was a rolled up newspaper. She enrolled it curiously and looked at the top. It was from the daily planet, and dated three days ago. The headline read "Luthor Apologizes!" and the byline read Lois Lane.
Mallory's heart quickened as she scanned the article. It basically said that Lex was trying to discredit Inferno because he didn't trust her and he was trying to protect the city from another potential threat. Mallory rolled her eyes, but she had to admit it was a genius compromise.
She looked out the window, looking for who left it, but she didn't see anyone. Still, she smiled a real smile, her first one in two weeks, hoping whoever had left it would see. She could feel some of her fire come back. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
She went back to the article. In the last line it said that there would be an interview to bring Inferno into the light. Mallory blinked. She'd never done a public appearance before. That would be big, and she knew people from the school would recognize her.
Her intercom buzzed and Mallory clicked the button.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Mallory, you have some visitors," the secretary told her.
Mallory couldn't keep the smile off her face. "I'll be right down," she said.
She threw on the first thing her hands came across and ran to the stairs. The elevator was too slow. She jumped over the rail and caught herself last second.
She burst out the door and paused when she saw them. She'd known it was them, but to actually see their faces was so- good.
"Hey, so you don't wear shoes here?" Wally asked with a grin, and that's all it took to snap her out of her trance. Her speed rivaled Wally's and she ran across the lobby and launched herself into his waiting arms, then moved on to Artemis and Megan.
"Perhaps we should go somewhere more - private," Kalder suggested. Mallory smiled. "We could go to the city," she said. Kalder nodded. "All right, I'm gonna go get some shoes on," she said, and started on the elevator.
The team started to follow, but the secretary quickly stood up. "Sorry, but no boys in the dorms," she said.
Artemis and Megan caught up with Mallory and they caught a glimpse of the boys sitting down and leaning against the wall as the elevator doors closed. For some reason, it struck Mallory funny, the fact that they were superheros and they still had to wait on the women.
The elevator let them off on the 5th floor and Mallory led the way to her dorm room. She'd left the door open in her haste to see the team. She looked in the mirror and actually laughed out loud. She was wearing purple shorts backwards and a yellow pajama top inside out. Artemis laughed too.
"Yeah, I wasn't going to let you leave the building like that," she assured her.
"Thanks," Mallory said. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt out of her closet and changed, then put on her combat boots. She braided her hair quickly.
"All right, I'm ready," she said, grabbing her phone and wallet. Artemis grabbed the paper off the bed and talked it under arm. "All right, let's go pick up the boys and go."
Megan followed them back to the elevator. When they got to the lobby, Robin, in civies but with dark glasses covering his eyes, pushed off the wall, and the team gathered by the door.
"The bus stop is a little ways from here," Mallory mentioned as she checked out of the building.
"Oh, we don't need it." Megan said. Mallory looked at her quizzically, but she understood when she stepped into the sun. An RV with a familiar red with blue lining design was parked outside the school.
"The bioship?" Mallory asked incredulously. Robin laughed. "Yeah. You didn't think we were gonna let you take the bus, did you?" Mallory laughed and took a seat in the back.
When Megan started driving, Mallory turned to Robin and tossed the paper at him.
"Thanks for breaking into my room," she said sincerely.
"Anytime," he replied, returning the smile.
"How did you do it?" she asked.
"Well, it was really easy. Your locks are pretty bad. You should really let me upgrade them." Mallory laughed and shook her head. "No, how did you get Luthor to admit to lying about me?"
"Oh, that. Well, it turns out Batman and Superman make a good team. They got Luthor to agree to the compromise, and Lane was ready and waiting to do the story."
"But what about the connection between the Regent and Lex?" Mallory asked, looking between her teammates.
"Well, Lex made them give him the evidence linking him to any of it. It's not a total fail, though. We still have the evidence linking the Regent to Corben, so we accomplished our original mission," Wally said. Mallory let out a breath, frustrated and upset.
"Why didn't you take Luthor down? I told you at the cave, I didn't want anything to happen because of me," she said. Wally smiled a little and replied, "Yeah, and I told you that you're a part of the team, and we weren't going to abandon you. We'll get Luthor at some point, or maybe we won't. Either way, you're more important."
Mallory looked down, not knowing how to respond, and remembered the article. "I have to do an interview?" Mallory asked, indicating the bottom of the article.
"The people of Metropolis, and the rest of the world, are wondering if they should trust you after Luthor's accusation," Kalder explained. "This seems to be the best way to expel their concerns."
"Speaking of which," Wally put in, "you can't do the interview without this." He pulled a bundle out of the consul and laid it on her lap. Mallory opened the top layer of cloth, revealing her suit.
Her breath caught in her throat as she fingered the costume.
"Oh, I've missed you," she said, and no one knew she was talking to the team or the suit.
She looked up suddenly. "Hey Conner, you want to go stop some crime?"
Conner looked at her, unsure. "Should you be going out before the interview?" he asked.
Mallory narrowed her eyes at him. "I haven't been out in two weeks. I'm not waiting for no interview."
"Mal, Conner has a point," Robin said.
Mallory sighed. Her costume was sitting in her lap, begging to be put on. She looked at her younger teammate pleadingly. "Just for half an hour?" she asked.
Robin and Kalder exchanged a glance. Robin sighed. "Fine, but we're staying behind you in camouflage mode if you need a fast getaway."
"Thank you," she said, and went into the back of the car to change.
Mallory sighed impatiently. She needed to get going for the interview, but she wanted to talk to Jen before she left.
Finally, her friend knocked on her door. "Hey, what did you need to talk to me about?" Jen asked. Mallory shut the door and took a breath. Batman would kill her if you know what she was about to do.
"Look, I'm about to go do something that is going to be kind of life-changing, and you're my best friend, so I thought you should know."
Jen cocked her head to the side. "What are you talking about?" she asked.
Mallory took a steadying breath. "I'm Inferno," she said.
Jen raised her eyebrows. "But, no, you can't be. They say Inferno killed people."
Mallory sighed. "I didn't kill anyone," she said.
"Mal, are you serious about this?" Jen asked.
Mallory pulled open the robe she was wearing to reveal her costume. Jen shook her head in disbelief.
"I should've known," she said softly. "I've seen you train, but still, I never thought that you were a superhero."
Mallory checked the time on her phone. "I have to go. I just wanted you to hear it from me. After the interview I'm leaving the school for good," she said.
Jen looked up quickly. "What?!"
"Jen, I'm sorry, but I really have to go. I'll explain it all when I get back." She jumped out the window and started to fly towards the city. It felt strange jumping out her window during the day.
When Mallory got to the Daily Planet, where the press conference was going to take place, she was taken back at how many people were there. There were hundreds of reporters, newscasters, camera people, the mayor, Luthor, and Superman.
"Look, there she is!" someone yelled, and Mallory fought the urge to keep flying away from the crowd. Clark caught her eye and gave her a reassuring nod, and she descended beside him.
Immediately, every reporter started shouting at once. She felt like she was drowning in words, like they were cutting off her oxygen. She took a breath, determined not to lose control. Superman put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.
"Hold on, folks, let's keep things orderly," he said, and people quieted down a little.
"Inferno," Lois Lane called. Inferno nodded in her direction. "Is it true that you killed those guards?"
"No, it is not. I did knock them out, but it was purely self-defense, and I left them very much alive." Inferno said.
"Then how do you account for the charges that Mr. Luthor filed against you?" a different reporter called up.
"Well, other than the fact that he dropped them, I don't. Mr. Luthor seems to have the city's best interest at heart, and after his inspired speech at his press conference a few weeks ago, I don't think he would have dropped the charges unless he really believed me to be innocent of them."
Mallory looked over at Luthor and smiled at him. "Speaking of which, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Luther for realizing the error of his judgment."
For the rest of the press conference, Mallory could feel Lex's eyes burning holes into her back.
"Well, that's the last of it," Mallory said, shutting the last suitcase. The room she'd lived in for 10 years was absent of anything that reflected her, and it just looked like any other dorm room now. It was sad to look at it.
Jen sat on the bare bed, exhausted from helping her friend pack.
Mallory pressed the intercom. "I have the last of my things packed. Could you send the movers up to get it?" she asked. The secretary said that she would and Mallory turned to Jen.
"Well, I guess it's time to go," she said, but she didn't move. Jen got off the bed and walked over to her. "You'll come visit, right?" she asked.
"Of course. And you'll come visit me in Central City. My parents won't mind putting you up for a week or two."
Jen smiled. "Yeah, that sounds nice."
The movers came up and loaded the rest so she did not expect to find a dark-haired girl maybe a year younger than her curled up on the floor with wolf and everyone else Mallory's things on carts. Mallory wrapped her friend in one last hug.
"I'll see you soon," she assured Jen before following the movers out to the waiting car.