Sorry this chapter is kind of short, but I didn't want the split worlds thing to be over in just one chapter because of what the victory cost, and I'm also using it to set up for the next chapter. Also, I am starting to outline how to write the five years in between the first season and the second, but there is a lot of material to include and a LOT of time to cover, so if anyone has any suggestions on how to set that up, I'd love to hear them. As always, I hope you like the chapter, and please review.
The next day, Mallory zetaed to Metropolis. The city was back to normal. She flew over the business district, just watching the normal bustle of the streets and remembering what the city had been like just yesterday. A familiar flaming figure came towards her, and grabbed her in a hug.
"You did it," Hotspot said.
Mallory laughed, letting all the tension from the day before out with it. "We did it," she said, taking another look over the city.
Isaiah was staring at her. "What?" she asked when she noticed.
"Do you want to, I don't know, hang out when there isn't some world-threatening crisis?" he asked.
Mallory smiled. "There's always a crisis," she said.
Isaiah shrugged. "Well, if there isn't one Saturday night, do you want to?" he asked.
Mallory tilted her head to the side. "Are you asking me on a date?" she asked.
Isaiah studied her face for a second. "Yeah," he replied. Mallory hid her surprise and smiled.
"Sure, why not."
Isaiah grinned. "Great. See you then," he said, and flew off.
Mallory flew high up in the sky, until the clouds concealed her fiery form, and let herself fall. Adrenaline rushed through her body, clearing away all the emotions of the last twenty four hours and leaving only one sensation remaining: freedom.
She was about to catch herself when she felt someone else catch her. She looked up and saw Superman.
"I can fly, you know," she said, slightly irritated that he had ruined her moment.
"I know, but you are pretty low," he replied. Mallory flamed up and he let her fly for herself.
"The city looks peaceful. You did a good job with it when I was gone," Superman told Inferno.
She smiled. "Hotspot helped a lot," she said. "I was so scared that you'd come back and be mad that I left the city to fight with the team."
"Never," he said. "You know, I get it. Being one of the League's most powerful members, I get called away from Metropolis all the time, and I always used to feel guilty about leaving the city unprotected. Having you around made me feel like I could leave and everything would be fine."
Mallory smiled, all traces of irritation gone. Then she remembered Zatanna and asked, "Has the League decided what will happen to Zatanna?"
"She'll get the opportunity to join the team if she wants. Either way, she'll live in the cave until other arrangements can be made. Are you going to see her today?"
Mallory nodded. "I was going to go right after I patrolled. Keystone High said we didn't have to come to school today to recuperate from yesterday."
"Well, I need to get back to the office and finish my story on the split worlds. If Lois steals one more byline from me, Perry will demote me to errand boy." Mallory chuckled and they went in opposite directions.
Mallory knocked on Zatanna's door softly.
"It's open," the girl called. Mallory pressed the button and the doors slid open.
"Hey, how's it going?" she asked, not knowing what else to say. Zatanna forced a smile on her face and shrugged.
"I've been setting up the room. I'm going to pack up my stuff tomorrow, so..." her voice trailed off and Mallory bit the inside of her cheek. She had no idea what to say to comfort her friend.
Someone knocked on the door, and it slid open. Artemis was there with Wolf at her side. "Hey, Z," she said. The three girls sat on the bed and wolf sat next to it, dutifully allowing Zatanna to rub him absently.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Mallory said, "I heard the League is going to let you join the team if you want to." She'd only meant to start conversation, but the moment the words left her mouth, she realized they were wrong. Zatanna shut her eyes tight and took a shaky breath.
"How can I join the team when I know he wouldn't want me to?" she asked.
Artemis put a leg up on the bed so she could turn to face Zatanna. "Z, you have to do what's right for you. Whether you decide to join or not, it has to be your decision, not your guilt."
"Yeah, and we'll be here for you, whatever you decide," Mallory added.
Zatanna nodded. "Thanks," she said.
Mallory and Artemis spent an hour sitting with her, then they left, but Wolf stayed put by Zatanna's bed, sensing that the girl needed him. Artemis and Mallory went to the kitchen where the team was standing around the island.
"How is she?" Robin asked.
"Not great, but she's getting there," Artemis replied.
The team settled into silence, then Mallory turned to Wally and Kalder. "You both wore the helmet before, right?" she asked. Wally nodded. "Well, why did Nabu let you both take the helmet off?" she asked.
"The Doctor Fate from the Justice Society of America, Kent Nelson, stayed in the helmet after he died to keep Nabu company. He's the one who convinced him to let us take the helmet off."
"So the original Doctor Fate, he wore the helmet his entire life?" Mallory asked.
Kalder shook his head. "Back in those days, Nabu allowed Kent to take the helmet on and off. Then, Kent met his wife, and she convinced him not to put the helmet back on. That is why Nabu will not let Zatara take the helmet off."
Mallory clenched her fists on the counter. So Zatara was being punished because the helmet was scared of being shelved. "There has to be something we can do," Mallory said quietly.
Wally and Kalder both shook their heads, and Kalder said, "It is out of our hands. Nabu will not release Zatara."
Mallory sighed. She hated feeling helpless.
"We could help her move," Megan suggested. "She'll probably need the help, and she said she didn't want to go home by herself."
No one said anything, but they all agreed with her. What else was there for them to do?
The team drifted into the living room to sit down, but the light-hearted air that usually flowed in the room was dead. They sat in silence. No one suggested watching a movie, no one got up to get snacks, no one was bickering about where to sit or who got the remote.
Zatanna came out of her room once, but when she saw the team, she walked back in, thinking no one had noticed her, but they all had.
Mallory hugged her knees to her chest and thought back to when she first joined the team. It had been intimidating and awkward to join something that was already established and seemingly complete. She couldn't remember exactly what had happened to make her feel like the team was family, but it had started when they came after her, after she lost control. She sighed. They needed to do something to show Zatanna that they cared about her. Something as a family. But she couldn't think of anything that wouldn't feel forced.
After a while, she gave up. After all, Zatanna was around before the split world's mission. Surely she knew that she was one of them.
The next day, the team was at the cave at 6:00 in the morning, ready to help Zatanna move. She walked into the training room and let out a breath.
"You really don't have to help me," she said, but her voice betrayed her relief.
She punched in the coordinates and they ended up in some sort of study with odd artifacts all over the shelves and desk. Zatanna barely looked at the room, she just led the way to the living room. The boys waited there, and the girls followed Zatanna to the room.
"Em tuo htiw gnintyreve pu kcap," Zatanna said, and everything in the room started to pack itself into cardboard boxes. The girls brought the boxes to the living room, and the boys took them to the cave.
Once Zatanna had packed up her room, she started walking around the house, looking for things she wanted. It didn't take long for her to be finished, but she hesitated to leave. Mallory and Artemis were the only ones left in the house.
"What do I do with all my dad's stuff?" she asked.
Mallory exchanged a glance with Artemis. "You don't have to do anything with it right away," she said.
"oh, I know," Zatanna said. "You two go on to the cave. I'll be right behind you."
Mallory shrugged and she and the archer grabbed the last of the boxes and zetaed to the cave. When they got there, they put the boxes on the pile the rest of the team had made right by the zeta tube.
"Where's Zatanna?" Robin asked.
"She told us to go on ahead," Artemis replied.
"Recognized, Zatanna, b07."
Mallory turned to watch the magician appear. "What did you do?" she asked.
"I set a spell on the house, so no one can break in. Now I'm the only one who can get in, even through the zeta tube."
Mallory's phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her pocket. "Oh, I'm sorry, I have to go," she said. Megan nodded and Mallory watched as a team carried Zatanna's things towards her room before going to the zeta tube and going to Central city.
"I'm back!" Mallory called when she opened the door to her house. Her parents were in the kitchen, sitting around a laptop, but they shut it when she walked in.
"Good, you go get dressed," they told her. She ran upstairs and put on jeans and a nice t-shirt. She and her parents were going to dinner and a movie for their anniversary of her adoption. When she ran back downstairs, Darrin and Elaine were all ready to go.
They went out, but Mallory's mind was on everything but the movie. She wanted to find a way to help Zatanna adjust to life at the cave and forget about Doctor Fate for a while. She was also thinking about her date with Isaiah, which she was having some second thoughts about. It was the next night, and she didn't know how to call it off without making things awkward between them. She sighed. The best case scenario would be that they would go on the date and not have any chemistry. That way, no one would get hurt and she would get out of her bad decision. She didn't know what she'd been thinking, going out with Hotspot. She didn't have time for dating. Of course, on the other hand, at least she wouldn't have to keep her hero life from him.
She was so deep and thought, she didn't notice the movie had ended until Elaine nudged her arm, telling her to get up. When they got in the car, Elaine turned to face Mallory.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Mallory shook her head. She hadn't told them about Zatara or Isaiah, and she didn't feel like unpacking it right now. "Nothing. It's just been a long week. Oh, I'm gonna be late tomorrow. I might spend the night at the cave."
Elaine nodded and turned back around when Mallory didn't offer any more information. Mallory stared out the window for the rest of the car ride, thinking about everything that was going on in her life.