I really hope you like this storyline, it's my favorite one of the story so far. I'm trying to write year two, but I'm at a little bit of a writer's block. If anyone has any ideas for a mission the team could go on, I would love to hear them. And Admiral809, I haven't forgotten about the Lanterns, they're coming. I will probably put them in year five. Anyway, enjoy and please review.
A month passed. Mallory didn't say anything when Isaiah and his dad did, indeed, move out of his childhood home and bring his little sister with them, but that didn't keep the thoughts from swimming around in her head.
They had never said it, but something had shifted in their relationship. She felt it every time they started to talk about his family, or about anything serious, and a tense silence followed. She felt it in the way they stopped talking about their home lives, and the way she didn't feel comfortable just saying the first thing that popped into her head. Still, she wasn't ready to admit it, and she clung to what was left desperately.
They were in the cave one day, just sitting on the couch in silence, when Batman called for the team to meet in the mission room.
"I'll see you later," Isaiah said. Mallory gave him a quick kiss and headed to the mission room. Everyone but Kalder, Raquel, and Wally were there. When Mallory joined the line, Batman began explaining the mission.
"Several months ago you were sent out to observe a Kobra base in South America. Since then, the base has moved twice, and word is Kobra members are growing in number with every move. We need to find out what they are planning and put a stop to it. So, some of you will be going undercover and joining the cult. The rest will stay close by and be ready for a fast extraction."
Wally came running in then and skidded to a stop next to Robin.
"Kid Flash, Robin, Zatanna, and Inferno will be undercover, the rest of you will stay close by on the bioship."
Wally looked around for a clue as to what he was going undercover as, and Artemis let out a frustrated sigh.
"Why do they get to have all the fun?" she asked.
Batman's eyes narrowed. "Because you wouldn't be able to give a good enough performance," he said bluntly. She rolled her eyes, but they all knew he was right.
Mallory tilted her head slightly. "Why am I going and not Miss M?" she asked, genuinely curious. Megan's powers seemed to make her the ideal candidate for undercover work, and if she went she would be able to keep the team linked.
"She doesn't come off as a normal, rebellious, gullible teen. She should be in range to keep you linked at all times."
Mallory nodded, not knowing if she should be insulted or not. "Right. One more question. Should my hair be red or black?" She expected Batman to ignore the question, but he seemed to take it seriously.
"Black. You'll want to blend in as much as possible." She nodded and Batman pulled up a picture of the new base. "They have moved to a large piece of land in Mexico, just a few miles away from the border. You four will pose as friends on a vacation looking for excitement. If you play it right, a Kobra agent should spot you. You'll then go to the base and, when caught, ask to be admitted. You should be undercover for a week, two at the most. Make your arrangements today, you'll be leaving in the morning." With that, the dark knight turned with a crisp snap of his cape and walked to the zeta tube.
As soon as he was gone, Wally turned to the team. "Someone want to fill me in?" he asked.
"We're joining a cult," Mallory replied.
He grinned. "Always wanted to do that. Cross it off my bucket list."
Artemis rolled her eyes. "Sure. But where are Kalder and Raquel? Shouldn't they be on the bioship with the lamer half of the team?"
Zatanna laughed. "Don't ever let Raquel here you say that."
"Kalder's in Atlantis visiting, he won't be back for a few weeks, and Raquel took a leave of absence. She felt like she was neglecting her normal life, so she wanted to take some time and get back into a routine, balancing hero life and normal life," Robin explained.
Megan nodded. "I know it's hard balancing school, the team, and the Bumblebees, and I live at the cave. It must be even harder when you live at home with family."
Mallory sighed. "Speaking of family, I should go tell them that I won't be calling them for a while." She ran a hand through her red hair, thinking of going a full week without using her powers. She shuddered a little, thinking of the agony ahead of her. Then she had a thought and turned to look at Robin, who looked back at her from behind his dark glasses.
"What?" he asked after a moment.
"Oh, nothin. I was just thinking that we might actually get to see your eyes on this mission."
He grinned challengingly. "Don't count on it."
Mallory, Wally, Robin, and Artemis went to the zeta tubes to go to their houses. Mallory and Wally had to wait for Robin and Artemis to zeta to Gotham before they could go to Central. While they were waiting, Mallory glanced back at the rest of the team. Zatanna had a pained expression on her face, and Mallory sighed and stepped up to the scanner with Wally. The magician had moved on as much as she could, but there were still nights Mallory or Megan spent with her in her room listening to her soft weeping and waiting for her to fall asleep.
They appeared at Mallory's zeta tube and she turned to her friend. "You want to stop in and say hi? My mom was just saying the other day that they haven't seen you in a while."
He shrugged. "Sure, but I can't stay long."
They went into the house and found the family cleaning up lunch. "Wally! What a nice surprise," Elaine said, giving him a hug and pointing to the food on the stove. "Help yourself." He grinned and grabbed a fork from the drawer.
Mallory eyed Peter, still eating at the table, and said, "Can I talk to you two in the other room?" She and her parents migrated to the living room, and they turned to her worriedly.
"What is it?" Darrin asked.
"I'm going undercover. I'll be gone for a week or two," she said.
Elaine sighed. "What's the mission?" she asked. They'd become accustomed to her last-minute missions.
"I'm joining the Cult of the Kobra," she said, her tone mixed with excitement and apprehension.
Darrin's tone was pure apprehension. "That sounds pretty dangerous, Mal. And a cult? What if they brainwash you or sacrifice you or something?"
Mallory laughed. "Relax. Half the team will be undercover with me, and the other half will be waiting in the getaway plane. I'll be fine." Her voice held more confidence than she felt. "Now, what do I tell Peter?" While Peter knew that she was on the team, despite her better judgement disliking that fact, she didn't think she should tell him the particulars of her trip.
"Just tell him you're going on a training exercise," Elaine suggested.
Mallory nodded and they went back in the kitchen. Wally was finishing up the tomato soup and two grilled cheese sandwiches.
"I've got to go. I still need to tell my parents about the trip and catch up with Flash, let him know I'll be gone for a few weeks."
"You're going on a trip?" Peter asked excitedly.
"Yeah, we're going on a training exercise," Mallory said, giving Wally a pointed look.
The speedster didn't miss a beat. "Yep. Going all the way south to learn how to survive in the open."
"I learned that in boy scouts. You just need trees. They give you everything you need to survive."
Wally ruffled the boys' hair affectionately and headed out the door. Mallory felt a pang go through her at the sight, thinking of Roy, but she pushed the thoughts away and sat next to her brother.
"You going to miss me while I'm gone?" she asked.
"No," he replied.
"No?" Mallory asked playfully.
"Well, you're not around a lot anyway. Hey, don't forget to bring me something!"
Mallory faked a hurt look. "I'm not going to bring you anything if you're not going to miss me," she said.
"I'll miss you!" Peter said quickly.
Mallory laughed and gave him a hug, which he halfheartedly tried to fend off. "I'll miss you, too," she said, planting a kiss on the top of his head.
She spent most of the day at the house, but when evening shadows started to fall, she left. She still had one more stop to make. She knocked at Isaiah's new apartment door, hoping his dad wouldn't answer. When the door swung open, Mallory was looking into Nikki's beaming face.
"Mallory! Where've you been?" she asked. Mallory had been staying away from Isaiah's family since the move, and she felt bad about that now, seeing how much Nikki had missed her.
"I know, it's been a long time, I'm sorry. Hey, is Isaiah here?"
The girl nodded and Mallory followed her inside. The apartment was completely different than the other one. It had a darker look, and a more closed in feel. The furniture was thrown around the room, and she wondered if they had bothered to move it from where the movers had put it. She followed Nikki down a hall and the girl knocked on the door.
"What?" Isaiah asked from within.
"Mallory's here," Nikki told him. They heard him walk over and open the door.
"Hey, what are you doing here? I figured you'd be on your mission by now," he said when Nikki went down the hall. Mallory followed him into his new room and looked around curiously.
"I'm heading out tomorrow. I'll be gone for a few weeks, so I came to say goodbye."
"What are you doing?" he asked, but the question sounded more like a courtesy than actual interest.
"I'm joining a cult," she said simply.
His head swung around so fast she thought he might get whiplash. "What?" he asked.
She chuckled, pleased that she'd gotten a reaction. "Me, KF, Rob, and Z are going undercover and joining Kobra's cult. We've been watching them for a long time now, and they're just not doing anything illegal, but we know they're planning something. I'll be gone a week or two."
He looked disappointed. "Oh, that's a long time."
She nodded and studied her boyfriend. Their relationship was fragile right now, and she worried that two weeks apart might be the last straw. Isaiah pulled her into a hug and she held him tight, trying to savor the feel of his body against hers.
"I'll miss you," he said, his voice sincere.
"I'll miss you, too," she admitted.
They stayed like that for several minutes, then Isaiah pushed her away just enough to kiss her, long and slow. When they broke the kiss, Mallory gave him one last hug.
"I love you," she said.
"Love you, too," he replied, then she hurried back to the cave to prepare.