Sorry about this day stretching into so many chapters. Also, I don't really like when characters suddenly get a whole bunch of powers for no reason, so I put this in because I might need it for a future chapter, but I'm not really going to be doing anything with it until then, so just, again, sorry if it's getting a little bad. At this point I didn't really have a clear vision of where I wanted year two to go, but I got through it and I'm writing year three now, which should be better because this is when things started to happen within the team in the show. Anyway, hope you like the chapter and please, write a review. That's not just for this fanfic. Reviews are the only way to show an author support, so just take a few seconds to leave a review. It doesn't really take anything out of your day, and it could make their day.
"Guys, we got the hostages out. They're on the bioship. Did you get Ultra Humanite?" Robin asked.
"No, he went around the building. He did not set foot in the water," Kaldur replied. The rest of the team joined them, with the exception of Megan who was still on the bioship.
"Where's Inferno?" Wally asked, looking around.
"She followed Humanite, she hasn't come back yet," Conner told him.
"There she is," Rocket said, pointing to the side of the building where Mallory was walking over to them. There was something off about her, but Wally couldn't put his finger on what it was.
"Inferno, did you get him?" Artemis asked. Mallory was only five feet away now, and her eyes lit up.
"Inferno?" Robin said, his voice unsure.
"Not quite," she said. She started gathering fire in her hands, and Wally went into action.
"Get down!" he yelled. He scooped Artemis up and ran her to a safe distance. When he looked back, Mallory had already started spraying fire all over. Kalder put a wall of water in front of him, Robin, and Zatanna, and Rocket put her force field bubble around herself. Conner was taking the brunt of the attack.
"What got into her?" Artemis asked, panicking.
"Ultra Humanite," Wally said grimly.
Artemis took a breath. "What do we do? How do we get her back?"
"We'd have to knock him out." He pressed his comm. "Hey, Rob, do you still have that inhibitor collar on the bioship?"
"Yeah…" Robin said hesitantly.
"You guys hang on, I'll go get it. When I'm ready, distract her and I'll try to get it on her before she knows what's happening." He looked at Artemis, who nodded and picked her bow up off the ground.
"Can you get me back with Robin and Z?"
Wally nodded and picked her up. "Don't pull punches. This isn't Mallory anymore, it's an extension of Shugel," Wally told her. Artemis nodded solemnly and Wally deposited her with the others behind the water shield. He made it to the bioship quickly. Megan opened the door for him and he skidded to a stop in front of her.
"What's going on down there?" she asked nervously.
"Ultra Humanite took control of Inferno's mind. I need the inhibitor collar."
Megan's face went from nervous to panicky in two seconds. She went to the back of the ship and got the collar, then handed it to Wally.
"What do you need me to do?" she asked. For obvious reasons, she couldn't join the fight directly, but she wasn't going to sit there and do nothing.
"Try to locate Shugel. Once we deal with Inferno, we'll need to go after him." She nodded and Wally ran back to the ground. He knelt behind a stack of tires, watching the action.
"Rob, I'm in position. Start distracting her," he said into his comm.
"Copy that," Robin replied.
Wally watched as his team started attacking. Conner pushed his way forward, but Mallory flew up and out of his reach. Things started falling from the sky, and Wally saw Zatanna pointing at things around her. Artemis and Robin threw explosive things at her to keep her disoriented, but it wasn't working. Mallory landed back on the ground, and Wally was about to run when something grabbed him from the back. He struggled, but to no avail. It felt like he was being held by a brick wall.
When he managed to struggle into a position where he could see his captor, he was staring into Humanite's face. The gorilla smiled an ugly smile and took the inhibitor collar from him. "Now, you wouldn't want to spoil the show, would you?"
"Where's KF with the collar?" Superboy asked.
Robin shook his head. He was wondering the same thing. He'd been trying to reach his friend through the comms, but there was no answer. One look at Artemis showed that she was as worried as he was.
"We'll have to manage without it," he replied.
"That sure sounds easy when you say it," Rocket said. "She's more powerful than all of us put together."
"No, she's not. She's more powerful than any one of us. We just need a plan. Z, can you, I don't know, magic the collar here?"
Zatanna looked around. She'd already thought of that, but there was nothing that she could transform into the collar.
"I'd have to have an object to switch with it, something about the same size and weight. Unless you have something that meets that description in your belt, then…" she let her voice trail off, her eyes searching his face hopefully, like she half believed that he did, indeed, have the perfect object in his utility belt. Robin already knew that he didn't, but then he thought of something.
"Would the belt work?" he asked.
Zatanna's face lit up as his answer. He disarmed the belt and started dumping out the contents of each pocket. He soon had a small arsenal piled in front of him, and he handed the belt to Zatanna, who set in on a boulder.
"Wait, don't do it yet," Robin told her.
"Why?" she asked, confused.
"Because chances are, Humanite has Kid and the collar. We need to time everything just right, or there could be interference."
Mallory renewed her attack with a new plan and more fire, and Robin found himself wishing she hadn't conquered the pain that went with her power.
"Rocket, will your force bubble contain her?" he asked, recalling the run in Roy, Wally, Mallory, and himself had had with Star Sapphire in the Central City Museum.
"Well, I suppose, but I'd have to get close enough to put it on her, which I can't do when she's trying to kill me," she replied.
Robin turned to the rest of the team. "Ok, I've got a plan."
"I am so going to get you for this," Artemis grumbled, standing at the edge of the water shield.
"Assuming the plan works and we make it back to the cave, I will allow a free shot," Robin told her with a grin.
Artemis glared at him, but she readied her bow and took a cautious step out of the protection of the shield. "Inferno!" she called.
Mallory hovered over her, readying a flame.
"Inferno, please, you're stronger than this! We need you to fight this. You fought a goddess out of your head, you can do the same for a gorilla!"
There was a struggle on Mallory's face, the team could see it, and they took that moment to attack. Kalder let the water shield down and he and Conner ran for her. She tried to fly away, but Conner grabbed one of her ankles and Kalder doused her with water, temporarily putting out the flames. Rocket took the moment to enclose her with a force field bubble, and as soon as the bubble closed around Inferno, Zatanna started her spell. The belt turned into the collar, and she tossed it to Robin, who took his position behind her while Conner stood in front. Mallory was trying to kick through the barrier, and when that failed, she paused.
She turned and locked eyes with Robin, and he knew that in that moment, she knew exactly what she was doing as she flamed up and started shooting at the walls of the bubble. She didn't stop until the bubble was so full of smoke that they could barely see her, then she collapsed and Rocket let a small hole open in the bubble to get the smoke out.
"All right, let her out," Robin said, holding the collar out. Mallory was barely conscious, and he was able to get the activated inhibitor collar around her neck without any difficulty. She pushed herself shakily to her feet.
"Thanks," she muttered weakly.
"Anytime," Robin replied.
"Wait, so are you still under Ultra Humanite's control?" Rocket asked.
Mallory put a hand to her head. "No, I don't think so."
"How are we supposed to know for sure?" she asked.
Mallory looked at Robin. "I'm glad you remembered Sapphire, and I'm glad you kept the collar."
Robin nodded to Rocket. "It's her. Ultra Humanite can't read minds, just control them."
"Perfect," Conner muttered.
Mallory surveyed his burned clothes and winced. "Sorry about that," she said.
"Forget it. Let's just get this monkey back behind bars," he replied.
"Bravo," Shugel said.
The team turned to the automated voice. The ape stepped from behind the building, Kid Flash wrapped in one powerful arm, Robin's utility belt in the other hand.
"I suppose your fiery friend is no longer of any use to me, powerless as she is. This one, however, will be good insurance that you will not try to follow me." He tossed the belt to Robin and added, "Nice trick, but I doubt you can do the same with a man."
The team exchanged glances, trying to come up with a plan, when the ape suddenly shut his eyes and said, "No!"
A second later, Wally managed to get his legs up and kick the ape in the chest, breaking free from him. Megan decamouflaged and joined the team on the ground.
"I'm sorry, his mind is stronger than I thought. Now that I'm closer, though, it should even the odds a little" she said.
Kalder nodded and faced Shugel. "Surrender now, Humanite. We will not ask again," the leader called.
The gorila let out a shriek that didn't sound like an agreement. Conner glared at him. "Save it. I hate monkeys," he said. He landed a punch on him that sent the gorilla stumbling back, but he regained his footing and growled at the team.
Mallory stepped to the front. She didn't have her powers due to the inhibitor collar, but she still felt the burning desire to fight.
"Ahh, and what exactly are you going to do to me, human? You are nothing without your precious powers," Ultra Humanite said.
Mallory narrowed her eyes with determination. "I don't need my powers to fight you," she replied. She ran for him and jump kicked him in the chest. Before he regained his balance, she body slammed him to the side. The efforts barely moved him, and he smiled. Anger burned inside her, and she found herself pointing her hands at him, trying to send fire at him. The split second that it took her to remember that she didn't have her powers gave Humanite the edge he needed.
"There, proof that you are nothing without these abilities that set you apart from the rest of the Homo sapiens. And to think that everyone is led to believe that your kind is actually smart and worthy of being at the top of the food chain. You're a lot of cowards who hide behind their tools and weapons because they know they'd lose a fight with any other member of the animal kingdom. And you are worse than most, what with your crutch of a power. Without it, you're nothing but a cripple."
Her fist connected with his chest before he even saw it coming. A pulse of excess force came from it, and the ape went flying back, landing against the building unconscious. Mallory stared at him in surprise, then stared at her hand. The team didn't move behind her for a long moment, then Robin broke the silence.
"Uh, Inferno, what was that?" he asked in a quiet, stunned voice.
Mallory shook her head slowly, still staring at her hand. "I- don't know," she admitted haltingly.
"Did you know that you had, well, super strength?" Artemis asked.
"No, I mean, I don't, or didn't," she said, turning to face the team.
"If she does have super strength, then why didn't the collar suppress it?" Rocket asked.
"The collar isn't a catch all, it has to be pre programmed. Hers was only programmed to suppress pyrokinesis," Robin explained.
"I don't understand. I've never had this before, and I've had my fire power my whole life. Even before it surfaced, I had symptoms. How could I just suddenly have a new power? It doesn't make sense," Mallory said.
"Well, Isaiah didn't have his powers until a few months before we met him, maybe that's just how it works sometimes," Zatanna mused.
Mallory rubbed a hand over her eyes. She didn't want another power to worry about, especially super strength. It was hard enough not to hurt people with her fire, and she'd spent her whole life learning to keep it in check. She couldn't afford to add a new, unpredictable ability to the mix.
"Let's load Ultra Humanite onto the ship and get back to the cave. We have to debrief the League, and I'm sure Batman will want to talk to you," Robin said.
Mallory sighed and followed the team onto the bioship as Conner, Kalder, and Megan got their prisoner stowed away in the hold.
"Good work, team. The League will take it from here," Batman said as the team filed out of the bioship.
The senators walked off behind the team and nodded a thanks to the adult hero, something the team hadn't gotten the whole ride back to the cave.
"Senators, if you'll wait a moment, I will see to it that you get to Washington as soon as possible," Batman told them.
The three men started walking out of the hangar, and Batman was about to follow when he noticed Mallory's collar, which she'd opted to keep on in case Ultra Humanite managed to take control of her again on the ride back.
"We ran into a few complications," Robin said as an explanation.
"We must speak with you," Kalder added.
Batman nodded. "Understood. I will come back once the senators are back in Washington. Superman and Green Lantern are in the mission room waiting to bring the prisoner back to Belle Rev. I'll send them in." With that he walked out of the hangar.
"Why is it that some ungrateful politicians are more important to Bats than his own partner's team?" Artemis asked, annoyed.
"He can't have strangers poking around the cave," Robin said, defending his mentor.
Superman and Hal Jordan walked in before anything else could be said. "Is he still on the ship?" Hal asked.
"Yes, I'll open the hatch for you," Megan told him. Hal followed her into the ship, but Clark hung back.
"Torch, why are you wearing an inhibitor collar?" he asked.
"Because Ultra Humanite took control of me and used my power against the team. I didn't want to take the chance that he'd do it again," she said.
"Yeah, and then something weird happened," Wally added. He was about to explain when Hal came out with Ultra Humanite in a bubble.
"Conner, you can't hit living things that hard. He's probably got a broken rib in there," Green Lantern said, gesturing to the ugly bruising on the ape's chest.
"Yeah, that's the thing," Mallory said quietly, "I did that." She glanced up at her mentor and winced at the shock and dismay on his face.
"How is that even possible?" Hal asked.
"Does Batman know?" Superman asked.
"We tried to tell him, but he had to get the senators back to Washington," Wally said.
"Ok, well, let's get the Atom and Flash to run some tests," Superman said uncertainly.
The team started filing out of the hangar to change. Mallory fell into step with Wally behind the rest of the team, and Superman said, "Torch, after you change, go to the lab. I'll send Flash to set up some tests."
Mallory nodded and Wally walked as far as the living area, where the rest of the team had paused. Artemis, Robin, Rocket, Aqualad, and Kid started for the zeta tube, then Artemis paused beside Robin and said, "oh, I forgot to give you something."
"What?" he asked.
She punched him in the stomach and smiled. "That. You said I could have a free shot if we lived."
Robin managed a genuine grin and said, "yeah, I guess I did."
Mallory and the rest of the live in team headed to their rooms, chuckling. Artemis had pulled that punch, and he had told her that she could have the shot. Mallory made it to her room and let the doors slide closed. She showered quickly and changed, her shirt snagging slightly on the inhibitor collar, then she went to the lab where Wally had discovered her origins. Flash was there, but he had pulled his cowl off so he could concentrate on the machines.
"All right, Mallory, give me just a second to prep the machines," he said.
Mallory nodded and looked around. He had the strength testers warming up, and the key to the inhibitor collar. "Can I take the collar off?" she asked, moving towards the key.
"No, leave it on for now. Hey, how's Peter? Iris was just saying the other day that she misses watching him," Barry said, typing something into a machine.
"He's fine," Mallory replied. Barry and Iris, mostly Iris, had been babysitting sometimes when Mallory couldn't. The arrangement worked out perfectly because Mallory didn't like Peter just roaming around the cave when the team was on a mission and Iris loved kids and didn't have any.
"All right, well, I guess we can start now," Barry said.
"Isn't Dr. Palmer coming?" Mallory asked.
"No, he's at work. Why, don't you trust me?" he asked with a smile.
Mallory raised an eyebrow. "You're a forensic scientist. Don't you mostly work on dead people?"
"I don't work on people at all, I analyze data collected from crime scenes, and I know what I'm doing here."
Mallory sighed and stepped up to a machine that was basically a punching bag.
"Try hitting it lightly at first so I can calibrate it," he told her. She did, and he nodded. "All right, now try to do exactly what you did to Ultra Humanite," he told her.
Mallory took a deep breath and swung a punch dead center on the machine. The effect was a pitiful dent no bigger than she was used to making in the bags in her training room. Flash looked up in surprise. "Uh, you want to try that again?" he asked. Mallory shot him a glare and he held up a hand.
She shut her eyes, concentrating, trying to build up the anger that she'd felt when she threw the super punch. She tried punching the machine again, and again, it was nothing special. Barry rubbed the back of his neck, planning what to do.
"Well, we could try a different machine," he suggested.
Mallory shrugged. "Sure," she agreed.
They tried a weight lifting test, but she couldn't lift anywhere near even Kalder's mark, though she was even with Artemis and Wally. Half an hour later, Superman walked in.
"Well?" he asked. "Well, I took my lunch hour early for nothing. She's completely normal," Barry said with a grin. He handed Mallory the key to the collar and she pressed the button. The collar clicked off and a surge of power was restored to her. She let a small flame go on her hand to release some of the energy.
"Then how do you explain what I did to Ultra Humanite?" Mallory asked.
"Well, it only surfaced when your pyrokinesis was being repressed by use of the inhibitor collar, so perhaps the buildup of energy needed to go somewhere and manifested itself in the form of a new type of energy, hence the power behind the alleged punch."
Mallory raised an eyebrow. "So, you don't have a clue what happened and you're trying to say that and sound smart at the same time," she guessed.
Barry shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "That's about the size of it. I wouldn't worry about it too much, Mal. If it only came up because of the inhibitor collar, then we just won't have you wear it anymore."
"But I've worn an inhibitor collar before and I didn't get super strength," Mallory pointed out. "Back when I first joined the team, Conner and I were held on Apokolips for a day. They put inhibitor collars on us, and I wasn't able to bust out of my chains."
"I don't know, Mal. All I can tell you is that as far as I can see from the tests, you're normal," Barry said.
Mallory sighed. "Yeah, well, thanks anyway," she said. He nodded and sped away. Clark tilted his head.
"You almost look disappointed. Did you want the tests to show something?" he asked.
"No, I just wanted some kind of an answer. How can I ever just relax now when I don't know if I'm going to suddenly throw a punch that could kill someone? Or get a little too irritated with Peter or someone else and smack them into a wall?"
Clark nodded. "You thought the same thing about your fire for a long time, but you got over that fear," he pointed out.
"That was different. My fire was more than willing to show itself. This, I mean, I don't even know if I have control of it, or if I even have it." She sighed and leaned against the wall. "How do you do it? I mean, you're the strongest man alive. How do you live without destroying everything you touch?"
"I just have to be careful, that's all," he replied. He put a hand on her shoulder and gently led her out of the lab. "Don't worry about it too much, Torch. If it comes up again, we'll put more effort into finding out what it is." She nodded and they parted ways in the training room, with Clark going to the zeta tube and Mallory heading to her room.
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