Happy Easter! I would give you an extra chapter, but the holiday is already on an update day. I would really appreciate some reviews. Hope you like it, please review!
"Woah, you have super strength? That's so cool!" Gar exclaimed when Mallory finished telling the team what had happened.
"How often are you going to train with GL?" Nightwing asked.
"For now, once a day. After I get it a little under control, Supes said I could probably just train with him or Conner."
"So, why is Green Lantern training you again?" Zatanna asked.
Mallory shrugged. "I don't know, because he volunteered. I hope this won't affect my college schedule any," she said.
"It should be fine. I mean, you said that this time you know what you did, so you can just not do it while you're at school," Raquel said.
"So, what're we doing tonight?" Mallory asked, getting off the topic of her new power.
Nightwing shrugged. "Movie?" he asked. The others shrugged, and Gar jumped to his feet. "Ok, but I get to pick it!" he said.
The others chuckled and settled into their seats, allowing the younger member to grab the remote. Lagaan came in while he was putting on the Lion King and squeezed between Megan and Zatanna. Conner glared at him from his spot on the other side of Megan, but the Martian put a hand on his arm and tilted her head. They had a silent conversation for a moment, then Conner leaned back grudgingly.
"I can't believe you guys really do movie nights. I mean, do none of you adults have a life?" the Atlantean asked.
Mallory rolled her eyes, already irritated with the newest member of the team. "So, what are you doing here then, Lagaan? Don't You have a life?" she asked, reaching an arm around Gar to grab some popcorn.
"Hey, Aquaman told me to spend time with you, that's all," he said.
The team ignored him, and Gar started the movie, grinning when the opening song came on. "You know, we watched this last week," Mallory said quietly, leaning closer to Gar so no one else would hear her.
He looked up at her, the smile still on his face. "So?"
Mallory chuckled and put an arm around him. "Nothing. Just making sure it's still your favorite movie," she replied.
When the movie ended, the team started picking up, and Raquel conveniently remembered that she had to get home to study for a test.
"You're not even in school anymore!" Zatanna called after her, but the girl pretended not to hear her, and she was gone before Zatanna could repeat it. The others chuckled, and Megan looked around. "You know, there really isn't that much to do. We don't all have to clean up," she said.
Mallory looked at Zatanna and Nightwing and smiled, and Dick said, "Yeah, you're right, there isn't."
Megan smiled. "Yeah, so I'm sure you can handle it fine without us. See you tomorrow!" she said brightly, and she and Conner went to their rooms. Gar grinned at them before turning into a cat and darting after his sister. Lagaan looked at the three left and shrugged. "You probably don't want my help," he said, and he went to the zeta tube.
Zatanna looked at Mallory and Dick and smiled sweetly. "You know…" she started, but Dick crossed his arms. "Don't even think about it," he said firmly. Zatanna's smiled fell off her face and she feigned a hurt and confused look. "Wha- how come they got to leave?" she asked.
"'Cause we don't love them the way we love you," Mallory told her, handing her an empty bowl.
"Lucky me," the magician muttered, tossing them a playful look over her shoulder.
"Hey, look on the bright side, at least without Wally there aren't that many dishes to do," Dick said.
Zatanna smiled. "This is true," she said, setting the bowl in the sink and cleaning up the kitchen. Mallory and Dick finished gathering the trash and dishes from the living room, and Mallory added, "and you can just magic the dishes clean, anyway. The rest of us would have to do it by hand."
"This is also true," Dick said, putting the rest of the dishes in the sink.
Zatanna sighed. "I just had to tell you what my power was. I couldn't have told you I was just a guest. Nooo, I wanted to be part of the team," she muttered.
Mallory and Dick laughed and each grabbed a towel to dry. When they completed the chore, they settled around the island with the last of the snacks that Wally had left behind, a package of oreos.
"I can't believe Wally forgot food," Zatanna mentioned.
Mallory smiled and looked away, and Dick leaned on the counter, grinning. "Well, he didn't exactly forget it," he said, staring Mallory down, the smile never leaving his face.
"Mallory!" Zatanna said, "What did you do?"
Mallory chuckled and shook her head. "I'm not saying anything," she said.
"That's ok, I'll say it for you," Dick said gleefully. "She hid half of the stuff in his cabinet, and when he left, she put it all back and told everyone that he'd just left it," he said.
Zatanna burst out laughing. "Mallory! How could you do that to poor Wally?" she managed to get out.
Mallory shrugged, grinning. "Hey, I'm not admitting to anything, but if I did do it, it would be because he owed me for leaving," she said.
Zatanna turned to Dick. "So how come you know about it?" she asked.
Dick looked at Mallory. "You want to tell her?" he asked.
Mallory shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, still grinning.
"Ok, I came in while she was pulling everything out of her hiding spots. If you're ever looking for a snack, I'd recommend looking in the big gumbo pot that never gets used. You know, the one at the back of the cabinets."
"Dick!" Mallory exclaimed, punching his arm.
"OW! Hey, easy, tiger. I don't want to go flying across the room just because I gave away a secret," he said, rubbing his arm.
Mallory winced and brought her hands back in front of her, staring at them worriedly. Dick winced and glanced at Zatanna. "Mal, I didn't mean anything by that," he said quietly.
Mallory nodded and forced a smile on her face. "Yeah, I know," she said brightly. And she did know that, but it stung just the same.
Zatanna leaned on the island, looking at her friend, concern in her eyes. "Mallory, what does this new power mean for you?" she asked.
Mallory laughed and sat back in her chair. "It means that I'll be able to open jars for myself," she said.
Zatanna and Dick didn't laugh, and Zatanna shook her head slightly. "You know you don't have to do that with us," she said.
"Do what?" Mallory asked guiltily.
"Make a joke about it, pretend like you're not worried about it," she replied.
Mallory sighed and folded her hands on the island, staring at them as tears pricked behind her eyes. "I know. I'm doing it for me," she said quietly. "I have to joke about it, because it terrifies me, having this thing inside me that I'm not in control of. It feels like I just made peace with my fire, and now I'm getting thrown right back into that place," she said, the tears streaming down her face now.
Zatanna grabbed Mallory's hand, and Mallory looked up, brushing the tears away irritatedly with her other hand. "What place?" Zatanna asked gently. Mallory rolled her eyes and looked into the living room, trying to stop the tears that seemed determined to show themselves.
"Of being afraid of myself," she choked out. She rested her forehead on her hand, staring into the living room, feeling uncomfortably vulnerable, more so than she'd let herself be in a long time. She heard Dick get out of his chair, and the next thing she knew, he had his arms around her, his chin resting on her head. She didn't know why, but this just made the tears come harder. She spun slightly in her chair and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Mallory, you don't have to go back there," he said after letting her cry for a few minutes. "This isn't like before. We're here for you this time."
"Yeah, I know," she said.
"Is it just the new power?" Zatanna asked.
Mallory let out a bitter laugh. "No, not really, to be honest, but-"
"But nothing. We're here, we're having a heart to heart, might as well do it all in one sitting," Dick said.
Mallory looked up at him and laughed through the tears. "You can let go of me, you know," she said.
"That's ok," he replied.
She chuckled and didn't say anything when his arms tightened around her slightly. "Everything feels so unsure right now," she said. She wasn't crying anymore, but her friends didn't let go of her. "I'm about to go to college and actually start my life, and I'm scared that I won't be able to make my mark on the world, that I'll only be remembered as Inferno and Mallory will just be forgotten when I'm gone. And Peter's scaring me because he wants to be a hero, and I don't want to lose him, and I'm scared that no matter what I do, I'm going to. If I let him be a hero, he could die, and if I don't, he could end up hating me, and then still become a hero and get hurt or die. God, I'm just so sick of always being scared of something." She looked at her hands again and, her voice softening as she quietly added what had become rooted into the core of her being, buried so deep most of the time that she didn't even know the exact moment that it hade started to grow, started to wrap around everything inside of her until she could feel the fear trying to choke everything that made her her.
"I'm scared of what's going to happen when I'm gone."
Zatanna squeezed her hand, and Mallory looked up at her to see the magician's eyes filed with tears. A pang went through Mallory's chest, and for a moment she thought that Zatanna might know her biggest secret, but before she could think of how to handle it, Dick said, "Mallory, Peter loves you, and he understands why you tell him 'no' more than he lets on. And you are going to go to college and get your degree and you're gonna change the world with or without Inferno."
Mallory bit her cheek, her prophecy looming over her. "Yeah, I know," she said.
"And you'll always have the team to fall back on," Zatanna said.
Mallory nodded. "Yeah, but even that doesn't feel secure right now. The team feels like it's falling apart, and that's probably the worst thing. This is the only place that's ever felt like home, and it's falling apart."
Dick shook his head. "Mallory, we might not always be on the same team, but we'll always be there for each other. That's what family's for. And trust me. If I have anything to say about it, this team will outlive us all."
Mallory chuckled, feeling reassured, and she wrapped her free arm around Dick's middle. "Thanks, guys," she said quietly.
Dick finally let go, and Zatanna let go of Mallory's hand. Mallory smiled and stood up, looking at Dick. "Robin and Wren are so lucky. You're going to be a great big brother," she said.
He grinned and cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? How do you figure?" he asked.
"Cause you're a great little brother," she replied.
"Aww, I knew you loved me," he said. Mallory rolled her eyes and gave him a hug.
"I'd feel left out, but he was the one who hugged you for half an hour just now, so…" Zatanna said.
Mallory laughed and gave the magician a hug. "I love you too, Z."
An alarm went off, and Dick pulled up his wrist computer. "Hey, sorry to just leave, but I've only got twenty minutes to get to work," he said.
"Work or patrol?" Zatanna asked.
"Work, I picked up an extra beat tonight. Mal, you sure you're gonna be ok?" he asked.
Mallory nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Will you, though?"
"What are you talking about? I'm fine," he replied.
"Dick, you've been working nonstop since you moved to Bludhaven. I don't know when you find time to come to the cave, or eat, or sleep," Zatanna said, standing beside Mallory.
Dick smiled and shrugged. "Hey, I was raised to not need sleep. Don't worry about me, I know my limits." The girls nodded and let him go to the zeta tube, then they went to their rooms, tired from the sudden turn of the night.