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The next evening, the team got the call from Darius: Raquel and Amistad had been cleared for visitors. They wrapped up their work in record time, even for them, and were at the hospital in minutes, Megan with the boys in tow. When they got in the waiting room, though, the receptionist told them they would have to wait until the baby woke up from his nap, so they settled in to wait for the ok.
"So, Gar," Dick said after a moment of silence, "how's the show?"
The others looked at the younger boy expectantly. While he still technically lived with Megan and Conner in Happy Harbor, he spent most of his free time in LA shooting for his show, so he hadn't been on many missions in the last few months. The only reason Peter still saw him was because he was still living as Megan's foster, though that had been a big disappointment.
The green boy shrugged. "It's good," he said. "We're almost done shooting the first season, so it should be ready to release soon."
"I can't wait," Artemis said, grinning. "We'll have to have a binge session, I'll host."
"Nah, Roy should host. He's got the biggest place," Peter pointed out.
Gar chuckled. "It's not that big of a deal," he said modestly.
Zatanna tilted her head. "Hold on. Are you the same kid that bragged for weeks every time he mastered a new move? You're the star of a TV show, Gar. That's so cool. You can be excited about it, we are."
He finally grinned, unable to hold it back any longer. "Yeah, it's so cool! I have a whole team that just follows me around on set in case I need something, and I'm already getting fan mail just on the trailers! I can't wait for the premieres!"
"I bet you'll be glad for a break," Mallory mentioned. "You've been filming nonstop for so long."
Gar gave a half smile. "Uh, yeah, a break will be nice, and I'll get to go on a few missions before next season starts shooting, so that'll be fun."
The boy's change in attitude had the OGs looking at each other in slight confusion, but Zatanna decided to move on, assuming that if he wanted to talk about it he already would have. "Are Karen and Mal still coming?" she asked.
"I haven't heard from them," Megan said. "Last I heard they were."
The receptionist told them that they could go back, and the group went down the hall to Raquel's room, filing in one by one until the room was so crowded they were practically pressing against each other.
"Hey, guys," Raquel said brightly.
"Uh, Raq, why is…?" Zatanna asked, nodding to where the baby was in her arms, encased in a force bubble.
"Oh, no offense, just being careful. I don't want him to get sick, and there's a lot of you."
"Uh oh. Here's the first we'll see of 'super mom'," Dick joked, taking the bubble from her.
Artemis laughed. "Can't wait until he goes to school so she can teach him how to shut the school's bullies up."
Raquel shook her head. "Come on, guys. I've been a mom for twenty four hours, give me a break. Although, I am gonna need to schedule some time with each of you about, say, five years from now. No real reason."
"Oh, no, not me," Conner said firmly, smiling at Amistad from over Dick's shoulder. "I'm not getting beat up by a five year old in practice." He glanced at Peter and added, "again."
Peter smirked. "If you weren't so easy to throw, a five year old wouldn't have been able to do it," he pointed out. Conner shook his head and grabbed Peter by the back of the neck, fake pushing him away before pulling him back over and ruffling his hair.
"When can you go home?" Kaldur asked.
"Tomorrow, if everything stays good," she replied.
"Do you have the nursery all set up? I don't have anything to do tomorrow, I can come over and help with the finishing touches if you want," Zatanna offered, taking her turn holding the bubble containing the baby.
"Everything's been done for a week now," Darius told her. "If you want to come over you can, but fair warning, you'll have to quarantine first, and sterilize."
The magician laughed. "Why don't you just put me in a bubble, save us all the trouble?"
"Hey, I take it I'm allowed in then, if I burn all the germs off?" Mallory asked jokingly.
Raquel laughed. "You're all welcome. But, I'll be honest, Mal, I forgot you could do that. If you wouldn't mind…? Just since you can."
They laughed, and Mallory nodded. "Of course."
There was a knock on the door, and Karen pushed it open without waiting for a response. "Hey girl!" she said, looking at Raquel, then to the larger group she added, "and guys."
Mal came in right behind her and Conner smiled. "Hey."
"Hey yourself. How've y'all been?" Mal asked, looking around. They shrugged and caught up a little while Karen got to hold the baby.
Karen was telling them about a breakthrough her lab was about to make when Mallory's comm beeped in her ear. She tilted her head, not sure who would be calling her when she told everyone who needed to know that she was officially off duty for the night. "Inferno here," she said quietly, trying not to disturb her friends.
"Superman here," Clark said, not sounding like he was in the middle of anything dire. "I'm going to need you to come down to the SCU's headquarters to help with questioning a prisoner I apprehended."
"Come on, Clark, I'm at the hospital with Raquel. Can't you get someone else to come? Batman should be available, not like he sleeps anyway, or I'm sure GA owes me for something."
"'Fraid not," he replied. "This one asked for you specifically, and he's threatening to freeze the headquarters if you don't come."
Her eyes widened as she began to understand. "Jr?" she asked.
"Yep."
"Ok, I'm on my way, I just have to stop at my place and get dressed." She signed off and turned to the group, who were all watching her. "I–"
"Have to go," Raquel finished for her. "Yeah, we heard."
"Sorry," she said, genuinely meaning it.
The new mother waved a hand dismissively. "No, don't be. I'm just jealous that I'm stuck in bed for a few more days. Give Jr an extra punch for me, will you?"
She laughed. "He's already caught, I'm just helping question him," she told her.
Her friend raised an eyebrow. "So?"
Mallory shook her head, smiling. "I'll see you later."
"Wait, I'll go with you," Conner offered. She nodded and they headed out, curiosity fueling their steps out of the hospital and to the zeta tube.
They got to the SCU's headquarters in minutes and walked in the front door casually, drawing stares from the less seasoned members of the force. Inspector Sawyer met them in the lobby and led them to the interrogation room, explaining the situation on the way.
"He was creating a disturbance downtown not long ago, nothing serious, no casualties or injuries, or even property damage. Just icing the sidewalks, blocking the roads, eluding capture."
"Why? What was the point?" Conner asked.
"We were hoping your friend here could help us figure that out," Sawyer said, nodding at Mallory. "He's been asking for you since Superman picked him up an hour ago. Said you're the only person he'll talk to. You have any idea why that is?"
Conner tilted his head at her, a knowing look on his face. "That is strange. Any ideas, Inferno?"
She glared at Conner and avoided Sawyer's eyes. "Uh, no, not at all." The group stopped outside of the door and Mallory looked at the inspector. "Anything else I should know before I go in?" she asked.
"Just that nothing he says can be trusted," the inspector replied, then she pushed open the door and the three went inside.
Clark was there, along with Dan Turpin, another member of the SCU, a man in a suit sitting on the other side of the table, probably a lawyer, and the guest of honor himself, Icicle Jr. He smiled a little when she came in.
"Well, finally," he said in a whiny voice, though his eyes were soft. "I've been waiting for forever."
"Well, you age well, I'll give you that," Mallory said, keeping her tone professional despite the feelings mixing around in her chest. It was the first time they'd seen each other since the breakup, but she knew she couldn't let the others in the room catch on to that.
"All right, Jr, we honored your request, now spill. Why did you let yourself get caught so easily? What's the goal here?" Sawyer asked.
Jr shook his head. "Sorry, lady, but I said I'd talk to Inferno, and only Inferno."
The inspector tilted her head. "You know that anything you say to her will be recorded and relayed to us anyway, right?"
He shrugged. "What can I say, I'm shy."
Sawyer crossed her arms, thinking the situation over.
"Don't do it, Maggie," Turpin snapped. "You'll be playing right into his hands."
"It's all right, Inspector. We'll be right outside if anything happens, and Inferno is very capable," Superman put in.
Mallory shook her head. "Look, it's your decision, but if this is the only way to get him to talk, I'm willing to do it. If we wait longer, we might unknowingly be putting peoples' lives at risk," she told the inspector.
Sawyer nodded slowly. "All right. We'll be right outside, call us in as soon as you have the information," she ordered. Mallory nodded and the cops and heroes filed out the room. The lawyer stayed put, however, and Jr raised an eyebrow at him.
"I meant you, too, buddy."
"Mr. Mahkent, I must advise against you meeting with anyone without legal representation present. If a deal is discussed, it will not be official, and nothing will bind the other party to–"
"Yeah, got it, don't trust them without a signature. If I need you to draft something I'll have the lady call you in."
The man sighed heavily, clearly not liking being bossed around by someone half his age with even less experience, but he collected his briefcase and stepped outside. As soon as the door closed, Mallory let her expression soften a little sense the camera was facing her back, Cameron's face.
"So, why am I here?" she asked. Her tone stayed professional, but her eyes softened the question.
He looked right at her, a small smile coming to his face. "Well, it's good to see you again, too," he said with a sneer, but she knew he meant it.
"Skip the small talk, Jr, I don't have time for it. For someone who should be staying out of trouble," she raised her eyebrows slightly at this and his smile widened automatically for a second before he got control of his expression and put the sneer back on, "you sure let yourself get picked up easy. Why?"
"Well, I have some information that the cops should have, but I have a question for you. Does ice affect these cameras do you think?"
"What? Um, I have no idea, why?"
He just smiled and shot an ice spear through the camera in the corner. Her eyes widened with shock for a moment, but he leaned back in his chair, finally feeling more comfortable. "Good to see you, T. How's life?"
She slid into the chair opposite of him, hoping that there weren't any more cameras hidden anywhere. "I know you didn't let yourself get caught like that just to catch up. I don't know how much time they're going to give us, so you should start talking."
He nodded. "My dad's picked up a new client, won't tell me who it is, honestly I'm not sure if he even knows for sure, but the gigs are different. They're still protection rackets, but instead of intimidation or bodyguarding for people, they're buying guards for shipments."
"So? I thought you did that all the time. He runs a rent-a-thug, he's not all that particular about what they get rented for," she said.
"Yeah, but this time it's different. This time, it's not just guns or drug runs. He's guarding shipments of kids. They're being trafficked from all over the world, and they're all coming to a central location to be 'transferred'. I think…I think they're going to be sent off world."
"So that's why you froze a basically abandoned street and waited around for the cops," she murmured.
He tilted his head, clearly expecting more of a reaction from her. "Uh, yeah. Did you hear me?"
She nodded. "I've been looking into this trafficking ring for months, but I haven't been able to find out where they're being sent. This is going to help a lot, but…" she bit her lip, staring at the man that, despite everything, she still cared about. "Cam, are you sure you want to do this? You know what this will mean if it comes back that you were the one who blew the whistle, and let's be honest, it's the SCU, it's gonna come out."
He nodded, not a hint of hesitation on his face. "Yeah, I am. I can't just sit back and let those kids get shipped out to be experimented on, or worse."
She nodded, smiling a little. "Ok, then, I'll let them know." She stood and went to the door, but she paused when she got there and turned back to him. "Thank you for doing this. You're a good man, Cameron."
He smiled a little and shrugged. "Guess you rubbed off on me more than I thought."
She shook her head and slipped out of the room, almost running into Dan Turpin.
"Well?" he snapped.
She told the group what Jr had told her, and added, "I've looked into the same trafficking ring, this needs to be taken seriously. Maybe the League should handle it."
"What, you don't think we can do our jobs? Listen to me, Missy, I've been doing this since you were in diapers, so if you think you're gonna run over me, you've got another thing coming."
"I don't think that was her intention," Superman said cordially, trying to calm the inspector down.
Mallory shook her head. "No, of course not. I just meant that this is something that the League has dealt with before, it's one of our open investigations."
"Thanks for the consideration, Inferno, but this is our jurisdiction, so we'll handle it," Sawyer decided.
The heroes nodded respectfully, if a little disappointed, then Mallory glanced back at the door. "What'll happen to him?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant about it.
Sawyer shrugged. "We've got warrants miles long on that one, he'll go back to Bell Rev, I imagine."
"There's no way to cut a deal for him?" she asked.
"I don't see why we would do that. He already gave us the information, we don't need anything from him anymore," she replied.
"No, because he gave it up willingly," Mallory argued, getting a little frustrated. "He only let himself get caught because he wanted to save those kids."
"Allegedly. We still don't know for sure that we're not walking into a trap," Turpin pointed out.
"Look, I appreciate that you took time out of your day to come help, but leave it to us from here," Sawyer said. She, Dan, and the lawyer stepped back into the room, but Mallory held Clark back.
"Can't you do something?" she asked.
"Why? He's overdue to pay his debt to society," Clark responded.
She shook her head. "He saved who knows how many lives, potentially put his own on the line to do it. He could have escaped any time he wanted, but he let himself get caught and stayed here of his own free will. All that has to count for something. And I know him, he's a good person. He only helps his dad because he doesn't feel like he has a choice, and even with that, he sabotages them when they get really back weapons, or, like the ice machine plans that he just left for me. Come on, Superman. Please, he doesn't deserve to get thrown in prison."
Clark sighed. "Intentions don't really matter, Inferno. He still committed all of the crimes on his record."
"Intention should count for something," Conner put in. "I mean, it's not like the League has a spotless reputation in that regard. You know, how we get our intel, ect ect."
Clark shook his head, looking up at the ceiling as he tried to think his way out. Mallory stared at him, hoping her eyes would still work with the mask on. "Please? Please help him. For me."
Her former mention sighed heavily, getting frustrated himself. "All right, I'll do what I can," he promised, his face hardening with disapproval. "But let me make this perfectly clear: this is a one time thing. If he gets back into trouble when he gets out, or he decides to break out of prison again, the League can't help him, period. Is that understood?"
She smiled and nodded. "Yes. Thank you." He nodded and stepped into the interrogation room to talk to Sawyer and Turpin. Mallory turned to Conner. "And thank you. I don't think he would have done it with just me here."
Conner shrugged. "Yeah, he would have. All I did was point out that we're all a little shady sometimes."
She shook her head and looked at the closed door. "I just hope he can convince them to give him another chance."
Mallory stayed at the precinct for the next few hours, waiting impatiently to hear from the team that went to handle the situation with Superman and Superboy. She'd wanted to go, but Turpin had semi politely declined her company, and they had plenty of help with the Man of Steel coming along. The door of the interrogation room opened and Jr came out between two guards, an inhibitor collar in place and his hands cuffed together. She stood up hurriedly, hoping to get a few moments with him before he was shipped out to prison to wait for his court date. He smiled when he saw her and the guards let him stop.
"I hear I have you to thank for the shortened sentence?"
She shook her head. "Superman, actually. I'm a terrible negotiator, apparently. Who knew?"
"Yeah, sure. Thanks."
She nodded. "Just trying to be fair about it. But listen, stay out of trouble from here on out, ok?" He smiled, but she narrowed her eyes, trying to drive the point across. "I mean it this time. You're only going to get six months. You'll never get a better deal than that, and after this, the League isn't going to give you any more favors."
He nodded, understanding the situation. "Sure, I'll do what I can," he promised. The guards pushed him forward a little, signaling the end of the conversation, and he nodded and moved forward. "Stay safe out there, Inferno," he called over his shoulder, his tone mocking though she knew he really meant it.
"Yeah, you, too," she murmured, genuinely concerned about what would happen to him when he got to prison, and even more so once he got out.