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Two weeks later, Mallory was sifting through some files in her office when her phone buzzed on her desk. When she checked it, it was a text from Dick, telling her to put her comm in. She dug it out of her purse and hit it to the right channel. "Hey, what's up?" she asked, not stopping what she was doing.
"We found Terra, we're meeting at Conner's to head out on the Bioship."
Mallory's eyes widened and she dropped the papers she'd been scanning. "What? How? Where is she?" she stammered.
"Bialiya. How soon can you get here? I'm packing up supplies now."
She looked at the time. There were still four hours before she got off, far too long to be able to duck out unnoticed. "I'll be there in fifteen, maybe twenty. I have to come up with an excuse for my boss."
"Have you tried the family member in the hospital? That one always works for me," he suggested.
"Yeah, the last three missions. She has to think I have the clumsiest family in history."
He chuckled. "I can send someone over to be your cousin from out of town if you want," he offered.
"No, Constantine did that once and things got weird. Anna still asks me if he's single these days."
"Death in the family?"
"No," she said firmly. "I don't want to jinx anything."
"Doctors appointment?"
Someone knocked on her door and Dr. Veritas stepped in. When she saw that Mallory was on the phone, she nodded and stood opposite the desk to wait for her to get off.
"Thank you for the reminder. I'll see if I can make it, if not I'll call back and cancel."
"Is that a yes?" Dick asked.
"Yes, thank you, goodbye." Mallory hung up and looked at her boss. "I am so sorry, that was my doctor's office reminding me that I have an appointment. I know I should have tried to get it for a day that I wasn't working, but I told them to give me the first available appointment, I wasn't even thinking about work. Is it ok if I leave early? I'll take my work with me so I won't get behind."
"Oh, I understand about appointments. What doctor is it?" Mallory froze for a second, her mind blanking on types of doctors. When she didn't answer right away, her boss seemed to jump to a conclusion. "Oh, I see. Yes, of course, go ahead and leave early. I just need you to do me one favor before you do."
Mallory nodded. "Of course, what do you need?"
Half an hour later, Mallory always settled in her seat on the bioship as Conner flew them into the upper atmosphere and set their course for Greater Bialiya. They sat in silence for a while, the original team members settling into their pre-mission quiet time so they could mentally prepare themselves for the bullets and fighting. Brion, however, had other things on his mind.
"What do we know and how do we know it?" he asked, looking around them.
They could see the restraint on his face, and Dick sighed and turned his chair to face him. "We found a connection to the Good World Studios goggles, there was a mention of them when Batman went to Santa Prisca and we've since looked into the company. They're programmed to test the wearer for the meta gene, and if they test positive, subliminal messages lead them to depots for collection. The League and the team are on their way to the other depots as we speak so we can take them all down simultaneously so we don't tip off the other locations, and we're heading to the one in Greater Bialiya."
"Since when are we working for the League?" V'lana asked.
"We're not!" Dick said quickly, earning a strange look from his friends. He narrowed his eyes a little, going back to business. "Batman went to the League with the intel because of how big this is."
"And Megan made sure that Mallory, Artemis, and I got this spot because of the Terra connection," Conner explained.
Brion looked around, taking in an angry breath and letting it out slowly. "And what is the Tara connection?" he asked deliberately.
"A tip from another source," Dick explained. "The source said that the Shadows handed Terra over to 'Granny', but that was too broad a term, it could have meant anything or anyone. But since we made the connection to the Goode Goggles, we now know that it was a reference to Gretchen Goode's media nickname, Granny Goodness. And remember Chicar Marlow? We thought he had been killed by a Shadow with Geoforce powers? Well it turns out he worked with Goode R and D on the goggles, and he was the buyer or record for a Goode shell company, which purchased an abandoned mall in Greater Bialiya. We found the location by hacking a pair of goggles. We even found a list of merchandise available for purchase at this depot." He pulled up a holographic screen and scrolled down a little, pointing at item 16. "Female, age 15, earth powers."
Brion's eyes widened and his jaw dropped a little. "Tara," he breathed.
Dick nodded. "That's what we were thinking, too."
They settled back into silence, each one going into their own thoughts as the stars blinked out the windows.
"Entering Greater Bialiyan airspace, switching to camouflage mode," Conner announced an hour later. The squad sat up a little in their seats, watching as Conner maneuvered them to the roof of the mall. There was an army of Bialian soldiers, complete with tanks and assault weapons, surrounding the building.
"Yeah, nothing going on in there," Artemis muttered sarcastically.
"Let's get a closer look," Dick said, pulling out his little beetle cam. Bioship opened a hole and the drone flew down into the building, transmitting its feed to Dick's contacts. He tapped his chin, staring at the picture intently. "Huh," he murmured.
Mallory and Artemis exchanged an annoyed look. "You in a sharing mood?" the archer asked, her hands going to her hips.
"Huh? Oh, right." He swiped something on the invisible screen in front of him and suddenly the feed was projecting all around them. The inside of the building was made with four floors, and it was packed with people in expensive clothes and jewelry, all with a white, faceless mask concealing their identities. There was something familiar about the slant of the eyes, but before Mallory could say anything about it, Brion scoffed. "Fancy crowd, but they do not look very tough."
"You're focused on the spectators," Dick said, barely even glancing back at him. "I'm more concerned with the meta human enforcers." He enlarged the corner of the room, and Mallory narrowed her eyes when she recognized the villains.
"Psimon, Devastation, Shimmer, Mammoth, the Terrors? They really spared no expense at this thing," Conner said, disgust on his face.
"More likely they're on loan from Queen Bee," Artemis pointed out. "After all, this event is for her group, isn't it?"
The crowd inside shifted as the MC stepped onto a platform about the arena on the bottom floor. "Welcome, welcome, everyone! I am your host, Mr. Bliss! And these are our fist items up for bid!" He gestured to one side of the arena where a boy about seventeen was walking out in an orange bodysuit with a red H painted over his heart. "In this corner is Holocaust!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, and Mallory narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. She already knew what this boy's powers were before she even saw him work. They'd copied her first costume, changing a few elements to make it fit the boy better, but they were trying to play on her recognition to sell a human being, a teenager. The thought made her want to burn the place to the ground with every worthless meatbag inside.
"And in this corner, Terra!" the MC continued, gesturing to the other side. Brion gasped, and Mallory knew they'd found what they came for. The girl was in a purple and black suit, her short blonde hair covered by a protective helmet, and a dead look in her eye.
V'lana put a hand on his arm, a smile playing on her lips. "Brion, you have found her," she said quietly.
"Just one problem," Dick said, looking around. "This isn't just a depot, it's a fight club for meta-teen gladiators."
"And look," Artemis said, touching something on the screen and blowing up the back of Terra's neck. There was a small, round disk on it, and the screen ran diagnostics to confirm what they all knew. "They're all enslaved by control chips."
"Not for long!" Brion growled.
Dick looked at him sharply. "Look, I wasn't expecting this either, but you have to be–"
"Be patient?!" Brion burst out. "You cannot seriously expect me to walk away now!"
"No," Dick said, crossing his arms. "But Psimon is in there. He's a powerful psychic, and if you project strong emotions, he'll notice."
Brion took a breath, calming himself down, and nodded. "Fine. I will do it your way."
"Good," Dick said. He turned to Artemis. "We'll go in alone. The rest of you, stay here, and stay ready. If we get made in there, we're going to need some backup, and a fast exit."
Conner nodded. They slipped out and were out of sight a second later, and Mallory and Conner sat down, trying to set a calm example for the teens.
"How are they going to blend in like that?" V'lana asked.
Mallory smiled. "Oh, don't worry, they'll pick up something to wear on the way."
"Let the games begin!" the MC declared, and the four heroes still on the ship turned a grim eye on the fight still being projected around them.
Holocaust snapped his fingers, igniting flames in both hands, and the two teens ran towards each other. Terra lifted the floor of the arena, protecting herself from the flames, and pushed it towards her opponent. The power sets were well matched and the contestants both had a good amount of experience behind them, a fact that had Brion clenching his hands into fists at his side. The fight went on for almost five minutes, the attacks brutal and desperate on both sides, but in the end Holocaust stood victorious and Terra was left beaten and burned on the ground.
"Well, a fine representation," the MC said gleefully. "Let's start the bidding at 1 million for the mighty Holocaust!" The crowd started bidding, holding their paddles up higher with every new number Bliss suggested until it finally maxed out at 3 million US dollars. The boy was led out of the arena and Bliss turned to the other corner. "And what am I bid for our loser? Still a formidable weapon to have in your arsenal, or an interesting conversation piece to have in your home. Shall we start with 500,000?"
A few paddles went up and Mallory started to wonder what her friends had planned. Brion was getting more and more agitated with each bid that was met. "We must do something," he said finally, looking at Mallory and Conner, a pleading look cutting through the anger on his face. "I cannot just allow my sister to be auctioned off like a common steer."
Mallory was about to weaken and call Dick when she noticed a new paddle go up. She nodded to the couple bidding. "I think you'll like who's going to win."
He looked closer, narrowing his eyes at the blonde woman in a silver evening gown and the black-haired man next to her in a tux with a blue flower in the lapel. Like everyone else in the crowd, their faces were hidden behind the white owl masks, but he seemed to recognize them after a closer look. "Wait, are they…" V'lana started, squinting at the couple.
"Tigress and Nightwing," Conner finished, nodding.
"But, how? How can they afford to bid?" V'lana asked.
Mallory and Conner exchanged an amused look. "Let's just say poverty is more of a choice for some of us than others," Conner explained. The teens didn't understand the comment, but they were distracted by Bliss ending the bidding, and Terra was led out of the arena to make room for the next two contestants.
"Let's go," Mallory said, and Conner nodded and went to the controls, guiding Bionship off the roof, still in camouflage mode. Dick and Artemis had picked up a car at some point, and they followed the tracker in Dick's watch to a spot a few miles away, landing in a field a full minute before the acquired limo. The two got out, Terra right behind them, and Conner opened the hatch. Terra's face was confused and frightened, but the second she saw Brion standing by the opening, Her eyes flew open and a gasp escaped her.
"Brion?" she asked, her voice so unsure it broke Mallory's heart. The prince nodded, opening his arms, and she ran into them, hiding her face in his shoulder as she tried to get control of herself.
"It is all right, you are safe now," Brion told her, then he switched to Markovian, murmuring the words low so that his sister was the only one who could hear him.
The others gave them a moment, but Dick had to step in. "We need to get the chip out of her neck," he said gently. "We don't want anyone tracking her. Not to mention the whole control thing."
The prince nodded and Terra turned around, wincing when it was ripped out. Brion threw it to the ground, grinding it to a thousand pierced under the heel of his boot. The girl laughed, fresh tears pooling in her eyes as she finally looked around at her other rescuers. "Thank you," she said. "I have not felt so safe, so happy, in years."
Artemis smiled and nodded. "We're just glad we finally managed to track you down." She looked at Dick. "Suit up?" He nodded, and the two went to the back of the bioship to don their unmarked black suits, the same ones that Mallory and Conner were already wearing.
Terra looked between the small group and her brother. "What is all this?" she asked.
He sighed. "We can explain everything, but right now, they need to go back, ok?"
"Why?" the girl asked, more confused than ever.
"We got you out, but there are still dozens of other kids in there. We need to go rescue them, and shut this place down for good," Dick explained, the two coming back in full gear, their masks in position over the bottom half of their faces.
The friends looked at each other, confirming that they were ready, and they dropped out of a hatch Bioship opened in the floor, landing at the back of the mall. They split up, Dick and Artemis slipping into the facility to empty the cells filled with kids, and Mallory and Conner slipping around to the back of the building to find the generators. When they got to them, Conner ripped the cover off and Mallory sent heat off her hands into the box, overheating the fuses and melting the wires. The lights cut off inside, and the soldiers outside went into action, some going inside and others combing out over the grounds to check for intruders.
Mallory spotted a small squad coming towards them and looked at Conner. "Time to go."
He laced his fingers together and she stepped into them, letting him throw her straight up. She caught hold of a ledge a few stories up and pressed herself against the wall, and he jumped up beside her a second later. They watched as the soldiers found the sabotaged generator and went on alert, reporting the update over the walkies. Suddenly, the lights went back on, and they all groaned, realizing how much harder the mission had just become.
"They must have an emergency generator set up," Dick reasoned over the comms.
"Don't you hate it when the bad guys are prepared?" Artemis complained. "Guys, we're going to need a distraction."
"Thought you'd never ask," Mallory said, and she ran down the ledge and jumped down onto a tank, her heels creating a crater in the vehicle and she ripped up the lid to protect herself from the bullets. Conner landed on the tank beside her almost at the same time, pulling on the arm so that it wouldn't be able to fire. They moved on, their combined forces taking out all four tanks before the soldiers could organize enough to effectively fight back.
Because Mallory was sticking to her strength to keep some anonymity around her appearance, Conner too the lead against the bullets, giving her time to grab the detached door of one of the tanks and use it as a makeshift shield, running out from behind him and ramming into people, clearing a path for Conner to work with. Every gun she came across she subtly melted the tip with a touch or a heat wave, never with an open flame, and soon, between the two of them, they had the front mostly clear of the soldiers.
"How's it coming inside?" Conner asked as he dealt with a soldier who was trying to drive a truck into him.
"Well…it's been better," Artemis said, her tone hesitant.
Mallory exchanged a glance with Conner. "What happened?" she asked.
"The Terrors," Dick explained quickly, his voice tight and pained.
Mallory looked back at the door, wanting to go help her friends, but her distraction cost her when a young soldier not much older than her slammed the butt of his rifle into her cheek, throwing her to the ground and making her head feel like jelly. Conner knocked him out with one punch to the jaw, then froze, his eyes fixed on the main entrance to the mall. Mallory followed his gaze, blinking a few times to clear her vision, and groaned when she saw Shimmer and Mammoth charging towards them. "Great," she muttered, accepting Conner's hand up.
"We're a little busy right now," he told the others.
"Geoforce, Nautica," Dick started, but V'lana cut him off.
"We're on our way, send us your location."
Mammoth was almost to them, Shimmer not far behind, and Conner looked at Mallory. "Which one do you want?" he asked.
She sighed, looking between her two options. She could either Shimmer, who was relatively easy to take down once you got past the hands that could melt anything they touched. "I'll take Shimmer," she said.
Her friend nodded, and she started running towards Mammoth, falling to her knees and sliding under his hand at the last minute, moving on as soon as she was clear. Shimmer leapt at her, her hands extended to try to grab her, but Mallory dodged at the last second and the villain had to handspring to keep her balance, burning a hole through the concrete. Inferno narrowed her eyes, wishing now that they had chosen masks that covered their eyes. She knew hers were glowing red as she kept her strength ready, and she also knew that every one of Onslaught knew what that meant. Shimmer clearly recognized her, and a grim smile spread over her face.
"So, it turns out some of the heroes do have the stones to defy to UN. Good, we were starting to think we wouldn't get the chance to kill you after all."
Mallory scoffed. "You're going to kill me? Why do you even still have a job? You've never lasted more than ten seconds against one of us."
"I'm lasting a little longer these days," she said, raising her hands and making them glow.
Mallory shook her head. "You know who I am," she said. "You know that's not going to work on me."
Her opponent shrugged. "We'll see." She charged at her, her hands extended to try to grab hold of something. They fought hand to hand, blocking each others' blows so fast that Shimmer's glowing hands left streaks in the air as she moved.
Mallory was starting to get the upper hand when the woman flipped around her and grabbed a fistful of hair, yanking her backwards. She reached up and flipped the meta over her head, but the damage was already done. The shampoo had burned off unevenly, revealing the signature fire-red color. She saw the recognition in the soldiers' faces as they backed up a few steps, pausing in their efforts to get control of the situation. She glared at her opponent. "Well, good for you," she said. "You untied my hands. You might not be glad that you did." She lit her hands, burning through the gloves and the bottoms of her sleeves, and she finally lit into her opponent with her full abilities. Shimmer was down in six seconds flat, and she smiled down at her unconscious form. "Never could last more than ten seconds," she muttered.
She felt the temperature in the air change and ducked to the side instinctively, narrowly missing the fireball that crashed into the crate in front of her right at head level. The wood erupted in flames in under a second, and her eyes widened as she whirled around to face Holocaust. "Who's making you do this?" she asked, looking around for the buyer who would have the device that controlled the chip.
The boy scoffed, starting to circle her. "I'm no slave, ain't no chip on me!" he told her.
She narrowed her eyes, watching him prepare for a fight. "Don't do it, kid," she warned, already calling her fire to the surface. "You won't win."
"I'm undefeated," he bragged, puffing out his chest. "I'll beat you at your own game, and then I'll be set for life. Sorry, but you've lived your last day."
He built a fireball above his head, making a show of making it big, but Mallory didn't waste time on theatrics. She laced her fingers with the building flames, pulled, and pushed them back at him, knocking him off his feet and into the tank behind him. She walked towards him when he didn't get right up, but his eyes snapped open in a glare, relieving any concern she had for his well being. "Stay down, kid," she told him.
He yelled in anger, shoving himself to his feet, and charged her, his fists lit up with flames. She ducked the first few punches, then grabbed his arm and got him in a headlock, kneeing him hard in the back and brought her elbow down on the back of his neck. He dropped hard, falling on his face and splitting open his cheek and lip. He started to push himself back to his feet, but she knelt on his back, pushing him back to the pavement. "Stay down," she told him. "I don't want to hurt you. I have more important people to fight than you."
She stood slowly, and this time he stayed down. She nodded and looked around. Conner was still fighting Mammoth, but she had eyes on another opponent. Devastation had just run out, and she looked furious. She clocked Inferno in seconds and started her attack, running to get momentum behind her punch, and she slammed her fist into Mallory's stomach before the pyrokinetic could plan a block for it. She doubled over, the wind knocked out of her, and the woman took advantage of it to get in three more punches to the face and chest.
Finally, Mallory backflipped, flaming up to get away from her attacker long enough to regain her breath. The rest of her clothes burned off, leaving only the training clothes she'd worn underneath. The metal mask covering her nose and mouth turned red-hot against her face as she flew down, slamming into the pavement in front of her opponent. The force knocked Devastation off her feet, and Mallory didn't let her get back up. She taped into her strength and hit a pressure point, and the woman went limp. Dick and the others came running out of the mall, nearly two dozen meta kids in tow, and they ran for the Bioship.
"Everybody in, now!" Artemis yelled when the ship's hatch opened.
Conner threw Mammoth across the parking lot and ran inside last, but Dick came back out, looking at Mallory, who was still in the air, looking at something in the distance. "You coming?" he called.
"In a minute," she replied, and she flew out to the road, where hundreds of people were trying to escape before the authorities showed up. She hovered over the road ahead of the pack and shot her flames down, blocking the road. The people started to get out of their cars, trying to find a way around the fire, but she burned the base of two trees, making them fall. She knew it wouldn't keep them all in, but it might at least keep some of them in place until someone could show up and catch them there, with plenty of evidence of what they were doing there. She looked over her work once more, nodding with satisfaction, and flew back to where the ship was just taking off.
Bioship opened a hatch for her, and she cut her flames a second before she entered the Martian ship. Her friends looked at her, waiting for an explanation, and she shrugged. "I couldn't let them all just get away," she said quietly.
Dick nodded. "Well, you sure didn't, and we got twenty-six kids out of their system, not to mention all of the other sites the League and team managed to take out at the same time."
"So, what you're saying is, this was a good night?" she asked, smiling a little as she looked past him to where Brion, V'lana, and Terra were sitting together, the siblings clinging to each other, making up for every day that had been taken from them.
"Yeah," Dick said, returning the smile and putting a hand on hers and Conner's shoulders. "It has."