To Be Like the Guardians

Part 2: The Protecting, Chapter 5: No

Mallory looked at Howard lying and shaking on the floor. "Good. I've found you." The room was silent. "You're fired." Fiona left the room, Howard's Power-Inducer in her hand. "Get up."

Howard tried to stand but fell back down. Apparently she wasn't stable yet. A couple of dark-haired men walked over and hoisted her to her feet. Her eyes were wide and wet, stunned.

"No," she said, her voice soft and croaky. "No!" She sprayed electric sparks everywhere, and the men shouted and let her go. Mallory jumped back. She shook her head and stood up straight. Recovered. "Agents M. and H. Sloan wouldn't want this!"

"You're clearly unstable and untrustworthy," Mallory said. "You don't deserve a Power-Inducer, and you don't belong here. I'm firing you for the safety of everyone. File out, agents. I'll tell you when it's safe to come back."

Beth flinched and held her arms out in front of her. "I'm defending myself." All but her and Mallory rushed out the door. Agent I. Flynn hesitated for a second, but that was all. Flynn. She had to have been Howard's spy. There was no one else who would trust her enough to give her the information from the meetings. She had to have found out some way.

The doors shut, leaving the room nearly empty of people. Mallory's body tingled and numbed, and he surprisingly grew to twice his height. Apparently his body strength increased, too, for he was able to support his new weight. Howard's eyebrows rose into her hair.

"Come with me, or Agent I. Flynn will be fired as well," he threatened. Howard did nothing for a moment, but then she lowered her arms. Mallory felt himself return to his normal size. He had to pass through the headquarters quickly in case he shapeshifted again. People might lose their trust in him if they saw that he could do that, for shapeshifters were generally thought of as tricky.

Mallory grabbed Howard's arm and practically dragged her out the door, down the hallways, past Angelia, who was returning to the training area from the bathroom and didn't look surprised at Mallory behaving negatively toward Howard, and through the front doors. He then shoved her into the back seat of his car and drove to her home. He had records of every L.E.R. agent's address in order to assign them to different areas to help protect people, mostly children.

Howard didn't speak as he marched her up to her apartment, but her brown eyes were narrowed. She flung her door open, and he followed her in.

"Why did Agents M. and H. Sloan even hire you?" she said. "You're horrible."

"No, I'm helping people," Mallory countered. "I'm only doing all this because I need to protect my children."

"Heroes don't put people in danger. Irene almost died when she quit. And the Fearlings and Nightmares won't stop attacking just because Pitch is dead; they'll want revenge."

"No, the Fearlings and Nightmares will stop. She doesn't know what she's talking about. She doesn't know the danger like we do."

"Just give me your weapons and uniform," Mallory said.

Howard huffed and went to her bedroom for a minute, returning with her Detector, sword, Wrist Shields, and uniform.

"Your Stunner?" Mallory said. Howard practically threw all that she was holding at him and retreated to her room, then came out with her black Stunner.

"And your friend better not spy on me again, Howard."

Her mouth opened a little in presumed surprise, though Mallory didn't know for sure because she didn't have a haze, and then he slammed her door and stalked away. He made a mental note to himself to have Fiona remove her fingerprint from the list of agents', and he walked to his car, getting in to drive back to the headquarters.