Requested

Inferno was famous around London. Not for any reason you might expect...

Inferno wasn't a celebrity. She didn't sing, or dance, or act. She wasn't a stripper, contrary to her name.

She saved people.

She dressed all in black, with a black mask, black trousers, black jacket. The only splash of colour was her dark red flame-patterned belt and mane of scarlet hair.

****

And the Guardian... he was also famous.

And for the same reason.

He saved people, too.

He was blue, with a completely blue outfit apart from his white mask. And he... he didn't have any superpowers, really.

Well, maybe one.

****

Some said the Guardian and Inferno were enemies. They weren't.

They respected each other, and had even helped each other out once or twice.

But other than that... Guardian had his half of the city to protect, and Inferno had hers.

****

Lily Evans hurried to her job, desperaly trying to finger-comb her hair. She'd just been on a date with her kind of boyfriend, kind of friend James Potter, and as she'd left, he'd kissed her and...

Well, her hair was now a mess, and she was late.

She cursed under her breath as she entered the school. Lily had a nice job as an art teacher... that was how she'd met James, actually.

His two best friends, Sirius and Remus, had a kid who loved art, and he'd dragged James along to see his pictures.

James hadn't paid much attention to the pictures, and a lot more attention to Lily.

Lily found herself smiling as she thought of it. When he'd asked her to have breakfast with him, she'd accepted, hoping that today would be the day he'd actually ask her to be his girlfriend, rather than staying in the iffy friends-but-more zone they were in at the moment.

At the same time, however, she'd been hoping he wouldn't. Because if he did, she would have to tell him that she was Inferno, the superhero who ran around saving people.

It kind of clashed with the idea James probably had of Lily. The idea that she was sweet, and adventurous, and kind, not...

Well, not what Inferno was. Even the name was awful.

Lily cringed at it. Her best friend Marlene had insisted on it, even if Alice had thought that it sounded like a stripper's name. When Marlene wanted something, though, she usually got her way. So Lily was Inferno.

Last week, Lily had almost killed someone with her still not quite under control powers. Sometimes she wished she could be like the Guardian...

He was stronger than her, she knew. When he'd helped her out with a serial bank robber escapee, she'd really realised just how in control of his powers he was.

He didn't set fire to random houses by accident. He didn't start smoking when he got too excited. And she bet that he had a loyal, loving girlfriend who knew all about his little secret.

Lily rushed into her art classroom, smoothing down her hair and smiling calmly at the kids.

Calm down, Lily, before you set something on fire.

****

James was 99% sure Lily already knew all about him being the Guardian.

She was clever, insanely so. She would have picked up the ten dozen hints he'd been dropping, right?

It couldn't be that hard to put together. Right?

James sighed and rested his head on his desk at work. He was a journalist, although not a very good one at the moment.

His head was too full of too many things.

Firstly, Lily. She was perfect for him... smart, kind, pretty, funny, brave, loyal.

James knew she was wondering why he hadn't asked her to be his girlfriend yet. But how could he, when doing so would mean putting her in danger?

He chewed his lip anxiously. There was something else on his mind, too.

There'd been a prison breakout last night. The police were trying to cover it up, but Remus had hacked them ages ago without their knowledge and had heard all about it.

Apparently a notorious serial killer had escaped, and nobody knew where he was.

If James didn't find him soon, maybe he would ask for Inferno's help.

She always knew everything, and always seemed like she knew exactly what to do. James was sure she would have had no trouble telling her partner about being Inferno.

She would have done exactly the right thing, if she was in his position.

James groaned and started to plan his next article. He'd figure it out later.

****

'A serial killer breakout?' Lily asked, dropping her uneaten lunch on the bench next to Marlene.

They were in the 'hideout' (Marlene's nickname) with Alice. The school day had ended, and Lily was ready to start her other job...

Being Inferno.

'Yup.' Marlene opened the lunch and started to eat Lily's cookie, then pressed a few buttons on the computer, pulling up a map of London.

'That's the Guardian's territory, though,' Alice said, peering over Marlene's shoulder. 'Look.' She pointed with a manicured fingernail.

'If he needs help, he'll ask for it,' Lily said, shrugging. 'Until then, anything for me to do?'

'Fire by the bank,' Marlene said, spinning around in her chair. 'Off you go, Inferno.'

'I hate that name,' Lily muttered.

****

'Fuck,' James cursed. He was sitting on top of a building, watching the streets in case he saw the serial killer, Lucy Bay. Facial recognition had picked her up around where James was (although not on the building) and the amount of policemen around just confirmed it.

She had to be near.

'Hello, Guardian,' a silky voice said slowly, and James turned around- too slowly.

She was right behind him, her blonde hair blowing in the wind. 'I knew I'd find you here. You like open spaces, don't you, Guardian? Open spaces and air. Because that's what you can do. Air. I like air, too, though.'

She grinned. 'This is a warning, Guardian. You and your pretty little friend, Inferno, you stay away from me... and I'll stay away from you.'

'No chance-' James began, but she swept a leg forwards and he was falling, falling backwards-

Think, James, think, you can control the bloody air, get up!

For some reason, the voice in his head was Lily's.

As he soared upwards, he scanned the rooftop for Lucy, but she was already gone.

Typical.

On her case notes, it had said she would do anything to get what she wanted... and she could disappear in the blink of an eye.

I need Inferno's help, James thought.

****

Marlene's computer pinged loudly, signaling an incoming message.

'Ooh, we've got mail!' Marlene cheered. 'I bet it's the Guardian. That serial killer is a nasty piece of work.'

'Please don't say 'nasty piece of work,' Marlene,' Lily groaned. 'You sound like my grandma. What does the Guardian say?'

'Hi, feel like helping out a friend? I might need a hand with Lucy Bay.' Marlene shrugged. 'Why not? What should I write?'

'Reply with Sure. Just tell me where to meet you.' Lily said. 'I'll suit up.'

Word count- 1245
My experience with superheroes comes from watching Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow and DC's Legends so sorry for the shitty names and powers. Also, I stole Guardian from Supergirl.

I couldn't think of anything, don't judge me.

Also my low-key wolfstar is getting less and less low-key as this goes on, whoops.