Authors Note:
I am so sorry its taken me so long to update this story! Combination of my own idiocy (I didn't realize that you could get transcripts of the Young Justice episodes online so I went and transcribed it myself which took forever), stress at uni and an unfortunate tendency to get distracted by other fandoms meant that this story has been largely neglected and/or written at a snails pace. So my apologies for the wait.
I struggled a lot writing this chapter. I've always disliked it when fanfic writers insert a character into a show (i.e. like Dani here in Young Justice) but have them basically steal all the crucial plot roles from the cannon characters. At the same time though, if you're not going to change things then what was the point of inserting a character in the first place? It's a difficult balance. There's not really any significant changes from the cannon plotline in this chapter - but it was crucial to alter just enough so that I can build the basis for later changes. And then I was worried about how necessary it was to include certain information that didn't change from the original episode: you'll notice that I gloss over certain things that happen to Kent as well as his backstory of him and Inza. Anyone who has seen the episode shouldn't have too much trouble, but was I making it too confusing for those who hadn't? Gah! So any feedback in regards to this would be greatly appreciated, as I'm sure I'll struggle with similar problems when I get up to writing the next episode.
That said, I am warning people now that this story is going on a temporary hiatus. Sorry. I need some time to step back and plan where this story is going - pretty much all my ideas and plans now for this story focus on the second half of season 1. That part I've got worked out pretty well, I just haven't figured out how to get there yet. I'm also planning to take the time to write some of the (many) stories I've had ideas for that are now in various states of completion. The hope is that I'll get them out of my system so I can focus on this story.
But do not lose hope: this story is NOT abandoned! (And if it ever is, I will definitely post a final chapter detailing all that I had planned so that you at least have some closure)
I do not own Danny Phantom or Young Justice. Unfortunately.
New Orleans
July 27, 22:19 CDT
Madame Xanadu examined the artifacts she possessed in deep thought. Passed down through her family, the tarot cards, grimoire and other paraphernalia were heirlooms she had cherished only for their connection to her mother and grandmother. Magic was a con after all, just a trick to bring money. Except. Except that old man had seen through her trick, calling her an unbeliever (what was there to believe?) and claiming she had 'the perfect aura for the work' (for what work? Magic?). Except that man had then vanished – taken by another – disappearing right in front of her. Except that as she fled from the room the old man's cane had rose from the ground and vanished as well. Except…
Well.
Perhaps she wasn't an unbeliever any more.
Mount Justice
August 19, 19:39 EDT
"Initiate combat training." The computer's voice droned. "3, 2, 1."
Dani watched, appraising her two teammates sparring with a raised eyebrow. Her money was on Superboy. Aqualad was good, but SB had been training with Black Canary a lot lately – she had some pretty mean tricks. Seeing Artemis and M'gann chatting, Dani made her way over.
"…you know who would make the cutest couple? You and Wally." M'gann was saying, glancing to Wally just as he took a massive bite from… whatever he was eating.
Ick. Maybe Dani didn't want to join in the conversation after all. Not if they were going to start making goo-goo eyes at the boys. Quickly changing direction, Dani made her way over to Wally.
"You're so full of passion," M'gann continued, "and he's so full of…"
"It?" Artemis finished with a smirk and they both laughed.
"You realize they're talking about you right?" Dani asked Wally.
"Wait, what? Who is?" Wally blurted out through a mouthful of food.
Dani rolled her eyes, hearing someone slam into the ground behind her. ("Failed. Aqualad.") She turned to see Aqualad getting up of the floor – I so called it! She thought – as Superboy patted his hands, saying something about Black Canary.
With a quick goodbye smirk to Wally Dani headed over to the sparring ring, planning to challenge Superboy to a spar, when suddenly Red Tornado dropped down from his door in the roof and began to walk out of the room. Shrugging, Dani ignored him, until Wally suddenly zoomed to his side.
"Do you have a mission for us?" Wally asked in a rush.
At this, Dani perked up. The team hadn't gotten a mission since her rescue – and she didn't really get to appreciate that one, being the damsel in distress and all.
"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility." Red Tornado responded.
"Yeah well the Batman's with the Robin doing the dynamic duo thing in Gotham. But you're headed somewhere, right? Hot date? Or a mission?"
"If we can be of help." Aqualad added calmly.
Red Tornado paused for a moment, before turning and bringing up a hologram picture of an old man.
"This is Kent Nelson, a friend. He is 106 years old." Red Tornado stated.
"Guy doesn't look a day over ninety." Wally whispered to Artemis. Dani giggled quietly behind her hands as Red Tornado continued.
"And he has been missing for 23 days. Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society, the precursor to your mentors' Justice League."
The picture changed to a man in dark blue with a high collared gold cape and a featureless gold helmet. Dani studied him with interest. She hadn't even known there was a hero group before the Justice League. Aqualad stepped forward, a look of dawning comprehension on his face.
"Of course. Nelson was Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. He was Dr. Fate."
Dani studied the image again. Sorcerer huh? Cool. Ecto-energy and magic were supposed to be kinda the same weren't they? Maybe she could learn some new tricks…
"Pfft." Wally scoffed quietly, cutting into Dani thoughts. "More like Dr. Fake. Guy knows some advanced science and Dumbledors it up to scare the bad guys and impress the babes."
"Kent may simply be on one of his walkabouts. But he is caretaker to the helmet of Fate, the source of the doctor's mystic might. And it is unwise to leave such power unguarded." Red Tornado explained, not noticing Wally's comment.
"He is like the great sorcerer priests and priestesses of Mars. I would be honored to help find him." M'gann said, stepping forward.
"Me too!" Wally cut in, shooting his arm into the air. "So honored I can barely stand it. Magic rocks." He held out both hands in the rock-on signal.
Dani facepalmed as Artemis rolled her eyes. Both turned their attention back to Red Tornado as he gave Aqualad a strange looking key.
"Take this. It is the key to the Tower of Fate."
As Aqualad accepted the key, Wally slid over to M'gann.
"What are the chances we'd both so admire the mystic arts?" He asked slyly.
"Personally I'd go with zilch." Dani whispered to Artemis, loudly enough for Wally to hear. Artemis chuckled as Wally shot a glare their way.
Inside the camouflaged bioship, on their way to the coordinates Red Tornado had supplied, Dani listened in silence as Artemis sarcastically questioned Wally's new found 'belief' in magic. Frankly, Dani was surprised M'gann hadn't caught on yet, what with Artemis' pointed comments.
"…before I became Kid Flash, I seriously considered becoming a wizard myself." Wally said smoothly, placing his arms behind his head.
Honestly if he laid it on any thicker, Dani thought, she could cut it with a knife! They flew on in silence for a few moments, before M'gann spoke.
"We've reached Tornado's coordinates, but–"
"Nothing's there." Superboy finished, as the bioship flew above an empty field.
"Take us down." Aqualad ordered softly.
No one noticed the cat watching from an alley, its red eyes narrowing as it saw the bioship land and the team emerge. And no one noticed the cat as it turned and ran off, to the old theater where its child-like master was laughing as he watched his college torture one Kent Nelson, Sorcerer Supreme.
The team split up, examining the seemingly empty field uncertainly. Wally was zigzagging around at top speed, and Dani almost hoped that he would run straight into an invisible wall – if only so he would stop his impress M'gann act. Actually, now that she thought about it… Dani headed over to M'gann.
"You realize it's all an act right?" She asked quietly.
"What?" M'gann responded, tilting her head in confusion. "Magic? No, its rea–"
"Not magic. Wally. He doesn't believe in magic – he just said he did 'cause you did." M'gann began to look even more confused.
"He wouldn't do that…" M'gann trailed off uncertainly. "Why would he lie?"
M'gann looked at Dani questioningly, but she just shrugged. A little way ahead, Artemis and Wally were discussing the lack of a building.
"So, what do you think? Adaptive micro-optoelectronics combined with phase-shifting?" Artemis suggested.
"Absolutely…" Wally began happily, then panicked as he spotted M'gann and Dani walking their way. "Not! Clearly, mystical powers are at work here."
M'gann looked between the two of them in concern as Artemis crossed her arms in frustration. Turning to Dani, who simply raised an eyebrow pointedly, M'gann frowned slightly.
Across the road, hidden from sight, stood the witch-boy and his cat, Teekl, along with his colleague and a silenced Kent. The witch-boy turned to his associate.
"Hey, Abra-Kadabra. Aren't you using adaptive micro-optoelectronics and phase-shifting?"
Abra-Kadabra looked away resentfully.
"Yes."
After a few moments of the team standing around aimlessly, Aqualad took the key out of his pocket. He looked over at the empty field, with a thoughtful expression.
"A test of faith…" he examined the key's inscription, the word 'insert', "Stand behind me." he told the team.
Dani watched curiously as Aqualad walked forward and inserted the key into thin air. There was a strange buzzing in her ear as Aqualad turned the key and suddenly a massive brick tower manifested in front of them. Dani tilted her head back trying to see the top of the tower. Neat. I wonder if any of the lairs in the ghost zone can do that? She wondered, following Aqualad through the tower's door along with a very shocked Artemis and Wally.
They entered a room empty except for torches on the wall and a portrait of a woman, the door shutting behind them. The buzzing in her head suddenly increased to a loud ominous hum. Dimly, Dani heard Superboy ask what happened to the door, as a golden sphere grew around her in a flash of light.
"What the heck?!" she cried, pounding on the sphere in shock.
"Dani!" M'gann and Aqualad exclaimed in shock, the Martian girl flying to her in concern.
"Apologies." An unknown voice stated calmly, halting the team's concerned converging on Dani.
Dani and the others looked to the front of the room, where an image of Kent Nelson had appeared.
"You have entered with a key, but the tower does not recognize you and you travel with an individual of considerable ecto-might. Please state your purpose and intent."
Wally smiled at M'gann before stepping forward.
"Wally, don't!" Dani cried out, but not before he answered the guardian.
"We are true believers, here to find Dr. Fate." Wally claimed in a dramatic voice.
"You idiot!" Dani said, the guardian fading away with a skeptical expression.
"What?" Wally said looking at her in confusion. And then the floor disappeared.
Dani watched in horror as her friends fell through the floor. The heat rising from the hole was unbearable – but the cries of shock had not turned into screams of pain yet, so she had to assume they were still alive.
"I'm going ghost!" Dani cried, the two rings of white travelling over her body.
Charging her hands with ecto-energy, Dani tried to blast the golden sphere, only to find that it absorbed all her attacks. Growling in frustration Dani turned intangible, planning to phase through the sphere, but stopped when she suddenly wasn't alone in the room. A see-through Kent Nelson – all tied up – was standing beside her, in front of two strange men and a striped cat. But the weirdest thing, they were standing over the hole her friends had just fallen through. There was a see-through floor covering the hole to match the see-through people.
"The tower may not appreciate trespassers." Kent said warningly. His voice had a kind of static quality to it, as though Dani was hearing it through a bad radio.
One of the other men, the one with the shirt that showed off his chest hair (Gross, Dani shuddered) pointed a wand at Mr. Nelson.
"Mute." The wand sparked with some kind of electricity, and a collar appeared out of nowhere, clamping around the old man's throat.
The group walked forward and the wall opened for them, revealing an old fashioned looking living room, complete with a fireplace. As he passed next to her, Kent Nelson's eyes moved to look directly at her. The others couldn't seem to see her… no wait, the cat can, Dani amended as the cat hissed at her when its master carried it past her cage.
"Shush Teekl." The creepy boy in a suit told it absently, watching Mr. Nelson with eager eyes.
Dani watched in confusion as they all entered the living room and the wall closed behind them. Glancing down as the see-through floor, Dani started as she realized her friends were still down there. Raising her still intangible hands, she tried to phase through the golden sphere. There was a give in the weird material that wasn't there before, but it still resisted her like a ghost-shield would. Actually, better than a ghost shield, because at least with a ghost shield she could just turn human to get free. Dani's arms shook as she tried to force her way through.
"Stupid shield. Why won't you – gah!"
The sphere's sudden absence took Dani by surprise. Unable to catch herself, she was sent tumbling down the hole. Down below the team quickly landed on the doors that had shut over the lava at M'gann's more truthful answer to the quardian's question. They got up somewhat disbelievingly, only to look up quickly at the loud cry that preceded a (biologically) twelve year old halfa landing painfully on top of a kryptonian clone.
"Ow..."
As Dani and Superboy untangled limbs, Wally helped M'gann up with one of his typical flirtatious statements. Growling in frustration, Artemis shoved the boy into the wall.
"Enough! Your little impress-Megan-at-all-costs game nearly got us all barbequed!"
"When did this become my fault?" Wally asked angrily.
Dani looked up in disbelief.
"You lied to the lair's guardian." She replied flatly.
"I didn't lie!" Wally denied in a high pitched voice.
"Oh, so you didn't call yourself a 'true believer' of magic then?" Artemis said sarcastically. At her words, M'gann looked at Wally in confusion.
"Wally, you don't believe?" she asked softly.
Wally glanced at each member of the team, taking in their disapproving expressions.
"Fine! Fine. I lied about believing in magic. But magic is the real lie. A major load." He ranted angrily.
Aqualad watched him calmly.
"Wally, I studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis. The mystic arts created the skin-icons that power my water-bearers."
"Dude, you ever hear of bioelectricity? Hey in primitive cultures, fire was once considered magical too. Today, it's all just a bunch of tricks." He replied, crossing his arms defensively.
"You're pretty closed minded for a guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers." Artemis said pointedly.
"That's science. I recreated Flash's laboratory experiment and here I am! Everything can be explained by science."
As the two bickered, Aqualad kneeled on the floor.
"Let's test that theory." He interjected, pulling open a trapdoor that was not there before.
Dani ignored Wally's loud protest, shivering as she once again heard that strange buzzing – Magic? Could she be hearing magic, she wondered? A blast of cold air hit her and she flew through the trapdoor with a grin. It looked a lot like how she imagined the realm of Far Frozen to be. After a moment, the team followed her.
"Well?" Artemis asked. Guess this argument is still ongoing, Dani thought, rolling her eyes as Wally made some comment on pocket dimensions.
"Travelling between dimensions feels a lot different." She called over her shoulder. "There's more swirling."
She was saved from his probably sarcastic reply by M'gann pointing out the weird floating cane. Dani approached the cane cautiously.
"Do you think it's a trap?" She wondered aloud.
"Maybe its Nelson's magic wand?" Wally suggested acerbically, zipping over to grab it the same time as Artemis.
"I got it." They said simultaneously.
Suddenly they both pulled back in alarm as the cane started glowing.
"I can't let go!"
The cane pulled the two into the sky where they disappeared in a flash of light. As the remaining team looked at in other in confusion, Dani raised her hand with a smirk.
"Called it!"
In another part of the Tower, Kent Nelson was taunting his captors while waiting for the right moment to act. The girl he had seen was strong in ecto energy – hopefully together with her and her friends they could shift the fight in their favour. Tracking them through the Tower's presence he knew they were approaching his cane. Feeling the shift in power, Kent prepared himself. When the two kids appeared on the stairway above him in a flash of gold, he smiled.
"Well, would you look at that." He drawled.
Gathering his magic, he slingshot himself to his cane – sending the witch-boy and the charlatan flying. His bindings melted away as he seized the cane and he released the Tower's lockdown for this level, revealing elevator doors. He called to the kids and they all entered the elevator, just in time for Klarion's temper tantrum to hit the closed doors.
Back in the snow, M'gann was questioning Wally's attitude.
"I don't understand Wally. It's almost like he needs to believe the impossible can't happen."
"He'll learn." Dani said flippantly. "Jazz was the same at first – refused to believe in ghosts right up until she was face to face with one."
"Wally uses his knowledge of science to control what he cannot comprehend. Acknowledging the existence of magic would be to relinquish the last vestige of that control." Aqualad explained calmly.
"But that control doesn't really exist." Dani objected.
There was a sound of creaking wood and a doorway suddenly appeared on the hill to their right.
"Case in point." Superboy added with a shrug.
Together, the four headed towards the door.
The two kids – Artemis and Wally they said their names were – reminded Kent of himself and Inza at their age. Granted, the boy was firmly entrenched in the world of science if his skepticism was any indicator, but the light bickering and sarcastic remarks? Ooh boy, was that familiar. Kent kept his observations to himself, instead bringing the two up to speed on Abra Kadabra, Klarion and the helmet. As the elevator deposited them in the bell room, Kent mentally checked on the presence of the rest of their friends to find they were just about there. In confirmation, a golden doorway opened in the sky as the three reached the giant bell and four kids came through. Seeing the two boys collapse in an ungainly heap only to be followed by two girls floating sedately to the ground made him chuckle inwardly.
"Friends of yours?" Kent asked Wally with dry humor.
The kid's attention was drawn by an odd noise and he ducked, narrowly missing being hit by a blast of lightning.
"Friends of yours?" the kid replied with grim irony.
They both dodged a second attack as the Team leapt into action. In the confusion, Kent directed Wally to the bell. With a sharp tap with his cane, Kent activated the bell's portal. As the two walked into the now glowing bell and disappeared, Klarion picked up his cat and leapt towards them, followed closely by Dani. In quick succession, all four had disappeared into parts unknown.
At the top of the Tower, open to the elements, flashed the Helmet of Fate. It was to this serene sight that Kent Nelson and Wally appeared, Kent reaching for the helmet in grim respect. Kent's hands were inches from its surface when Klarion made his entrance, blasting Kent to the ground with a well-aimed bolt of magic.
Dani wasn't really sure why she flew after the weird kid in the suit. The man who turned up with Wally and Artemis was obviously Kent Nelson and Kent Nelson was Dr. Fate after all. The guy may be old – 100 and something, can you believe it – but he had been a member of the Justice Society for a reason. But that kid's cat… it had seen her, even though only Mr. Nelson really should've been able to (this being his Lair… Tower… thing) That plus the creepy goosebumps inducing aura he gave off sorta reminded her of Vlad… that barely restrained madness, straining to break free. Except somehow she didn't think that in this case 'breaking free' would result in something as tame as a shouted rant ("I! AM! NOT! A! FRUIT! LOOP!") and a few enraged ecto-rays. So she followed him into the golden bell.
What she saw on the other side was not good. Emerging just as Klarion's bolt struck true, Dani returned the favor with some well-aimed blasts, managing to stall the creepy kid long enough for Mr. Nelson to raise a dome shield.
"No!" Klarion yelled.
Infuriated, he turned to an unprotected Dani.
"You little twerp!" he snarled, shooting a stream of red and black fire at her.
With a yelp, Dani quickly blocked with an ecto-shield, straining under the force of the flames. Under the dome Kent collapsed, breaking Dani's concentration and cracking her shield. Klarion pressed his attack, forcing his way through. In desperation, Dani turned invisible and leapt out of the way, narrowly missing being barbequed. Thinking to catch him by surprise from behind Dani remained invisible, but Klarion smirked and formed a flickering black sphere in his palms. Upon release, the sphere pulsed outwards in all directions impacting harmlessly on the shield protecting Kent and Wally. Dani, on the other hand, did not cope nearly so well. Instinctually turning intangible rather than pulling up a shield, she shrieked in pain as shadow flames burned her from the inside out, before collapsing on the ground unconscious and in human form.
Inside the dome, Wally could only watch helplessly as he performed CPR on Mr. Nelson. To his right, Kent's cane floated, slowly being consumed by golden fire as Klarion attacked the shield. With Dani now out of the picture, he was at a loss as to what to do. So he kept performing CPR however futile it may be.
"I want that helmet and I want it now!" Klarion demanded and Wally glanced at it unsure.
Klarion's eyes narrowed and a ring of red runes appeared around his feet.
"Wally! We're in trouble. Tell Kent we need Dr. Fate." M'gann's voice sounded in his head.
As Klarion's magic formed giant hands, claws digging through the protective shield, Wally stared at the helmet.
"A test of faith." He stated with some apprehension, grabbing it and drawing it to his chest.
"Hey Dumb Kid! You put that on you may never get it off." Klarion called warningly.
With a jerk of his arms, Klarion's mystical claws ripped the dome to shreds. Wally raised the helmet above his head, solemn and more than a bit apprehensive. With a furious growl, Klarion sent out a blast of power that enveloped him just as the helmet reached his head.
Freedom! For too long he had been tucked away, useless, without a host. But now order would prevail. The mystical entity who called himself Nabu – though he was known to the world as Dr. Fate – regarded the Witch Boy in silence, relishing the feeling of being free to do his work once more. In the back of his mind he could feel the spirit of his former host explaining the circumstances to the child whose body was his to control. He ignored it.
"Klarion! Your Chaos has no place here."
"Give it up Nabu! Order went out of style in the 20th century!" Klarion replied, throwing balls of fire at him.
Calmly, Nabu summoned an ankh shield.
"This battle is pointless." Nabu informed the Witch Boy. "You sought to take the helmet before it gained a host. But you are too late."
"Shut it, you old fart." Klarion retorted angrily.
The Witch Boy summoned two brick pillars, which arched and smashed into Nabu from both sides. The ankh symbol reappeared, shattering the pillars and leaving Nabu unharmed.
"Brat." Nabu snapped, sending a blast of golden light towards his enemy who screamed and disappeared. As the cat ran off to the side, Nabu scanned the roof suspiciously, only to grunt in pain as a blast to the back sent him sprawling.
("Aah! What gives?" Nabu heard the boy ask. "Well, it is your body." Kent's spirit replied with a shrug.)
Distracted by the boy's petition for control of his body – and though he didn't admit it even to himself, hurt by Kent's flippant dismissal of the helmet – Nabu failed to dodge the next several attacks from the Witch Boy.
"You're out of practice Nabu. And that pathetic host body? Zero affinity for the mystic arts." Klarion taunted.
Nabu ground his teeth in resentment, throwing up a dome shield with mere seconds to spare before Klarion's conjured lightning hit him. Out of practice indeed. It galled him to think how long it had been since Kent had deigned to put on the helmet. So many years… useless. The lightning crackled against his shield, sending out sparks of all colours.
"Ooh. Rainbow power." Klarion commented.
Off to the side the ghost child stirred. Watching her, the cat hissed, then turned to its master and meowed.
"I am paying attention, you stupid cat." Klarion sneered. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm winning."
Nabu surveyed the scene, his eyes narrowing at the cat. He released a pulse that exploded through the dome, knocking back the Witch Boy and cat and giving him some breathing room. The power passed harmlessly over the ghost child, who lifted her head and silently assessed the situation with blue eyes.
"It is difficult for a Lord of Order, or Chaos, to maintain a presence on the physical plane." Nabu told Klarion calmly, knowing the girl was listening.
As he spoke, Nabu drew in the remaining power from the dome to form a circle of glowing golden flames. The Witch Boy's face and hair grew demonic, his eyes turning to pitch. As his anger grew, a fiery red aura surrounded both him and the cat at his feet. Off to the side, a pure white ring emerged around the ghost child's waist. As she lay there watching, it silently split in two and travelled over her body, revealing her spectral form. Meanwhile Klarion began to barrage Nabu with hellfire, causing Nabu to take to the air.
"I am bound to the helmet and use a human host. But that is not your way." Nabu continued, his eyes resting deliberately on the cat as he sent an ineffectual attack towards the Witch Boy. Unnoticed by Klarion, a pair of glowing green eyes widened in realization before focusing on the cat determinedly.
"You're babbling, Nabu." Klarion spat, his eyes shining red.
"Am I?" Nabu asked smugly.
A beam of golden light shot from his chest, timed perfectly with a green ecto-ray. Klarion threw up a shield but the two attacks passed harmlessly by, converging on the intended target. The cat had just enough time to hiss in fear before it was knocked down, skidding across the roof with a small meow. The Witch Boy cried out in fear.
"Teekl!"
Shooting a hate-filled glare at Nabu, Klarion rounded furiously on Dani. "I can't believe you would assault a defenseless pussycat."
"We both know that creature is no cat Witch Boy." Nabu asserted "And without your familiar you have no anchor in this reality."
As he spoke a gold fire flickered around the cat. For a moment its distinctive markings faded and disappeared, only to return once it woke.
Klarion looked at his hands to see them flickering in and out of visibility.
"Bully! Killjoy. Geezer!" Klarion snapped furiously.
With a detached air, Nabu sent out another attack.
"Holy carp!" the Witch Boy muttered, leaping backwards into the circular portal that appeared behind him. Klarion dropped down next to the cat from a second portal, scooping up his familiar. "We're out of here."
Cat and Lord of Chaos erupted into dark red lights that swirled into the sky and faded out of sight.
Nabu watched him go in silence, cape flaring dramatically out behind him. As an afterthought he turned a portion of his attention to the charlatan accomplice, removing the man's clothes – and all his futuristic technology – with a simple spell. Free from his 'magical' cages, the Team apprehended him.
"Yeah!" Dani crowed, looking up where the Witch Boy had disappeared. "That's Danielle Phantom 1 and creepy kid and cat 0! Oh and maybe ½ for Kid Flash, right Wally?"
There was no answer.
"Wally?" Dani asked, turning around to see Dr. Fate still standing beside her.
"Why haven't you given Wally back?" She asked accusingly.
"Because the world needs Dr. Fate. I will not release this body." Dr. Fate's – Wally's – voice rang out coldly.
"What!?" Dani cried, stepping back in shock.
He can't do that! She thought frantically. He's the good guy – good guys don't steal people's bodies!
"You can't do that!"
"I can."
"No. You won't." Dani stated coldly, launching herself towards the Lord of Order.
Dr. Fate raised a hand and released a pulse of gold light, but Dani formed an ecto shield around herself as she flew, her eyes a furious green. There was a blinding flash as the two collided.
When it dissipated, there was only Dr. Fate.
"Overshaddowing is one thing. But possession is crossing the line." Dr. Fate's voice rang out once again, this time overlaid by Dani's. Wally's hands reached up to grasp the helmet, only to clench into fists as Dani-as-Wally grunted in pain and collapsed to their knees.
Dr. Fate caught himself and silently got to his feet.
As Nabu watched Klarion's escape in silence, inside the helmet Wally was celebrating.
"Yes! That's how we kick it on the earthly plane!"
He grinned at Kent, waiting expectantly and readying his answer to Dani's ½ comment – he'd show her ½ – but nothing happened. Hesitantly he glanced at Kent.
"Uh, it's over, right? So why isn't Nabu taking off the helmet?" Behind them an image of the helmet appeared.
"Because the world needs Dr. Fate. I will not release this body."
"You can't do that!" Wally yelled, absently noticing Dani shouting the same thing – Nabu must have said that out loud as well. "Can he do that?" Wally quietly added as an aside to Kent's spirit.
"I can." Nabu responded.
"Can, but shouldn't." Kent replied. He made as though to say more, but the helmet abruptly disappeared.
Not exactly feeling it, but knowing his body was doing something (and wasn't that a weird sensation?) Wally returned his attention to the outside world.
"Yes! Dani's got my back." He exclaimed happily, spotting the girl flying towards him.
Since meeting the ghost kids, Wally had come to learn that such a sight was generally followed by embarrassment – being Dani's favourite practice dummy for overshadowing was not good for his dignity – but right now he welcomed it. Sure enough, there it was: the familiar tingling that comes hand in hand with being overshadowed. It felt a bit odd what with him already not being the one controlling his body, but even so.
"Overshaddowing is one thing, but possession is crossing the line." Dani's voice echoed firmly through the helmet.
"Thankyou!" Wally said acerbically (alright, so maybe he still held a bit of a grudge for the many times he had been stuck as practice dummy)
For the second time, Wally readied himself for the helmet's removal. Instead what he got was a sharp pain that shuddered through his body and Dani's sudden appearance beside him in the helmet's domain. Nabu's helmet appeared before them again.
"You forget. I control the one who wears the helmet. That includes those who 'overshaddow' the wearer."
Kent helped Dani to her feet before regarding the helmet grimly.
"Nabu, these are not the right candidates. The kid's soul belongs to the world of science, not sorcery. And the girl's ecto nature conflicts with that of a Lord of Order's."
"True. But I do not appreciate being permanently hidden away, useless and isolated for decades at a time. Chaos must not be allowed to reign!" Nabu's voice replied bitterly, suddenly turning to a shout at the end.
"That won't happen again." Kent assured Nabu.
The skepticism in Nabu's silence was obvious.
"The kids–" Kent hesitated, taking in the murderous glare that Dani was giving the helmet. "Ah… the boy will take the helmet and make sure you're put to good use."
"Yeah. No, I swear." Wally agreed quickly.
"And in the meantime, I'll stick around, keep you company." Kent added softly. Both kids looked at him in shock.
"Wait. What happened to you ascending, seeing Inza?" Wally asked, concerned, as Dani nodded in the background.
Kent smiled. They were good kids.
"So you believe now huh? Don't sweat it kids, I'll spend a few millennia here, then see Inza." He pulled out his fob watch, smiling at the picture of his beloved. "That's the great thing about eternity. It's eternal."
"The bargain is acceptable." Fate responded.
The helmet suddenly faded from view, followed closely by Dani. Wally smiled sadly at Kent.
"Some free advice before you go. Find your own little spitfire," Kent said, as Wally's world turned white. "one who won't let you get away with nothing. For example that–"
Kent's voice faded to nothing as Wally became aware of his surroundings. With a quick smile in thanks at Dani beside him, he tucked the helmet under his arm and walked over to Kent's body. Solemnly, he placed Kent's fob watch – with the picture of someone who had to be Inza – in the man's hand.
A respectful silence fell.
Mount Justice
August 20, 03:48 EDT
Dani was watching invisibly as Wally deposited the Helmet on a shelf in his souvenir room. Staring at the Helmet, she remained there in deep thought long after Wally and Artemis had argued and Wally left to flirt with Meghan. Thing was, Wally might have promised to find a new host for Dr Fate, but she didn't trust him not to try to possess whoever that happened to be. And she wasn't sure how to stop him if he did. Maybe overshadowing the Helmet, rather than the host… but Kent had said her ecto-nature conflicts with Dr Fate's. Who knew what could happen if she deliberately mixed them both (although if the adamant refusal when she suggested it as a solution to Danny was any indicator, he might).
Actually… thinking of the Helmet and overshadowing, the way it had possessed her and Wally was weird. Generally if you overshadowed someone with powers you couldn't really use them – your powers kinda overshadowed theirs, same as how your mind overshadowed their mind. But Dr Fate drew his powers from his host. He had his own powers, which should have stopped him from using theirs but Dani could feel him drawing partially from Wally and her to strengthen his own. Although not by much – she had a feeling the whole ghostly and scientific "accident" origins of their powers limited him. If either of them could actually use magic it probably would have almost doubled his abilities.
"I wonder if it's possible for me or Danny to do that?" she murmured as she allowed herself to fade back to visibility. "Or to do the opposite?"
Dani tilted her head, the gears in her head turning.
"I was overshadowing Wally – and you too – but you took back control. I wonder if I could overshadow someone, but let them still be in control… maybe…"
Dani grinned, pulling a Fenton Phone out of her pocket and slipping it onto her ear. If she wanted to try this, she'd need someone with a lot of practice at being overshadowed. Someone who'd built up a bit of an "immunity".
"Hey Tucker…"
