Guest: This chapter and the next one will come quickly but they're short (oops). As for Paityn having a mentor, right now the answer is no. She has several 'mentors' at A.R.G.U.S. (as you will see in the next chapter). But I will admit, if she did have a mentor in the League it would be Black Canary. But, there seems to be a stigma around Black Canary protégé OCs, so...yeah. Anyways, thank you so much!

Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.


MOUNT JUSTICE

AUGUST 19, 19:39 EDT

"Initiate: Combat Training. Three, two, one." When the machine finished the countdown, Kaldur immediately rushed forward, charging at Superboy. Who was shirtless once again. Paityn glanced at the other girls on the Team, all of whom had a crush on Superboy. Sure enough, Akari, M'gann, and Artemis were all watching Superboy with interest.

"Kaldur's, uh, nice, don't you think?" Artemis said, looking at the three other girls. Paityn raised an eyebrow. What is she getting at? "Handsome…commanding…one of you three should totally ask him out!" Paityn coughed, surprised at the sudden and random question.

"Um, no thanks. I'm thirteen – I think he's a little too old for me."

"He's like a big brother to me!" M'gann protested. "But you know who would make the cutest couple? Artemis and Wally!" Akari nodded enthusiastically. Paityn noticed Artemis's eyes narrow slightly. Oh…oh. They're trying to make Superboy available for one of them by pushing the others into dating other members of the Team. She rolled her eyes slightly, hoping none of them would notice. What wimps. She continued to watch the exchange of her friends with amused affection.

"Oh, totally," Akari said, agreeing with M'gann's earlier statement. "Artemis, you're so full of passion and he's so full of…uh…" They all turned towards Wally, where he was snacking on a burrito loudly. Akari was clearly struggling to think of something flattering to say.

"It?" Artemis asked, making all the girls laugh. Paityn looked at Akari curiously. She knew her friend had a crush on Superboy, but it was still pretty weird of her to be pushing Artemis onto Wally in order to get her out of the way – it didn't seem like Akari at all. Then again, it wasn't like Paityn had ever seen Akari fight over a boy with another girl, let alone crush on a boy. So maybe it wasn't out of character for her old friend.

"Well, Paityn, maybe Kaldur is too old for you, but what about Robin?" M'gann asked the younger girl. Paityn frowned. Where the hell is this coming from? It's not like I want to date Superboy.

"Robin? No way. I mean, he's cute and everything, be we're just friends." That was true. If Paityn was being totally honest, though, she was harboring a small crush on the Boy Wonder. But that didn't mean that she wanted to date him.

"Uh-huh," M'gann said, smiling knowingly at Paityn.

"M'gann!" Paityn said, half-protesting and half-laughing. "Seriously! I don't even know his real name – how would I be expected to be in a relationship with him?" M'gann shrugged, but before she could say anything else, the girls were cut off by the machine announcing the end of the fight. Superboy had one, having thrown Kaldur on his back and on to his back. The clone was dusting his hands off, looking very self-satisfied.

"Black Canary taught me that," he told his friend, helping Kaldur up. A hatch in the ceiling above opened, and Red Tornado floated down, surrounded by his signature storm. The second the robot's feet touched the ground, Wally sped over to him.

"Do you have a mission for us?" he asked, eager. Red Tornado stopped, looking at Wally. The rest of the Team gathered around their redheaded friend.

"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility," he reminded the speedster and the rest of his friends. Wally shrugged.

"Yeah, well, the Batman's with the Robin doing the Dynamic Duo thing in Gotham…but you're headed somewhere, right?" Wally smirked at the robot, waggling his eyebrows. "A hot date? Or a mission?" He emphasized the word mission, pronouncing it 'mish-own.'

"If we can be of help," Kaldur added more respectfully. Red Tornado hesitated for a moment longer, but nodded and turned around, pulling up a screen. Displayed on it was an elderly gentleman in a suit and tie, holding a fancy looking cane. Information on him popped up around the pictures.

"This is Kent Nelson, a friend," Red Tornado began. "He is one hundred and six years old."

"Guy doesn't look a day over ninety," Wally joked, whispering to Artemis.

"He has been missing for twenty three days," Red Tornado continued. "Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society, the precursor to your mentors' Justice League."

"Of course," Aqualad said. "Nelson was Earth's sorcerer supreme. He was Doctor Fate." Paityn's eyebrows rose, recognizing the name and she surveyed the situation with greater respect and concern.

"More like Doctor Fake," Wally muttered, scoffing. "Guy knows a little advanced science and Dumbledores it up to scare the bad guys and impress the babes." Paityn rolled her eyes at Wally's disbelief, exchanging a look with Akari.

"Kent may simply be on one of his walkabouts," Red Tornado continued. "But he is caretaker to the Helmet of Fate, the source of the Doctor's mystic might, and it is unwise to leave such a power unguarded."

"He is like the great sorcerer priests and priestesses of Mars," M'gann remarked, sounding awed and concerned. "I would be honored to help find him." Paityn nodded her head, opening her mouth to agree, but before she could, Wally had shot his hand up in the air.

"Me too!" He proclaimed. "So honored, I can barely stand it. Magic…rocks."

"Take this," Red Tornado said, handing a small, old-fashioned looking key to Kaldur. The dark-skinned teen held it in his hand and studied it closely. "It is the key to the Tower of Fate." Wally sidled up to M'gann, looking at her slyly.

"What are the chances that we both so admire the mystic arts?" He asked her in a flirtatious tone. M'gann smiled slightly. Akari stepped forward, raising her hand slightly.

"Um, Red Tornado?" she asked, sounding nervous and excited. "Can I…go? Please? I swear I'll be fine." Red Tornado studied the girl for a long, silent moment before speaking.

"This is an unofficial mission," he said. "I have faith in your ability to keep yourself in check. So, at the risk of facing the wrath of the Batman and Vixen, yes, you may go." Akari grinned widely, eyes shining with excitement. Kaldur faced the Team.

"I must change into civilian clothes," he told them. "Superboy needs a shirt as well. We will meet the rest of you in the hanger."


SALEM

AUGUST 18, 20:22 EDT

The BioShip glided through the night sky, a comfortable silence settling over the cabin. After a few moments, however, Artemis could not longer resist the urge to take a dig at Wally.

"So, Wally," she said, conversationally. "When did you first realize your honest affinity for sorcery?" Wally jumped, looking startled.

"Well, I – I don't like to brag, but, uh, before becoming Kid Flash, I seriously considered becoming a wizard myself."

"Good thing you didn't consider becoming an actor," Akari muttered under her breath. Artemis and Paityn were the only two who overheard her, and they both stifled laughter at their friend's remark.

"We've reached Tornado's coordinates, but…" M'gann said, voice trailing off.

"Nothing's there," Superboy finished. Paityn studied the empty lot, eyes furrowed with confusion.

"Take us down," Kaldur ordered, and M'gann complied, landing the camouflaged BioShip in the middle of a parking lot. The door opened and the ramp descended, allowing the Team to exit the ship. Kaldur looked around briefly before nodding to the Team. "Wally, Paityn, fan out," he said. "Take a look around." Paityn nodded, spreading her wings and taking to the air. She flew around the vicinity at a low altitude, straining her eyes for anything. After a few moments of nothingness, she turned back, landing next to her friends.

"- isn't simple camouflage," Wally was saying.

"So what do you think?" Artemis asked. "Adaptive micro-opto-electronics combined with phase shifting?"

"Absolutely…not!" He added when M'gann walked closer to the bickering pair. "Clearly, mystic powers are at work here." Artemis rolled her eyes, sighing in exasperation.

"I don't get it," Akari said. Everyone looked at her. "I mean, why would RT give us a key if there's no building?" Kaldur pulled the key out of his pocket, studying it closely.

"A test of faith," he said. He looked up. "Stand behind me." The Atlantean walked forward a few paces, sticking the key out and turning it as if to unlock a door. Weirdly enough, a clicking sound echoed around the empty lock and a building appeared.

"Woah…" Paityn muttered taking a few steps forward. "Impressive." Kaldur walked in, leading the other members of the Team into the entry hall. It was medieval looking, a lot of stone and torches. And it was empty – even the door disappeared.

"Where the hell did the door go?" Akari asked, voicing everyone's confusion. A hologram appeared in front of them. It was the elderly man that Red Tornado had shown them a picture of – Kent Nelson.

"Greetings," the hologram said. "You have entered with a key, but the Tower doesn't recognize you. Please state your purpose and intent." Wally glanced back at M'gann, smirking before stepping forward to answer the question.

"We are true believers, here to find Doctor Fate." His voice oozed with faux-sincerity, making Paityn roll her eyes. The hologram looked at Wally as though the ginger's words had disappointed it. The hologram wavered and disappeared.

"So, is that it or –" before Akari could finish her question, the floorboards underneath them disappeared, sending them into a free fall. It took a second for Paityn to react, but she quickly snapped her wings out, grabbing the person closest to her – Akari.

"Superboy!" she heard Artemis yell. The clone was the only one still falling towards the lava at the bottom of the pit, grabbing onto the rocky walls on the sides in order to slow down some. Paityn dove after the teen, grabbing on to his arm and pulling him up just as his feet grazed the lava. Superboy hissed in pain.

"Those were my favorite boots," he snapped. "This Nelson guy better be worth it." Paityn could only grunt in response, fighting to stay elevated with the added weight and the heat. Wally has being held aloft by M'gann, and Artemis and Kaldur were perched on the on of the walls, holding on to Artemis's crossbow.

"Having trouble maintaining altitude," M'gann gasped out. She swiped sweat off of her brow. "I'm so hot."

"You most certainly are," Wally agreed with her.

"Wally!" Artemis shouted disapprovingly. He turned towards the archer, indignant.

"Hey, inches above sizzling death, I'm entitled to speak my mind."

"My physiology and M'gann's are susceptible to extreme heat," Kaldur panted out. "We must climb out quickly. Paityn, can you fly up?" The winged girl shook her head.

"Not with all this extra weight – uh, no offense guys." Akari snorted. "But it's something else, too. It must be the magic – I can't fly up at all."

"Hello, Megan!" Their resident Martian face palmed. "We never truly answered the question." Directing her voice towards the top of the pit, she spoke again. "Red Tornado sent us to see if Mr. Nelson and the Helmet of Fate were safe."

The Tower responded to her words, and almost instantaneously, a platform closed to cover the lava. Paityn let out a sigh of relief, dropping Akari and Superboy off before landing on her own. Wally and M'gann fell with a thump, the Martian clearly drained. Artemis and Kaldur landed more gracefully beside them, and the blonde archer pulled her grappling line back in..

"This platform," Kaldur said, sounding curious. "It should be red-hot, but it is cool to the touch." M'gann was slouching as though she were too tired to stand on her own. Wally walked over, putting his arm around her shoulders for extra support. The green-skinned girl smiled gratefully at him, leaning against the boy.

"Don't worry, Megalicious, I got ya," he reassured her. Akari snorted.

"Are you kidding me, Wally?" She said, at the same time that Artemis stormed over, shoving Wally backwards.

"Enough! Your little 'impress-Megan-at-all-costs' game nearly got us all barbecued." Wally glared at the blonde archer, holding his hands up.

"When did this become my fault?" he snapped, sounding irritated and defensive.

"You lied to the Tower," Akari said, crossing her arms. "True believer, my ass."

"Wally," M'gann sounded disappointed and hurt. "You don't believe?" The speedster looked around, and then gave up the ruse.

"Fine! Fine!" He shouted. "I lied about believing in magic. But magic is the real lie – a major load." Kaldur was still bent down, examining the platform and the trapdoor that they were standing on.

"Wally, I studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis," he told the ginger, his voice as calm as always. "The mystic arts created the skin icons that power my water bearers."

"Dude, you ever hear of bio-electricity? Hey, in primitive cultures, fire was once considered magical too. Today it's all just a bunch of tricks." Akari rolled her eyes again. Wally could seriously get on her nerves at times.

"What about me?" She asked, crossing her arms. "I'm possessed by a demon fox-spirit. How's that for magical?" Wally scoffed dismissively.

"You were created by Cadmus," he reminded the girl. "A genetics lab. Which means science. Everything can be explained by science. Paityn's wings – genetic engineering crossing a human baby DNA with bird DNA." He paused. "Or, I'm assuming." Paityn shrugged.

"Well, I'll give that to you, you're right there. Still…pretty close minded for a guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers."

"That's science. I re-created the Flash's lab experiment and – here I am! Again – everything can be explained by science."

"Let us test that theory," Kaldur suggested, pulling at the trapdoor. Wally's eyes widened with panic, and he put his hand out as if to stop Kaldur.

"Wait! The back-draft from the lava will roast us alive." But instead of boiling hot molten rock, when Kaldur pulled open the trapdoor, a gust of cold air and snow floated out.

"It's snow!" M'gann said, laughing. Artemis turned towards Wally, looking smug.

"Do you ever get tired of being wrong?" She asked him. Wally narrowed his eyes at her. Paityn laughed, jumping after Kaldur. Instead of landing as though they'd jumped downwards, however, they landed as though they'd jumped sideways. Wally was the last through and he watched as the opening vanished into thin air after he landed.

"Well?" Artemis asked, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"Ever hear of string-theory?" Wally asked, refusing to back down. "We're in a pocket dimension." Artemis groaned loudly.

"Guys?" Paityn stopped their argument by pointing to the cane hovering a few feet in front of them. Artemis walked over to it, and Wally speeded over as well.

"Ooh, maybe it's Nelson's magic wand," he said sarcastically, grabbing onto it. Artemis reached it at the same time.

"I got it," they said together. The cane started to glow, and both of them levitated in the air. "I can't let go," they yelled in unison, panicked. The cane pulled them upwards, and before any of their friends could react, a gold glow surrounded them and they disappeared. The remaining five teens looked at each other in confusion and concern.

"Come," Kaldur said. "We must find a way out of this snow, and then we will look for Artemis and Wally." As they walked through the snowstorm, M'gann spoke.

"I don't understand Wally," she said. "It's almost like he needs to believe the impossible can't happen."

"Wally uses his understanding of science to control what he cannot comprehend," Kaldur explained to M'gann. "Acknowledging the existence of magic would be to relinquish the last vestige of that control."

"You guys hear that?" Akari asked, slowing her step. "That…creaking sound?"

"There," Superboy said, pointing to a door and steps on top of a small mountain. They hiked up the hill, and entered the door. Like the last one, it wasn't a normal door, instead opening up into a ten-foot drop. Kaldur, Superboy, and Akari all hit the ground hard, but M'gann and Paityn flew down and landed softly. Wally and Artemis were there too, with a man Paityn assumed to be Kent Nelson.

"Friends of yours?" He asked, as Artemis ran over to greet the rest of the Team. A blast of electricity came out of nowhere, causing the Team to scatter.

"Friends of yours?" Paityn heard Wally yell back to Nelson as another blast hit them. Paityn rolled to the ground, dodging the blast, and when she looked up, Nelson and Wally were gone. Abra Kadabra leapt at the remaining super powered teens. Superboy charged at him, only to be promptly trapped under an electric bubble. Kaldur and Paityn received the same treatment moments later. Paityn groaned as the electricity surged through her body, making it hard to move.

"We need help!" Akari yelled, as Artemis was knocked down as well.

"I'll call Wally!" M'gann replied. Her eyes glowed white as she attempted to speak to Wally telepathically, and Akari struggled to keep Kadabra's attention on her, while simultaneously avoiding every attack he shot. One burst of lightning hit her foot, and she stumbled, crying out in pain. The fox inside of her snarled, but Akari managed to keep herself in check. As she fell to the ground, she too, became trapped under one of the electric cages. She yelled in pain, trying to endure the rapid succession of shocks to her body. Then, suddenly, the shocks stopped. Akari got to her feet, and noticed the glowing gold ankh behind Kadabra. Who, by the way, was wearing nothing except underwear and a startled expression on his face.

"Show's over," Superboy mocked, punching Kadabra in the face.


MOUNT JUSTICE

AUGUST 20, 03:48 EDT

When the Team returned to the Cave to debrief with Red Tornado, Mari was there. And she did not look pleased. She hovered in the background, listening to the Team recount their mission. When Red Tornado dismissed them, she called over to the Asian girl.

"Akari, a word." The dark haired girl ducked her head, dragging her feet as she walked over to her mentor.

"H – hey, Mari," she greeted the older woman, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. Mari glared at her, arms crossed.

"Don't 'Hey, Mari,' me," she snapped. "What you did was foolish, Akari, plain foolish. I don't care if Red Tornado gave you permission to leave the Cave on a mission, I did not. You put yourself and your teammates at great risk, do you understand me?" Akari nodded meekly, unable to think of an acceptable defense. Mari's face relaxed and her tone became more gentle. "Now that that's over…it sounds like you did well. I think you may be ready to full rejoin the Team on missions soon." Akari raised her head, surprised. Mari smiled at her. "Get some sleep," the woman told her protégé. "We'll talk more about this in the morning."


Sorry, short chapter. Anyways, as always, please leave a review and give me some feedback. Thanks!