Chapter 7: Denial

"Initiate: Combat Training 3.. 2.. 1.."

Aqualad ran towards Superboy and they both started attacking each other, sparring as Artemis and M'Gann watched.

"Kaldur's uh, nice, don't you think? Handsome, commanding. You should totally ask him out." Artemis said, although she already knew the reply would be negative. She knew M'Gann liked Superboy and she had a suspicion that the feeling was mutual. Artemis thought Superboy was hot, so she wanted him for herself. Maybe she can get M'Gann to like someone else...

"He's like a big brother to me. But you know who would make the cutest couple? You and Wally." They both turned to see said boy leaning against a wall while eating a sub. "You're so full of passion and he's so full of..." M'Gann trailed off, suddenly remembering about her OTP.

Artemis, thinking M'Gann was having trouble thinking about Wally's positives, finished her sentence, "it."

They both shared a laugh, though M'Gann was laughing more nervously than humorously. Right when they finally stopped laughing they heard a slam and,

"Fail: Aqualad."

They turned and saw Superboy clapping his hands together, like what people do after a job well done, with a proud smile. Right after Superboy told Aqualad that Black Canary taught him the last move, Red Tornado flew in, from the ceiling.

Wally rushed over to him, asking if he had a mission for them, only for Red Tornado to remind him that Batman was the one who gave out the missions.

"Well, the Batman is with the Robin." Wally joked with a smile, thinking about his birdie. The rest of the team had been wondering wear Robin was, now they knew. He then continued, "But you're heading somewhere, right?" He dragged out the last word for emphasis. "Hot date? Or uh..."

Aqualad decided to cut in, "If we can be of help."

Red Tornado turned around and pulled up a holo-screen. (Thaz right, still calling it that XP) He typed a bit and pulled up a picture of a man, later identified as Kent Nelson.

"This is Kent Nelson, a friend. He is 106 years old."

"Guy doesn't look a day over 90." Wally jokingly whispered in Artemis's direction.

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

"Of course," Aqualad realized, "Nelson was Earth's sorcerer supreme! He was Doctor Fate!"

Wally scoffed. "More like "Doctor Fake." Guy knows a little advanced science and "Dumbledores" it up it up to scare the bad guys and impress the babes."

"Kent may simply be on one of his.. walk abouts."


"Nothing, this isn't simple camouflage." Wally said as he raced back to the rest of the team, after scouting the area.

Aqualad pondered over an idea before telling everyone to stand behind him. He took out a key that Red Tornado gave them and put it in an invisible keyhole. A building appeared.


"The bubble will give you enough time to do what you need to do." Kent Nelson told Wally, after being hit with one of Klarion's blasts.

"I have no idea what I need to do!" Wally panicked.

Kent soon grew limp. Wally did what he learned from Robin, he tried to save him. Klarion continued to blast the bubble, that Kent made to buy them time. Wally glanced between the non-moving Kent and the helmet of Fate. He soon heard M'Gann's voice in his head, telling him that his team was in trouble and that he should tell Kent that they need Dr. Fate.

"A test of faith." Wally murmured before grabbing the helmet

"Hey, dumb kid!" Wally looked up to see Klarion was yelling at him, "You put that on, you may never get it off!"

Right after he said that, he ripped apart Kent's magic bubble. Wally put on the helmet as Klarion sent a blast his way.


*After Nabu beat Klarion*

"Uh. It's over, right? So why isn't Nabu taking off the helmet?" Wally asked Kent's spirit.

"Because the Earth needs Dr. Fate. I will not release this body." Nabu said.

"He can't do that!" Wally yelled, thinking about what would happen if he never saw Robin again.

"Can he do that?" Wally asked Kent unsurely.

"Can but shouldn't," Kent answered before turning to speak with Nabu, "Nabu! This is not the right candidate. The kid's soul belongs to the world of science, not sorcery."

*After somehow reasoning with Nabu*

"Some free advice before you go, find your own little spitfire. One who won't let you get away with nothing." Kent said as he started to fade.

Wally took off the helmet and blinked a bit. He then walked over to Kent's body and placed his pocket watch into his hand. He dipped his head sadly.


Wally walked towards his shelf, located in his room at the cave. He gently placed the helmet of fate onto it, next to Cheshire's mask.

Artemis then walked in, wondering about what happened. Wally summed it up, using science and logic to explain.

"Wait, you're still claiming there's no such thing as magic?" Artemis asked, shocked. She then scoffed. "If that's how you feel, why keep it at all?"

"Souvenir." Wally said simply.

"Geek!" Artemis said, exasperated, as she walked out of the room.

Wally glanced back at the helmet as Kent's last words echoed through his head. Right then, he heard,

"Recognized: Robin B-01"

Wally grinned before racing towards said Robin. The first thing he did, when he saw Robin, was hug his little birdie. Robin, not knowing what had just happened right before he arrived, just stifled a giggle and hugged the speedster back. Wally, not wanting to let go, decided to surprise his boyfriend and lifted him, carrying him bridal style. Robin let out a small squeak of surprise. Wally, heeding it no mind, went on about what happened that day as he walked through the cave, carrying Robin, towards the kitchen.

He passed M'Gann and Kaldur but all they did was shake their heads with a small smile. Robin, blushing like mad, had buried his face in Wally's neck getting a small chuckle before Wally said, "Guess who got us two tickets to see a magic show?"


I don't like how Robin wasn't in this episode. :( But anyways, here was an update! It's Summer Vacation now, so I have more time to update this story! Sorry for the previous update, the one-shot. Yeah... I was really bored and I realized I hadn't updated in a while so, being the lazy self I was, just decided to make it up as I went. *sigh* Anyways, I finally updated! YAY! Rewatched an episode and everything! Just for you guys ;) Hoped this chapter was okay! It took me about an hour and a half to type.