Chapter 15
A/N: I just own the story, nothing else.
/comm-link/
Telepathy
'Bee/Soundwave's speech
New Orleans, July 27
An old man walked down the street, stopping at a small shop, pulling out an old pocket watch, he looked at an old picture of a young woman. Going inside he stood next to the table with the crystal ball.
A woman walked out of the shadows with a soft smile. "Bonjour, how can Madame Zanado be of service?" she asked. "Ah, there is someone to whom you wish to speak, your wife?"
"Yes, my Inza," he replied.
"Then Madame will make contact, if fate be kind," she said taking her seat.
"He rarely is," the man muttered. The woman made a coughing sound and held out her hand. "Oh, of course." Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a wad of cash.
Madame closed her eyes and her hair started to blow around, the curtains flew back, the crystal ball started glowing, and the table shaking. "Oh, my darling, how I've missed you," she said eerily opening her glowing eyes. "I'm so lonely here, and cold."
"Ha! That's the best you could do?!"
"Imbecile! You've broken the spell!" she snapped. "Your wife is forever lost!"
"That was my wife? My little spitfire would've kicked my can for throwing away good money on you."
"No refunds for non-believers," she said.
"I think we both know who's the non-believer here," he said. "A wind machine, tire-jacks under the table. Shame, you have the perfect aura for the work too. And nothing would please me more than being reunited with my bride."
"You'll be reunited with her soon enough," a man said lifting him off the ground before they vanished in a white light.
-.-
Mt. Justice, August 16
"Initiate: combat training. Three…two…one," the computer said as a shirtless Superboy and Aqualad circled each other. One the timer ended the boys charged each other and started their sparring.
On the sideline, the three girls stood watching.
"Kaldur's nice, don't ya think?" Artemis said. "Handsome, commanding, M'gann, you should totally go out with him."
"He's like a cousin to me," she laughed slightly. "But you know who'd make the cutest couple? Erica and Bumblebee." The three girls looked to see where their other teammate was typing away on a holo-screen with his headphones in, blatantly ignoring the speedster chatting away next to him.
"He's like an older brother to me. Besides, he's 16,999,427 years-old! Even if it did work he'd outlive me by a lot," Erica stated blushing.
"Really?" Artemis asked looking him over. "He doesn't look a day over seventeen."
"Cybertronian life spans are way, way longer than ours," she informed. "The oldest Cybertronian's age was unknown, but rumor says that he was around several thousand Cybertronain years when he died, and it wasn't from natural causes either! So 'Bee isn't even seventeen in his people's years yet."
Artemis shrugged. "Whatever, I still ship it."
Erica rolled her eyes, before smirking. "Now, if you want to know who I really ship, it's Artemis and Wally."
They looked towards the red-head eating and trying to talk to 'Bee who just turned up his music to ignore him. "I have to agree," M'gann nodded. "You're so full of passion and he's so full of…"
"It," Artemis suggested as they laughed.
"Fail," the computer said as Superboy took Aqualad's leg out from under him and tossed him across the ring.
"Black Canary taught me that," Superboy said wiping his hands.
A small door in the roof opened and Red Tornado flew down. "You have a mission for us?" Wally asked giving up on trying to talk to Bumblebee.
"Mission assignments are the Batman's and Prime's responsibility," he relayed.
"Yea, well the Batman is with the Robin doing the Dynamic Duo thing in Gotham. And Prime is…where is he?"
"Dad is currently arguing with Agent Fowler and Secretary of Defense about finding several major flaws in the transport plans for the DNGS that resulted in MECH finding out about it in the first place," 'Bee said removing his headphones.
"Yea, that," Wally said. "But you're going somewhere, hot date? Or, a mission?"
"If we can be of help," Aqualad said.
Tornado turned and pulled up a holo-screen on an old man. "This is Kent Nelson, a friend, he is 106 years-old."
"Doesn't look a day over ninety," Wally commented before being elbowed by Erica.
"And he's been missing for seventeen days," Tornado informed. "He was a member of the Justice Society, the precursor to the Justice League." The image switched to a man wearing a golden helmet, gold vest, navy pants, gold boots, and a gold cape.
"Of course, Nelson was Earth's sorcerer supreme, he was Dr. Fate," Aqualad recalled.
"More like Dr. Fake, guy Dumbledores it up with a little science to scare the bad guys and pick up the babes," KF mumbled before being elbowed again.
"He may just simply be on one of his walk-a-bouts, but he's caretaker to the Helmet of Fate, the source of the Doctor's mystic might," Tornado said. "And it's unwise to leave such power unguarded."
"He's like the great sorcerer priests and priestesses of Mars, I would be honored to help find him," M'gann said.
Wally's hand shot up faster than lightning. "Me too! So honored! I can barely stand it! Magic rocks!"
"Take this," Tornado said holding out a key that 'Bee took and hid safely in his subspace. "It is the key to the Tower of Fate."
"So, what are the chances that we both so admire the mystic arts," Wally asked.
-.-
Bioship
"So Wally?" Artemis said. "When did you first realize your honest affinity for sorcery?"
"Well, I don't want to brag, but before becoming Kid Flash, I seriously wanted to become a wizard myself," he said making Erica, Artemis, and 'Bee roll their eyes.
"We've reached the coordinates," M'gann said.
"Nothing's there," Superboy said.
They landed in camouflage mode, a tabby cat narrowed its red eyes and slunk into an abandoned theater. "Grant us access to the Tower and I promise an end to your suffering. Continue to refuse and…"
"AH!" Nelson cried out as he was electrocuted.
Klarion Witch Boy sat in a seat laughing at the scene. The cat hopped onto his lap and meowed. "Shh Tekiel! I'm watching the show," he smiled as he stared at his ally torturing the old man.
"Enjoy it, while you can," Kent huffed. "Soon enough, my friends will come to help me—AH!"
"Encore! Encore!" Klarion cheered clapping. The cat hissed again, louder this time. "What?" It hissed more and its eyes glowed red. "Oh."
Out in a field, Kid skid back in front of them. "Nothing. It's not simple camouflage," he said.
"What do you think?" Artemis asked.
"It's not adaptive micro-opto-electronics combined with phase shifting. Otherwise my scanners would pick it up," 'Bee said shrugging.
"Clearly mystic powers are at work here!" KF said as Miss M walked up.
"Hey Abracadabra, aren't you using that adaptive whatever he said?" Klarion asked.
"Yes…"
"'Bee, the key," Kaldur said. Bumblebee pulled out the key and tossed it to him. "A test of faith, stand behind me." Walking forwards he stuck out the key and it inserted into something, turning a door appeared, unlocked, followed by the rest of the tower.
They went inside and the door slammed behind them. "Where'd the door go?" Superboy asked.
"Greetings," a ghostly figure said. "You've entered with a key, but the Tower does not recognize you. Please state your purpose and intent."
"We are true believers, here to find Dr. Fate!" Wally exclaimed.
The ghostly hologram gave them an almost sympathetic look before vanishing. The floor gave out from under them and they started falling towards a pit of lava. Emerald put on her ring, making the blue uniform appear, catching Artemis and Aqualad as M'gann caught Kid. Superboy and 'Bee grabbed the walls sliding down, barely avoiding the lava.
-.-
"The Tower doesn't like trespassers," Kent warned as the group entered.
"Mute," Abracadabra said and a small collar flew up around the old man's neck.
They walked through a wall and into a living room. The ghostly hologram appeared before them. "Hello Kent, how unlike you to bring guests to the Tower, especially ones with such potent mystic power."
"My friends come to help me." The ghost smiled and a door appeared.
-.-
"Having trouble," Miss Martian huffed as she started losing altitude. "It's so hot…"
"You certainly are," Kid complemented.
"WALLY!" Artemis, Erica, and 'Bee yelled.
"Hey! when you're inches above sizzling death! You're entitled to speak you mind!" he protested just as Emerald placed her construct under them, allowing the pair to sit down.
"Mine and Megan's physiologies are susceptible to extreme heat, we need to get out quickly!" Aqualad huffed.
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Superboy asked looking at 'Bee's rather cheerful expression.
"Are you kidding?! This heat feels like Cybertron!" he said. "If you think this is hot you should see a smelting pit, now those are hot."
"Hello Megan," she said tiredly smacking her forehead. "We never really answered the question. Red Tornado sent us to see if Mr. Nelson and the Helmet were safe!"
A metal door covered the lava and the group hopped onto it. "This platform, it should be red hot, but it is cool to the touch," Aqualad said feeling it.
"There are some metals that are like that."
"Don't worry Megalicious, I got ya," Wally said helping her up.
"ENOGUH!" Erica said pushing him back.
"YOU'RE LITTLE IMPRESS M'GANN AT ALL COSTS GAME, NEARLY GOT US ALL BARBEQUED!" Artemis snapped.
"When did it become my fault?!"
"When you lied about believing in magic!" they both said.
"Wally, you don't believe in magic?" M'gann asked.
"Fine! I lied about believing in magic! But magic is the real lie!" he huffed.
"Wally I studied for years at the mystic conservatory in Atlantis, the mystic arts gave me the markings that power my water bearers," Aqualad said.
"Ever hear of bioelectricity?! In primitive cultures fire was once considered magic! It's all just a bunch of tricks!"
"You're pretty closed-minded for a guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers," Erica said.
"That's science, I recreated the event that gave Flash his powers, everything can be explained by science, right 'Bee?" Wally asked.
"Wally, the Primes are literally guardians of ancient mystical relics and have been known to have mystic powers themselves. There are also things that our advanced sciences have never been able to explain; the All-Spark for example," he said.
"You were supposed to be on my side!"
"How about we test your theory," Aqualad said pulling on the lever to a hatch.
"Wait! the back draft from the lava will roast us alive!" Wally said as he opened it and snow came out.
"Kul'vak! It had to be the fragging cold! Why couldn't it be the slaggin' tropics!" 'Bee cursed as the cold air hit him. Emerald smacked the back of his head for the string of curses.
"Are you ever tired of being wrong?" Artemis snickered as they jumped through. "Well?"
"Pocket dimension!"
"What's that?" Emerald asked as they saw a floating, glowing staff.
"I got it!" both Wally and Artemis said grabbing it. "I can't let go!" The staff yanked them up into the air and they vanished in a bright light.
"Great."
-.-
"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" Klarion kept repeating as they made their way through the maze of stairs.
Abracadabra shoved Nelson forwards and yanked off the collar. "Tell us how to find the helmet!"
"Can't, having too much fun," he retorted.
He electrocuted the old man as the Lord of Chaos laughed. "Having fun now?"
"I am," Klairon grinned. "Zap him again! or push him off the edge and we can watch him go splat!" The cat growled and he sighed. "Yes, yes, I suppose we may still need him."
-.-
The group—minus the two who were kidnapped by the magic staff—continued to wander the cold environment. Emerald created a blue bubble around 'Bee to try to keep him warm since he didn't have any protective armor and his current clothes weren't reliable to maintaining body heat.
"You doing ok?" she asked noticing he was still shivering.
"I miss the lava," he said quietly as she rolled her eyes.
"I don't understand Wally," Megan sighed. "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," Aqualad stated. "and to admit the existence of magic would be to relinquish the last vestige of that control."
Hearing a creaking sound, they saw a set of stairs and a doorway appear at the top of a small ridge.
"Warmth!" 'Bee shouted sprinting fast enough to give Kid Flash a run for his money towards the door.
-.-
Artemis and Wally found themselves on a platform still holding the staff. Looking towards a different one they growled. "Abracadabra!" Wally sneered.
"Well, would you look at that," Nelson smiled as his walking-stick glowed and levitated him over to it. grabbing on the ropes binding his wrists came undone. "In here!" Motioning to the wall an elevator door opened and they rushed inside.
"No…No. No! No! I WANT IT! I WANT IT! I WANT IT!" Klarion screamed, sending red arcs towards the doors as they closed.
"I'm Kent Nelson by the way," he introduced himself.
"No duh," Wally grumbled before Artemis elbowed him.
"I'm Artemis, and Ms. Manners here is Wally," she replied.
"Well Artemis, we're going against an opponent with tremendous mystic power," Kent informed.
"Abracadabra, Flash proved he uses futuristic technology to simulate magic," KF huffed. "He's all show and no biz."
"Right you are," Nelson smiled.
"Really?" Artemis gasped.
"Abracadabra is a fake, but Klarion the Witch Boy, the boy with the cat, he's an actual Lord of Chaos; the ultimate enemy for a Lord of Order like Dr. Fate."
"Right, you're a Lord of Order," Wally stated rolling his eyes.
"Oh no, not me, I'm just an old coat Fate used to toss on, until my wife Inza convinced me there could be more to life," he sighed pulling out the pocket watch, staring at the picture. "Ah, she was a real pistol, Inza…Anyways, Klarion's after the Helmet, if he gets his sticky little mitts on it, he'll turn the planet into his own playground of pandemonium." The elevator dinged, getting out they walked up to a giant bell.
Nelson point behind them, and sure enough a door opened. Bumblebee fell out first, making a sizable dent in the floor, followed shortly by Superboy and Aqualad landing on him. Both girls floated down chuckling lightly.
"Friends of yours?" he chuckled as Artemis ran over to help the guys up.
The pair ducked as a ray shot over them. Looking to the side, they saw Klarion and Abracadabra on one of the walls(?) glaring at them.
Nelson hit the bell and it began glowing. They walked through, seeing this Klarion flew in after. "C'mon!" Emerald said to 'Bee dragging him through the glowing bell as they chased the Witch.
-.-
Arriving on the roof, they saw a golden float helmet. Kent went to grab it, but was struck in the chest by a red bolt. Clutching his chest, he spoke an incantation, slammed his walking-stick on the ground and a golden dome rose up around them.
"NOOO!"
"Not bad for a former Dr. Fate?" the old man asked with a small smile. Emerald made a mattress just as he collapsed, allowing him to land safely on the plush object. "The bubble will give you just enough time to do what you need to do."
"I have no idea what I need to do!"
"Have faith in what you can't explain," he wheezed. "Believe what you can no longer deny." Reaching out he grabbed Emerald and whispered something in her ear before he took one shaky exhale and stopped moving.
Wally began to do CPR when a hand fell on his shoulder. Looking up he saw 'Bee look at him and shake his head. "He's gone Wally."
"I WANT THE HELMET AND I WANT IT NOW!" Klarion shouted as he kept sending fire blasts towards them.
"Guys! We need help down here!" M'gann said sending them a telepathic image to the rest of their team trapped under electrical nets, before one hit her and the link cut.
Symbols began to glow at Klarion's feet, raising his hands, two massive, red claws emerged and latched onto the dome, the claws slowly sinking through.
"We're running low on time here!" Emerald said noticing the staff was slowly burning.
"So that's where the ring went," the demon whispered.
"A test of faith," Wally said grabbing the helmet.
"Hey dumb kid! You put that on you might never get it off!"
Wally started to put on the helmet when Klarion sent a blast at him, 'Bee pushed him out of the way just as he got the helmet on, taking the hit for himself.
"Ok, ok, I'm not going crazy, I'm just in a dream," Wally said.
"Still don't believe me. seriously? How did you become so bull-headed in fifteen short years?" Kent Nelson asked. "As soon as little bru-hah-hah is over I'm going to ascend to be with Inza."
"Oh…ok…wait! Does that mean that I'm—?"
"You're alive, but your soul no longer controls your body," he explained. "We're inside the helmet. You put it on and my soul got sucked inside, probably because I spent so many years serving its master."
"Master?"
"Nabu, the real Dr. Fate, one of them Lords of Order I told you about. He's the one controlling your body now, wanna watch?"
"'BEE!" Emerald screamed seeing her friend take the hit; Cybertronian biology and magic never mixed well, and only fully-realized Primes seemed to have any immunity towards it. He hit short wall on the outside, creating a string of cracks on it, before landing limply on the ground as the occasional red spark arced over his body, making him writhe in pain. Racing over she checked on her—thankfully—unconscious friend as Fate flew above them as Klarion hurled fireballs at him.
"Give up Nabu! Order went out of style in the twentieth century!"
"This battle is pointless. You sought to take the helmet before it gained a host, but you are too late," Nabu responded.
"Shut it ya old fart!" Two twisting stone columns rose from the ground and attempted to crush the Lord of Order, who just broke out.
"Brat!" he sneered firing at the Chaos Lord who evaporated and reformed behind Nabu. He shot lightning from his hands, hitting him in the back.
"Ah!" Wally cried out as pain exploded in his back. "What gives?"
"It is your body."
"Then let me control it. with Fate's power and my speed—"
"Sorry, doesn't work that way, but you can see why I haven't put the helmet on in so long."
"And if Fate loses?"
"You see Inza before I do."
Klarion send a wall of flame shaped oddly like a phoenix. He jumped out of its path before it circled around and ran right into the wall of light Fate created before getting hit again in the back. Klarion made a bunch of small red dots in the air before shooting them like an outlaw. Fate made a shield before flying out of their path. Seeing this, Klarion started breathing fire, using it to chase the Doctor. raising his hand columns of fire came up from the ground, one hit him in the chest and he slammed to the ground.
"You're out of practice Nabu, and that pathetic host body, zero affinity for the mystic arts," Klarion teased. A storm began to form above them and a red lightning bolt shot down, almost hitting Fate who just barely managed to make a shield in time. "Oh, rainbow power." The cat beside him gave an irritated growl. "I am paying attention you stupid cat!" Another hiss came. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm winning!"
Off to the side Emerald watched worriedly, she wanted to help but knew she was way out of her league here.
Bumblebee winced as he regained consciousness, magic always hurt like a glitch—thank you technological side of his biology—looking off to the side he was Wally, err, well, Fate keeping a shield up to avoid getting hit by lightning. He saw that the jerk who shot him was not taking the fight seriously at all, enough to argue with a cat…wait a sec...reaching into his subspace, trying to pull out a gun.
"'Bee?!" Emerald said noticing he was conscious.
"I'm fine," he grunted finally pulling it out. Taking aim, he pulled the trigger. The cat yelped from the impact, sending skidding a few feet away from its master.
"Tekiel!"
Fate made a massive energy charge, releasing it, he blocked the lightning attack from continuing any further. "It is difficult for a Lord of Order or Chaos to maintain a presence on the physical plain."
Klarion's face twisted and flames surrounded him as he shot more blasts at the flying pest.
"I am bound to the helmet and use a human host, but that is not your way," he said.
"You're babbling Nabu!"
"Am I?" he shot a blast towards the cat, hitting it again.
Klarion gasped as his cat was hit viciously for a second time. "I can't believe you two would assault a defenseless pussycat!"
"I hate cats anyways!"
"We both know that is no cat Witch Boy," Fate said narrowing his eyes and getting between the two teens and the ticked off Lord of Chaos. "And without your familiar you have no anchor to this reality."
"Bully! Killjoy! Geezer!" he chanted as his form flickered in and out of sight. Fire fired another shot and he vanished into a portal, reappearing next to the cat and picking it up. "We're outta here!" He erupted into several streams of black smoke that quickly vanished.
-.-
The other members of the team cried out as Abracadabra kept electrocuting them. A glowing symbol appeared behind him and soon enough the cried stopped and he was only in his underwear.
"Show's over," Superboy snarled, punching him in the face.
-.-
"Yes!" Wally cheered. "That's how we kick butt on the Earthly plain!" he stood there waiting for the helmet to be removed. "Uh…it's over, so why isn't he taking off the helmet?"
"Because the Earth needs Dr. Fate," Nabu answered. "I will not release this body."
"You can't do that?! Can he do that?"
"Can but shouldn't," Kent replied. "Nabu, he's not the right candidate, the kid's soul belongs to the world of science, not sorcery."
"True, but I do not appreciate being permanently hidden away, useless, isolated, for decades at a time. CHAOS MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO REIGN!"
"That won't happen again. He'll take the helmet and make sure you're put to good use," Nelson reassured.
"Yea, I swear!"
"I the meantime, I'll stick around, keep you company," Nelson said.
"Wait? What happened to you ascending? Seeing Inza?" Wally asked.
"So you believe now, eh?" he smiled. "Don't sweat it kid. I'll spend a few millennia here, then see Inza; that's the great thing about eternity, it's eternal."
"The bargain is acceptable."
"Some free advice before ya go: find your own little spitfire, one who won't let you get away with nothing…"
Wally removed the helmet and walked over to Kent's body, he set the pocket watch in his hand. Emerald hugged her cousin as she watched 'Bee wrap the body.
-.-
Mt. Justice, August 17
Wally walked over to the shelf of souvenirs and set the helmet down.
"You never said what happened to you, when you put the helmet on?" Artemis asked as his cousin stood behind her. Leave it to those two to gang up on him; he was just lucky the third member was back at his own base.
"Energy from the thing rerouted my brain's Beta waves, I was bioscripted into becoming Dr. Fate for a few minutes, no big," he said.
"Wait, you're still claiming that you don't believe in magic? If that's all it is, why keep it at all?" Artemis growled.
"Souvenir."
"Geek!" she said walking off.
"Wally, what really happened?" Emerald asked.
"Let's just say I have a whole new understanding of the world," he smiled as he saw M'gann walk by, Kent's last words ringing in his head. "Hey Megan! Guess who bought us tickets to see a magic show!"
