It was a few days after our battle with the Shadow Thief, and I was feeling restless again. I'd gone back to Chicago a few times with the Hawks, but no one besides petty criminals ever showed. I wanted some bug action, like a mission from Batman. By the looks of my teammates, they were feeling the same way.
After a morning of training with the Hawks, I went back through the Zeta tube to the Cave to find Kaldur and Superboy sparring, with Artemis, Wally, and Megan watching on the side. I stepped up to hear the girls having a conversation.
"Hey, what are you two talking about?" I wondered, standing beside Megan.
They both looked at me a bit weirdly, and then Megan gasped loudly, making me flinch slightly. I glanced around to see what was wrong.
"I think you and Robin would look great together," she finally said. Wait, together?
"Yeah,you should so ask him out." Artemis agreed. I was still confused.
"What are you guys talking about?" I nearly shouted I was so frustrated with them. Wait a minute…
"Wait, you actually think I like Robin?" I guessed. It seemed like I was right from their knowing expressions.
"Why not? I mean he's smart, funny-"
"Immature, overconfident, and keeps way too many secrets." I finished Artemis's statement. She raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to reply, but the arrival of Red Tornado into the Cave from above stopped her.
"Do you have a mission for us?" Wally asked, running up to the robot.
"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility." He answered in his typical deadpan. It didn't bother me as much as before, seeing as how he didn't have much choice as to what his voice sounded like, but it did still strike a nerve as to how robotic he sounded.
"Yeah, well, the Batman's with the Robin doing the "dynamic duo" thing in Gotham. But you're headed somewhere, right?" Wally asked, pointing his fingers at Red Tornado. "Hot date, or a miss-ion?" Hot date? What was that?
"If we can be of help," Aqualad added respectfully.
Red Tornado was silent for a moment, and then turned and opened a screen, showing someone I had never seen before.
"This is Kent Nelson. A friend. He is 106 years old." Red Tornado began.
"Guy doesn't look a day over ninety," I overhead Wally whisper to Artemis.
"And he has been missing for 23 days." Red Tornado continued with his mission. "Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society, the precursors to your mentor's Justice League." The image changed to someone a lot younger, with a yellow helmet and cape. I wanted a cape like that.
"Of course, Nelson was Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. He was Doctor Fate." Kaldur said. Sorcerer Supreme? Doctor Fate? There were too many names I didn't know.
"Pssh, more like 'Doctor Fake.' Guy knows a little advanced science and Dumbledore's it up to scare the bad guys and impress the babes." Wally whispered again. And again with the words and names I don't know.
"Kent may simply be on one of his...walkabouts," I turned my attention back to Red Tornado. "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 finished his briefing. I was glad I still wore my hero gear from training.
"He is like the great sorcerer priests and priestesses of Mars. I would be honored to help find him." Megan spoke up. I wondered what the "sorcerer priests and priestesses" were.
"Me too!" Wally's voice rang out as I turned to the redhead. "So honored, I can barely stand it. Magic rocks." He held up some kind of sign with his hands. I was confused.
"Wait, didn't you just say-"
"How much I love the Mystic Arts? Yeah, you're right, Tabi, I can't keep my mouth shut about it." Wally interrupted me. I shot a look back at Artemis, who wore a similar expression.
"Take this," Red Tornado said. He handed Kaldur some sort of key. "It is the key to the Tower of Fate."
"What are the chances you and I both so admire the Mystic Arts?" Wally asked Megan specifically. I raised an eyebrow at his odd behavior.
We all were flying in the Bio-Ship in no time, heading outside the Cave. I was the only one who had my hero outfit on, but I wasn't bothered by it. I looked out the window into the dark night, secretly wishing I was flying out there instead of inside the ship.
"So, Wally, when did you first realize your honest affinity for sorcery?" Artemis asked. I patiently awaited his next lie.
"Well, I don't mean to brag, but before I was Kid Flash, I seriously considered becoming a wizard myself." I rolled my eyes. Why was he acting so strangely? It didn't make sense.
"We've reached Tornado's coordinates." Megan announced as we came upon a clearing with a giant stone tower in the middle.
"Nothing's there." Superboy said. I was confused again.
"Yeah, there is." I said, pointing out the window. "There's a giant tower right there."
Everyone gave me a weird look. "I swear I can see it. Look!" We touched down. I was out first, making a grand arm gesture to the tower they seemed to be oblivious to.
Wally lapped the tower, coming back to us and giving his report. "Nothing. This isn't simply camouflage."
"So, what do you think? Adaptive micro-optic electronics combined with phase-shifting?" Artemis asked. I had no idea what those were.
"Absolutely-not!" Wally interjected as Megan stood beside him. "Clearly mystic powers are at work here."
I didn't realize everyone was looking at me until Kaldur stepped up and handed me the key from Red Tornado. "Here. Perhaps you can open the Tower." I took it and weighed it in my hand.
I turned back to the tower, noticing a large door that had a keyhole on the side. I cautiously stepped up and inserted the key into the hole as it unlocked the door.
Everyone gasped behind me. I figured that the key must've lowered whatever camouflage-spell thing the tower had around it.
The door opened by itself into an empty room. I tried to walk in, but something stopped me. Something pulled at my waist, and as I looked down I realized my mace wasn't coming along with me. Some kind of force field-spell thing kept the weapon from entering the tower.
I undid the loop that kept it in place and left it at the door, figuring I wouldn't really need it if we're just looking for some doctor. Besides, I still had my sai and training in hand-to-hand as well.
"Uh, where'd the door go?" Superboy asked once we were all inside. I looked back as, sure enough, that door had vanished.
"Greetings." A voice made me turn back. A man that looked like the picture of Kent Nelson appeared. He looked like some sort of hologram. "You have entered with a key, but the Tower does not recognize you. Please state your name and intent."
"We're-"
"We are true believers, here to find Doctor Fate." Wally interrupted me for perhaps the third time that day.
I heard cracking. That can't be good, I thought. The floor then gave way, straight towards a pool of seating lava. I instinctively spread my wings to act as a parachute, but the rest of my friends were in danger. I swooped to the side and clung to the wall as Artemis shot a grappling hook from her crossbow, Megan levitated Wally, and Superboy slid down the side.
"Superboy!" I shouted down as he got dangerously close to the boiling liquid and stopped inches from the top.
"Those...were my favorite boots. This Nelso guy better be worth it." He remarked. Right, Kryptonian, I thought as to how he survived the heat.
"Having trouble...maintaining altitude," I saw Megan struggling to keep herself and Wally aloft. "Ugh, I'm so hot."
"You certainly are." Wally replied.
"Wally!" Artemis and I shouted at the same time.
"Hey, inches above sizzling death, in entitled to speak my mind!" He shouted back.
"Hold on, Megan, I'm coming." I spread my wings and angled them downwards to help the Martian.
"My physiology and M'gann's are susceptible to extreme heat. We must climb out quickly." Kaldur commanded. I held onto Megan's shoulders as I tried to keep all three of us from sinking into the lava. I beat my wings as hard as I could, but it didn't have much more effect.
"Hello, Megan! We never truly answered the question." Megan said. "Red Tornado sent us, to see if Mr. Nelson, and the Helmet, were safe." She called out to the Tower.
At once, a metal plate slid over the floor, as I let go of Megan as she levitated Wally and herself down safely.
I dropped to the floor as well, following her and Superboy. Artemis and Kaldur joined us soon as well. It felt strange that my feet weren't heating up beyond room temperature standing on the metal plate that blocked lava from below.
"This platform. It should be red-hot, but it is cool to the touch." Kaldur commented, stopping down and feeling the metal with his webbed hands.
"Don't worry Megalicious, I got ya." Wally wrapped his arm around said Martian.
"Enough!" Artemis cried out at the redhead. She walked up and forced him back against the wall with her hand. "Your little impress-Megan-at-all-costs game nearly got us all barbecued." She accused. My eyes widened at her display, but I wasn't complaining.
"When did this become my fault?" Wally asked.
"When you lied to that, whatever it was, and called yourself a true believer."
"Wally, you don't believe?" Megan asked. She sounded a little hurt. Oh don't tell me she believed him…
"Fine! Fine, I lied about believing in magic." Wally admitted. "But magic is the real lie! A major load."
"Wally, I studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis. The Mystic Arts created the skin icons that power my waterbearers." Kaldur interjected. Oh, so that's why he has those tattoos.
"Dude, you ever hear of bioelectricity?" Wally explained. "Hey, in primitive cultures, fire was once considered magical too. Now it's all a bunch of tricks."
"You're pretty close-minded for a guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers," Artemis remarked.
"That's science. I recreated Flash's laboratory experiment and here I am. Everything can be explained by science." He replied.
"Let us test that theory, Kaldur said, holding a handle on the floor.
"Wait! The backdraft from the lava'll roast us alive-" he started to protest, but as Kaldur opened the hatch, I saw it was frozen inside. But that didn't make sense, I thought, then shrugged. Magic, I guess.
"It's snow," Megan commented in delight.
"Have you never seen snow before?" I asked her.
"Sometimes, on the tapes my uncle sent from Earth while I was still on Mars."
"Do you ever get tired of being wrong?" Artemis asked Wally, who frowned. I followed the others and jumped down into the frozen land. The place seemed oddly familiar, in a weird way. I was sure I'd never been here before, but the snow and the mountains in the distance reminded me of something…
"So? What about this?" Artemis asked Wally.
"Ever hear of String Theory? We're in a pocket dimension." He explained. Artemis groaned in frustration.
"Hey Wally? What do you have to say about my wings?" I asked, seeing if he could explain them.
"There's this thing called transgenetics, Hawkey. Also, you're a clone of Hawkman and Hawkwoman, of course you have wings like them." he answered. I narrowed my eyes.
"Alright, explain that." I pointed to a cane floating in the distance. He pretended to think for a moment.
"A magnetized anti-grav field built into the cane," he answered, rushing forwards at the same time as Artemis.
"I got it," both said at the same time. "I can't let go!" I stared open-mouthed and wide-eyed as they were lifted off the ground and disappeared along with the cane to who knows where.
"Wally! Artemis!" I jumped up and pumped my wings to see if they were still in the area, but even my enhanced vision couldn't spot the DUP against the snow and rock.
"Nowhere. They're not around here." I landed and told the others the bad news. "We have to find them. They could be in trouble." I started down the snowy path to find them, until Megan grabbed my wrist.
"Tabitha, we can find them with Mr. Nelson. And even if we don't, he can lead us to them." She calmed me down with her words. I nodded in agreement, remembering our mission.
"Then let us continue our mission." Kaldur took the lead as we walked in the snow.
"I don't understand Wally." Megan said after a few minutes. "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 answered. "To acknowledge the existence of magic would be to relinquish the last vestige of that control." I hardly got any of what he said, but I nodded anyway.
"Superboy?" I glanced behind me at the stoic clone. "Are you alright? You've barely said anything since we got here." I was wondering if he was worrying about Superman again.
"It's nothing. I'm fine." He grumbled in reply. I looked toward Megan, who mirrored my own worried expression.
I heard a door creak open, and then suddenly there was an open door standing on top of a mountain peak.
"Maybe that's where we'll find the others," I thought out loud, flying ahead of the others and into the doorway.
I wasn't prepared to land on the ground once I exited the snowy place, and promptly fell flat on my stomach. I looked up to see a giant bell of some kind. Wondering where I was now, I stood up as I heard a ding sound. Looking for the source, I saw one wall had been turned into an elevator, what I now knew the moving room was called.
Wally and Artemis were already there, along with someone who looked like Kent Nelson. I figured it must be him.
"Mr. Nelson, you're okay!" I exclaimed as We met near the bell.
"Course I am, now who might you be?" He asked.
"My name is Hawkgirl," I replied automatically, forgetting my real name for a second.
I looked to see Kaldur, Superboy, and Megan also come through the ceiling door, with everyone falling like I had except for Megan, who floated with her powers.
"Friends of yours?" Mr. Nelson asked.
I heard the electricity zap a second too late. I tried to move out of the way, but I was caught with a lightning bolt shot from something or someone I didn't know.
"Friends of yours?" Wally asked. I guessed it was to Mr. Nelson.
The shock ended a second later, as a person with a white shirt and a little black sand-thing shot a bolt at Wally and Mr. Nelson. I also saw someone dressed in black with a cat.
Mr. Nelson hit the giant bell from before with his cane, which made it glow. I watched in surprise as Wally and him walked through the bell to...somewhere. I decided to follow.
"Megan, in going after Wally and Mr. Nelson," I said, hoping she had a psychic link up.
"Acknowledged." Kaldur answered. "We will keep him busy." I realized the kid with the cat had also gone through the bell, and I quickly gained speed and came barreling through the magic bell.
I ended up in an open area, with everyone already there.
"No!" I heard someone tell. It was the kid with the cat, although he didn't have his cat at the moment. I also saw some sort of force field-spell thing surrounding Wally and Mr. Nelson, who was currently lying on the ground.
"Wally, what-"
I was hit from behind with something. What, I didn't know. My instincts took over and I glided with my wings to gain ground. The kid had some sort of red energy-stuff around his hands, which he used to throw at me.
I managed to dodge most of the attacks, but as I got into a pattern, he surprised me with a bolt to my wing and sent me spiraling over the edge of wherever we were.
I hit the ground hard. My body lie still for a moment as the shock settled in. I got up slowly, thankful for my armor and enhanced endurance. I realized that I was back at the bottom of the tower, as I saw my mace sitting where I'd left it at the door.
Not thinking twice, I grabbed it and flew back up to where the battle was taking place. I found it easier to fly when I had the mace, which was a little bit weird, but also cool.
I arrived just in time to see the magic kid rip apart the bubble that protected Wally and Mr. Nelson, although he was nowhere in my sight.
"No!" I screamed as he sent a big wave of red fire in Wally's direction. I tried to reach him, but I couldn't in time.
And then suddenly he was dressed in Doctor Fate's costume that I saw on the Cave. He put up a protective shield spell, with the magic kid throwing more fireballs at him.
"Give it up Nabu! Order went out of style in the twentieth century!" He shouted. Nabu? I shook my head. NO was no time to be confused.
"Leave him alone!" I shouted, drawing his attention. I swung my weapon as he shot a beam of red energy my way, and was surprised to see the mace blocked the attack.
The kid tried again, with more fireballs this time. And each time I deflected the magic with my mace.
"This is not your fight, Thanagarian!" A deep voice intruded, as I was suddenly surrounded by a yellow bubble like Wally had earlier, although this one was smaller.
"Hey! I want to help!" I banged on the force field, and used my mace to try to get through it, but the bubble wouldn't budge. I could only get my weapon out of it, but if I threw it, I'd be handing over my greatest weapon to the enemy. So, out of options, I simply had to watch as Doctor Fate and the magic Kid dukes it out.
"This battle is pointless!" Fate exclaimed. "You sought to take the Helmet before it gained a host, but you are too late."
"Shut it you old fart!" The magic kid was growing angry and two columns of rock shot out from the ground and smashed Fate. A glowing symbol appeared as Fate broke out, and the battle resumed.
Fate shot out a beam of golden energy, which made the magic kid turn to ashes, but the ashes reformed behind the Doctor, and he shot out a bolt of red lightning that hit its mark.
"No, stop!" I cried out in vain. The magic kid formed a dragon head-shaped attack, which Fate avoided, blocked with a shield, and was hit by. I watched helplessly as he tried to fend off the magic kid, but Fate ended up lying in the ground in front of the kid.
"You're out of practice, Nabu! And that pathetic host body, zero affinity for the Mystic Arts." The kid taunted. He raised his hands as I looked above. Clouds were forming into a mini thunderstorm above the tower, sparking our red lightning.
One bolt targeted Doctor Fate, as he put up a yellow bubble to protect himself.
"Ooh, rainbow power." The kid commented. I heard a cat's meow, and realized that the orange cat was by his side.
" I am paying attention, you stupid cat." Wait, he can communicate with it? "In case you haven't noticed, I'm winning," the magic kid said.
Doctor Fate freed himself with an explosion, as golden fire surrounded him. "It is difficult for a Lord of Order or Chaos to maintain a presence on the physical plane. I am bound to the helmet, and use a human host. But that is not your way."
"You're babbling, Nabu!" I didn't think the magic kid could get any creepier, but he did as red beady eyes replaced his normal-looking ones. Wait a minute...I thought about Doctor Fate's words. They must have an anchor…
Doctor Fate sent a golden beam towards the magic kid's cat, as it was knocked back. I saw the kid's form go see-through for a moment, and figured the cat must be his anchor.
"Teekl!" The kid yelled. He turned to Fate, boiling mad. "I can't believe you would assault a defenseless pussycat!"
"We both know that creature is no cat, witch boy. And without your familiar, you have no anchor in this reality." Ha! So I was right!
"Bully! Killjoy! Geezer!" The Witch Boy shouted angrily at Doctor Fate. He simply shot a beam of golden energy at the kid, who teleported back to his not-cat.
"We're outta here!" He then dissipated into red and black tendrils that went into the sky. Fate turned to me now, and finally lowered the force field around me.
"Finally! Thank you! Although you could've done that earlier and we'd have been done with the Witch Boy a lot sooner." I thanked him and complained in one breath. He didn't reply, and instead looked off into the distance.
"Hello? Doctor Fate?" I went up and waved a hand in his face. He still didn't move. Finally, he reached up and took the helmet off, making his costume disappear and left Wally in his place.
"Wally!" I tackled him into a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay! What happened?" I talked fast. He shook his head and turned.
"It's a...long story." He answered as he walked to a figure in the ground. I recognized it as Mr. Nelson.
I let out a gasp. Is he…he wasn't moving, and his eyes were closed. Wally bent down and put something in his hand, closing his fingers around it as well.
I stared at the still body. My mouth fell open in shock as I realized that he had died. Death...my mind could hardly wrap itself around the concept, but at the same time it felt like I had seen dozens of bodies like this. I didn't know how to react.
We all sat in the Bio-Ship in mourning for Kent Nelson. Wally seemed the most affected. Instead of his usual quirky grin and sarcasm, he was silent and solemn. I was too.
I retired to my room as soon as I got back, not even stopping to check in with Dr. Richards, who probably wasn't even there now. I took off my hero outfit and put on my pajamas. I sat on the bed for a long time. I didn't move. I didn't think. All I saw was the face of Kent Nelson.
I cried that night. I think it was the first time I ever did.
A/N: I was initially going to write out some more filler with this chapter, but it ended up going too deep into one of my own subplots, so I saved that chapter for later and went ahead and wrote out "Denial."
I honestly didn't really know how to go about this chapter, as I read somewhere that Nth metal negates magic. But I worked around that.
Reviews, followers, and favorites are always appreciated here. =)
