Chapter Two
"Who is that guy?"
"I don't know, that helmet's kind of creepy."
"He's gotta be one of the good guys, right? After all he is with Green Lantern."
"If you ask my opinion, there's too many of those so-called heroes hanging around."
"We can hear you," Green Lantern said, putting the discussion of the two guardsmen at rest. Nabu had been ignoring them as he oversaw Wotan's incarceration.
"Sorry, didn't mean anything 'bout it Green Lantern. Guy's just weird and new, I mean he hasn't spoken at all."
"He's with me and if it wasn't for him, then the prisoner, Wotan, would still be wrecking havoc in the city." I had finally remembered where I had seen Green Lantern. He was on television, on one of the news programs. I didn't often pay that much attention to the news and this had been a while ago, when he had first appeared as a hero or something like that. I had only caught the end of it.
"I suppose." One of the guardsmen said as Nabu decided that the prison would be able to hold Wotan for the next few months.
"The prison will hold Wotan while he is without power. I will return in three months to renew the spell" Nabu said, addressing the guardsmen who fell silent as he addressed him, I could see their unease although I don't think Nabu was aware of it. He tended to not notice those things. Then we strode away and Green Lantern hurriedly spoke to the guards before running to catch up with us.
"Is that it? You're just leaving now?" He asked, walking besides us.
"My presence is no longer needed. When Chaos threatens, I shall return."
"You're set on that sorts of things. Aren't you interested in others who try to protect the streets?"
"Why should I be interested? They do their duty and I do mine."
"But working together might make it easier to protect people."
"I don't protect people. I fight against the Chaos that seeks to destroy everything in its path."
"You end up protecting people." Green Lantern said, looking away. Meanwhile, inside the helmet, I considered what he was getting at. Personally I thought a team was a good idea, I did not enjoy getting beaten up while not even controlling my own body.
"It is not my main focus," Fate said, looking back at Green Lantern for the first time. "But I will consider your plans."
"They're not just my plans, I know another who's also had the same idea." Green Lantern said softly as we stepped out of the police station. Cameras flashed in front of our eyes and reporters pressed around, wanting stories. Nabu and I had never been in such a public situation before and we both found the scene slightly distressing. I didn't want to be in the public eye and Nabu had only recently returned to this world. The crowd of reports and their raised voices sounded more like the chaos that he fought against.
"I hate this part." Green Lantern muttered, putting on a smile and moving to address the crowds.
"Everything will be fine, the attacker, Wotan, has been put away thanks to the help of Doctor Fate. I will not be answering any questions." With that Green Lantern took into the air and looked back at us.
"Are you coming?" He asked Fate and I noticed that Nabu paused, taking in the options and doing his best to ignore the crowd.
"I have prior engagements." Doctor Fate said after a long pause, before raising his hand and creating a golden portal. I wondered what this engagement was, before I realised what Fate meant.
"Thanks, Nabu." I told him, it seemed that the Lord of Order had remembered Inza's presence outside my door before we had to leave to battle Wotan.
"Do not thank me yet." Nabu warned and I got a sense of foreboding.
"Very well." Green Lantern replied, flying off and Doctor Fate walked through the portal.
Arriving in my home I was greeted by a surprise. Inza sat at the table, casually drinking a cup of tea with another cup laid out on the table. Nabu closed the portal behind us and Inza looked calmly up at Doctor Fate. How had she even managed to get in? Why was she so calm?
"You really should improve your defences," Inza said, taking a sip of tea. "Considering that you're out there saving the world you'd have expected the lock on your door to not be susceptible to a simple lock picking with a hair pin." I was speechless, Nabu appeared to be as well as his only reaction was to turn the television off with a wave of his hand. It was some news report about today's events.
"Do you not speak as Doctor Fate or have I just caught you out?" Inza said, offering a smile to me. She was really pretty when she smiled, the way her whole face seemed to lighten up, from her lips to her eyes. Even though it was mostly comforting, although I thought I saw a trace of nervousness there. I suppose it wasn't good to make 'superheroes' speechless but I wasn't a superhero and Inza was enough to make anyone speechless.
"I have little to say." Doctor Fate replied, although I could tell that I was beginning to put up magical protection around my home.
"I'm still taking you dress shopping, Kent." Inza warned, looking at us although Nabu was somehow ignoring her as he put the finishing touches on a rather complicated magical charm on the building.
"No response. Hm... Tea?" For someone who had broken into someone's house she seemed remarkably calm and I had what seemed like a million questions for her.
"Uh, helmet, Nabu?" I asked and there was a slight pause before Nabu took the helmet off and I felt my soul return to my body. I looked down at the helmet in my hand and then placed it back on the shelf.
"You don't seem that surprised," I commented, walking over to the table and pouring myself a cup of tea. The tea was still steaming and smelled delicious.
"Of course not. It would take an idiot if they knew you to not realise. I mean, come on, every time you're not around there's this helmeted guy on television doing something-"
"-Wait, I'm on television, more than just today-"
"Only about three times so far but each time during one of our planned dates, did you really become a superhero-"
"-I'm not a superhero-"
"-Whaterver, a superhero just to avoid going out with me? The voice thing is a good way to hide who you are and the helmet is way better than those masks if not a little theatrical-"
"-I don't really have a choice-"
"-Kent, it's a great costume, you look good in it. Who'd have known you have so much muscle, not drinking your tea? I didn't poison it, you know, anyway, you've made me go off topic." I took a sip of tea and decided to remain quite. It appeared that Inza was an unstoppable force of nature.
"Well, the most obvious give away was your aura, it's really bright and gold. One of the first things that made you stand out to me, in fact. Most people have dull auras but I'm sure you know about that."
"Wait, you sense auras?" I stuttered, forgetting my decision of silence and looking at Inza before looking at her aura. It was a strong silver although I thought I caught a hint of gold. Nowhere near as strong as the aura of someone like Wotan or Nabu but definitely something worth looking at. "You practice magic!"
"You do take a while to catch on. I'm only a novice, know a few basic spells, nothing like what you've accomplished-"
"-You've been practicing magic-"
"-We're not going to get back to these interruptions, are we, Kent?" I shook my head. I figured that if I argued with her she would almost definitely win.
"Good. So as I was saying I practice magic but you've shown a great deal of it. I could barely believe that there was enough magic left in this world to make small changed like increase the probability of a bright day but then you appear in tight spandex and a helmet summoning Egyptian symbols and... well, I must admit it's quite something. But you should change your name. I mean, look at it, Doctor Fate, I'm sorry but that's a walking pun right there."
"I didn't exactly decided, Fate decreed it." I muttered.
"See, that's what I'm talking about!" Inza explained, putting the tea-cup down with a clatter and I may have flinched.
"Relax, Kent, I'm only walking about the flaws in your thoughts. You don't have to change your name or whatever it is."
"Thanks," I said, taking a sip of tea before carefully returning my cup. I doubted that Nabu would allow a change of name.
"I haven't shocked you, have I?" Inza asked as silence had fallen upon the room.
"It's not every day that I come home to find an argumentative young lady having broken into my house and figured out that I have an alter ego." I said, looking up at Inza who gave me a sympathetic look.
"Sorry about that. But that isn't getting you out of going out dress shopping with me."
"You are persistent, aren't you? How about I take you out for dinner tonight?"
"I think you deserve to have some form of punishment for managing to get your way out of the past few dates."
"Well, you can stay here until it's time to go out for dinner."
"I intend to."
"So I don't have to go dress shopping?"
"We'll see."