A/N: I would really like to get a beta reader for this story. If anyone is interested, PM me.
I feel like the last few chapters were sort of rushed, which led to typos and sloppy dialogue. I don't like to make excuses, but I thought I'd throw that out there.
Also, I've been debating doing a chapter from Artemis's POV. What do you guys think about that?
Mount Justice
August 19, 19:39 EDT
Wally walked in to see Kaldur sparring with Conner, and Artemis and M'Gann talking off to the side. Wally munched on his sandwich as he watched Conner beat Aqualad.
When Red Tornado came in through the hole in the ceiling, Wally couldn't ask if they had a mission fast enough. It had been almost two weeks since the fog incident, and he was really starting to get back into this superheroing thing.
He watched as Red pulled up a display on the computer about Kent Nelson.
Oh. It was this mission.
" This is Kent Nelson. A friend. He is 106 years old" Tornado announced.
" Guy doesn't look a day over 90" Wally whispered to Artemis.
She didn't say anything, but he could see a ghost of a smile on her lips.
" He has been missing for 23 days. He was a charter member of the Justice Society, the precursor to your mentor's Justice League"
"Of course! Nelson was Earth's sorcerer supreme. He was Dr. Fate!" Kaldur realized.
" Hmph. More like Dr. Fake. Guy uses a little advanced science and Dumbledores it up to scare the bad guys and impress the babes" Wally said again. Artemis looked skeptical, but not annoyed.
" Kent may simply be on one of his walk-abouts. But he is the 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
" He's like the great sorcerer priests and priestesses of Mars. I would be honored to help find him"
Wally couldn't bring himself to pretend like he believed in magic. He still didn't (or at least wouldn't admit it) and he hadn't thought of M'Gann as anything other than a friend in years.
Salem
August 19 20:22 EDT
Kid Flash zipped around the area as fast as he could.
"Nothing. This isn't simple camouflage"
" So, what do you think? Adaptive micro-opto-electronics combined with phase shifting?" Artemis asked
" Absolutely"
" Wally-You don't believe in the mystic arts?" M'Gann asked
" Nope."
Wow. That was way simpler than last time.
Kaldur took the key that Tornado had given him inserted it into an invisible key slot. A Tower seemed to appear out of nowhere.
" This tower does not recognize you. Please state your purpose and intent" a hologram of Kent Nelson announced.
Wally stepped forward.
" Red Tornado sent us to check on Kent Nelson"
The hologram smiled, and evaporated. Behind him a door appeared.
On the other side of the door there was a room with a single trapdoor. The others stood back as Aqualad opened the door and revealed a frozen tundra. He entered, and the team followed.
" How do you explain that without magic?" Artemis asked Wally
" Ever hear of string theory? We're in a pocket dimension."
" Hey look at this!" M'Gann pointed at a walking staff on the ground.
Wally knew he had to get to that staff before anyone else. Unfortunately, Artemis was already there.
" I've got it!" they both called out at the same time " I can't let go!"
The staff rose in the air, taking both of them with it. The walking stick, Artemis, and Wally vanished in a flash of light. They reappeared in a room filled with stairs going in every direction. Wally glanced across at a platform near them and saw Abra Kadabra and Klarion, as well as Kent flying towards them. He took the walking stick, releasing Wally and Artemis, and created an elevator in a nearby wall. The three of them stepped in, and took off.
Wally listened as Kent introduced himself to Artemis and him. The conversation went pretty much the same as last time. Kent explained Dr. Fate, Klarion, and all that stuff.
When they got out, they found a room with a bell and all their friends. They also found Klarion and Abra Kadabra.
Artemis ran over to the others. Wally stuck with Kent, who rang the bell and walked into it. Wally followed, as did Klarion.
They emerged on the roof of the tower. Wally could see the helmet of Fate floating in the air. Klarion blasted them with magic, but Kent blocked it with a shield. Unfortunately, the effort required caused him to collapse into Wally's arms.
" Have faith in what you can't believe" were Kent's last words before his heart gave out.
Wally already knew what he had to do. He grabbed the helmet and lowered it onto his head.
The sensation of being transported into the helmet was familiar. He saw what Nabu saw, and felt what he felt, but had no control over himself. He wondered if this was how Jamie felt when he was put on mode.
After some back and forth banter and advanced science and illusions (He still didn't believe in magic), Dr. Fate came out on top by attacking Teekl. Then he teleported down stairs to defeat Abra Kadabra.
Nabu tried to keep Wally's body, but Kent was able convince him otherwise. Then Kent said the words, the words that Wally remembered perfectly, even after five years.
" Find your own little Spitfire. One that won't let you get away with nothing. For example, that-"
Nabu removed the helmet before he could finish, but that was okay. Wally understood now.
Mount Justice
August 20, 3:48 EDT
Wally carefully set the helmet down on on the shelf next to Cheshire's mask. He heard Artemis walk into the room.
" So, you never said what happened when you put on the helmet" she said.
" Energy from the device rewrote my brains beta-waves. I was bio-scripted into becoming Dr. Fate for a few minutes. No biggie"
She looked like she couldn't decide to be annoyed or amused.
" Wait, you still don't believe in magic? Why even keep it then?"
He looked at the shelf, then back at her.
" Souvenir"
She let out a laugh, then started to walk away.
Wally thought about what Kent had told him. It seemed like just yesterday he was being told for the first time.
" Hey, Artemis, guess who has two tickets to a special effect, deception, and sleight-of-hand show?"
A/N: There! I have a few ideas for what I want to do with this story, but I don't really know the specifics. I'm probably skipping Downtime and replacing it with something else. If so, what should I do?