Happy Halloween, everyone! I've been frantically working on this chapter for the last two hours trying to get it done before I go to bed, so you can all have a nice 'Treat' for Halloween. It's one o'clock in the morning now and I regret nothing.

Here, have a chapter that has only the vaguest connections to anything 'Halloween-like' in nature!

MOUNT JUSTICE
AUGUST 19TH, 2010
19:39 EDT

Another day, another round of combat training. Anyone else would probably have grown bored by now, but Ski'Lira Hol never tired of the thrill of combat. Of course, she much preferred to be participating, but watching her teammates' performances and making in-depth critiques was entertaining too. Very early on, she had been established as a kind of stand in for Black Canary, their usual combat trainer, whenever the older woman was absent.

A long lifetime of fight training, as well as a propensity for noticing the smallest of details and mistakes made Hawkgirl a ruthless tutor.

At the moment, she was standing on the outer edge of the already illuminated combat floor, along with Wally, M'Gann, and Artemis. Kaldur and Superboy were both facing off against each other in the middle of the ring. Aqualad was the only one wearing his uniform, with everyone else opting to wear their civilian clothing.

On that note, Artemis had yet to see Ski'Lira's yellow cloth mask up until this moment, which had spawned a brief discussion about Thanagarian cultural norms, with the promise of a much longer conversation to come in the future. For now, they had to focus on combat training.

In the ten seconds it took for her to fish both a pen and a pad of paper out of the pockets of her jeans, Superboy had stripped off his shirt and thrown it to the side. She rolled her eyes seeing the pleased look on Artemis' face. She rolled her eyes a second time when she saw M'Gann's raging blush.

Had neither of them heard of subtlety?

"Initiate: Combat Training" The mechanical voice of the computer droned. "3… 2… 1…"

The moment the countdown stopped, the two opponents surged forwards and began a rapid-fire exchange of punches, kicks and dodges. Hawkgirl kept her eyes glued on the fight, already a few notes jotted down. However, her concentration was soon wavered as Artemis spoke up.

"Kaldur's uh, nice, don't you think?" A quick glance confirmed the blonde was directly addressing M'Gann. "Handsome. Commanding… You should totally ask him out."

"He's like a big brother to me." M'Gann immediately replied. "But you know who would make the cutest couple? You and Wally."

Hawkgirl honestly couldn't tell whether M'Gann was joking or not, as said speedster was in the process of trying to stuff as much of a burrito as he could manage into his mouth at once. She knew that he had to consume a much higher calorie intake in order to stay functioning, but really? Apparently proving something inane to himself was worth the risk of choking to death.

"You're so full of passion." M'Gann continued. "And he's so full of, uh… of-"

"It?" Artemis finished.

Ski'Lira couldn't help but snort at the comment, even as she continued writing her critique. A beat later, both M'Gann and Artemis were laughing.

Meanwhile, out in the ring, both Aqualad and Superboy had managed to lock their arms around each other in a faux-wrestling hold, only for Superboy to hook a foot around Kaldur's ankle. The Atlantean's balance was quickly disrupted and he was unable to recover fast enough, allowing Superboy to toss him halfway across the ring. Kaldur landed harshly onto his back, the red circle signifying his failure appearing under his torso.

"Fail: Aqualad" The computer announced.

Superboy was panting a little from exertion as he dusted off his hands, a smile plastered firmly on his face. "Black Canary taught me that."

Ski'Lira pointedly cleared her throat.

"And Hawkgirl made me practice it over and over until she thought it was good enough." He amended at her prompting.

Satisfied, she nodded her head and prepared to walk into the ring to give the two her notes on their bout, only for the circular ceiling hatch to abruptly open, depositing Red Tornado into the cave. Superboy silently helped Kaldur up from the ground as the android walked past them without a word.

Not one to miss out on an opportunity, Kid Flash sped over to interrupt his path. "Do you have a mission for us?"

"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility." Red Tornado reminded, monotone as ever.

"Yeah, well, the Batman's with the Robin doing the Dynamic Duo thing in Gotham… But you're headed somewhere, right? Hot date? Or a… mission?"

Well, it looked like combat training was on hold for the rest of the day. And Ski'Lira was so looking forward to her chance to finally spar with Artemis.

Kaldur took a step forward. "If we can be of help…"

After a second, the League member turned and summoned a holographic keyboard in front of him, pulling up a screen displaying the image of a familiar old man. Ski'Lira's spine stiffened and her wings flared, mouth twisting into the slightest of frowns.

"This is Kent Nelson, a friend. He is one hundred and six years old." Red Tornado began.

Wally spoke up in a loud whisper. "Guy doesn't look a day over ninety."

Nonplussed, the android continued. "And he has been missing for twenty three days."

Ski'Lira's grip on her pen tightened. She knew all about the search for Kent Nelson, primarily because her parents had been a major part of it since he was first declared missing. They'd been spending the last three weeks pulling all-nighters and tracking down every lead they could get their hands on, but as Red Tornado had said, the search had yet to come to fruition.

It was… worrying, to say the least. Though she had to admit, she was confused as to why they were being told this, since it was an active League mission.

"Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society." Red Tornado explained as the screen superimposed his hero persona over the image of Kent Nelson, golden helmet gleaming. "The precursor to your mentors' Justice League."

"Of course" Kaldur's eyes widened. "Nelson was Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. He was Doctor Fate."

Leaning over to Artemis, Wally made his clear displeasure known. "More like Doctor Fake. Guy knows a little advanced science and 'Dumbledore's' it up to scare the bad guys and impress the babes."

Her pen snapped in her hand so quietly, Ski'Lira was certain that only those with enhanced hearing had heard it. Nevertheless, black ink flowed down her hand and started to drip steadily onto the pristine floor.

She couldn't care less, as she was taking a page from Superboy's book and attempting to develop heat vision via intense glare aimed at the back of Wally's oblivious head. All of her thoughts were variations of 'How dare he' and 'They'll never find his body'.

Turning back around to face the group, Red Tornado continued with his improvised debriefing. If he noticed Ski'Lira's enraged state, he did nothing to indicate as such. "Kent may simply be on one of his walkabouts. 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."

"He's like the great sorcerer priests and priestesses of Mars!" M'Gann piped up, sounding genuinely thrilled at the revelation. "I would be honored to help find him."

Wally didn't miss a beat, shooting an arm up into the air. "Me too! So honored I can barely stand it. Magic rocks!"

Okay, yes, this was definitely going to be Wallace West's last day on this planet. Perhaps should she give him some forewarning so he could get his affairs in order before his demise?

Red Tornado brandished a small golden key he had pulled from… somewhere… "Take this. It is the key to the Tower of Fate."

Kaldur stepped forward to take it, handling it with a subtle reverence.

"What are the chances we both so admire the mystic arts?" The resident speedster chimed in, a sickeningly love struck expression on his stupid face.

It was at this moment that Artemis finally noticed the growing puddle of black ink and its source. "Whoa, what did you do?"

Ski'Lira let a short growl rumble in her throat. "Sorry for the mess. I'll clean it up later." Dropping the remains of the pen onto the ground, she stalked past the rest of her peers, making sure to shoulder check Wally. Unprepared for the blow, he was sent stumbling forwards. "I need to go get my mace."

Rubbing at his shoulder, Wally stared after the clearly irate Thanagarian. "What's her problem?"

H

In the last fifteen minutes or so, wherein Hawkgirl retrieved her mace, headed to the hangar, and boarded M'Gann's bio-ship along with the rest of the present team roster, she had managed to assuage most of her internal fury through sheer force of will and logic. She knew that Wally didn't have nearly as much experience with magic as most of his fellow teen heroes, purely due to a mixture of his own power's origin and his mentor's Rogue Gallery that primarily consisted of science-based villains. Thus, it was his ignorance that allowed her to forgive him for at least a portion of his transgressions.

Be that as it may, she was still remaining silent during the flight.

Gaze locked out the window, she found her thoughts drifting to Kent Nelson. Ski'Lira didn't know him particularly well, but she did know him. He'd visited her parents' museum in St. Roch on numerous occasions, either for consultations for possibly magical artifacts or just to have a friendly conversation. On the rare occasions when they ended up alone in the same room, he would tell her about his days in the Justice Society of America, old war stories and tales of daring do that always left her riveted. The old man certainly had a way with words and knew how to tell a good story.

Her parents had been distraught by Nelson's disappearance.

She really hoped that he was safe.

Before her thoughts spiraled out of control, Artemis abruptly broke the silence. "So, Wally, when did you first realize your honest affinity for sorcery?"

Wally hesitated for a moment, blatantly thrown by the question. "Well, I… I don't like to brag." Liar. "But, uh, before I became Kid Flash, I seriously considered becoming a wizard myself!"

And look at that, the anger's back with a vengeance.

As if sensing the murderous turn her inner monologue had taken, Kaldur glanced over at Ski'Lira, a look of complete disbelief in his eyes. She gave a pointed eye roll and clenched her jaw as they shared a moment of commiseration

"We've reached Tornado's coordinates." M'Gann's announcement shattered the tension, bringing their attention back to the mission at hand. "But…"

"Nothing's there." Superboy pointed out.

Steeling himself, Aqualad gave the order. "Take us down."

H

SALEM
AUGUST 19TH, 2010
20:22 EDT

Thanks to M'Gann's expert piloting, the bio-ship was now sitting primly in the middle of a deserted street. Ski'Lira personally thought it was a terrible decision, but decided to let it go for now. Only if something serious happened would she allow it to become her problem.

Once they had departed the ship, Kid Flash immediately took off, doing a sweep of the empty park to try to locate the Tower.

For a moment, Ski'Lira wondered if maybe she should tell them that the Tower was elusive and couldn't be found unless invited, and that Aqualad currently had the only means of entry in his pocket.

Ultimately, she opted to give them five minutes to figure it out by themselves.

Wally returned from his search, skidding to a halt in front of Artemis. "Nothing. This isn't simple camouflage."

"So, what do you think?" Artemis asked. "Adaptive micro-optive electronics combined with phase shifting?"

"Absolutely… Not!" The speedster hastily corrected as Miss Martian stepped up beside him. "Clearly mystic powers are at work here."

He definitely wasn't wrong.

Meanwhile, Kaldur had a pensive look on his face as he held the golden key in his palm. "A test of faith…" He inspected the key closely before apparently coming to some kind of realization. "Stand behind me." Taking a few steps forward, he pushed the key forward into the empty space in front of him, only for it to vanish into seemingly nothing. Turning the key, there was a ripple of magic as the Tower materialized.

The building, despite being perfectly square in structure, was comprised of irregularly shaped bricks. The tower rose high into the sky, the top barely visible from where they were standing. The entry door was a simple arch in shape, made of heavy wood and wrought iron.

Ski'Lira felt her mace hum and warm just the slightest bit, and she smiled as she patted it fondly.

Apparently her companions were still struck in a bit of a stupor from the Tower's appearance, so she decided to take the initiative, striding forwards. "I wish I had a camera. The looks on your faces… utterly priceless." Pushing past Aqualad, she opened the door herself, leading the way into the tower.

Shaking off their shock, her companions followed after her, albeit far more cautiously.

The door slammed shut behind them with a loud bang, before vanishing into the stonework, leaving behind a solid wall.

"Uh, where'd the door go?" Superboy asked.

A slight glimmer was all the warning they received before a glowing illusion of Kent Nelson manifested in front of them. "Greetings." It began. "You have entered with a key, but the Tower only recognizes one of you."

Hawkgirl's eyes widened a little behind her mask. She never realized that Nelson had keyed her signature into the Tower, despite the fact that she had never actually visited before. She was more than a little touched by the gesture.

"Please state your purpose and intent." The illusion demanded.

Kid Flash stepped forward, sweeping his arms in a grandiose manner. "We are true believers, here to find Doctor Fate."

Up until this point, Ski'Lira didn't know that an illusion could look exasperated, but this one sure did. It turned to face Ski'Lira for but a moment, giving her an apologetic look before fizzling out of existence.

An ominous cracking noise was all the warning they obtained before the floor shattered from underneath them, letting them all fall into the abyss below, a boiling pit of lava at the very bottom.

The team all spurred themselves into action. Miss Martian caught Wally with her telekinesis, keeping them both aloft with her powers. Artemis drew a hand crossbow that she had up until this moment kept concealed, firing a grappling arrow into the steep side of the pit, snagging Aqualad and crashing them both into the wall.

Hawkgirl gave a few powerful flaps of her wings, bringing herself into an awkward hover, the maneuver made difficult by both the confined space and the strange movement of the superheated air around them. Superboy caught the side of the wall with his fingers, falling down further and further until only his feet were submerged into the lava. Letting out a cry, he pulled himself up far enough that he wasn't touching the lava any longer, saving his feet.

"Those were my favorite boots." He grumbled, glaring at his newly bared feet. "This Nelson guy better be worth it."

Drifting slowly downward, M'Gann was visibly struggling to keep herself and Wally in the air. "Having trouble maintaining altitude… I'm so hot."

"You certainly are." The speedster said in a dreamy voice.

"Wally!" Artemis snapped.

"Hey, inches above sizzling death, I'm entitled to speak my mind!"

"My physiology and M'Gann's are susceptible to extreme heat." Kaldur revealed, his skin beading with sweat. "We must climb out quickly."

Not one to remain idle, Hawkgirl had made her way back to the top of the pit, only to find that much like with the door to the Tower, the entrance had completely vanished. All that remained at the top was roughly hewn rock. "Only problem with that is the top's sealed closed!" She shouted. "I COMPLETELY BLAME YOU FOR THIS, GINGERSNAP!"

"WHY AM I BEING BLAMED?!" The speedster yelled back.

M'Gann suddenly smacked herself in the forehead. "Hello, Megan! We never truly answered the question!" Raising her voice so she knew that Tower would hear her, M'Gann addressed the building itself. "Red Tornado sent us to see if Mr. Nelson and the Helmet were safe!"

At her truthful words, two sides of a tiled floor slid over the lava, cutting it off and permitting them to land safely. Superboy merely jumped off from the wall, while Wally and Miss Martian both fell gracelessly. Artemis rappelled herself and Kaldur down, while Hawkgirl tucked her wings and executed a perfect dive, flaring out her wings at the last moment and landing on her feet.

"Show off" Wally muttered, presumably still peeved about her blaming him for the debacle earlier.

"This platform, it should be red hot." Bending down, Kaldur placed a hand flat on the ground. "But it is cool to the touch."

"Don't worry, Megalicious." Wally proclaimed, slinging an arm around the Martian's shoulders. "I got you."

"Enough!" Surging forward, Artemis placed a hand on Wally's chest and shoved him backwards. Just like that, the archer gained more respect from Ski'Lira. "Your little 'impress Megan at all costs' game nearly got us all barbecued!"

"When did this become my fault?!"

"When you lied to that… whatever it was… and called yourself a true believer!"

A hurt look on her face, M'Gann turned to face him. "Wally, you don't believe?"

Under the force of her betrayed look and the scathing glares from both Artemis and Hawkgirl, Wally finally broke. "Fine! Fine! I lied about believing in magic. But magic is the real lie, a major load!"

"Wally…" Aqualad began, his usually calm tone bearing an icy edge to it. "I studied or a year that conservatory of sorcery in Atlantis. The mystic arts created the skin icons that power my water bearers."

"Dude, you ever hear of bioelectricity? Hey, in primitive cultures, fire was once considered magical too. Today, it's all just a bunch of tricks."

Crossing her arms, Artemis frowned. "You're pretty close-minded for a guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers."

"That's science!" The speedster immediately defended. "I recreated Flash's laboratory experiment and here I am. Everything can be explained by science. Hawkgirl!" He turned to her, a near-frantic look in his green eyes. "You Thanagarians only believe in proven facts, right? Tell them magic isn't real!"

Hawkgirl narrowed her eyes. If he was able to see them, he probably would have backed off seeing the dangerous glint in them. "Of course magic is real. Your tiny human brain just can't seem to comprehend it." She jerked her chin towards the blonde archer. "You should be more like Artemis."

Wally's mouth dropped open, seemingly taken aback by this turn of events, but he was still stalwart in his belief. "Magic. Isn't. Real!"

"Let us test Wally's theory, shall we?" Kaldur calmly proposed, snagging the handle of a trapdoor on the platform they were standing on.

"Wait! The backdraft from the lava will roast us alive!"

A moment after Kaldur opened the trapdoor, a flurry of snowflakes emerged from what appeared to be an Arctic landscape beneath them.

"It's snow." M'Gann exclaimed with delight.

Artemis gave their resident non-believer a deadpan look. "Do you ever get tired of being wrong?"

One by one, they jumped through the exit, the gravity switching directions on them so they all ended up standing upright in a mountainous, snow-covered region. Hawkgirl happily fluffed her feathers at the breeze that tugged at her wings. Behind them, the trapdoor disappeared in a burst of yellow light.

"Well?" Artemis asked expectantly.

"Ever heard of string theory?" Wally asked. "We're in a pocket dimension."

To be fair, Wally was partially right. The interior of the Tower of Fate was basically a sentient pocket dimension that molded to fit the whims of its owner, though its origin was purely mystical in nature.

"What's that?" M'Gann pointed out what could only be Nelson's cane, floating a few feet or so above the snowy ground, an aura of blue-tinted magic keeping it in place.

"Ooh" Wally said. "Maybe it's Nelson's magic wand."

He reached out at the same time as Artemis, the two speaking in tandem. "I got it!" This declaration was loosely followed by another unified "I can't let go!"

The blue aura turned altered into a vibrant yellow, the cane jerking upwards and taking the redhead and the blonde with it. In a burst of magic, the cane, Artemis, and Wally vanished.

H

After a few tense minutes of waiting, wherein neither their companions reappeared, nor did any kind of exit materialized for their use, they made the mutual decision to start walking and hope they could stumble across a door.

Naturally, they had found themselves filling the silence with conversation.

"I don't understand Wally." M'Gann admitted. "It's almost like he needs to believe the impossible can't happen."

"Wally uses his understanding of science to control what he can't comprehend." Kaldur explained. "Acknowledging the existence of magic would relinquish the last vestige of that control."

"That is no excuse for his behavior!" Ski'Lira snapped, kicking at a nearby chunk of ice and sending it flying off into the distance. "He's been acting disrespectful and childish."

Aqualad stopped walking, effectively bringing the entire group to a halt. "Perhaps…" He admitted as he moved to stand in front of her. "But can we not forgive him for his ignorance?"

"No."

"What's up with you?" It was Superboy who had spoken, arms crossed and doing his best to appear indifferent, but there was a slight tilt to his brow that betrayed his concern.

"No offense, but…" M'Gann continued. "You're… usually pretty open-minded about people's opinions… Most of the time. What's so different about this?"

Inhaling deeply through her nose, Hawkgirl let out a long sigh, her wings drooping behind her. "I… I'm worried. About Mr. Nelson." She admitted quietly. "He's a good man and he's been a hero longer than we've all been alive. And Wally's been treating him like a joke." She spat, eyes blazing and hands clenching into fists. "If it were just his flippant disregard for the mystic arts, maybe I could forgive him. But instead he hasn't stopped insulting one of the greatest men I've ever had the privilege to meet."

"I'm sorry." M'Gann reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it a little. "I, we, had no idea you know Mr. Nelson."

She gave the smallest of shrugs, making no move to dislodge the Martian's hand. "He's known my parents practically since they first landed on Earth. He likes to visit and… he tells very good stories."

A brief, awkward silence settled over them, as M'Gann visibly struggled to come up with something to say. In the end, it was Aqualad who tried to assuage her fears. "We'll find him. And then maybe Wally will see exactly who he has been dismissing so casually."

Cracking a smile, she gave an amused snort. "Knowing Nelson, he's probably putting up a hell of a fight." Spine stiffening, she hardened her resolve, thoroughly done with her moment of weakness. "Now, I think it's high time we got out of here."

"How?" Superboy asked. "We're in the middle of nowhere."

Hawkgirl's smile turned into a vicious smirk. "If only Wally could have been around for this." In a smooth motion, she removed her mace from her belt and hefted it threateningly in both hands. At her call, a miasma of crackling white energy formed around the spiked head of the mace, illuminating the immediate vicinity. "Hey Tower, you've got five seconds to take us out of here before I start swinging. One… Two…"

With the softest of pops, a nondescript door appeared in front of them, already opening in a welcome manner.

Her three companions were staring at her with looks akin to terror. Aqualad had actually taken a physical step backwards.

"Did… Did you just threaten the Tower?" M'Gann asked in a horrified voice.

Ski'Lira readjusted her hold on her weapon and strode towards the door. "Who am I to ignore the groundwork my mother left behind?"

H

The door betrayed them immediately, causing them all to fall straight down towards a platform in the middle of a room that looked like something straight out of an MC Escher painting.

Or Jareth's castle from Labyrinth.

Shaking that thought out of her head before she inevitably got one of the insanely catchy songs stuck in her head, Hawkgirl focused on landing on the platform safely, minding both her companions' locations and the giant golden bell that took up a large amount of space.

Once she was upright, she took notice of the real Kent Nelson standing with Artemis and Kid Flash, a sigh of relief leaving her. She offered a small wave, getting his attention.

The old man smiled at her. "Friends of yours?"

Before she could reply, a stream of blue energy shot straight towards them. Kid Flash sped off to the side with Kent in his grasp, while Artemis merely ducked and rolled to avoid it.

Whipping her head to the source, Hawkgirl recognized Abra Kadabra, but the other was a mystery to her, a fact that only boded ill will for her and her team.

Vaguely, she registered Wally saying something to Kent, but couldn't quite make out the words. A second energy shot forced them all to scatter in different directions. Abra was relentless in his assault, forcing them to stay apart and away from Kent Nelson.

A ringing noise drew her attention towards the massive bell, which Kent Nelson seemed to have rung with his cane. Golden light surrounded the metallic monstrosity, as the old man stepped into the bell, Wally with him, and the mysterious enemy close behind them.

Just as she tucked her wings in to attempt to follow them through the makeshift portal, Abra sent a beam targeted straight at her. She just barely managed to dodge off to the side, but found herself unable to recover and started plummeting straight downwards.

As she passed one of the platforms on the way down, an iron grip snagged her wrist. Looking up, she saw Superboy crouched down, holding onto her tightly. With a scary amount of ease, he stood up and pulled her back up, depositing her safely onto stable ground.

"Thanks" She said immediately.

"No problem" He assured. "Where-"

"Look out!" Hawkgirl saw the tangled net of crackling electricity hurtling towards Superboy and reacted immediately, pushing him aside and allowing it to snag her. A combination of force and energy drove her onto her back on the platform, the electric net trapping her firmly on the ground.

Superboy immediately attempted to grasp the net with his bare hands, which proved to be a futile effort as he was shocked and thrown backwards. That moment was all Abra needed to trap Superboy too.

Ski'Lira tried to push from the inside, only for the nerves in her hands and halfway up her arms to light up in indescribable, brief pain. Snatching them back, she realized she was well and truly stuck, and all she could do was watch and hope one of her teammates managed to get the upper hand over Abra.

Aqualad went down not long after Superboy, leaving only M'Gann and Artemis active.

"I'm going to try to get through to Kid Flash, cover me!" The Martian demanded, and the archer immediately acted to draw Abra's fire. Miss Martian seemed to have gotten the message through, thanks largely to Artemis' persistent distraction.

But in the end, they all failed, every one of them trapped.

It was all up to Kid Flash now.

H

After everything was over, neither Ski'Lira nor the rest of her captured teammates could agree exactly how long Abra Kadabra had them captured. This discrepancy was entirely due to the near constant electric shocks sent coursing through their systems that caused and indescribable amount of pain.

When the warm yellow glow of an Ankh appeared behind their captor, they were finally relieved from their prisons (as Abra was relieved of his clothing, apart from a black leather thong and a golden medallion).

Superboy was the first to stand up, as Abra blinked in confusion at the sudden turn of events.

"Show's over." Superboy said as he punched Abra in the most deadpan manner he could, instantly knocking out the fake magician.

H

SALEM
AUGUST 20TH, 2010
02:15 EDT

"Are you certain you will be alright on your own?" Aqualad asked for the third time, scrutinizing the visible parts of her face for any dishonesty.

"I am certain." Ski'Lira answered, just as she had the two times before (albeit in different ways). Even if she was lying, it was highly unlikely that the Atlantean would be able to tell the difference. "I can more than handle any threat that comes." She patted her mace for emphasis. "You need to get the Helmet to safety."

"Very well." Kaldur finally relented. "I trust you."

"Thank you." She held out her hand, causing Kaldur to stare at it with a puzzle expression for a moment before he realized what she wanted from him. Just as he had seen Artemis do, he mirrored her gesture and completed the traditional Thanagarian 'handshake'.

Giving her a final nod, Aqualad ran towards the bio-ship hovering next to the Tower with its ramp extended and waiting for him to board, where the rest of the team was strapped in and ready for take-off.

That just left Ski'Lira alone with the still body of Kent Nelson on the roof of the Tower of Fate.

Wally had told his side of the story in a near frantic rush when the Tower finally allowed them access to the roof. When she saw the body of Kent Nelson, Ski'Lira had proceeded to slam a fist into the nearest stone wall.

The stonework making up the mystical tower proved to be much tougher than normal brick, as instead of crumbling as it usually would have, she broke two of the fine bones in her hand and dislocated a finger.

Ski'Lira had proposed the plan once the haze of anger had left her, namely that the others take the Helmet of Fate back to Mount Justice for safe keeping, while she remained behind with Kent Nelson's body until the League showed up to retrieve him.

Miss Martian had assured she would contact Red Tornado directly once she was on the ship, which meant it was only a matter of time until the League arrived.

Standing tall, Ski'Lira held her mace in a ready position, just in case.

"It's awfully nice of you to stay with him."

Ski'Lira didn't twitch, but she did turn her head towards the source of the voice. The same illusion of the old man that had greeted them at the entrance stood next to her now, his presence strangely warm and fending off some of the chill of the night air.

"It is the least I can do." Ski'Lira replied. After a beat of silence, she couldn't help but ask the question burning in her mind. "I thought you would have been dispelled when he…"

"I am a part of this tower up until the good doctor decides he doesn't need me anymore." The illusion answered.

She let out a little hum.

"Never thought I'd see the day that a Thanagarian actually defended me." It continued. "You and your people have a tendency to break magic more often than not. Speaking of, I'd appreciate if you kept that mace well away from me."

Ski'Lira let out an amused huff. "My people learned not to trust the mystic arts, and adapted accordingly. And don't worry, I'm being careful. For now." She smirked at him.

"Cheeky. Just like your mother. Just as scary, too." Head tilting upwards, illusory eyes scanned the sky. "It's a nice night, isn't it?"

"Yes. It is."

A comfortable silence settled over the vigilant Thanagarian and her temporary companion, the only sounds coming from the rustle of the trees and the animals scattered around the park. A familiar noise drew Ski'Lira's attention, as multiple silhouettes descended from the sky. Red Tornado was first, followed by her mother and Zatara, who was flying courtesy of a disc of purple energy.

Finally relaxing from her stance, Ski'Lira hooked her mace back onto her belt just as her mother landed in front of her. "Ski'Lira, are you unharmed?" Shayera asked in rapid fire Thanagarian.

"I'm fine, da'mi." She assured immediately, eyes snapping to the phantasm next to her. "But…"

"It's alright, we know. M'Gann already informed us." Her mother assured, slinging an arm around her shoulders and leading her away from the body as Zatara and Red Tornado stood around the remains of the great hero. Zatara retrieved his wand with a flick of his hand and began casting an intricate spell, the framework of a magical coffin forming around Nelson.

Shayera sat down on the roof's ledge, patting the vacant spot next to her in invitation. It was mere moments after they were both seated that a voice addressed the elder Hol.

"Shayera Hol, I'd say it was a pleasure, but the last time we met you put a hole in me." The Spirit of the Tower began, almost nonchalant in tone.

"I didn't regret it then and I don't regret it now." Shayera's smile was sharp.

"You'll be happy to know your daughter took after you in at least that respect." The illusion chuckled. "You did a good job raising her. Kent thought so, too."

"Thank you."

"Well, I think my job is done, at least for now. Perhaps I'll see you again when the Doctor returns home?"

Ski'Lira gave the slightest of nods as her mother lifted her hand in farewell, the spirit finally dissipating in a cloud of golden sparks that seemed to seep back into the stonework of the Tower from which it was born.

At her mother's subtle suggestion, Ski'Lira started to tell the whole story of their endeavor in the tower, including the parts she heard from Wally. When she mentioned threatening the tower itself, Shayera patted her on the back in pride.

"So, the Helmet almost claimed Wally?" Her mother asked once her story was finished. "That certainly would have been a mess if it had."

"I suppose. If it hadn't released him, I would have rung his head like a goddamn bell with my mace until he let him go."

Letting out a bark of laughter, she extended out a wing and wrapped it around her daughter in a feathery hug. "That's my girl. I'm glad you all ended up unscathed. Abra is formidable on his own, but his companion…"

"Who was he, anyway?"

"His name is Klarion, a Lord of Chaos. A counterpart to Doctor Fate, of sorts." Hawkwoman frowned a little. "He's faced off against multiple members of the League, and it rarely ends well."

Not able to help her wince, Ski'Lira looked down at her hands, one of which was mottled with dark bruises. "I'm sorry we couldn't get to Kent in time."

"I know you tried as hard as you could. Kent was an old man and knowing him…" The slightest of smiles appeared on Hawkwoman's face. "I'm sure he was relieved to finally find peace. Now…" She hopped off of her perch as Red Tornado and Zatara ascended into the sky, the newly formed coffin levitating between the two of them courtesy of Zatara. "Let's get out of here."

H

MOUNT JUSTICE
AUGUST 20TH, 2010
05:22 EDT

After an improvised very early morning waffle breakfast at a twenty four hour diner in Salem, Ski'Lira had admitted she would rather return to the mountain rather than head home. She wanted to check up on her team after the ordeal they'd gone through.

She had fully expected everyone to be asleep by the time she returned, but the light still on in the kitchen proved her wrong. Artemis was standing by the stove, just retrieving a whistling kettle as Ski'Lira caught sight of her.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Artemis jumped a little, shooting the winged teen a half-hearted glare as she grabbed a mug and a teabag. "Yeah, too keyed up from… everything, I guess." After a second's hesitation, she grabbed a second of each, setting to prepare both mugs as Ski'Lira sat down on a stool, forearms resting on the countertop.

It wasn't too long before the blonde was sitting next to her and handing her a mug.

"Thank you" Ski'Lira said, taking a sip immediately of the still-scalding hot tea, earning a wide-eyed look from Artemis. Deciding to take pity upon her, she explained. "I have a higher tolerance for extreme temperatures."

"Oh. That's… pretty neat, actually." Artemis admitted. "I, uh, keep forgetting you're not actually human."

"You think the wings would give me away."

Snorting in amusement, Artemis nudged her leg with a foot. "So…. I assume everything went okay?"

"Kent Nelson's body is now safely in the League's possession."

"Good. That's good." The blonde turned her attention to the liquid in her cup.

A companionable, comfortable silence settled over them, then. Two warriors quietly commiserating over a battle both won and lost in the wee hours of the morning. There was something poetic about it, really.

It was as she was going over the events of the day in her head that Ski'Lira realized she'd nearly forgotten something. "I wanted to thank you for yelling at Wally and getting him to stop his inane flirting."

"Honestly, I was more than happy to do so. I'm surprised you didn't, though."

"I… was a little worried I would have gotten carried away and probably punched him. That and you were much faster on the draw, as it were." Her brow furrowed a little. "It's always much more difficult to reign him in without Robin around, but… it seems like you've got it handled, at least for the moment."

"Thanks, I guess." Artemis smiled a little. "But trust me, it's a job I do not want full time."

"I don't think anyone would."

The two shared a laugh at that.

"For the record, I talked with Wally while you were still gone and... I think he realizes how badly he was behaving."

"That's good. It means I won't have to have a talk with him later." Ski'Lira smiled. "A talk I am sure he wouldn't enjoy in the slightest."

Artemis seemed pensive for a moment. "... I know I'm changing the topic out of nowhere, but how did you become a hero, exactly?" The blonde asked, sounding genuinely interested. "I'm just curious."

"If you're expecting some inspirational story, you're going to be severely disappointed." Ski'Lira took a sip of her tea, which had cooled a fair bit. "As you are aware, my parents are Hawkman and Hawkwoman. They lived here on Earth while I stayed on Thanagar, raised by my mother's cousin and her wife. When I was nine, I moved here permanently. Thanagarians are trained in combat from childhood, so I was already well-versed in physical conflict. After Batman acquired Robin as his protégé, and then after Roy came along… It was a logical progression, more than anything else."

"So you became a hero… because you were told to?"

"I was asked to, and I said yes." She corrected. "And it is definitely not a decision I regret."

Artemis blinked a couple of times, an unreadable look in her eyes. "But, you were still forced to train, right?" Her words came out sounding slightly strangled, but the brunette didn't comment on it.

Ski'Lira let out a noncommittal hum. "Yes and no. Remember, I am not human. I do not have the same wants or needs that you humans do. For a Thanagarian, fighting is a part of us. In here." She pressed a hand to her chest. "And in here." She tapped her forehead. "Untrained Thanagarians do not tend to last long."

Artemis winced. "Right. Yeah, I guess."

"While we are being honest…" Ski'Lira began slowly. "I suppose I must admit something. I was the one to report your presence at Gotham High School during the battle with A.M.A.Z.O. to Batman and Green Arrow." Quick as a viper, she put her hand underneath Artemis' mug a split second before the blonde released it in her shock. Snagging it from her hands, Ski'Lira safely deposited it onto the countertop.

"You… But… Did you tell the others?"

"No. It was not my place." Waving her hand in a casual gesture, Ski'Lira did her best to exude an aura of calm to temper Artemis' panic. "I just thought you should be aware." She raised her mug back to her lips.

"So, you know. What do you plan to do about it?"

Freezing in place, Hawkgirl rose an unseen eyebrow as she pulled the mug back away from her face. "Do? What would I do?"

Genuinely taken aback, Artemis spluttered. "I… I don't know. Something?"

"Just because I know you are not Green Arrow's niece doesn't mean I care about where you came from."

Snapping her mouth shut with a quiet click, the archer was thoroughly stunned into silence for a good minute or so. "You just…. Don't care about where I'm from? At all?"

"No." Ski'Lira answered succinctly. "Consider it another quirk of Thanagarian culture that differs from Earth."

Artemis blew out a long breath, the tension leaving her shoulders as she did so. She took a sip of her tea, only to wrinkle her nose in distaste as she realized it had gone cold. Ski'Lira, on the other hand, had no such qualms and drained her mug in one last go.

"Are you still not tired?"

Artemis gave a small huff of frustration. "Not at all. This 'Sleepy Time Tea' did nothing."

"… Up for a spar?"

"You're on."

So for those of you who never watched the animated Justice League cartoon, Hawkgirl punched a hole in the side of the Tower of Fate with her mace when the League confronted Doctor Fate for 'kidnapping' Solomon Grundy, hence 'leaving groundwork'. I just like the thought of both the Tower of Fate and Dr. Fate having a healthy dose of fear for a Thanagarian at the end of their rope.

And that one on one fight between Klarion and Dr. Fate? So cool. I'm so sorry I didn't let Hawkgirl see it in person. But oh well.

Next Time on Flight or Flight: *Checks notes* Another episode chapter, 'Downtime!'

Hope you all have a very Happy Halloween!