MoP
Harry Potter and the Myriad of Possibilities: Contagion
Chapter 4: Danger
Disclaimer: This is solely a not-for-profit fan activity and does not intend to infringe on copyrights held by Time Warner, DC Comics, Bloomsbury et al, and JK Rowling. Any characters that are original to this work remain the property of the author.
A/N: The Myriad of Possibilities Series primarily uses the background from the Harry Potter books but some elements and scenes have been borrowed from other sources – including the movies, Pottermore and my own headcanon – that will be covered where they fit into the narrative. The timeline of the DC Comics elements borrows heavily from Young Justice (2011) and may adapt elements and characters from the comics and several additional other media instalments – including but not limited to Smallville (2001) and Superman and Lois (2021) – and relocates events of Young Justice to the Eighties and early Nineties rather than the New Tens as screened and includes several 'legacy' and original characters as a result. Any other recognisable characters belong to their copyright holders.
A/N: Thanks to Jon, Greg Parsons and 6f5e4d for their help on this chapter.
Smallville.
July 31, 07:16 CDT.
"Happy birthday to you… happy birthday to you!" chorused his mother and cousin as Hank came into the kitchen. "Happy birthday, dear Hank… happy birthday to you!"
"Thank you, both of you," said Hank with a smile as he crossed to the table, hugged them both and slipped into his chair.
"Wroof!" said Melo, thrusting his nose into his master's lap.
"And good morning to you too," said Hank and reached up to scratch the dog on the head.
"I made you your favourite breakfast," his mother told him, then turned to the oven and pulled out a tray of pastries.
"Cinnamon buns!" Harry exclaimed with glee.
Linda – who looked like she'd just rolled out of bed and hurried down to the kitchen as usual – shrugged, non-plussed, but took one and bit into with gusto non-the-less.
"I'm sorry I couldn't get the day off," his mother as she stripped off the apron that she wore over her bra and mini-skirt and joined them at the table.
"It's okay, Mom," Hank assured her. "Lucy's invited us out on a picnic ride. Apparently she's found a new cave she wants to show me over near Riley Field."
"Riley Field?" repeated his mother. "You're not going into the LexFoods place are you? That could be dangerous."
"It's on that side of the river," Hank admitted as he helped himself to a second cinnamon bun. "But Lucy says it nearer Souder's Woods than the plant."
"Okay, you can do. But take Melo with you… and your cellphone."
"Yes, Mom," Hank agreed promptly and eagerly.
08:52 CDT.
"Hank!" squealed a petite Asian girl in a pair of overalls and rubber boots as he rode up the driveway of Trái Tim Stables, Linda perched on the rear pegs of his bicycle. She was brushing one of the horses, a young brown mare, but by the time the Langs had reached the yard, she had replaced her brushes in her tack box and joined them. "Happy birthday!"
"Thanks, Lucy," said Hank, holding his bike stable until Linda – now dressed in a t-shirt and leggings – could dismount, then hopped off himself and leaning the machine against the stable wall.
"Sorry I missed your party," Lucy said, accepting a hug from Hank. "We were pretty swamped here at the weekend with clients coming in and out."
"That's okay," Hank assured her, as he hugged her harder. "I know how important your family's work is to you and your dad."
"Thanks, Hank. I knew you would understand," she said warmly, then broke away from him and turned to Linda. "And you must be Linda, Hank's cousin."
Linda nodded.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Lucy continued. "I lost my mother when I was small… It's just my father and Grandmother here." She paused, thinking for a moment. "I thought you were having some problems with talking?"
Linda glanced at Hank, who nodded. "Lucy's one of my oldest friends, she knows about our 'family connections'," he explained. "Zatanna was able to make an amulet that allows her to talk and listen normally."
"That's good."
"Cuc cung, are you finished?" asked a voice from inside the barn, and a severe-looking man stepped out of the barn, Lucy's father Cao 'Lewis' Danh Chien. "Mr Lang."
"Mr Cao," Hank replied, the older man a respectful nod.
"I was just finished brushing April when they arrived," Lucy confirmed. "Donner and Blitzen are saddled and ready to go, we just need to decide which pony that Linda's going to ride."
Her father turned to regard Linda, looking her and down for a moment, silently taking her measure. "Have you ever ridden before?"
"A few times on lead reins as a little kid when my parents would take me on one of their digs," replied the half-naked red-head. "Nothing much since then."
He considered that information for a moment. "I saw you come in… your balance is excellent… I believe Comet would suit you."
Lucy made a face, not entirely sure whether to agree or disagree with her father's assessment, then shrugged. "Hank, can you tack him up? I need to go get and changed. I'll get our picnic from Grandmother on the way back."
"Sure, no problem," agreed Hank, and grabbed Linda's hand to drag her towards the tack room as Lucy headed towards the kitchen door, stripped off her muddy boots and scampered into the farmhouse.
"You don't sound convinced that Comet is the right choice for me," Linda observed once they were out of earshot of the inscrutable horseman.
"I'm not," Hank admitted.
"Okay…" continued his cousin inquiringly.
"Comet's fast with good paces when he wants to be," Hank began. "But he can be a little mulish at times."
"How so?" asked Linda, clearly not understanding the term.
"Stubborn, temperamental," Hank clarified. "When he's in a mood – which is often – he has a tendency to go slow when you want to go fast; and try to run when you want to go slow."
Linda nodded. "But not dangerous?"
"No, no," Hank agreed. "Mr Bao wouldn't let us ride him if he was. We'll also have to watch out for pranks though."
"Pranks?"
"Yeah, he's got a few," Harry confirmed. "He likes to suck in a belly of air when he's being tacked up and then relaxing once his rider's onboard, so the saddle becomes loose and the rider gets dumped on their behind."
Linda nodded again, "That makes sense."
10:16 CDT.
"How are you doing?" Hank asked Linda as they paused before crossing the dam separating the Elbow River and the Morley Reservoir.
"I'm fine, Comet's a sweetie," Linda assured him as she reached down to pat Comet on his flank.
"No, he's not," Lucy insisted. "But he does seem to like you."
"I'll take it," Linda countered. "I mean, I'll still be sore in the morning."
Hank nodded, then nudged his mount back into a walk and lead the way across the dam and back into the small rump section of the forest on the other side of the river.
10:32 CDT.
"Does anyone want a snack before we go exploring?" Lucy asked she burrowed into the picnic bag and extracted some apples for the horses.
"I'll take some juice," Linda replied.
"Me too," said Hank, as he pulled a set of torches out of his own bag.
West Village.
July 31, 11:36 EDT.
"Hi Zatanna," said a familiar voice from behind the sorceress as she was inspecting some vegetables.
"Khalid!" Zatanna exclaimed and turned around, smiling, then paused. "What are you doing here? This isn't your neighbourhood."
Her old playmate nodded. "But it is yours, more or less," he countered. "This was your parents' favourite store back in the day."
"You were looking for me," Zatanna concluded.
"Yeah," he admitted with a sigh. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"
"If you can wait until I've finished my shopping, there's an all-day pizzeria a couple of blocks away that's pretty good."
"My shift doesn't start until two, so I've got time," Khalid agreed.
Smallville.
11:00 CDT.
"Uh, what's that…?" Lucy asked as her torch beam illuminated an insectile robot that sat in the corner of the cave they were exploring.
"I'm not sure," admitted Hank, but reached out towards her and started to draw her away from it. "But none of the options are good…"
At their feet, Melo tensed and growled until Hank shushed him.
"Is it working?" Lucy continued. "How did it get here?"
"Not sure, none of the options are good, so let's back away… slowly… and then get out of here," Hank suggested, and the two girls followed his lead.
There were almost back to the opening into the corridor when the robot's lights came on and a pair of wings snapped upwards, propelling the device from the floor to their eye level in a flash as Melo dropped into a crouch and started barking.
"What now?"
"Plan B," said Hank.
"What's Plan B?" asked Linda, confused.
"Run!"
The three kids and dog turned and then took off, running as fast as they could in the dark, their torchlight bouncing randomly around the passage.
For a moment it looked like they were home-free but then then twin energy blast arced over their heads, sending a shower of pebbles and dirt on top of them.
Hank turned, then after confirming that the robot was pursuing them, he pointed his free hand at the machine. "Erif nrub, nordlauc elbbub!"
Immediately, the passage was filled with flame, and Hank screamed in pain, dropping his torch as he reached for the other arm, which was now reddened and scorched.
As soon as his concentration flattered, the fire died out and the robot continued its attack.
The two girls supported Hank, half-dragging him along as they dodged and weaved through the passage, sometimes barely avoiding deadly energy blasts from the robot until they finally staggered into the open air.
"We need to call for help!" Linda declared.
Hank nodded. "Get my phone out of my pocket," he asked. "I'll make the call."
"I can do it for you," Lucy assured him as she reached into his pocket and retrieved the device.
"I'm not calling the sheriff," he told her. "This is Hank Lang, A-Zero-Four… we have a possible Reach drone on-site at this location. Request immediate assistance… Priority Red!"
Seconds later, the Reach drone burst out the passage and into the air.
But fortunately for the three children and dog, a Boom Tube opened up between them and it before it could lock onto them.
West Village.
12:16 EDT.
"This is really good!" Khalid exclaimed, enthusiastically, taking another bite of the thick-crusted, rectangular slice topped with onions, anchovies, tomatoes, herbs and strong cheese. "I've had pizza before but…"
"That was American pizza… This is Sicilian, the genuine article," Zatanna pointed out. "So, I assume you wanted to ask me about something?"
"Yeah," Khalid confirmed with a sigh. "You know about my… complicated… history with magic."
Zatanna nodded. "Your mother – either in spite or because of having been a sorceress in her youth – doesn't like sorcery because it's 'not Muslim'."
"Which is generally true," Khalid pointed out.
"And your father would rather you concentrate on the medical studies."
"Also true," Khalid confirmed. "And up until now – other than dabbling a little in mystical herblore and some other forms of traditional medicine – I have obeyed them in this until now."
Zatanna took another bite of her pizza, then examined him for a moment. "I assume that that's no longer an option?"
"I cannot be certain, but at the very least the issue must be re-examined in light of recent events," Khalid replied. "Ever since I found you after your ritual, my magic has been 'acting up', demanding to be used. I tried the basic techniques that your father and my great-uncle taught us as children, but they are insufficient."
"Yeah, that doesn't surprise me," Zatanna admitted. "You're going to need proper training. In control if nothing else."
"That is… all I am prepared to commit to at this time," Khalid said.
Zatanna was about to reply when her commlink went off. She turned away from Khalid and triggered it. "Go ahead, Watchtower."
It was Katanna at the other end. "A-Zero Four has just sent a distress signal from Smallville. Coyote Squad is deploying from Premier Building now, Wildebeest Squad is also enroute from Central City to back them up. However, standing orders are at least one League member must also respond to those signals."
"And he is one of my students."
"Correct," Katanna agreed. "I also considered contacting Superman, but he's in England assisting with flood relief."
"Sounds like he's needed there," Zatanna suggested. "I'll take it."
"Acknowledged."
"Has his mother been told?"
"I have not informed her," replied the Japanese swordswoman. "Should I do so?"
"I'll do it," Zatanna replied. "Keep me updated."
"Watchtower out."
She looked back at Khalid. "We'll have to table this discussion for another time I'm afraid," she told him. "Hank's got himself into some big trouble and I need to check on him."
"Of course," he agreed. "It was presumptuous of me to approach you like this in the first place."
"It wasn't presumptuous," Zatanna countered. "But this may be more urgent. I'll be in touch."
"I look forward to it."
"Stay and finish the pizza," Zatanna told him as she rose to go, drawing her cellphone out of her jacket pocket to text Lana. "It's too good to waste."
Central Park.
12:37 EDT.
Zatanna was just about to enter the Zeta Tube when her cellphone went off, she paused and slipped it out of her pocket and answered it.
"What happened to them?!" asked a slightly panicky voice from the other end. "Where are they… are they okay?!"
Zatanna sighed. "I'm sorry, Lana. Your guess is as good as mine at this point."
Lana made a sound between a sob and a moan. "When will you know more?"
"Very soon, I hope," Zatanna replied. "I still don't have enough juice for a long-distance teleport, so I had to get to the nearest Zeta-Tube and I'm here now."
"Please call me as soon as you know what's going on!"
"I will," Zatanna promised, then hung up.
Her commlink went off seconds later. "Coyote Squad has evacuated A-Zero Four and two associates to the Premier Building for medical examination. Wildebeest Squad has remained on-site to investigate further."
"Understood."
The Hub.
09:38 PDT.
"Recognized, Zatanna Two-Five," declared the computer as she reappeared in the Premier Building's penthouse.
Forager was waiting for her.
"How are they, Forager?"
"Hank Lang and his friends do not appear to be seriously injured, Zatanna Zatara," replied the Bug. "Artemis Crock and Violet Harper are checking them over in the infirmary."
"Thank you, Forager," Zatanna said, relaxing slightly. "What do you know about the incident?"
"Hank Lang and his friends were exploring the caves under Smallville and they encountered a partially functional Beetle-Tech Drone."
Zatanna tensed again. "A Beetle-Tech Drone!"
"Yes, Zatanna Zatara," Forager agreed. "They managed to evade the drone long enough to reach the surface and signal for assistance. Victor Stone, Violet Harper and Forager Boom-Tubed to Smallville to rescue them. Jaime Reyes, Bart Allen and Traci Thurston are investigating the caves to find out if there are any other drones or dangers."
Zatanna let out a breath that she didn't realise she'd been holding. "Let me know me know if they find anything," she asked, then walked towards the door of the infirmary, which opened automatically.
Melo, who was hobbling a little, was the next to greet her. "Hi, girl," said Zatanna, and bent to caress the canine, who whimpered slightly, raising a back leg.
"I'm no healer," Zatanna told the Border Collie. "But I can try… Laeh eht tsaeb!"
The dog lowered the leg gingerly, then gave a yap of triumph and lead the way towards the treatment area at a jog.
Zatanna was pleased to notice that two of the kids – Linda and Hank's friend Lucy – appeared to have only a few scrapes and bruises. "Are you to all right?"
"I've had worse falling off a horse," claimed Lucy. "And much worse from a horse!"
"Comet?" suggested Linda.
"Among others," Lucy agreed. "He doesn't like me as much as he likes you, but we get on okay."
"Comet likes you?!" Zatanna echoed, looking at Linda incredulously.
Linda shrugged. "Apparently. He did what I asked him to anyway."
"That's… unusual," Zatanna mused. "You weren't…?"
"Not intentionally," Linda confirmed. "But it's possible."
Zatanna nodded, then turned to Artemis. "How's Hank?"
"He'll be fine," Artemis assured her. "He tried to use a fire spell on the drone and some of the flames hit him. Violet'll have him fixed up in a minute or two."
"Good, good," said Zatanna. "I need to talk to the three of them about it."
"You can stay here," Artemis declared. "Violet and I will leave you to it as soon as she's finished with Hank."
"Thanks," Zatanna said, then turned away to pull out her cellphone and tell Lana the good news.
"Help yourself to anything if you want it," Zatanna offered as they settled down to talk, a selection of drinks and snacks nearby. "So, tell me what happened in your own words."
"It was my fault, Zatanna," Lucy sobbed.
"I'll decide that, Lucy," Zatanna countered. "And I'm sure that you didn't mean to do it."
"I didn't," agreed the young girl. "I didn't even know that the caves went as far as the old LexFoods place. I thought it would be fun."
"It was," Hank assured her, then as she gave him a sceptical look. "At least until it wasn't. But we're all fine, no real harm done."
Linda nodded in agreement. "I might not know much about horse-riding, but I've got a little bit of experience of caves. It's really easy to get turned around underground and can be pretty hard to judge distance."
"Can we get back to the incident?" Zatanna asked.
"Sure," Hank agreed. "Linda and I had breakfast with Mom before she went to work, then we biked over to Trai Tim Stables and Lucy hooked us up with Blixen and Comet and the three of us rode out."
"We rode down Souder's Gorge and into the forest," continued Lucy. "Then crossed Smallville Dam and took a break to water the horses and have a snack, then we headed underground."
"I think we were underground for ten or fifteen minutes before we stumbled on that robot."
"A Beetle-Tech Drone," Zatanna clarified. "Luthor's Reach allies must have left it behind when they were expelled from Earth and the three…"
"Woof!"
"Okay, the four of you…" Zatara said with a grin. "… did well to escape that thing and call for help."
"Well, it wasn't exactly my first 'rodeo'," Hank pointed out. "But I think I need more training."
"Yes, you do," agreed Zatanna.