Omarnosian10: Here it is; one of my most planned chapters.
Dick: Why am I here?
Wally: You better not be referencing RvB!
Omarnosian10: I can see why you think that, but no. I would've gotten this chapter out days sooner if it wasn't for the website being down last weekend.
Megan: With all that, why are you still writing here?
Omarnosian10: This site's my intro to fanfics in general and it's been up for even before the turn of the millennium.
Kaldur: So sentimental, then?
Omarnosian10L Yeah, pretty much. ON WITH THE SHOW!
Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice or Power Rangers. All rights go to Brandon Vietti, Greg Wiesman, and Saban. Before editing, most of this chapter belongs to The Incredible Muffin. I only own Josh, his OC upgrades, and most of his rogues. Ownerships of OC Power Ranger teams are in Profile.
Chapter 7: Denial
(New Orleans, three weeks ago)
Despite the revelry throughout the city, one man strode across New Orleans in a less celebratory mood. He was well-dressed, wearing a dark suit, supporting a slight limp with an ornate, gold-topped cane. He appeared middle-aged, though the only sign of that was a band of silver through his otherwise black hair, and the slight creases in his skin. Other than that, he could easily catch the eye of most women he passed by, though he paid them no mind.
Only one woman could ever interest him, and she had been gone for twelve years today.
'No thanks to him.' thought the man venomously. The man's path eventually took him to a small shop, with a sign in the window that read 'Madame Xanadu'. The man pulled out a gold pocket watch, which held a photo of a young woman wearing a yellow blouse, her black hair pulled back into a long ponytail. With a sigh, the man entered the shop. Inside, the main room was sparsely decorated, save for a large rug, a few 'seemingly' mystic charms, a few chairs, and a table, upon which a crystal ball sat. After the man entered, a young woman came in from a side room wearing the outfit one would expect of a fortune-teller.
"Welcome, monsieur. How can Madame Xanadu help you? Is there… someone to whom you wish to speak?" smiled the woman before glancing at the ring on the man's hand. "Your wife, perhaps?"
"My Inza." nodded the man, gripping the watch tightly.
"Then Madame will make contact if fate is kind." Xanadu sat at the table, still smiling.
"But he so rarely is." sighed the man, sitting. Before she got started, Xanadu coughed and held out her hand. The man looked sheepish before handing her the roll of bills. Once she put the money away, Xanadu closed her eyes. A few seconds later, light began to shine, and her hair fluttered, as if from a breeze. The light fixtures above began to sway, and the table lifted.
"Oh, my darling, How I've missed you… (opened now glowing eyes) I'm so lonely here, and cold…" greeted 'Inza' through Xanadu.
"…" The man stared at Xanadu.
"…" 'Inza' stared back.
"…HA! Is that the best you can do?" laughed the man. The shaking and the lights stopped, and the table fell to the ground.
"Imbecile! You've broken the spell! Your wife is forever lost!" scolded Xanadu.
"That was supposed to be my wife? (scoffs) Heck, my little spitfire would've kicked my can for throwing away good money on you." taunted the man.
"No refunds for nonbelievers." frowned Xanadu, standing with arms crossed. The man leaned back in his chair.
"I think we both know that you're the nonbeliever, Madame. (gestured at parted curtains behind him) A wind machine. (lifts tablecloth) Tire jacks under the table. …A shame, too; you have the perfect aura for the work… and nothing would have pleased me more than to be reunited with my wife." sighed the man. The man suddenly stiffened when he felt a hand grip his shoulder. He was jerked up and turned around to face a man wearing tight, black pants and a white, unbuttoned shirt.
"Don't worry, Kent Nelson, You'll be with her soon enough." smiled the criminal Abra Kadabra evilly. In a flash of light, both men disappeared, leaving behind a frightened Madame Xanadu, who fled the room in terror. If she had stayed but a moment longer, she would have seen two things; Kent Nelson's cane rise into the air with a golden aura, and then vanish, and the other thing being a shadow dissipating.
(Mount Justice, Present)
When the Team wasn't on a mission, either with each other or their mentors, they could be found at the Cave. Sometimes, they were there to socialize, but most of the time, it was used for training purposes, like it was now.
Initiate combat training
Josh and Superboy (now Conner when Josh told him of the Dino Thunder team… and M'gann supported it) stepped into the sparring ring; all the Team members were wearing civilian clothes with only the sparring partners having their shirts removed.
"You sure you don't wanna back out or morph?" taunted Conner, circling Josh and vice versa.
"I may not have your Kryptonian physiology, but don't underestimate me when I'm not morphed," advised Josh. Words were exchanged, and the combatants rushed each other. Conner threw the first punch, which Josh dodged with a backflip, hoping to catch Conner on the chin with his feet, but the clone leaned back, avoiding it.
"Close one," noted Conner.
"I'm just getting started." grinned Josh, resisting the urge to use a Ranger's civilian power.
"Two hundred and sixty-nine… Two hundred and seventy…" counted Dick, he and Kaldur doing weights on benches. While the boys trained, the others were watching.
"Kaldur's, uh, nice, don't you think? (M'gann looks at her) Handsome, commanding, you should totally ask him out." suggested Artemis, hoping to get rid of the competition.
"(chuckles) He's like a big brother to me. (grins) But you know who would make the cutest couple? (Artemis raises eyebrow) You and Wally." smiled M'gann. They looked over at Wally who was wearing a white long-sleeve shirt under a red short-sleeved shirt, brown baggy pants, and red sneakers. Wally was eating a burrito and took a huge bite out of it, making a disgusting noise.
'Gross!' gagged Artemis.
"You're so full of passion and he's so full of… um?" trailed M'gann.
"It." supplied Artemis. The girls giggled.
"What do you think they're talking about?" asked Dick after putting the weights down, satisfied. Kaldur did the same, wiping off sweat.
"I have no idea, but I believe Wally believes that they are 'talking' about him." shrugged Kaldur, the two glancing at the speedster. True to the comment, Wally (having finished his burrito) is staring at the girls with a perverted grin.
Once Josh and Conner got close, Josh slid his leg around Conner's foot. He tripped Conner over his leg and tossed the clone over. This resulted in Conner landing on his back.
Failed; Superboy
"Black Canary taught me that one." dusted Josh before helping Conner up. Red Tornado entered the room from the ceiling, heading towards the exit.
"Hey, Red Tornado! Do you have a mission for us?" greeted Wally.
"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility," replied Red Tornado.
"And as backup; the Beastbots… and the Zordroids…" added Josh; he and Conner putting on their shirts (much to the girls' disappointment).
"Yeah, well, the Batman's doing his thing in Gotham, but you're headed somewhere, right? A hot date, or… a mission?" asked Wally. A glass shattering is heard. They look at an entrance to see Titana; a pink feminine Zordroid, picking pieces of a broken plate.
"If we can be of assistance." diverted Kaldur, the Team gathering. Red Tornado seemed to consider this, before bringing up a holographic screen on the computers, showing the image of a man in a dark suit.
"This is Kent Nelson, a friend. He is one hundred and six years old," informed Red Tornado.
"The guy doesn't look a day over ninety," whispered Wally to Dick.
"And he has been missing for twenty-three days. Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society, the precursor to your mentors' Justice League." finished Red Tornado. The image of Nelson changed to a man wearing a blue/gold uniform with a gold helmet on his head.
"Of course, Nelson was Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. He was Doctor Fate!" recognized Kaldur.
"I've heard of him from Zatara but Doctor Fate hasn't been active for several years now," stated Josh.
"Yeah right, (rolls eyes) more like 'Doctor Fake'. Guy knows a little advanced science, so he Dumbledores it up to scare the bad guys and impress the babes." ranted Wally. Dick sighed. Sad to say, he had a similar mindset until a few months into his sidekick career. Hopefully, Wally gets out of that soon.
"And now, He has been missing for twenty-three days. It is possible that he is simply on one of his… walkabouts, but he is caretaker to the Helmet of Fate, the source of the Doctor's mystic might. It is unwise to leave such power unguarded." advised Red Tornado.
"I have doubts about the first part; if dealing with magic's taught me anything, nothing's what it seems." crossed Josh, thinking of Paushin; an Ithibis criminal, and the first magic alien he's ever fought.
"He's like the great sorcerer-priests and priestesses of Mars. I would be honored to help find him." awed M'gann.
"Me, too! (shoots up hand) So honored I can barely stand it. Magic rocks." grinned Wally, pulling a one-eighty. Kaldur, Dick, Conner, and Artemis, who had heard Wally's disparaging comment earlier, only rolled their eyes.
'He better not screw this up.' twitched Josh.
"Take this. (hands Josh an ornate key) It is the key to the Tower of Fate." informed Red Tornado. Nodding, Josh pocketed it.
"Do you mind if I come along? It'd be nice to meet another magic user." requested Titana.
"We have no problems with that. (turns to teammates) Do we? (they shook their heads) Now before we head to the Tower, we're gonna make a little pit stop. Make any preparations you can except for your hero suits; I'll explain on the ride." ordered Josh, leaving to prepare the Bioship.
"What are the chances we both so admire the mystic arts?" grinned Wally flirtatiously toward M'gann. The others groaned.
'Oh boy…'
(New York)
"So, Wally, when did you first realize your honest affinity for sorcery?" asked Artemis, everyone in the Bioship with Josh driving, being taught by M'gann (who is sitting on his lap, much to Artemis' envy). Wally kept up his lie hoping to get closer to the Martian's pants.
"Well, I… I don't like to brag, but, uh, before I became Kid Flash, I seriously considered becoming a wizard myself," answered Wally, leaning his chair back.
"Bull****!" coughed Dick. Wally elbowed him.
"Alright, we're here," announced Josh, stopping the Bioship.
"May I ask why we are making this pitstop?" requested Kaldur.
"This is more of a favor to Zatanna; I figured she'd like a chance to meet Mr. Nelson again and see the Tower of Fate," answered Josh.
"Zatanna?" echoed the girls enviously.
"Zatara's daughter; also the one who came up with my primary codename," added Josh, standing after M'gann got off.
"You want a civilian to see us?!" panicked Dick.
"As our civilian selves; no. Why do you think I brought these?" Josh took out several devices resembling the ones he helped Atom build, with most of the Team's emblems on them.
"Are those Morphers?" blinked Superboy, staring at the device with the House of El symbol.
"No, but they're based on the Mighty Morphin' ones along with Atom's tech and what little Flash can say about his nemesis' ring," explained Josh.
"You mean Reverse Flash?" blinked Wally, remembering the flak he got when he first started his career with his suit having a similar color scheme to the future speedster.
"Yeah, him. We're still workshopping on the name, but for now, they're Pseudo-Morphers; P-Morphers for short." displayed Josh. His teammates (except Artemis) sighed in relief.
"What?" noted the archer.
"While our leader is brilliant, he has a horrible naming sense," whispered Dick lowly enough so Josh's trained ears won't pick them up.
"Before we settled on 'Team', he wanted us to be called TOYS," added Kaldur lowly.
"He wanted to call you guys property?" asked Artemis in disbelief.
"No, it's an acronym for 'Team Of Young Superheroes'," answered Dick.
"…That's horrible." dreaded Artemis.
"What are you three talking about?" asked Josh after handing Conner his P-Morpher.
"Nothing!"
"Why didn't you make one for me?" asked M'gann after her teammates got their P-Morphers.
"Shapeshifter," said Artemis dryly. M'gann blushed in embarrassment at forgetting that.
"These would've been useful when we fought Twister," noted Dick, examining his P-Morpher.
"Better late than never. Anyway, to activate them, you need to call out your hero name and make the motions M'gann will be sending telepathically from my mind to yours," instructed Josh. Nodding, M'gann's eyes glowed before a rush of information entered her teammates' minds. A spark of mischief entered Wally and Dick's minds while they do the motions with their teammates.
"IT'S MORPHING TIME!"
"ROBIN!"
"KID FLASH!"
"AQUALAD!"
"SUPERBOY!"
"ARTEMIS!"
They're suited up in multicolored flashes, with Robin and Kid Flash getting dry looks.
"What? We figured it'd sound cool." shrugged the speedster.
"Can they take their suits off normally?" asked M'gann, shifting her clothes into her uniform.
"Yeah, but another option is to simply will it off; that part we got from the Green Lantern's Rings," answered Josh.
"Our turn!" chimed Titana, taking out her Gatling Morpher and her personal Ranger gear.
"Given what we'll be dealing with, and as a tribute to Dr. Fate, I have the perfect suit for the occasion," smirked Josh, taking out a gold and navy device resembling a cell phone, a train conductor's ticket puncher, and a train ticket.
"Solar Cell Morpher!" Josh pressed a button on the device, then held it up, before he crossed his forearms over in a plus shape, twisting his left hand, where the card was.
29th Surge!
"Access the Morphin Grid!" After cranking the Morpher for a few moments, Titana aimed it at the sky before pulling the trigger.
"Magical Source, Mystic Force!" At the same time, Josh held his right hand out in front of him, his left behind him, then held the ticket near the Morpher.
~Mystic Warrior Morphing Sequence~
A large golden energy gear shot out of the Morpher before spinning and hovering over Titana, then sweeping through her and reformatting her body. Her armor was mostly a solid pink color, with her arms becoming silver past the elbows and silver shoes with a blue light on each outward side. She has large shoulder guards with two cape-like flaps hanging to her sides, each one tipped with a silver blade-like end. She had armor attached to each hip, with a pink strip of armor extending under her belt like the robes of a cloak. She had chest armor which anatomically fitted to her chest with a golden M symbol in the center. Her helmet has a silver humanoid mouth, pink armor forming a domino-like mask over her eyes and nose, tufts of yellow metal poking out under her helmet and her forehead almost like blonde hair, a silver rim forming into a pointed pink hat like that of a witch atop her head, with a silver 'V' at the base of her hat and '29' in gold.
~Solaris Knight Morphing Sequence~
Josh punched a hole in the ticket with the Morpher, then held up the ticket and threw it away, which twirled around. It grew to his size, then got behind him, covering him in his Ancient Mystic mode, which was a golden angel-like being with wings on his back, legs, boots, and two on his head, with a silver sun between them, and had a white scarf with silver balls on his chest. He began to change into his Ranger form, first his boots and legs, then his arms, chest, then his head, which resembled golden knight armor with black lines along it, navy in the unarmored bits, while his helmet was gold at the front, navy at the back, with the Mystic Force symbol for his visor, and two lines on the top, one running along the back, the other going out diagonally, with a red jewel at the end.
"Hyah!" Josh held out his arms as his cape waved behind the sun.
~End Morphing Sequence~
"Power of the Sun! Solaris Knight!"
"Titan Power! Mystic Warrior!"
'Must… resist… debunking…' flinched Kid Flash. After removing his helmet, Solaris Knight looked at his teammates.
"Ready to meet a potential teammate?"
(Two minutes later)
"Team, this is Zatanna." Coming into the Bioship with Solaris Knight is a teenage girl roughly Robin's age. She wore a stage magician outfit suited for her age. She had straightened shoulder-length black hair. "Zatanna, this is the Team."
"Hi, I'm—" Miss Martian prepared to introduce herself before getting a surprised interruption.
"Robin! (clears throat) I mean, I'm Robin, heh." chuckled the Boy Wonder nervously after getting between the girls. Unlike Kid Flash's perverted antics, Robin appears to be more innocent. "So, uh, are you joining the Team?"
"That's something Zatara and I have to discuss," answered Solaris Knight. Miss Martian and Artemis noticed that his voice held no envy; only the protectiveness of a sibling. That eased their worries about potential competition.
'Sounds like he would be a better sibling than her.' recalled the archer.
"It's nice to meet you. Omni-Ranger's told me a lot about you all." smiled Zatanna. Robin blushed.
"Oh really? Hope it's all good." gulped Robin, remembering Santa Prisca.
"He said plenty."
(Salem, Massachusetts)
After a survey of introductions, the main trip to the Tower. However, they reached a bump in the road.
"We've reached Tornado's coordinates, but…" trailed Miss Martian.
"Nothing's there," said Superboy, looking out the viewport.
"Take us down anyway. There might be something we're not seeing," ordered Solaris Knight. While the Bioship landed in a park, an orange-furred cat narrowed its blood-red eyes, before turning around and dashing into an abandoned theater.
"Grant us access to the Tower, and I promise to end your suffering. Continue to refuse, and…" commanded Abra Kadabra before laughing evilly. There was a zapping sound, followed by a cry of agony. The cat ignored it, in favor of hopping into the lap of the only person in the audience. That person appeared to be a young boy, wearing a dark suit, his hair styled to look like demonic horns. The cat purred for a moment, before meowing.
"Shush, Teekl! I'm watching the show." smiled Klarion the Witch Boy sadistically. Up on the stage, tied to a chair, Kent Nelson panted for breath.
"Enjoy it… while you can. Soon enough, my friends will come to help me." glared Kent defiantly. Scowling, Abra Kadabra pointed his wand at the retired hero and hit him with a lightning bolt. Klarion clapped at the torture, but his familiar, Teekl, hissed.
"What? (Teekl meows) Oh…" understood Klarion. Behind him, in the shadows, a pair of white eyes glowed menacingly.
(Few minutes later)
After searching with several types of vision, looking around the entire area, and several decloaking spells (Kid Flash kept up his lie) the Team was close to giving up on finding the Tower of Fate.
"Nothing's here. This isn't simple camouflage." groaned Kid Flash, frustrated.
"So, what do you think? Adaptive micro-opto-electronics combined with phase-shifting?" asked Artemis, testing the speedster's skepticism and trying to get him to trip over his lie. Kid Flash's eyes widened and he smiled at the rational, scientific answer.
"Absolutely… (eyes Miss Martian) …not. Clearly, mystic powers are at work here." humphed Kid Flash.
"You never told me Artemis was a tech genius or something similar," noted Zatanna.
"It's a surprise to me too," noted Solaris Knight. Unknown to most of the team, Artemis snuck some of Kid Flash's science books into the Bioship and read them, trying to screw the speedster over with that knowledge.
"Knight, your predecessors had bases correct? Anything you can draw from your knowledge that can assist us?" requested Kaldur.
"I'm not sure. (crosses arms) I mean, they had the usual; 'abandoned' places, plain sight, underground, but Superboy already checked those." shook Solaris Knight.
"The place might be untouchable. It's no wonder Dr. Fate's been hidden so long," noted Zatanna.
"What about that key Tornado gave you? Think it could help us?" asked Mystic Warrior. Shrugging, Solaris Knight took it out. Once he was in the middle of the park, he thrust the key forward, half of it disappearing. Solaris Knight could feel the key enter something and, on a whim, turned it. Once that was done, a massive obelisk appeared before the Team. They were awed at the sight
"Amazing, not even my dad could conjure a structure so impressive." awed Zatanna.
"If you think this is cool, you should see the Batcave," smirked Robin before mentally smacking himself.
"Dude, you said Batman doesn't let anyone there!" remarked Kid Flash. Ignoring them, Solaris Knight opened the door.
"Ladies first." bowed the Gold Ranger. Blushing, Miss Martian and Artemis lead everyone in. The last one is Superboy, who turns to close the door. Sadly, he faced a problem.
"Uh, where'd the door go?" asked Superboy. Before anyone could answer him, a golden, semi-transparent image of Kent Nelson appeared.
"Welcome to the Tower of Fate, Zatanna Zatara. It is good to see you. However, those behind you are not recognized by the Tower. Please state your purpose and intent." greeted the 'hologram'.
"The Tower knows my name." squeaked Zatanna. Robin blushed. Solaris Knight stepped forward, preparing to answer when the speedster cut him off.
"We are true believers, here to find Doctor Fate," smirked Kid Flash, stepping forward and seeing another chance to get into Miss Martian's pants. The holo-image frowned, then faded.
"You idiot! You might've doomed us all!" screamed Solaris Knight. Before anyone could respond, the floor beneath them crumbled away, and the heroes began to fall, straight toward a pit of—
"LAVA!" screamed Miss Martian, looking down in fear.
"Mystic Carpet!" Acting fast, Solaris Knight raised his arm to the sky. A flash occurred behind the hole before a navy carpet with his insignia came down. Landing on it, the Gold Ranger steered it around, catching Zatanna and Aqualad. Robin and Artemis used their grappling gear and hooked them onto separate walls, stopping themselves. Mystic Warrior conjured a large pink staff with a sphere in the center like a magic scepter; the Mystical Sceptre. She then got on it like a broomstick, stopping herself. Miss Martian caught Kid Flash on one arm and used her telekinesis to levitate them both. Superboy grabbed onto the wall as well, his fingers and boots digging into the stone, but he couldn't stop in time, his feet falling into the magic lava, and he yelled in pain. The clone pulled his legs up, sans boots and the lower part of his jeans.
"Those… were my favorite boots. This Nelson guy better be worth it." gritted Superboy.
"I hope so too." frowned Zatanna, looking over the edge of the carpet and flinching. Suddenly, Miss Martian began to fall slowly towards the lava.
"Having trouble… (wipes sweat) …maintaining altitude. Ugh, I'm so hot." groaned Miss Martian.
"You certainly are," smirked Kid Flash.
"Kid!" shouted Artemis, hopping onto Solaris Knight's arms. Unfortunately, they couldn't go up, since the hole they had fallen through sealed itself.
"Hey, inches above sizzling death, I'm entitled to speak my mind!" defended Kid Flash.
"My physiology and M'gann's are susceptible to extreme heat. We must climb out, quickly!" panted Aqualad.
"Hel~lo, Megan! We never truly answered the question. (slaps forehead before clearing throat) Red Tornado sent us! We're here to see if Kent Nelson and the Helmet of Fate were safe!" answered Miss Martian. A second later, the lava below them was covered by a thick door. The heroes descended onto it, relieved that they weren't in danger. Aqualad cautiously placed his hand on the metal floor.
"This platform… it should be red hot but it is cool to the touch." pondered Aqualad in fascination.
"Don't worry, Megalicious, I got you." grinned Kid Flash flirtatiously, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Feeling Solaris Knight's arms shaking, Artemis quickly got off and backed away. Not a moment later the Gold Ranger dashed towards the speedster and—
*SMASH!*
Kid Flash was sent flying into a wall, his head almost buried.
"What is the matter with you Kid?! Your perverted antics almost got everyone killed!" growled Solaris Knight. Pulling his head free (and thankful for speed-healing), the speedster glared at his leader.
"When did this become my fault?" demanded Kid Flash.
"When you lied to that… whatever it was… and called yourself a true believer!" added Artemis.
"Kid Flash, you don't believe?" frowned Miss Martian, staring at the speedster in disappointment. Seeing similar looks from the rest of his teammates, Kid Flash threw his hands up.
"Fine, fine! I lied about believing in magic. But magic is the real lie, a major load!" relented Kid Flash. Hearing Zatanna gasp, Robin glanced at her, seeing a glare aimed at his 'best' friend.
"Are you calling my dad a liar?!" shouted Zatanna, getting everyone's attention. Getting his resolve, Kid Flash glares at the girl.
"I'm calling your whole family fakes! You and your dad. Your mom must be real stupid to fall for your old man's parlor tricks." snarled Kid Flash. Another gasp came out of Zatanna's mouth, tears escaping her eyes. She turned around, extending her hand toward a part of the wall.
"Rood Moortseug." The wall formed a door which Zatanna opened and ran into, her sobs echoing throughout the place. At this, Kid Flash scoffed.
"Someone had to tell her the truth."
*SMASH!*
Surprisingly, it wasn't Solaris Knight that socked Kid Flash to the floor (although he was planning to). It was Robin, and with his bo staff to boot.
"You went too far this time, Walter." scowled Robin venomously before following Zatanna, the door soon closing and vanishing.
"What? (looks around) What did I do?" blinked Kid Flash, confused. Solaris Knight groaned, helmetpalming.
"Kid, her mom's been dead for almost two years." informed the Gold Ranger. The mood turned sullen, with Kid Flash slumped.
"Ooh…" Now he understood. And given Robin's similar background, with both their fathers being performers (albeit different kinds), it's no wonder he took it personally.
"You're lucky there's no exit present; otherwise, I would suspend you from this mission. I'll have to settle for suspending you from the Cave for a week after this is over." scolded Solaris Knight. Kid Flash nodded, looking down.
"Should we go after them?" frowned Miss Martian, worried.
"No, Robin's the perfect guy to help her through this. Besides, you can still reach them, right?" shook Solaris Knight. Humming, Miss Martian shook her head.
"I can't. Whatever magic is here is limiting my telepathy." sighed Miss Martian. On reflex, Kid Flash scoffed, which didn't go unnoticed.
"Wally, I studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis. The mystic arts created the skin icons that power my water bearers," informed Kaldur, standing and gesturing to his arms.
"Dude, have you ever heard of bioelectricity? Hey, in primitive cultures, fire was considered magic. Today, it's all just a bunch of tricks." dismissed Kid Flash lowly, some of his fire returning.
"Our people are not primitive," glared Miss Martian and Aqualad. Kid Flash grimaced. Great, another step down from getting into the Martian's pants.
"You're pretty close-minded for a guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers," noted Artemis crossly.
"That's science. I recreated Flash's laboratory experiment, and here I am. Everything can be explained by science." said Kid Flash.
"Aqualad." nodded Solaris Knight. Understanding, the Atlantean gripped a floor handle.
"Wait! The back-draft from the lava will roast us alive!" warned Kid Flash. Aqualad opened the door, but instead of lava and heat, snow and cold came out.
"Do you ever get tired of being wrong?" smirked Artemis to Kid Flash, dumbfounded. The group jumped down through the hole but found themselves exiting horizontally. Once they had entered the snowy mountain landscape, the trapdoor disappeared, much like the other doors before it.
"This Tower is almost like a giant TARDIS," commented Mystic Warrior.
"And me without any boots." sighed Superboy, looking at his bare feet.
"Semac Reprandi!" Solaris Knight aimed his hand toward Superboy's pants. New fabric grew from it before wrapping around his feet, then flashing gold. In an instant, Superboy's clothes are intact and fixed.
"Thanks." nodded Superboy.
"Well? Explain that, why don't you?" snarked Artemis, arms crossed.
"Ever hear of String Theory? We're in a pocket dimension. And that was transmutation just now." scoffed Kid Flash.
"Ugh, no wonder we're down two people!" Artemis threw her hands up and stormed away.
"Kid Flash, please keep your opinions to yourself or your suspension will be doubled." threatened Solaris Knight, following. Kid Flash groaned.
"What's that?" Miss Martian pointed at a gold-topped cane that stood in the snow.
'Ooh, maybe it's Nelson's magic wand,' thought Kid Flash sarcastically. Being the closest (and keeping an eye out for traps), Artemis grabbed it. However, when she attempted to pull it, it stayed in place along with her arm.
"Hey, I can't let go!" screamed Artemis. Suddenly, the cane started glowing in gold.
"Artemis!" Worried, Solaris Knight ran over and tried to pull her away. Then the cane rocketed upwards, carrying the two with it; a moment later, there was a flash of golden light, and they vanished.
"That's bad." grimaced Miss Martian, speaking for everyone. Suddenly, monstrous screeches were heard. Turning around, the group was met with the sight of a small army of Cyversed; Flood, and two new kinds; Scrapper and Red Hot Chilis. Scrapper is a humanoid Unversed with predominantly black skin. Its hands are silver and end in three-fingered claws. Its head is diamond-shaped and sports two short horns on either side of it. Its green eyes are set in a sorrowful expression and the Unversed logo is emblazoned on its chest. The Red Hot Chili is a small creature resembling a green pot, misleading the name. Its lid is black with a small, conical, green spike on it. The base of the pot is also black, with two short spikes on it. It has a short, green, lightning-bolt-shaped "wing" on either side of its body. Its large, green eyes take up most of the front of its body and are set in a happy expression. The Unversed emblem is on its back.
"Unversed?!" gawked Kid Flash. Superboy grimaced.
"That's worse."
(With Team C)
Sobbing echoes through the chambers of a guest room. Zatanna lay on a king-sized bed, crying into a pillow. Standing in a doorway, Robin gazed at her sympathetically before gently knocking it. Zatanna lifted her tear-stained eyes.
"What? Came to rub in your bestie's brains in my face?" glared Zatanna. Robin flinched; unlike his 'bestie', he's not in any hurry to get into anyone's pants; he prefers to take things slow and steady.
"No way; Kid's a genius in science stuff, but he's an idiot in the magic and social scene." shook Robin. Sighing, Zatanna gestured to a spot beside her. Robin sat there, rubbing Zatanna's back comfortably.
"Do you think magic's fake too?" asked Zatanna. Sensing a test, Robin shook his head.
"No way, especially after everything I've seen in Gotham and on the road. (Zatanna raises eyebrow) Like you, my dad's a performer along with my mom although their acts were more… circus-central." explained Robin, keeping details vague to protect his identity.
"'Were'?" echoed Zatanna worriedly, sitting up. Robin nodded, looking down.
"I lost them both four years ago in a staged accident. (Zatanna's eyes widen) You're lucky that you still have your dad… can't say the same about me and Bats." revealed Robin, his mask getting wet with unshed tears. Zatanna gasped before hugging him. Robin hugged back, both heads on each other's shoulders. No more words were said, only a sobering silence in the air.
(With Team B)
Most of the group were huddled together fighting as many Cyversed as possible. Kid Flash was zipping all over the place, knocking down his enemies.
"I don't understand Kid Flash. (dodges a Scrapper's claws) It's almost like he needs to believe that the impossible can't happen." sighed Miss Martian, forming a giant snowball with telekinesis and crushing the Scrapper with it.
"Wally uses his understanding of science to control what he cannot comprehend. (cuts down Chili) Acknowledging the existence of magic would be to relinquish the last vestige of that control." explained Aqualad before conjuring a water shield to block several Chilis' fireballs. With the snow all around him, Aqualad is having the easiest time fighting the small army.
"Was Accel ever like that?" asked Superboy, clotheslining some Flood.
"He's more curious than skeptical of magic," answered Mystic Warrior, firing pink magic energy at Flood. Kid Flash returned to the group, soot on parts of his costume.
"Think that's all of them?" asked Kid Flash. Suddenly, a loud guttural roar was heard before another, new Cyversed made themselves known. The Mad Treant resembles a large, black tree. Its trunk splits into three large branches, which, in turn, fork into three more branches, giving it nine branches covered with green leaves. Purple fruit resembling whole apples and blue fruit with a longer, more conical shape hang from its branches. It has four thick roots as legs. There are three red thorns on each of these roots. The Mad Treant's mouth is a jagged, black opening in the trunk, and it has a vertical split in its trunk between its eyes. Its green eyes are set in a sorrowful expression and the Unversed insignia is emblazoned on it just under its mouth. "Oh come on, a boss?!"
"Stay back!" ordered Aqualad, sending a slash of water. The Treant only slung its 'fruit' at it, which created an explosion at impact.
"That's one mean tree!" growled Superboy, leaping and preparing a punch. The Treant threw the fruit at Superboy, which exploded on impact and launched him back.
"I've heard of fruit punch, but not fruit bombs." jested Kid Flash, running around the Treant. The Cyversed roared and spun around, launching fruit bombs in a perfect circle. They all exploded, tripping Kid Flash and sending him to a pile of snow.
"You OK, Kid?" asked Mystic Warrior, conjuring a barrier in front of the speedster and blocking more fruit bombs.
"Man, the game didn't do that thing justice." groaned Kid Flash, climbing out.
"You've played the game that thing comes from, right? Know any weaknesses or anything useful?" asked Superboy, punching a Scrapper down.
"Well, watch out for the poison puddle some bombs leave behind, and close range will be hard since the poison comes from under it too," advised Kid Flash.
"Anything good?" asked Mystic Warrior, seeing cracks in her barrier.
"It was the first boss in the game, it can't block attacks, and when it takes enough damage, it gets stunned," answered Kid Flash.
"Hmm… I'd normally ask Omni-Ranger for permission but what the ****…" shrugged Mystic Warrior, swapping Gears.
16th Surge!
5 Power Ranger projections came out of the Morpher before running into each hero; Red for Aqualad, Black for Superboy, Blue for Kid Flash, Pink for Miss Martian, and Yellow for Mystic Warrior. Once the powers were absorbed, rushes of info were input into their minds before new weapons formed in their hands.
"Power Sword!" Aqualad held up a sword with a red guard before swinging it, cutting down a mass of Flood.
"Power Axe!" Superboy swung the large, single-bladed black axe down, creating a fissure. Scrappers fell into it before dispersing.
"Power Lance!" Kid Flash swung a double-bladed blue lance, sweeping the Cyversed with ease thanks to watching Robin with his staff.
"Power Bow!" Miss Martian stayed in the air, shooting arrows from a pink/white bow at Chilis.
"Power Daggers!" Mystic Warrior slid across a crowd of Scrappers, cutting through them with a pair of yellow short-bladed daggers. Seeing its army dwindle, the Treant reared back a fruit bomb.
"Oh no you don't!" Miss Martian fired an arrow at the branch holding it. The fruit bomb fell, then exploded prematurely on the Treant's face. In pain, it stumbled back.
"You got something on your face, pal?" smirked Kid Flash, spinning the Lance with his super speed. A blue tornado shot out of it and trapped the Treant within, forcing more fruit bombs to prematurely explode.
"Let's do some weed cutting!" shouted Superboy, running to the Treant's side with Aqualad on the other. Using their new weapons, they cut at the Treant, getting a screech of pain.
"Now for the pièce de résistance!" shouted Mystic Warrior, the Team by her side with their weapons glowing. With a battle cry, they threw into the air. They then combined into a new weapon. It resembles a crossbow, and its two central pieces are the Power Bow and the Power Axe. The Power Blaster was formed by placing the Power Bow horizontally within the locking mechanism of the Power Axe in Cannon Mode, with the Power Daggers and separated Power Lances connected to the length of the Bow, with their handles facing forward, acting as additional barrels to the cannon. The Power Sword, the key to the Blaster, was locked in on top of the cannon, similar to where an arrow would be placed in a crossbow.
"Power Blaster! FIRE!" It fired a multicolored energy blast from all the barrels. It struck the Treant and remaining Cyversed by its side. They gave their last pain-filled roars before exploding.
"Man, these weapons rule!" cheered Kid Flash, the group separating the weapons before they dispersed into particles.
"Maybe I should get an axe of my own." hummed Superboy, flexing his fingers. Once the area was cleared of Cyversed, a creaking sound was heard. The group turned to see a door open on the side of a nearby hill.
"Is that supposed to happen?" asked Mystic Warrior. Superboy shrugged.
"Better than wandering around forever."
(Staircase Chamber)
Abra Kadabra stopped Kent's torture when he and Klarion saw a flash of golden light. The three were surprised to see Solaris Knight and Artemis appear on a staircase that, to them, looked upside-down.
"That was fun." groaned Artemis before shaking the cobwebs from her head.
"Uh, Artemis," Solaris Knight's voice gets her attention. Artemis opened her eyes and found herself straddling Solaris Knight's head. She's lucky to not include a skirt in her casual or uniform; otherwise, her crush would see her 'goods'. This position caused her to blush before she quickly jumped up.
"S—Sorry." apologized Artemis while the blush died down and offered him a hand to help him up.
"Don't fret, accidents happen. (gets helped up and notices company) Abra Kadabra and… Junior?" tilted Solaris Knight. The false and demonic magicians balked at the thought while Artemis aimed her bow.
"I'm not his son! Get them, Kingdom!" cried Klarion, pointing at the heroes. Before Solaris Knight or Artemis can react, a shadowed figure comes out of nowhere and grabs them, slamming them into a wall. Kent widened his eyes before narrowing them.
"You…"
"Ah, you remember me?" The assailant is a 12-foot-tall demon. He has two pairs of wings, and horns around his head resembling a demonic samurai helmet. The chest and head glow with incandescent navy energy. The solid parts of the body seem to be a combination of metal and black demonic stone: any areas of exposed "skin" are covered in square scales.
(A/N: Design is inspired by Dante/Vergil Sin Devil Trigger from DMC5)
"What is this thing?" gasped Artemis, slamming her bow against the demon's arm to no avail.
"I don't know, but it better release us this instant!" demanded Solaris Knight, taking out a gold/navy genie lamp.
"That puny thing? What are you gonna do, wish me away?" laughed the demon.
"Something more painful! (twists handle, small barrel extending from other end) Laser Lamp, fire!" shouted Solaris Knight, blasting the demon in the stomach. Surprised, the demon released them and backed away, blocking the blasts. At this, Kent smiled.
"Well, would you look at that?" chuckled Kent. The cane that was still attached to Artemis's hand was surrounded by a golden glow. That same glow appeared around Kent and caused him to float in the air, towards the two young heroes, knocking Klarion, Abra, and the demon over as he passed them. As soon as Kent touched the cane, Artemis's hand was freed and the binding on Kent vanished.
"Quickly in here!" ordered Nelson pointing at a wall, onto which a door appeared, and the three ran inside.
"No, no NO! I want that helmet! I want it, I want it, I want it!" ranted Klarion childishly, pointing his hands at the closing door. He launched two red beams of mystical energy, but they uselessly impacted the closed door. The demon only chuckled, more surprised than in pain.
"Seems this won't be as easy as I assumed…"
(Elevator room)
Artemis, Solaris Knight, and Nelson stood quietly in the elevator as it went up several levels.
"I'm Kent Nelson by the way." broke the retired hero.
"Nice to meet you, sir. In this suit, you can call me Solaris Knight. My companion here is Green Arrow's latest protégé, Artemis." introduced the Gold Ranger. The archer waved.
"Well, Artemis, Knight. We're up against two opponents with tremendous mystic power." started Kent.
"I'm guessing you're speaking of the child and what I assume to be a demon given what I've read about Abra Kadabra." hummed Solaris Knight. Oddly, the future magician reminds him of one of Spider-Man's enemies; Mysterio, if he recalls the name of the false magician.
"Abra is a charlatan, I'll give you that, with his future gizmos making a mockery of magicians such as myself, but Klarion the Witch-Boy, the kid with the cat, he's an actual Lord of Chaos. He's the ultimate enemy of a Lord of Order like Doctor Fate," explained Kent.
"As in you?" asked Artemis.
"Oh, I never was. (shakes head) I just used the Helmet of Fate to boost my own mystical powers. Normally, whoever puts on the helmet gives up control of their body to Nabu, the spirit that inhabits the helmet, but I made a deal with him so that I could stay in control… (pulls out pocket watch) Until my wife, Inza, was taken from me by Kingdom; the demon you saw." sighed Kent, opening the watch and looking longingly at Inza's picture.
"That's sad." pitied Artemis.
"I'm sorry for your loss." sighed Solaris Knight, equally sympathetic. Kent would've noticed the hidden message 'I know how you feel' if he wasn't so focused on the picture.
"(shakes head, putting watch away) Anyway, that's why we can't let Klarion get the Helmet of Fate. If he gets his sticky little mitts on it, he'll turn the whole planet into his own personal playground of pandemonium," warned Kent.
"What about Kingdom? I'm guessing the Helmet's a sort of holy artifact and he can't touch it or risk getting burned or repelled." assumed Solaris Knight.
"You know a lot about demons." hummed Kent.
"Spent most of my third year in heroics fighting them," explained Solaris Knight, especially recalling the Sin Demons. Artemis widened her eyes.
"Anyway, it's not holy, so it doesn't matter the person; demonic, holy, alien, whatever; Nabu can reject the wearer if he finds them unworthy… but Klarion's not looking for a new costume, he's looking for a battery," defined Kent.
"And Kingdom?" dreaded Artemis.
"He's looking for a new heart for his diet." frowned Kent. The archer turned green in disgust while Solaris Knight clenched his fists; the implications of Inza's demise were as clear as day. With a ding, the elevator stopped. Kent led the way out, where they found themselves in a room with more staircases, as well as a giant, golden bell in the center. Just as the three were about to touch the bell, two doors opened up in the ceiling above them, and the rest of the Team and their guests tumbled out.
"Friends of yours?" asked Kent, the three rushing to check on them. "Aw young Zatanna, it is good to see you."
"You too, Mr. Nelson." squealed Zatanna, recovering and hugging the elderly man. The others smiled; it was almost like a grandpa/granddaughter moment.
"Reflectus Targo!" The moment was bittersweetly ruined when Solaris Knight conjured a large circular mirror that reflected a magic red lightning bolt toward the villains on another staircase. They scattered to dodge the bolt.
"Incredible… To think that one so young could create such magic, and with such little training…" awed Kent. Solaris Knight held up the mirror, panting. The bolt had enough power to blast them away and it took a large portion of the Ranger's magic to keep the mirror up. Growling, Klarion fired another bolt. It was reflected again, albeit not without leaving a crack.
"My turn." laughed Kingdom, ascending with flight. Wings glowing, demonic lasers came out of them, relentlessly pelting the mirror. Growling, Solaris Knight put more power into the mirror, which kept cracking. Ultimately, it shattered, the lasers then hitting Solaris Knight. Exploding, the Gold Ranger was launched into the bell, forcefully demorphed, clothes ruined, bruised, and lip bleeding.
"OMNI-RANGER!" screamed the girls before attacking the villains. Groaning, Josh stood, wiping the blood off. Luckily the suit took most of the damage, or he'd be a pile of dust now.
"Don't worry about me! Kent and I'll keep the Helmet safe!" ordered Josh.
"Not without me, you aren't!" added Artemis, firing an insulated boxing glove arrow against some magic lightning.
"Understood. (nods, cutting away playing cards) We shall deal with these foes." assured Aqualad, the Team following his and the girls' example. Nodding back, Josh and Artemis helped Kent approach the bell, the latter tolling it with his cane. The bell began to glow, and the three stepped through it. Klarion wasn't far behind, flying through the bell as well, Teekl still in his arms.
(Tower roof)
Kent, Artemis, and Josh appeared where they found the Helmet of Fate floating in the air above them. As Artemis reached out to touch it, a red hex bolt shot towards her but Kent pushed her out of the way and took the attack right in the chest.
"Agh!"
"No!" cried Artemis, guilty.
"Mr. Nelson!" shouted Josh, catching the man before he fell to the ground. He helped the old man stay standing. Quietly chanting a spell, Kent then slams the bottom of his now glowing cane down on the ground. The cane released a golden energy that created a bubble that surrounded the three, as well as the Helmet. This blocked another hex bolt that Klarion had fired.
"NO!" shouted Klarion in rage.
"Not bad for a former Dr. Fate, uh kid?" chuckled Kent before beginning to collapse. Artemis and Josh caught him before he hit the ground.
"Hold on, Mr. Nelson. (holds hand over wound) Finishio!" frowned Josh, hand glowing in multicolor. Sadly for the heroes, nothing is happening.
"There's no point… Klarion used a withering spell… I can feel my heart crumbling away." whispered Kent, coughing. Josh ignored him, repeating the spell over and over. The others noticed how the glow got weaker and weaker for every attempt.
"Josh, stop!" cried Artemis, putting a hand on Josh's shoulder. Feeling his waning magic, the Ranger stopped. Coughing, Kent took out two envelopes and handed them to Josh.
"After this… would you please give these to Giovanni and his daughter? (Josh nods, putting them in vest) Now… The bubble will give you just enough time… to do what you need to do…" explained Kent, pointing his cane to the Helmet. This shocked the teens.
"You want me to put on the helmet?! But I'm more of a weapons specialist! My magic's been improving thanks to Master Zatara, but it's nowhere near his level, much less yours! I'm not worthy of this!" argued Josh.
"Kid… I sensed something about you the moment we met. You are not from this world. Your soul has been touched by something special. (Josh's eyes widen) I can see that you have a good heart and great courage. You have the strength to put on the helmet and beat Klarion. You've got the makings… of a fine Lord… of Order…" urged Kent as he pulled out and opened his pocket watch to look at Inza's picture one last time. He then went limp in Josh's arms as he died. The locket fell out of Kent's hand.
"NO!" Unable to accept this, Artemis began performing CPR on the retired hero, hoping to revive him.
"I want that helmet and I want it now!" shouted Klarian, continuing to fire magic bolts. Desperate, Josh looked up at the Helmet of Fate, still hovering.
"Artemis, Josh, we're in trouble! Tell Mr. Kent that we need Dr. Fate!" Those words penetrated before ending with a scream of pain. Now, Josh knew he had no choice; he grabbed the Helmet of Fate.
"Hey, dumb kid! If you put that on, you may never get it off!" taunted Klarion. Josh only hesitated for a moment, then another glance at the recently deceased hardened his resolve.
"If it means Mr. Nelson's sacrifice won't be in vain, then so be it!" declared Josh, holding the helmet high. Just as Klarion destroyed the barrier, Josh slid the helmet onto his head…
(Void)
And suddenly, he was in a dark room, the only light was a single beam that came down from high above.
"Huh… so this is what Ben feels like when he goes Alien X…" noted Josh.
"Ah, I see you managed to put the helmet on in time." said a familiar voice behind him. Josh's eyes widened in disbelief.
"It can't be… (turns around to see Kent, unharmed) Mr. Nelson? Then you really are…" trailed Josh sadly.
"Yeah, but don't feel too bad. As soon as this little brouhaha is over, my spirit will ascend. I'll be with my beloved Inza again." explained Kent happily. This lifted Josh's mood.
"So the Helmet absorbed your spirit? Does that mean your predecessors are here too?" questioned Josh, looking around.
"Yes and no; the only instance the predecessors are called on is when the Helmet is in very great peril. Separately, Klarion and Kingdom aren't on that level, but together…" frowned Kent.
"Which means I have to beat Klarion fast before Kingdom gets past the others," growled Josh, fists clenched.
"I think you mean Nabu has to. (Josh blinks) Before I explain, can you tell me what you mean about someone becoming Alien X?" requested Kent.
"That depends; have you ever heard of Celestialsapiens?" retorted Josh halfheartedly.
"Ah, say no more. (raises hand) Nabu crossed paths with one several eons ago and warned each long-time host, including me, of their capabilities… and drawbacks. (clears throat) Anyway, while Nabu is nowhere even a fraction of their power; he does share their case of MPD when the Helmet's worn." nodded Kent.
"And let me guess. (crosses arms) Until the Helmet's removed, he's in complete control." frowned Josh solemnly.
"That's correct. So… (looks behind Josh and blinks) That's odd." hummed Kent.
"What is it?" asked Josh.
"Nabu knows some time magic, but not enough to freeze Klarion… and everything around him effortlessly," noted Kent. Confused, Josh turned around. Above them is a screen displaying his sight before putting on the Helmet. True to Kent's word, the world seems to have been put on pause; Klarion's bolts being frozen in mid-air are undeniable proof that no one's faking it for some reason.
"What is the meaning of this?!" growled the deep voice of Nabu, appearing before Josh and Kent in the shape of the Helmet.
"We shall not let you imprison the Avatar of the Morphin Grid!" In multicolored flashes, figures with differently colored cloaks and/or armor appeared before the three, floating.
"Spirits…" gasped Josh, resisting the urge to kneel.
"You know these apparitions?" raised Kent.
"Not personally, but yes. They're Ancient Spirits; entities responsible for giving a group of my predecessors their powers," answered Josh in disbelief. The closest he got was a glimpse in every Next Legend morph, but to meet them in person…
"Do they have names?" added Kent curiously.
"Yeah. (clears throat) The one in red is the Fire Spirit Haden. The blue Water Spirit is Arlyn. The green Earth Spirit is Gaius. The yellow Lightning Spirit is Haokah. Skyla's the pink Spirit of Wind. The silver one is the Light Spirit Celina. The purple/black one is Roku, the Spirit of… Darkness…" dreaded Josh, eying Kent cautiously. The elderly magician shrugged.
"What? I'm not like any of those fascists who believe darkness is evil. Heck, an acquaintance of mine specializes in dark magic, and still does hero work." explained Kent, thinking of Constantine. Curious, Josh held it off for later.
"Anyway, the grey one's Sketo, neon's the Nature Spirit Antheia, Cyan's Morana AKA the Snow/Ice Spirit. The goldenrod Spirit and Haokah's sibling is Galee with the power of Thunder/Sound. Finally, the rose-colored Spirit of Ether ironically named Artemis." concluded Josh, taking breaths after the long introductions.
'Seriously? A fourth one?' noted Kent dryly. First the goddess, then the Amazon, recently the archer, and now an ethereal spirit? How many people have that name?
"You do not understand; the universe needs Dr. Fate!" retorted Nabu.
"They need a representative, but not one held captive," argued Antheia.
"Including you," added Skyla softly. Nabu's eyes widened.
"Me?"
"We're here to make a bargain." started Haden.
"You'll be free from the Helmet…" continued Arlyn.
"From your prison…" resumed Celina.
"In exchange…" thundered Galee.
"We'll use our power to not only give your vessel a new form but transform you into one of us," concluded Artemis. The three widened their eyes.
"I didn't know they could do that," whispered Josh in awe. A 13th Spirit?
"How do I know you are not deceiving me?" retorted Nabu sadly. In response, the 12 Spirits floated around the Lord, joining hands with each other. Suddenly, multicolored energy surges around Nabu. The light soon intensified, forcing Josh and Kent to look away. When it dims soon and they gaze back, they see in place of Nabu, another Spirit, this one gold with bits of navy. Releasing hands, the Spirits backed away from the middle one, the latter looking down in his cloaked hands in awe.
"My tether to the Helmet… I can't feel it anymore," whispered Nabu, feeling free for the first time in eons. Kent smiled at his old friend, happy for him.
"Do not worry about the Lords of Order. We shall meet them next after the crisis," assured Morana.
"Thank you…" bowed Nabu. Matters settled, and he joined his now-fellow Spirits in facing the mortals. Following their lead, he raises his arm to the sky, three words echoing across the void.
"Biomerge, Spirit Legend!"
(Reality)
~Battle Song: Power Rangers Next Legend Last Opening by bluesoulhero~
Once Josh put on the Helmet of Fate, he was consumed in a golden light before he gained a new Ranger suit. It resembled his Next Legend suits except for it being gold, with his visor and buckle being navy and the former almost shaped like the Helmet's eyes with a slit connecting them. The emblem on his right pectoral is Fate's signature ankh.
"Spirit of Fate, Next Legend Gold!"
'Amazing… he turned the Helmet into a new Morpher.' Artemis noticed a gold variant of the Blue Legend Brace Morpher with Dr Fate's ankh in the circle.
"No, no, NO! What have you done to my precious Helmet?!" ranted Klarion, stomping and firing more energy orbs after every word.
"The Helmet of Fate was never yours to begin with! Its power belongs to us!" declared Next Legend Gold, projecting a large energy ankh to block the orbs. The last word caught the Witch Boy's attention.
"I see… you're not possessing the boy, but working in tandem… Don't think this changes anything, you old fart! Whatever form it takes, the Helmet's power will be mine!" screeched Klarion, raising his arms. Suddenly, two earth pillars came up and slammed together on Next Legend Gold.
"Legend Scepter!" In a flash of gold, the earth broke apart, with Next Legend Gold wielding a gold scepter with an ankh on top, danglers on the sides, and a pointed bottom.
(A/N: Design is inspired by Nightglow Staff from Xenoblade Chronicles)
"Fire!" A beam of golden energy came out of the Scepter and toward Klarion, who split apart into thousands of tiny red specks, which then scattered and reformed behind Next Legend Gold. Once he was whole again, Klarion fired crimson lightning at the Ranger. Suddenly, the latter turned around and stabbed the Scepter into the ground, the lightning getting absorbed through the weapon and dispersing through the ground harmlessly.
"WHAT?!"
"You forget that there is more than one person in this body." reminded Next Legend Gold before striking at Klarion with the Scepter. One weakness most magic users shared is their lack of experience in close combat. Sadly, for Klarion, he is one of those; evident by the last thrust launching his bruised body meters away, his shirt gaining blood from the stab wound.
"It's two against one! That's not fair!" whined Klarion, hands glowing. In an instant, his shirt was as good as new, although that didn't stop new blood from ruining it.
"Brat." sighed Next Legend Gold. Growling, Klarion spotted Artemis out of the corner of his eye and gained an evil smirk on his face. He made a gesture with his hands, making pieces of earth rise from the ground but then form into spears and aimed them at Artemis. With a swing of his arm, Klarion sent the spears flying at the shocked female archer.
"NO!" screamed Next Legend Gold, stretching his arm. Below Artemis, a golden energy ankh formed before vanishing with her. Mere moments later, the archer appeared beside Next Legend Gold. The spears broke on impact at the archer's previous location.
"That was… trippy." groaned Artemis, shaking her head and cradling it. Relieved at her safety, Next Legend Gold looks back at the Witch Boy. Klarion shuddered, feeling an intense glare coming from under the helmet.
"Given your appearance, we held back. Now… you made us angry. (3 energy ankhs form) Spell of Judgement!" Next Legend Gold raised his arms before bringing them down, the ankhs following their movement and stabbing into Klarion. Before the Witch Boy could react, a pillar of light came out from beneath him. Once it dimmed, Klarion fell onto his knees, ash all over his body. Weakened, he could do nothing but conjure an unstable red portal, Teekl coming to this side.
~End Theme~
"We're outta here!" In a storm of red-and-black fire, the Lord of Chaos retreated.
Next Legend Gold considered pursuing his nemesis, but something else caught his attention… something he couldn't ignore.
(Group B)
For what seemed the umpteenth time, Mystic Warrior dodged another energy net that Abra Kadabra hurled at him, along with another of Kingdom's demonic energy blasts. The fight was a stalemate; while she had Diamondhead's Omni-Gear equipped and could deflect anything the false magic user and demon used, Abra could just teleport away from any of the Pink Ranger's attacks while Kingdom could just shrug them off. That all changed when a golden ankh appeared behind Abra while another formed above Kingdom; when they faded, Abra's wand, technology, and even his clothes (except for his underwear thankfully) were gone. Kingdom on the other hand; is bound by wet chains, likely doused in holy water. With the technology powering the energy nets erased, the other, bruised members of the Team got up, each of them wanting to repay the villains for the pain they'd inflicted on them.
"Show's over," Superboy, being the closest to Abra, punching him in the face, easily knocking him out. Mystic Warrior, being closest to Kingdom, swapped for her personal Ranger gear before cranking her Morpher again.
Ranger Final Surge!
"Pink Surging Burst!" Mystic Warrior aimed her Morpher at Kingdom. Hexagonal formations formed around the barrels as color-matching energy began flashing from the center. She held her Morpher by both handles as a massive orb of light formed at the end of the Morpher's barrel. With that, she pulled the trigger just when the team logo formed behind her. A massive energy beam came out of the orb and slammed into Kingdom, destroying the chains. Severely wounded, the demon collapsed on his knees. Seconds later, another ankh formed and swept over Kingdom; Zatanna recognized a banishing spell.
"For tradition, Power Rangers Zord Surge!"
(Next Legend Gold mindscape)
"Thanks for lending me your power, Nabu," bowed Josh.
"No. (shakes head) Thank you for granting me my freedom from the Helmet. Now I can explore the cosmos and fulfill my desires." assured Nabu wistfully.
"What will happen to the Morpher?" asked Kent, looking at Josh's wrist with the new Morpher.
"It will not go to the Morphin Grid. It will remain in reality in your hands," assured Haden.
"Or someone you trust," added Arlyn.
"Even though I am free, my power will be your capable hands. I trust you will make the right decision with it." bowed Nabu. Kent chuckles.
"A Lord of Order showing humility? Never thought I'd see that in my life. (clears throat) Before I go, some free advice before you power down. (Josh stands straight) Find your own little spitfires, ones who won't let you get away with nothing. (Josh raises eyebrow) Yes, I'm talking about more than one female. Even though it's frowned upon by Earth's people, I've been on several planets and dimensions where that kind of lifestyle was embraced. Anyway, someone as powerful as you will need them to keep you grounded and on the right path. For example, girls like that—" Before Kent could finish, the Spirits snapped their fingers.
(Reality)
"Power Down!" Demorphing, Josh's eyes fell on the body of Kent Nelson; he walked up to the corpse, kneeling down and placing the fallen pocket watch back in the man's hand. He stayed there, head bowed with Artemis' comforting hand on his shoulder until the rest of the Team found them.
(Mount Justice)
The Team (and guests) had taken Kent Nelson's body to the Cave, while dropping off the captured Abra Kadabra to the authorities, and suggesting the man be accused of murder, on top of his other deeds; while Klarion was the one responsible, Abra was still an accomplice. Once at the Cave, they reported what had happened to Red Tornado and Batman, the latter of whom had shown up just a few minutes before they did. Solemnly, the two Leaguers had taken Kent's body away, with the android preparing to call retired Society members, but not before praising them for doing Kent's duty of keeping the Helmet of Fate safe. Still, that didn't help the Team feel any better about failing to save Kent himself. Josh had spoken to each of his teammates, and while most were dealing with the loss of Kent, Zatanna seemed to be taking the hardest, besides himself. Thankfully, speaking with Kent's spirit has given Josh some sort of closure. Zatanna, on the other hand, was in Josh's quarters in the Cave, and Conner's super-hearing had picked up muffled sobs, which he reported to his leader and got thanked for. Afterward, he left for Metropolis, the grandfather/granddaughter bond inspired him to ask Superman about his own father (adopted and biological).
'This stuff's never easy.' While Josh wanted to help the girl that he was starting to see as a second sister, he had an idea of who else was better suited for the task.
"Hey, Dick," called Josh, entering the training area and seeing Dick smack his staff against punching bags with pictures of Klarion, Abra, and Kingdom.
"Yeah, Josh? (wipes sweat) What's up?" asked Dick, putting away the staff.
"Well, it's Zatanna. (Dick tenses) After what happened today, she kinda locked herself in my room. This was the first death she'd seen since her mother and… well, she's not taking it well." sighed Josh.
"I'll go talk to her." nodded Dick in determination.
"Good. She's crashing in my room," informed Josh. Watching Dick leave, he inserted a hand into his pocket. Only one thing left to do.
(Trophy Room)
Josh had just placed the Gold Legend Brace Morpher on a shelf next to Kadabra's wand that Wally snatched; the furniture consisted of items the Team (mostly Wally) collected from past missions. For the time being, it seemed a good place to hold the Helmet, at least until someone needed to use it.
"Hey…" Hearing a familiar feminine voice, Josh turns around to see Artemis, leaning against the doorframe.
"How is everything?" asked Josh carefully. Coming to his side, Artemis gazed at the Morpher.
"It's my fault, you know. (Josh's eyes widen) If I had noticed Klarion and dodged, Mr. Nelson wouldn't have had to push me out of the way and he would still be alive!" cried Artemis. Josh frowned. While Artemis didn't take Kent's death the hardest (having lived in Gotham would do that to you), the fact that she's partially the reason it happened left her with guilt instead of remorse.
"You listen here, Artemis. (puts hands on archer's shoulder) Kent would've done the same for any one of us, not just you. Don't let his sacrifice be in vain. Live your life to honor his." preached Josh. Wiping her tears, Artemis gave a sad smile.
"Thanks,"
"Anytime. Besides, you're not the only one with survivor's guilt." sighed Josh, leading Artemis out. While they left, Kent's final words echoed in Josh's mind.
"Find your own little spitfires, one who won't let you get away with nothin'…"
'I already lost one love of my life… I'm not sure if I can do that.'
Wally: How meta can you get?
Dick: An OC Ranger of an already OC team? Sounds almost as twisted as Deadpool's 16-wall break in the first movie.
Artemis: Speaking of him, my money's on Taylor Swift being Ladypool.
Wally: Mine's on Reynold's wife.
Omarnosian10: Shifting from gambling… Time for some explanations. The costume ring wasn't shown until Season 2, so it can be assumed Barry obtained it during the time skip.
Wally: Will Reverse Flash show up in the story?
Omarnosian10: Yeah, but I'm not telling you which one or when. Speaking of additional villains, the hardest parts were coming up with an additional enemy of Fate's to bring, and finding the Spirit names; not so fun fact, they're not in the "Legends! Start Up!" wiki, so I had to skim through the story. Unlike my idol, I don't have a photographic memory. I couldn't find the name of Jared's secondary Spirit, so I came up with one based on the Japanese translation for "Steel".
Conner: Interesting.
Megan: Why Kingdom?
Omarnosian10: Bringing in Dr. Anti-Fate or Chaos would make Klarion stealing the Helmet seem redundant. Also, the only version of him known in DC had Kent Nelson and his wife killed.
Wally: Dang.
Omarnosian10: He was also there to even the odds with Abra against the Team; given Batman's paranoia, I wouldn't put past Robin to have some kinda future-based EMP gadgets.
Dick: Hehehe…
Omarnosian10: If not that, then Mystic Warrior could've used Upgrade's Omni-Gear to shut the tech down. Kingdom's an unknown element to most of the Team, so that keeps them on their toes.
Artemis: Solid argument.
Conner: When are you bringing out Next Legend Gold's Zord and what is it?
Omarnosian10: Spoilers aside from this; with the unique nature of the Morpher, Josh won't be the one piloting it in its debut.
Josh: ****it!
Kaldur: I believe my focus chapter is up next.
Omarnosian10: Actually, it'll be the one after. Next will be something that came earlier, along with someone Conner'll love.
Conner: Who?
Omarnosian10: No spoilers. SMOKEBOMB!