Denial part 1
New Orleans; July 27th; 21:57 CDT
Trumpet music plays in the background as an old man walks down the street. Carrying a cane but not using it. He stops before a door on his left. MADAM XANADU the main golden oval sign reads and an eye in the center. Three small square signs with a red font that reads:
TAROTS READ
LOVED ONES CONTACTED
FATES FORETOLD.
He pulls out a golden pocket watch. Looking at the woman on the inside of the cover. He closes it and walks inside.
As he does a woman steps through the bead-guarded doorway. Her skin and hair dark, but her green eyes are accented by the three blue jewels on her forehead. "Bonsoir, monsieur." (Good evening, sir) she greets. "How can Madam Xanadu be of service?" her French accent is rather mild.
Ah, there is someone to whom you wish to speak." she stops about the distance of the table to her right apart from the man. "Your wife, mai non?" (perhaps {well, the literal translation is "but no", but it's similar enough and it kind of makes more sense})
The man's hand clenches tightly around the watch. "Yes, my Inza."
Xanadu sits down. "Then madam will make contact if fate be kind."
The man sighs as he sits down as well. "But he so rarely is."
"Ahem." She clears her throat, then holds out her hand.
The man reaches into his jacket, pulling out a roll of bills
Oh, of course," he says, placing them in her hand. She slips them down her shirt with no hesitation and closes her eyes.
The ball in the center glows pure white and her hair is blown back. The light above sways and creaks, the table shakes ever so slightly, and the curtains blow with the wind. The man watches as the table rises. Then the candles blow out.
"Oh, my darling. How I've missed you." Madam Xanadu says, though her voice is slightly higher than her own. Her eyes snap open, glowing white as well. "I'm so lonely here and cold."
The man bursts out into laughter. "Th-that's the best you could do?"
Everything clatters to its original place.
"Imbecile! You have broken the spell." Xanadu snaps as her eyes open once more. "Your wife is forever lost."
"Th-that supposed to be my wife?" he questions mockingly. Letting out a single chuckle before he continues. "Heck, my little Spitfire would've kicked my can for throwin' away good money on you."
"No refunds for non-believers," Xanadu replies hastily as she stands up out of her chair and crosses her arms.
I think we both know you're the non-believer, Madame. A wind machine." he gestures widely with his hand to where a wind machine is hidden from sight behind the curtains near the ceiling. "Tire jacks under the table." he lifts the long table cover to show it off, then sits up straight. "A shame, too. You have the perfect aura for the work, and nothing would've pleased me more than to be reunited with my bride." he opens his golden pocket watch, looking down at the picture in longing.
A hand is placed on the back of the man's jacket and then on his left lapel. Turning he's stunned to find Abra Kadabra grabbing him. "You will be with her soon enough." he promises through his thick accent, holding the older man off the ground. He smirks and all the old man can do is look stunned before they disappear in a flash of blue-white light.
Madame Xanadu gasps in shock, finally her flight reflexes kick in and she runs back through her bead blocked doorway.
Behind her turned back the cane the old man had glows gold, floating on its own before it too disappears, but in a golden flash.
[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]
Mount Justice; August 19th, 19:39 EDT
"Initiate- Combat Training." the computerized voice says as Kaldur and Superboy slowly work their way from the opposite sides of the circle towards each other. "3." the two begin to circle each other. "2." they're now maintaining about ten feet of distance from each other. "1."
Both charge, Superboy goes in for a right hook punch that Aqualad ducks under, retaliating with a left-right one-two combo. Both of which Superboy blocks, though Kaldur jumps and goes for a hook kick, that Superboy both ducks under and raises his hands for. As Kaldur lands he goes for another right hook that Kaldur dives back into a back handspring, landing in a crouch.
Artemis and M'gann watch on. "Kaldur's uh, nice, don't you think?"
Artemis asks, glancing at M'gann to ensure that she's the only one listening before she continues. "Handsome. Commanding. You should totally ask him out."
"He's like a big brother to me." she denies light-heartedly. "But you know who would make the cutest couple? You and Wally." she teases, looking over her shoulder at the ginger currently noisily enjoying his burrito. "You're so full of passion and he's so full of- uh- of..."
"It." Artemis finishes with conviction, though their combined laughing afterward proves that she is mocking him.
Artemis:he's not my type I'm more into
Artemis looks at Yn who is meditating
Artemis:someone who's series and kind
Megan sees Artemis looking Yn
Megan:he really amazing after the accident with lossing a arm and eliminating the Sith I wish we can tell him how we feel but his he was trained in the Jedi tradition like the rules of no attachment stuck to his head
Artemis:well we will confess one day but I think it's best to leave Yn alone for a while after that accident he's traumatized he needs time to accept what he's done
Megan:agreed
Kaldur and Superboy charge each other, with his bigger build Superboy
gets his arms on the Atlantean's shoulder blades, before getting his boot behind Aqualad's barefoot and throwing him over his shoulder and a good fifteen feet away, on his rear.
Aqualad lets out a stunned cry as he feels his feet leave the ground.
"Fail: Aqualad." the computerized voice calls out, as his stats appear near the fallen Atlantean's shoulder.
Superboy stands up straighter, brushing off his hands. "Black Canary taught me that."
Red Tornado drops out of a hole in the ceiling. Gaining everyone's attention. As Superboy helps Kaldur to his feet.
"Do you have a mission for us?" Wally asks, speeding in front of Red Tornado.
"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility." Tornado responds.
"Yeah. Well, the Batman is with the Robin, doing the Dynamic Duo thing in Gotham," Wally responds, tauntingly emulating Tornado's speech pattern. "but you're heading somewhere, right?" at this point all of the Team members were slowly moving in. "Hot date or a- a missión."
"If we can be of help..." Kaldur speaks up, counteracting Wally's general rudeness with very polite and formal speech.
Tornado looks the Team over for a moment. Then he turns and calls up the HoloScreens. "This is Kent Nelson, a friend. He is 106 years old."
"Guy doesn't look a day over ninety." Wally comments in Artemis' direction. M'gann steps up, on his left, immediately drawing the ginger's attention away from the archer.
And he has been missing for twenty-three days." Tornado continues, either not hearing Wally or ignoring him. "Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society," the image on the HoloScreen changes to cover Kent's face with a golden Helmet and his clothes turn royal blue with a gold belt, breastplate, gauntlets, boots, and cape the precursor to your Mentor's Justice League." with that Kent's picture became Doctor Fate's.
"Of course." Kaldur realizes, sounding annoyed with himself. "Nelson was Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. He was Doctor Fate."
"Pfft." Wally snorted. "More like Doctor Fake, guy knows a little advanced science and Dumbledore's it up to scare the bad guys and impress the babes." he whispers to Artemis.
Tornado turns to the Team again. "Kent may just be on one of his... walkabouts, but he is caretaker to the Helmet of Fate." Tornado continues,
The source of the Doctor's mystic might, and it unwise to leave such power unguarded."
"He's like the great sorcerer-priests and priestesses of Mars, I would be honored to help find him." M'gann speaks up, everyone pays her attention, knowing that it isn't often she would bring up her life on their sister planet. Much less her religion.
Wally's hand shoots up instantly. "Me too." Everyone turns in, surprised.
So honored, I can barely stand it." Wally continues, suddenly sounding sheepish as he realizes all attention was focused on him. Behind him, Artemis glares. "Magic rocks." throwing in a Rock and Roll hand gesture. The blonde rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.
"Take this, it is the key to the Tower of Fate." Tornado says, offering up an old brass key. Aqualad takes it from his waiting hand.
"What are the chances we both so admire the mystic arts?" Wally questions M'gann. She gives him a small smile but nothing more.
Yn:will find the doctor tornado you can count on us
Inside the BioShip, M'gann at the helm, Artemis directly in front of her, Wally to Artemis' right, with Kaldur and Superboy (in that order) on her left and Yn sitting in front of the ship. "So, Wally," Artemis begins, an already mocking tone in her words. "when did you realize your honest affinity for sorcery?"
"Well, I- I don't like to brag," Wally stumbles over his words, but his attention is fully out of the corner of his eye right at M'gann. "but, uh before I became Kid Flash, I seriously considered become a wizard myself." seeing that he has M'gann's attention he puts his hands behind his head and visibly relaxes.
Artemis rolls her eyes, and Kaldur looks away from KF.
"We've reached Tornado's coordinates, but-" M'gann starts, as she brings the bioship down in the street.
Salem; August 19th; 20:22 EDT
The BioShip is fully camouflaged as it makes its descent. On the right side of the road is an open field, but on the left, there is an old theater that looks shut down, and a red brick building that with its lights on seemingly has people inside.
"Nothing's there." Superboy finishes.
Yn:I sense a magical aura near the area it's here but hidden
"Take us down." Aqualad commands. Outside the bioship is a mangey orange cat with deep red markings around its body. Though its face has similar black markings and red eyes that seem to observe the hidden bioship before it hops off the box it was on and trot inside the theater.
"Grant us access to the tower, and I promise an end to your suffering." a man's voice- the same man who was in New Orleans- bargains. "Continue to refuse and-" he cuts himself off as something zaps.
Causing another man, who sounds older, to cry out in pain.
The cat jumps on a teen's lap as he laughs from the front row of the seating. Instantly he begins petting the cat, causing it to purr and meow. His face is pale, his hair is dark and styled in a way that almost seems to give him horns, but his eyes are old and angry. The cat begins to babble at him. "Shush, Teekl!" he reprimands. "I'm watching the show."
Up on the stage, tied in ropes and sitting in a chair, panting from pain is Kent Nelson. The same man that was in New Orleans standing before him holding a magic wand. "Enjoy it..." Kent begins, though forced to take a breath due to the assumed torture he's been receiving since New Orleans. "while you can." he finishes. Then looks up with determination in his eyes, knowing he has their attention. "Soon enough, my friends will come to help me." the Hispanic with the long ponytail walks behind his chair, raising his wand as the end sparks blue. Touching it to Kent Nelson's back to zap him once more.
Teekl, the cat, hisses as the teen stands up. Clapping and shouting. "Encore! Encore!" before laughing in sick joy.
The cat meows once more. "What?" he questions, annoyed.
The cat hisses then meows once more. Almost as if he understood her, his eyes soften. "Oh."
Wally skids to a stop in the middle of the field they parked the bioship next to. "Nothing." he says, looking to Artemis. "This isn't simple camouflage."
The whole Team looks to the ginger speedster, but Artemis is smug when she responds. "What do you think, adaptive micro-optoelectronics combined phase shifting?"
"Absolutely..." Wally starts, but as M'gann appears in his line of sight the slight smile drops from his face. "Not. Clearly mystic powers are at work here." though the way he looks at M'gann is too obvious to be missed as well as his reason for changing his answer. The way his voice nearly cracks doesn't help his case.
Artemis glares, while Superboy and Aqualad look skeptical.
Unnoticed behind the teens, the four occupants of the theater appear. Though Teekl in the boy's arms and Kent Nelson's hands are bound. The boy looks rather smugly at the man with the wand. "Hey, Abra Kadabra, are you using adaptive micro-optoelectronics combined with phase shifting?"
"Yes." Abra Kadabra begrudgingly responds.
Crickets chirp as the Team stares at the open field.
Kaldur looks to the key in his hand. "A test of faith." he repeats, looking to the handle on the key where it says 'INSERT'. He walks between Artemis and Superboy. "Stand behind me." he commands. Stepping up so he is more than three steps ahead of the closest team member. Raising the key, it disappears and sounds as though it clicks into a lock. Turning his hand, the tumblers thud to the unlocked position. As this happens a massive stone tower comes into sight.
Much to Artemis' and Wally's surprise. Though Superboy and Miss M seem rather calm about it.
Kaldur keeps a hand on the key, pushing the ornate wooden door inwards. The Team following him in without a command. The door slams shut, but the key remains in the door.
"Uh, where'd the door go?" Superboy asks, confused and the entire Team looks around the blank four walls. Until a gold-tinted projection of Kent Nelson appears.
"Greetings." the projection of Kent's magic power begins to speak. "You have entered with a key, but the Tower does not recognize you. State your purpose and intent."
Wally looks back at M'gann before smiling. "We are true believers, here to find Doctor Fate." he said with an overdramatic smile.
Wally looks back at M'gann before smiling. "We are true believers, here to find Doctor Fate." he said with an overdramatic smile.
Kent looks at him sadly, then fades from view. Wally's face falls until he hears the sound of the floor creaking loudly. Looking down just in time to see the whole segment give out from underneath the Team. Dropping all six of them towards the magma at the bottom.
Yn:Wally you dumbass
Superboy is falling the fastest but changes his course to get to one of the walls, while M'gann grabs Wally bringing the two of them closer as well. While Artemis pulls out a small crossbow, turning on her back to shoot higher into the rock, then swing to grab Kaldur as both of them plant their feet solidly on the wall.
Yn uses his new arm to get hold of the wall so he stop falling in the pit of lava
Superboy claws at the rock. His grip slowing him down, but not stopping him even as he digs the balls of his feet into the rock. Finally, he slows, but not before his feet and ankles fall into the lava. He screams in pain but pulls his unharmed feet out of the lava. "Those were my favorite boots," he said annoyed, breathing heavily. "This Kent better be worth it."
Outside the theater, Kent Nelson, Abra Kadabra, the kid, and his cat come into view. Just as Abra Kadabra pushes Kent forward harshly. As Kent gets within feet of the door, the cross with the top of infinity- the symbol of Doctor Fate- appears on the door and it unlocks itself to reveal a staircase within. The teen smiles mischievously.
All three enter the tower and once again, the door slams shut behind them. Only this time it disappears from the outside too.
Inside the Tower, Kent looks to Kadabra. "The Tower may not appreciate trespassers."
Kadabra raises his wand. "Mute." he commands.
Choking Kent, a collar appears around his neck, a red light glowing in the center.
Kadabra places his hand on Kent's shoulder and they all walk forward, the wall dividing to let them in. Stopping in a living room when Inza's portrait hangs over a large fireplace.
Kent's magical projection appears in the center of the rug. "Hello, Kent." he greets. "How unlike you to bring guests to the Tower, especially one with such potent mystic power."
Kadabra raises a hand and places it on Kent's shoulder as the collar speaks for Kent. "My friends come to help me." it's mechanical and wrung out, but definitely Kent's voice. Silently the man glares heavily at Kadabra.
Kent's projection smiles and the wall opens once more. Revealing stairs that run in all directions, regardless of gravity.
Kadabra smiles smugly, as all three begin up the stairs does the wall close behind them.
M'gann and Wally are slowly falling, slowing and speeding up as M'gann power wanes and waxes. "Having trouble... maintaining altitude..." she wipes sweat from her brow. "Ugh, I'm so hot."
"You sure are." he says, not even thinking.
"Wally!" Artemis both gasps at and reprimands him.
"Hey, inches above sizzling death, I'm entitled to speak my mind!" he snaps back.
Kaldur also wipes the sweat off his brow. "My physiology and M'gann's are susceptible to heat, we must climb out quickly."
"Hello, Megan." M'gann said through gasps. "We never... truly answered the question." She turned her head slightly. "Red Tornado... sent us... to see if... Mr. Nelson and the Helmet... were safe."
A panel slides shut underneath Superboy's feet, calmly he steps on the panel. Wally falls, landing on his butt while M'gann falls next to him on her knees. Artemis and Kaldur belay down to the panel.
Yn lands next to the team
This platform." Kaldur realizes, touching it with both his hands. "It should be red hot, but it is cool to the touch."
"Don't worry Megalicious, I gotcha." Wally says, helping the green girl to her feet.
Artemis blows a gasket. "Enough!" she shoved Wally into the wall. "Your little "impress M'gann at all cost" game nearly got us all barbecued."
Wally glared at the blonde half-Vietnamese girl before him. "When did this become my fault?"
"When you lied to that whatever-it-was and called yourself a true believer." Artemis snaps, Superboy and M'gann looking at the redhead from behind her.
Once again, all the attention in the room was on Wally.
"Wally?" M'gann questions, stunned. "You don't believe?"
Wally glares at Artemis before speaking out in exacerbation. "Fine. Fine! I lied about believing in Magic! But Magic's the real lie, it's all a major load!"
"Wally, I studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis." Kaldur prompts his hand still on the floor. "The Mystic Mages created the skin icons that power my WaterBearers." now he is looking at Wally.
"Dude, you ever hear of Bioelectricity?" he asks, seeming annoyed, but not demeaning. Then he opens his mouth again, this time set on being sarcastic. "Hey, in primitive cultures, fire was once considered Magic too. Today, it's all a bunch of tricks."
Yn:enough Wally you almost got us killed for your fake believing in magic to impress megan were on a mission to find the host of Dr fate this is not the time to impress you need to realize that the jokes,flirting is not acceptable to the mission get your head in the game or your spending less time going on Missions and more time staying home!
Wally:...
The others were shocked to hear Yn like this and are a lot worried because Yn usually calm
You're pretty closed-minded for a guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers." Artemis spoke up.
"That's science." Wally speaks simply. "I recreated the Flash's experiment, and here I am!" he says with a sarcastic hand gesture of grandeur. "Everything can be explained by science."
Kaldur smirks. "Let us test that theory." then grabs an unseen handle.
"Wait, the backdraft from the lava will roast us alive!" Wally protests, but Kaldur opens it anyway.
The door opens, however, with a snow flurry. Accompanied by gusting winds and an expansive tundra-space beyond.
"It's snow!" M'gann cried cheerfully.
Artemis looks up at Wally's angry face with a smirk. "Do you ever get tired of being wrong?" his frown deepens.
The Team jumps through, but what was originally a downward jump spun so the gateway was now floating in mid-air from their point of view. Until it disappears in a golden flash. Wally turns away from where he was watching it, to find the whole Team looking at him.
"Well?" Artemis asks, a confident look on her face.
"Ever hear of String Theory?" he questions sarcastically. "We're in a pocket dimension."
"Ugh." Artemis growls angered by Wally's absolute lack of faith.
What's that?" M'gann questions. What she's looking at is Kent Nelson's cane floating above the snow.
"Ooo, maybe it's Kent's magic wand." Wally says sarcastically. Speeding over so he grabs it at the same time Artemis does.
"I got it." they synchronize. Then it begins to glow gold. "Huh?" they both question in shock. "I can't let go!" before being pulled upwards by the cane and disappearing in a flash of gold.
The four remaining exchange a worried look.
Yn:damn it now where did they go
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