Young Justice: Salem

July 28th, 2010

After a few moments of hushed discussion, we all entered the tower together. Between Red Tornado, Zatanna, and I, we’d spent a fair amount of time in the Tower and would hopefully be able to navigate around to some extent. A tiny part of me was tempted to suggest we split up––there were probably a lot of interesting things I could…stumble over that Kent would not approve of me seeing. However, if something had happened to Kent, I didn’t want someone finding him on their own and potentially being unable to help him.

Megan had also suggested that perhaps she and Aqualad should stay outside and watch the door, but that idea had been shot down immediately by Red Tornado. This was not an official mission for them and thus he was responsible for their well being, something he could not do if they were separated.

I was the last person to enter the Tower, appearing in the same featureless entry room as the first time I’d come to meet Kent here. I turned around to close the door behind me, but the heavy wooden door had once again vanished into the surrounding stonework without a trace.

Red Tornado took several confident steps forward and a moment later, a translucent apparition that looked just like Kent but formed from golden Order magic appeared in front of him.

“Greetings, Red Tornado, Zatanna, Hydrys, and guests,” it said, its voice flat and slightly resonant. “Welcome to the Tower of Fate. I am afraid that Kent is not home right now. Please state your purpose and intent and the Tower will pass it along once Kent returns.”

Red Tornado made an odd sound, somewhere between a hum and a mechanical buzz. “Intriguing. I was not greeted in such a way the last time I came here.”

“This projection is a new addition to the Tower’s defense. I am afraid that Kent is not home right now. Please state your purpose and intent and the Tower will pass it along once Kent returns.”

“I think it's an extension of the Tower’s wards,” I said after a moment. A very, very impressive extension to an already incredibly powerful warding scheme. It took an enormous amount of skill, magic, and time to add such a feature to a ward scheme, particularly one that could actively interact with people like this one was. Well, that or the willing sacrifice of a few powerful wizards. I really hoped Kent hadn’t accidentally killed himself trying to improve the Tower’s defenses. That would be very unfortunate.

“Indeed. I am afraid that Kent is not home right now. Please state your purpose and intent and the Tower will pass it along once Kent returns.”

Probably not. It wouldn’t be stuck repeating things in that case. Much more likely, this was just a construct with several predetermined behaviors with a low-level intelligence behind it. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tower did have some level of intelligence, the same way that Hogwarts did.

“We are looking for Kent. Do you have any ideas where he might be or when he may return?” I asked the spirit.

“Kent Nelson left the tower. Yesterday. I am unaware of his intentions. Would you like to leave a message for when Kent returns?” There was a slight pause in its voice as it told us when Kent had left, but I wasn’t sure if that was important.

Red Tornado turned back towards us. “It appears as though Kent is not here. He likely found something of interest and lost track of time. We should depart.”

Red Tornado might be right, but I wasn’t ready to leave it at that. “Perhaps Kent left some information on where he was going?” I was glad to hear that Kent hadn’t tripped and fallen down one of the many flights of stairs within the tower, but I did want to know what was so interesting that he would just disappear without any warning.

“Student Hydrys Black. You are permitted entry into portions of the Tower that you may explore at your leisure.

“Yes!” Agreed the Miss Martian excitedly. “We should look for clues!”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Guests are permitted entry into public sections of the Tower if accompanied by a recognized individual. Unaccompanied guests will be removed from the premises.”

Red Tornado considered things for several seconds, then nodded. “Very well.” He turned around to face the Tower spirit again. “Tower, we would like to proceed inside. Please alert us if Kent returns.”

The spirit nodded, and then vanished in a flicker of golden light. To my surprise, the wall directly behind it slid open in a way that vaguely reminded me of the entrance to Diagon Alley, revealing a brightly lit and well furnished sitting room, complete with a fire merily crackling in the hearth and a large portrait of a woman over the mantle. I hadn’t realized it could do that. All the times I’d been here before, I’d taken a sort of magic elevator up to the room full of staircases.

I shrugged and followed after Red Tornado as he led the way into the room. “Did you know this was here?” I asked Zatanna.

“Uh, yeah, I think so, though I usually came in through the other side.” She gestured to the wall with the fireplace and painting. “That one opens up too. I used to do my homework here sometimes and Kent would read in that armchair over there.”

“That was always Kent’s favorite seat. Back during the time of the Justice Society, we would sometimes hold meetings here,” Red Tornado explained.

Miss Martian darted around the room, looking at all the small tables and carefully avoiding the fireplace and candles burning in ornate candelabras. “I don’t see anything!” she reported, sounding slightly disappointed.

“Maybe we should check out the kitchen? Or perhaps the library?” I suggested. “Zatanna, do you know how to get to the place with all the staircases from here?”

“Uh, well that wall is supposed to open up, but Uncle Kent would always just wave at it. I don’t really know how to make it work.” Zatanna mimed waving a cane in the general direction of the wall, then squinted at the wall. “Nepo!” She commanded firmly. The small metal grate over the fireplace sprang open, but that was it.

“Tower, can you open the wall for us?” I asked the empty air.

“Certainly,” said Kent’s slightly warped voice from directly behind us. The wall slid smoothly open, even as Aqualad jumped and turned around with one hand raised in front of himself as though to ward off an attack.

Red Tornado took a step back. “I am afraid I do not know how to navigate the Hall of Halls.”

Miss Martian stopped just outside the new doorway, staring with wonder into the vast open room. Aqualad, once he’d realized that there was no threat, joined her a moment later.

It was indeed a wondrous sight. The room looked like it stretched on endlessly in all directions, though I was pretty sure that was an illusion of warped space. Countless staircases and landings crisscrossed the vast emptiness, floating in the air without any visible supports.

Zatanna confidently walked past both of them. “Let’s go, I think I remember how to get to the kitchen from here?”

I followed after her, and Red Tornado and the two younger heroes fell into step behind us. Zatanna led us up a flight of stairs, around a landing, down a flight of stairs, down a walkway, and then down one more flight until we finally reached…a bathroom. A very large, very fancy bathroom with marble floors, ornate silver faucets, and a gigantic walk-in shower with a dozen shower heads spaced evenly around the circular room and a sort of mesh hammock hanging at the center.

“Uh…” Zatanna said slowly.

“This does not appear to be the kitchen,” Red Tornado said flatly. I was pretty sure it wasn’t intended to be rude, but it certainly didn’t come off as particularly polite.

We turned around and had only just stepped back out into the central portion of the tower when suddenly the ghostly Kent-shaped spirit reappeared. “Kent has reentered the Tower,” it told us flatly before vanishing a moment later.

We all exchanged looks. “Well, that was easy!” Megan said cheerfully. “I am glad that your friend has returned, Red Tornado.”

“Yes. It seems we were mistaken.”

I sighed. What a waste of several hours. I hoped Kent had a damn good reason for missing our lesson and making Zatanna worry. This was going to be so annoying when everything got back to Giovanni.

Zatanna looked rather relieved, and just a little annoyed. She elbowed me gently in the side. “Well, maybe he has time for a lesson before I’m stuck at Shadowcrest for the rest of the summer.”

Of course that was when we all heard the agonized screams coming from somewhere in the distance. Kent’s agonized screams. My wand was in my hand a fraction of a second later, and Red Tornado was suddenly surrounded by a column of tightly-controlled winds.

Laughter echoed in the distance, badly distorted but I could almost feel the vindictive malice in it. Kent screamed again and the laughter intensified. It seemed that Kent had returned with guests. Unwelcome guests.

“Uncle Kent!” Zatanna cried out, the words slipping from her mouth a moment before she clapped her hand over it. “We have to help him!” she exclaimed a moment later, her voice much quieter.

“Yes. Wait here while I investigate,” Red Tornado declared, then lifted off the ground and vanished from sight.