Emergence 2.14b

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

Inside the BioShip, M'gann sat at the helm as usual, steering the telepathic Martian vehicle as it sliced through the skies at hundreds of miles per hour on their way to Massachusetts.

Artemis was seated in front, her eyes flicking with mischief towards Wally, who sat on the far right side of the ship. Zeke, unfortunately stuck between the both of them, held his head in his arms. Please kill me. Make it quick.

"So, Wally," Artemis started, her voice dripping with a mocking tone as she leaned forward, eyes looking over and past Zeke. "When did you realize your honest affinity for sorcery?"

Ezekiel rolled his eyes, holding back the urge to groan. You guys have been at this since before we got in here and you're still going. He glanced over at M'gann, hoping she might intervene, but she seemed focused on navigating the ship.

Before the thirteen-year-old could voice his thoughts aloud, Wally jumped in, stumbling over his words in his eagerness, his attention snagging on M'gann from the corner of his eye. "Well, I— I don't like to brag," he began, puffing out his chest slightly, "but, uh, before I became Kid Flash, I seriously considered becoming a wizard myself."

Artemis snorted, her skepticism clear as day. "Really now? And what stopped you? Realized you couldn't actually pull a rabbit out of a hat?"

Wally's face reddened, but he plowed forward, fully spitting out what Zeke knew he didn't believe. "Hey, there's a lot more to magic than... than just tricks, you know!"

"Oh, I'm sure," Artemis replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "And I bet you've read all the books on the subject, right? Probably even have a wand hidden away somewhere."

"As a matter of fact, I have read a few books on the topic," Wally retorted, his chin jutting out defiantly. "And I'll have you know that not all magic requires a wand. Some of the most powerful spells are cast with nothing more than the force of will and the right incantation."

Zeke turned towards Kaldur, who sat with the stoic patience of a saint. "You know you could stop this at any time, right?" he whispered.

Kaldur merely offered a nod, his expression unreadable, a master at hiding his amusement—or perhaps his dismay.

Zeke simply sighed. "Great," the boy muttered, folding his arms and sinking lower in his seat.

By now, Wally was rambling about the mystical arts, his gestures wild and exaggerated. "And I mean, if you think about it, speed itself is kind of like magic—"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, Wally, you're a real Homo Magi," Zeke interjected, unable to take another minute of Wally's grandstanding. "Can we drop this?" You're trying to trick a telepath, man. How stupid could you be?

"Homo What-eye?" Wally blinked, clearly thrown off his game for a moment.

Artemis rolled her eyes so hard Zeke thought they might stick that way. "Sure, Wally, whatever you say. I'm sure you're a regular Doctor Fate in the making."

Kaldur, who had been silent throughout the exchange, finally turned his attention back to the front. "Have we arrived?"

"We've reached Tornado's coordinates, but—" she paused, her voice trailing off as she slowed the BioShip to a hover.

The scene outside was a stark contrast to the warmth inside.

An open field stretched out on one side of the street, desolate and eerie under the moonlight. On the other side, an old theater loomed, its marquee dark and foreboding, next to a red brick building that buzzed with the only signs of life around—dim lights flickered through its dusty windows.

"Nothing's there," Superboy finished M'gann's sentence, both confusion and frustration clear in his tone as he stared out the windshield at the empty field.

"So it seems," Kaldur responded, his tone as commanding as expected of a Royal Knight of Atlantis. "Take us down, M'gann."

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

Wally skidded to a super-fast stop in the middle of the field next to where the bioship had been parked, his sneakers digging a small furrow into the soft earth. "Nothing here," he said, his voice flat as he turned to Artemis. He had just completed several intersecting laps around the field, searching for Dr. Fate's base, only to come up empty-handed. "This isn't simple camouflage."

Zeke, standing a little off to the side, watched the exchange with half-lidded eyes as usual, waiting for Wally to slip up. It's gonna happen any moment now. Wally's a terrible liar... and an even worse actor. He couldn't decide whether to frown or smirk at the thought, knowing it was gonna be a big blow-up.

He just wasn't sure who would snap at the redhead first; M'Gann, Conner, Kaldur, or Artemis.

The whole team's attention had shifted to the ginger speedster, whose brow was furrowed in confusion as he tried to think about what he was missing. Artemis, still not done, wore a smug expression as she asked, "What do you think, adaptive micro-optoelectronics combined with phase shifting?"

"Absolutely..." Wally began, his gaze flicking over to M'gann as she floated closer.

The slight smile dropped from his face, replaced by a more serious, somewhat strained expression. "N-not. Clearly mystic powers are at work here." His voice nearly cracked, betraying his uncertainty—or maybe it was the way he looked at M'gann, too obvious in his sudden shift in stance, that made Zeke hold back a laugh. This is just getting sad.

Artemis's glare deepened, while Superboy and Aqualad exchanged skeptical looks. The field lay still around them, the occasional chirp of crickets filling the silence that stretched uncomfortably. "Come on, Wally," Artemis pressed, her voice positively dripping with sarcasm that even Superboy snorted at. "You're the expert on magic here. Surely you can explain what's going on."

Wally's face reddened, but he stood his ground. "I'm telling you, it's magic. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not real."

"Right, and I'm sure you've got a perfectly logical explanation for why we can't see the Tower of Fate, then?" Artemis raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I... well, it's obviously hidden by a powerful spell," Wally stammered, his confidence wavering under Artemis's scrutiny. "One that only a true master of the mystic arts could cast."

Zeke couldn't hold back a snort at that, earning a glare from Wally. Oh, sure, I'm to blame here.

Kaldur, holding a peculiarly designed key, broke the quiet. "A test of faith," he murmured, glancing at the handle.

He stepped forward, commanding without looking back, "Stand behind me." He positioned himself more than three steps ahead of Miss Martian, clearly intent on something, but... what exactly?

As Kaldur raised the key, it vanished with a faint clicking sound that seemed to echo loudly in the suddenly tense air. He turned his hand, and the tumblers thudded to the unlocked position. Almost immediately, a massive stone tower materialized before their eyes, its imposing structure rising stark against the night sky.

While Superboy and Miss Martian maintained their composure, Artemis and Wally's mouths fell open in shock. Zeke's eyes widened too, but he couldn't help throwing a sideways glance at Artemis. I get Wally, but c'mon, Artemis? I thought you knew magic was a thing.

Kaldur kept his hand steady on the key, pushing the ornate wooden door open. The team followed him into the shadowy interior without needing to be told. The door slammed shut with a resounding thud behind them, the key still protruding from the lock.

"Uh, where'd the door go?" Superboy's voice echoed in the suddenly enclosed space, confusion etched in his tone. They all turned, surveying the blank walls surrounding them. The tense atmosphere was punctuated by a golden glow as a projection flickered to life.

"Greetings," the magical hologram of Kent Nelson began, the image tinged with the ethereal gold of what could only be Dr. Fate's powers. "You have entered with a key, but the Tower does not recognize you. State your purpose and intent."

Wait... Zeke blinked, the voice knocking something loose in his brain. ...Is that Ed Wuncler?

Wally glanced back at M'gann, then stepped forward with a stupid confidence that Zeke would've groaned at if he wasn't still staring confused at the old sorcerer speaking with the voice of an evil racist billionaire. Seriously, what's up with that?

"We are true believers, here to find Doctor Fate," Wally declared, his voice swelling with drama. He ended his proclamation with a bow so theatrical it could've been ripped from a cheesy stage play.

Oh, come on, Wally. You're laying it on thicker than molasses, Zeke thought, rolling his eyes as he shook his head. Even M'gann could see through that act.

Hologram-Kent's expression shifted to one that looked more sad than anything as he gazed at the six teenagers waiting there. If anything... he looked sorry? Ezekiel felt oddly tense all of a sudden, something not feeling right. Hold up…

Then, with a slow fade, the Hologram-Kent disappeared.

Wally scratched his head, as he turned back to the team. "So, what do we do n-"

His question was quickly interrupted by the ominous creaking of the floor beneath them. Zeke's eyes shot downwards just in time to see the stone give way, a spiderweb of cracks splintering through the surface as it collapsed under their weight. Oh, shit!

"FUuuuuuuuu-!" His stomach lurched into his throat, his Gamer's Mind immediately and constantly shutting his fear down as they all plummeted towards the glowing magma below. The heat was intense, searing his skin even from this distance. This is bad, this is really bad!

Superboy, with his Kryptonian reflexes, was quick to react, the clone already having angled his body towards the cavern walls as he fell. Grunting, his fingers clawed into the rock, gripping into the stone with a force and intensity that sent small chunks of rock flying as he slowed his fall.

M'gann quickly snatched Wally by the arm, pulling the ginger close as she tried to keep them both afloat with her telekinetic flight. Even still, her flight was unsteady, the Martian girl barely able to stay steady, let alone fly up as the heat below did its best to weaken her.

Artemis flipped onto her back mid-air and shot a grappling bolt from her crossbow into the higher rock. The line taut, she swung with precision, and reached out to grab Kaldur. As they locked limbs, the Atlantean managed to steady them both against the steep rocky wall with strength and grace that spoke of insane training or natural talent.

"--uccccccccck MaNATHRUSTER!" Zeke's curse slipped into a screamed skill activation, the words tearing from his throat as he thrust his palms downward.

Jets of blue energy burst out of his palms, the cone-like streams roaring to life with a noise like powerful twin fans and halting his descent, as they kept him afloat. Below him, the heat was a physical weight, a wall of warm death that made him shudder at the sight of them. It was an insane thing to not feel fear at what was instant death right beneath him, but apparently, with Gamer's Mind shutting it down, all that nervous energy from that constant panicked fear had to go somewhere else…

> Resistance: Heat + 1

>

> * Lv 2

>

> Mana Thruster + 1

>

> * Lv 4

Apparently, anger enough to make him shudder in rage was his body's choice. When I get my hands on Wally, I swear...

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Is everyone okay?" Kaldur called out, his voice strained as he clung to the rock face.

"We're good!" Artemis responded, her grip on Kaldur tightening. "But we need to find a way out of here, fast!"

"No kidding," Zeke muttered, his hands starting to shake from the exertion of keeping himself aloft. I can't keep this up forever.

"M'gann, can you fly us out?" Wally asked, his voice cracking with fear.

"I... I don't think so," M'gann replied, her face pale. "The heat, it's too much. I can barely hold us up as it is."

Great, just great, Zeke thought, his mind racing. We're stuck in a magic tower with no way out, and the only thing standing between us and a fiery death is a Martian who can't take the heat and my slowly draining mana. Could this get any worse?

As if in answer to his unspoken question, a deep rumble echoed through the cavern, the walls shaking ominously. Chunks of rock began to break off, tumbling down towards the magma below.

"Look out!" Superboy yelled, his voice nearly drowned out by the sound of crumbling stone.

Zeke's eyes widened as a particularly large piece of debris hurtled towards him, the jagged edges glinting in the light of the magma. Oh, come on!

Instinctively, he cut the power to his Mana Thrusters, dropping like a stone to avoid the oncoming rock. The sudden loss of upward momentum sent his stomach into his throat again, the bubbling magma rushing up to meet him at an alarming rate.

> Resistance: Heat + 1

>

> * Lv 3

Shit, shit, shit! Before he could activate his skill again, a blur of green filled his vision. M'gann, with Wally in tow, had managed to swoop down and grab him, her telekinetic grip wrapping around his waist like a safety harness as she slingshotted back up using the inertia from her fall to rise nearly as high as she had been before.

"You're… safe," she said, her voice strained but determined. "Don't… worry."

"No," Zeke pushed off her, cutting on his Mana Thrusters with a simple thought before he could fall again, the blue jets firing away even as his mana was slowly drained. "You have your hands full with," he shot Wally a look, eye twitching, "him. I'm fine."

Down below, Superboy's descent slowed not a moment too soon as he embedded his feet into the rock, but not before the bottom part of his lower limbs kissed the magma. A scream ripped from the clone, even as he pulled his legs free, leaving his legs bare, his footwear already taken by the molten rock.

"Supey!" Zeke shouted down.

"I'm fine! Those were just my favorite boots," he gritted out, his voice more angry than in any real pain. "This old man better be worth it."

Damn, Supey's tough as nails, Zeke thought, his eyes wide as he watched the clone endure the searing heat. But even he's not invincible. We gotta get out of here, fast.

Above him, M'gann's struggled, her voice weak against the oppressive heat. "Having trouble... maintaining altitude..." she gasped, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Tooo... hot..."

> Resistance: Heat + 1

>

> * Lv 4

"You sure are," Wally quipped, like an idiot!

"Wally!" Artemis's rebuke was sharp, her gaze slicing across to him.

"Hey, inches above sizzling death, I'm entitled to speak my mind!" Wally snapped back, his face flushed from the heat.

Zeke stared with wide eyes at the redhead as he felt his temper spike, the fear-based adrenaline morphing into more rage. "I w-will literally KILL you if you say one more word," he threatened seriously, voice quivering only a little as he kept flaring his Mana Thrusters to keep himself in the air.

Artemis shot him a look of mild shock, but there was no time for her to speak her mind as Kaldur, his voice steady despite the sweat that dripped from his brow, reminded them of something much more important. "My physiology and M'gann's are susceptible to heat, we must climb out quickly."

Right, focus Zeke, he chided himself, shaking his head to clear the anger. Gotta think of a way out of this mess.

"Hello, Megan," M'gann managed, her voice strained. "We never... truly answered the question." She tilted her head back towards where they had seen Kent last. "Red Tornado... sent us... to see if... Mr. Nelson and the Helmet... were safe."

Of course! Zeke's eyes widened, realization hitting him. The test, we failed the test! But maybe it's not too late...

Moments later, a panel slid shut beneath Superboy's feet, his stance shifting as he landed atop it. Wally landed awkwardly on his backside with a thud, while M'gann collapsed to her knees beside him. Artemis and Kaldur slid down a makeshift zip line, landing on the panel with a less-than-graceful thump.

...fuck. Zeke cut off his Mana Thrusters, the blue cones sputtering out as he dropped onto the panel in a crouch, his legs absorbing the shock of the landing. That was way too close.

"This platform," Kaldur noted, touching the surprisingly cool surface. "It should be red hot, but it is cool to the touch. The power of a true legend of the arcane."

"Don't worry Megalicious," Wally said, offering M'gann a hand to help her up, a cheeky grin plastered across his face even after all that. "I gotcha."

Zeke stormed over to Wally, his frustration boiling over. Without a second thought, he swung his fist and landed a solid punch to Wally's gut, sending the older teen staggering back and crashing to the ground.

"Zeke!" M'gann's shock was audible, her eyes wide.

Hands balled into tight fists, Zeke ignored his Martian teammate's reaction and leaned down, his face contorted with anger as he shouted at Wally, "I'm tired of your shit, man! You need to shut the fuck up for once in your life!"

Wally clutched his stomach, wincing as he slowly got to his feet. "Y-you... you can't do that!" he managed through gritted teeth, his voice strained.

"I already did, genius!" Zeke threw his hands up in exasperation, his patience wearing thin. "I did it before when we sparred too. I'll do it again if you need a fucking reminder!"

Artemis stepped forward, her stance assertive as she placed her hands on her hips and glared at Wally. "The little psycho is right. Your little 'impress M'gann at all cost' game nearly got us all barbecued."

Thank you, Artemis, Zeke thought, grateful for the backup. At least someone here has some sense.

Wally shot a glare at Artemis and then back at Zeke, disbelief across his face. "When did this become my fault?"

"Were you born this stupid, or did you work at it?" the thirteen-year-old shot back through gritted teeth.

Artemis's voice snapped like a whip. "When you lied to that hologram thingy and called yourself a true believer."

Wally's mouth dropped open, his gaze flicking between Artemis and Zeke, the shock clear on his face before he stuttered, "W-well, you can't talk to me like that!"

Oh, please, Zeke rolled his eyes, his annoyance reaching new heights. You're lucky I don't punch you again for that weak comeback.

Zeke pointed at Kaldur, who was still kneeling on the ground, trying to catch his breath from the heat. "You! Tell him to shut the fuck up!"

Kaldur let out a heavy sigh, his voice calm but firm as he addressed Wally. "Wally, he is right. You endangered all of our lives with your rash actions. You need to learn the proper time and place."

The room fell silent, all eyes on Wally once more.

"Wally?" M'gann questioned, her tone filled with disbelief. "You don't believe?"

"M'Gann, you're literally the best, but come the fuck on," Zeke interjected, his voice a mix of annoyance and disbelief as he stared at the green girl. "He's the worst liar I've ever seen and I only have like one summer worth of memories. Of course he doesn't."

Wally's glare intensified as he shot back, "Fine. Fine! I lied about believing in Magic! But Magic's the real lie, it's all a major load!"

Is he serious right now? Zeke couldn't believe what he was hearing. We're literally in a magic tower, and he's still denying it?

Kaldur stood up, brushing off his hands before facing Wally. "Wally, I studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis," he said, trying to instill some sense into the conversation with his normal calm tone. "The Mystic Mages created the skin icons that power my WaterBearers."

"Dude, you ever hear of Bioelectricity?" Wally replied, his tone dripping with condescension. He rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Hey, in primitive cultures, fire was once considered magic too. Today, it's all a bunch of tricks."

"You're pretty closed-minded for a guy who breaks the sound barrier in his sneakers," Artemis chimed in, crossing her arms and giving Wally a challenging look.

"That's science," Wally shot back, his voice carrying more than a hint of pride. "I recreated the Flash's experiment, and here I am!" He spread his hands wide, a sarcastic smile plastered on his face. "Everything can be explained by science."

Zeke's patience wore thin as he clenched his fist, voice rising with each word. "I am going to punch you again," he threatened, raising his fist for emphasis. "What do you think science is? It's literally just study, observation, experimentation, and theory testing. If a group of people," he pointed at Kaldur, "can figure out how to alter the physical world through a combination of words, hand motions or just the power of their mind, write it down, and replicate it for a thousand years, that's called fucking science. They have their own peer review so they can call their scientific field whatever the fuck they want. Get over yourself."

Wally looked genuinely shocked by Zeke's outburst. He faltered, his eyes darting to the ground as he stumbled over his words. "I… I mean… I guess… I don't know… I…."

Yeah, that's right. You don't know, Zeke thought, his eyes narrowing as he watched Wally squirm. "We do. You didn't believe and wanted to pretend you did to impress M'Gann. It was already lame and dumb but you somehow made it fatal," Zeke continued, his tone harsh as he laid out the truth. How can someone so smart be so damn stupid?

Kaldur intervened, his voice authoritative yet weary. "Ezekiel, enough! He understands."

Zeke snapped back, unable to hold his tongue, "But does he though?" His words echoed in the sudden silence that fell over them. I don't think he gets it at all. He's still trying to rationalize it his way.

Kaldur shot him a stern glare, which prompted Zeke to relent with a grumbled, "I'll be quiet."

For now, he added silently, his thoughts still simmering with frustration.

Wally, still reeling from the confrontation, tried to defend his perspective even as it came out weaker than Zeke had ever heard it. "But… but magic is always just tricks, though. That's all I've seen."

Zeke fought the urge to facepalm.

Kaldur offered a small smirk, amused by Wally's stubbornness. "Let us test that theory," he said, then bent down to grab an unseen handle on the ground.

What's he doing? Zeke wondered, curious as he leaned over to watch the Atlantean.

"Wait, the backdraft from the lava will roast us alive!" Wally protested, his voice laced with panic, but Kaldur pulled open the door regardless.

Instead of searing heat, a cold blast of air hit them. The door opened to reveal a snow flurry, accompanied by gusting winds and an expansive tundra inside it. The sudden shift from the intense heat to the biting cold was startling.

"It's snow!" M'Gann shouted out with cheer that seemed more fitting for the holidays, her voice filled with wonder and relief as she stepped closer to the snowy landscape

Artemis turned to Wally with a smirk. "Do you ever get tired of being wrong?" she teased, enjoying the moment as Wally's frown deepened in frustration.

Zeke shook his head, watching Wally's face fall. "Apparently not."