Emergence 2.14c
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
The team leapt through the door Aqualad had held open, plunging downward—or so it seemed until their fall twisted mid-air, flipping over so the gateway now hovered above them. The portal vanished in a golden flash, leaving them disoriented but on the ground.
Well, on the snow at least.
> Ability Gained!
> Resistance: Cold
>
> Resistance: Cold Lv 1
> You should really be wearing a jacket... and probably several sweaters underneath…
> Reduces all cold-based damage with a magnitude of less than 100% of your health. Increases .5% by level. (.5%)
> Oh, great.
As Zeke regained his bearings, he noticed Wally turning to face the group, the confusion clear on everyone's faces. Okay, that was trippy as all hell, Zeke thought, shaking his head to clear the dizziness. Feels like my brain just did a backflip.
"Well?" Artemis prodded, her tone loaded with both skepticism and challenge. She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at Wally expectantly.
"Ever hear of String Theory?" Wally shot back sarcastically, brushing off the snow from his sleeves. "We're in a pocket dimension."
Zeke couldn't hold back his frustration. "Oh, calm down," he snapped at her, the cold nipping at his exposed skin making his mood even worse. "You thought it was BS yourself. You just hate agreeing with Wally."
Seriously, these two are gonna drive me nuts, Zeke thought, rolling his eyes as Artemis shot a glare back at him. It's like cats and dogs with them.
"Uh, guys?" M'gann, the team's peacemaker, diverted their attention by pointing toward an object floating above the snowy landscape—an old man's cane, it seemed, suspended in mid-air. "What's that?
Wally scoffed, eyeing the cane with a mock-serious look in his eye. "Ooo, maybe it's Kent's magic wand," he joked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Wally, don't you dare! Before Zeke could get a word out, Wally dashed toward the cane, his speedster powers kicking in halfway. Artemis was right behind him, leaping into the air, and they reached the object at the same time.
Zeke let out a long, exasperated groan as they both grabbed the cane. Why am I not surprised? he thought, facepalming mentally.
"I got it," they shouted in unison, glaring at each other, only to stare in surprise as the cane started glowing a bright gold. "Huh?" Both of them shouted, their surprise turning to fear as they found themselves unable to release their grip. "I can't let go!" In a flash of golden light, both were pulled upwards and vanished, leaving the rest of the team staring in disbelief.
"What just happened?" Zeke blurted out, his eyes wide with shock. "Did they just get... magic-napped or something?"
Kaldur frowned, his brow furrowed in concern. "It appears the cane was some sort of trap or teleportation device."
"Great, just great," Zeke muttered, throwing his hands up in frustration. "As if this mission wasn't already a mess, now we've lost Thing 1 and Thing 2."
Superboy raised an eyebrow. "I thought you only hated Wally."
Scrambling for justification, Zeke shot back, "Well... Artemis shot my shoulder; I'm allowed to hold a grudge!" Okay, maybe that's not entirely fair, he admitted silently. But still, she did shoot me. That's gotta count for something, right?
Superboy merely smirked, the silent exchange hanging awkwardly in the cold air.
Feeling a chill seeping into his bones the longer he stood there, Zeke wrapped his arms around himself. With just shorts, a t-shirt, and a baseball jersey, he wasn't exactly dressed for the snow. Shivering, Zeke turned away from the silently staring clone, unable to stay frustrated in front of Superboy. "W-whatever, let's just find a way out of here."
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Superboy, Zeke, M'gann, and Kaldur trudged through the snow, their footsteps crunching the frozen white beneath them.
They had been walking for what felt like an eternity, and Zeke, the smallest and least physically built for this icy trek, was feeling every chilling step. I hate... I hate... snow. So much.
> Resistance: Cold + 1
>
> * Lv 2
His teeth chattered as he shivered violently, pulling his royal blue baseball jersey tighter around himself. I would be so happy if it never snowed again, he thought bitterly, envying his teammates who seemed barely affected by the cold.
The silence was finally broken by M'gann. "I don't understand Wally. It's almost like he needs to believe the impossible can't happen."
"Well, as his longtime friend, I must say that it's my belief that..." Kaldur began with a calm that seemed almost out of place in the frigid air. "Wally uses his understanding of science to control what he cannot comprehend. Acknowledging magic would relinquish the last vestige of that control."
Oh brother, Zeke let out a scoff, his breath coming out in a puff of white. "T-t-that doesn't m-m-make him less of an idiot, honestly," he responded through chattering teeth, his frustration with Wally not dulled by the freezing temperature. "C-c-can't believe you're his friend when he c-c-constantly m-makes fun of your p-people like that, treating them like savages. He's insult-t-ting at least four members of the Justi-t-t-tice League when h-h-he does stuff like that, and t-t-two different c-c-c-c-cultures, yours and Wonder W-woman's. It's a dick move t-t-t-to say something doesn't exist b-b-b-because it m-m-m-makes him feel weird."
Seriously, how can Kaldur be so chill about this? Zeke wondered, his brow furrowing. If someone dissed my culture like that, I'd be pissed.
Kaldur's frown deepened, his stoic demeanor cracking slightly. "You do speak truth, Ezekiel. I simply view him as young and misunderstood."
Zeke shot him a look, raising an eyebrow. "Y-you're the same age."
The Atlantean's frown lessened, sides of his mouth quirking upwards. "By years, not by experience. I am a knight, he is not."
Superboy, walking barefoot and seemingly impervious to the cold of the snow — at least far more than the heat of the magma — just grunted in response.
M'gann turned away, the look on her face showing she was deep in thought, definitely thinking over the implications of what Kaldur and Zeke had said. Before she could say anything, a distant creak and thud caught their attention, snapping them out of their individual thoughts.
Looking towards the sound, the four of them spotted a doorway perched on a nearby ridge, a few steps leading up to it. Without exchanging words or even looking at each other, they all began to run towards the apparent escape, their feet pounding against the snow.
FREEDOM! Zeke cheered silently in his head, his mood lifting at the thought of getting out of this frozen hellscape. No more snow, no more cold, no more—
As they rushed through the doorway, the ground once again gave way beneath them, cutting off Zeke's internal celebration. Oh, come on! he groaned mentally, instinctively flaring his Mana Thrusters with a quiet whisper. The blue energy stabilized him in mid-air, allowing him to gently flicker the thrusters on and off until he landed with only a slight thump.
Superboy and Kaldur, however, weren't as fortunate; they hit the floor with a loud thud that looked like it hurt, their bodies crashing against the hard surface. Meanwhile, M'gann descended slowly and gracefully, levitating to the ground without a hitch, her telekinesis guiding her descent.
Gah, bright! Blinking the light from his eyes as he landed, Zeke looked around, finding himself on a bizarre floating stairwell surrounded by a multitude of other staircases, all centered around a giant golden bell tower. The surreal space seemed like something so weird that M.C. Escher would have been proud to make; either him or a really close protege. Okay, yeah, today is just trippy as hell, Zeke thought, his eyes widening as he tried to make sense of the impossible geometry.
His eyes widened further as he spotted the old man they were looking for, standing right in front of them next to both Wally and Artemis. No way, they actually found him? Zeke marveled, his mouth falling open slightly.
Artemis, with a broad smile spreading across her face, ran over to them, her voice echoing across the strange, Escher-like chamber. "Guys!"
Kent glanced towards Wally with a wry twist to his lips. "Friends of yours?" he inquired, stating the obvious just as the air crackled violently around them.
Zeke's eyes widened, his reaction time tested as a surge of electricity burst nearby, the sparks almost scorching both Wally and the old sorcerer. Holy shit! His gaze snapped upward, spotting the source of the attack. Two figures stood, defying gravity on an overhead platform—a sight that made Zeke do a double-take.
One was a large, burly man with a ponytail and goatee, his open shirt revealing a hairy chest, like he'd stepped straight out of a pirate movie. But it was the other figure that snagged Zeke's attention with a grip like Superboy's; a pale young boy with long, thin limbs that looked just a bit too long, a neck that was a little too thin, an angular face that was a tad too sharp, and black hair styled in devil-horns that were a smidge too pointed. Everything about him was just... off, like a picture that had been stretched and distorted in all the wrong ways.
Zeke stumbled back, recognition hitting him like a bolt of the same lightning being hurled their way. Klarion? His heart skipped a beat as he spotted the bright orange cat cradled in the boy's arms. Klarion, The... Bum Bum Bum... Witch-Boy?
He knew this guy, or at least... he remembered reading about him; a devious, murderous little runaway from a town of dark magic practicing pilgrims in another dimension... or under New York... or both?
Either way, he was bad news and could go toe-to-toe with major baddies like Etrigan for a hot minute, and Etrigan was like... Demon Superman. We are so screwed.
> Mission Gained!
>
> Chaos at the Helm
> Klarion the Witch-Boy has set his malevolent sights on the powerful Helmet of Fate. Keep it out of his hands or you'll have to deal with one of the world's greatest protectors of the natural order turned to the side of Chaos.
>
> Would that make him Dr. Chaos or a… Dr. Hate?
>
> Objective: Prevent Klarion the Witch-Boy from obtaining the Helmet of Fate.
> Bonus: Defeat Klarion in combat.
> Hidden Bonus
> Success: 25000 XP, +3 to [Resistance: Chaos], + 2 to [Manipulation: Mana], Increased reputation with the magical community.
Oh, fuck me.
"Friends of yours?!" Wally echoed back, his voice dripping with just as much sarcasm as he quickly ran to pull Kent out of the pirate magician's next shot.
Artemis, Kaldur, Superboy, and M'gann scattered, each diving to avoid the blasts of energy that tore through the air. Zeke, on the other hand, charged forward, his hands stretched out before him.
"Mana Burst!" he screamed, the words tearing from his throat as blue energy crackled to life in his palms. The power surged through his veins, gathering in his hands until it was almost painful to hold. With a thrust of his arms, he released it, sending several tightly compacted bursts of cobalt light flying through the air. They moved fast, faster than Zeke had ever seen them go before, leaving trails of shimmering blue in their wake.
One found its mark, striking the pirate square in the chest and causing him to stagger back, momentarily dazed. Only knockback? Zeke's eyes widened in disbelief. Those things can dent a car door!
> Mana Burst + 1
>
> * Lv 37
Kent, crouching beside Wally and away from the immediate line of fire, stood with a focused resolve on his face. With a slight grunt, the old man raised his cane and struck the large bell they were crouched beside. The toll was loud and sonorous, filling the air with a deep, resonant echo that drew the eyes of both their attackers.
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The sound seemed to momentarily distract the pirate and Klarion, allowing Zeke to catch a breath, but his mind raced. This is getting too real, too fast… so a normal mission.
Seeing their momentary distraction, Kent and Wally made their move. They rushed toward the bell, and just as they reached it, they disappeared, vanishing into thin air like they'd never been there at all.
Acting off instinct, Zeke didn't hesitate. His feet moved on their own, propelling him forward as he jumped into the bell after them. Why not?
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Zeke blinked the harsh light from his eyes for the second time in the same minute, appearing somewhere else in a flash of golden light. Gah, again! His head spun from the sudden transition, vision blurring for a moment before snapping back into focus.
With a quick shake of his head to clear the dizziness, he realized he was atop the tower of Fate, flanked by both Wally and Kent Nelson, who were both gazing upwards in awe.
He followed their gaze and almost gasped out loud.
Wow.
Hovering just above them was the Helmet of Fate, its golden sheen glowing ominously against the dark sky. The helmet seemed to demand attention, its presence almost magnetic, drawing their eyes to it like moths to a flame.
Kent reached out with trembling hands toward the helmet, his fingers stretching to grasp the powerful artifact. But before his fingers could graze the cool metal, something split the air—Krak!
"NO!" Zeke's voice tore through the silence as his hands ignited with cobalt blue energy, the mana surging through his veins and pooling in his palms. He let loose a quick bolt of energy toward the attacker, the blue blast streaking through the air like a comet. But the blast fizzled weakly against an invisible barrier, dissipating into nothingness.
A scream of pain from Kent rang out as a beam of sizzling blood-red magic struck him across the shoulder, the force of the attack sending the old man stumbling backwards. Klarion, the Witch-Boy, stepped forward, a malicious grin spreading across his pale face, his eerie orange cat by his side.
"Mr. Nelson!" Wally gasped, catching the old man before he could hit the ground, Nelson's face contorted in pain.
Zeke stood in front of both of them in a defensive stance, hands still flaring cobalt blue even as he felt himself sweat. Okay, Mana Bolt vs Magic Blasts… you're only going up against someone who's been doing dark magic since he was in diapers and whose ancestors have been messing with evil magic since the Mayflower.
Since the Mayflower…
Oh, crap, Zeke thought, his heart pounding in his chest as he took in Klarion's unsettling appearance up close. Swallowing hard against the fear, Zeke shouted up at the advancing Klarion, "Hey, Witch Boy, you want the old man, you gotta go through me!" He nodded to himself, trying to muster confidence. You got this. You got this.
Klarion's smile twisted unnaturally wide as he prepared his next attack, red lightning crackling menacingly in his uplifted hands. "Ohhh, really?"
No, not really! Zeke's mind screamed, but he held his ground, his hands pulsing with magic energy of his own.
From behind, Zeke heard Kent struggling to his feet, the old sorcerer's voice strained but determined as he began chanting, "Certe toto sentio nos in kansate non iam adesse!"
With a grimace of effort, Kent slammed his cane against the ground. Zeke's eyes widened and his raised hands lowered slightly as a sphere of golden energy erupted from the cane, expanding rapidly to encase them.
The shield shimmered into existence just in time to deflect another of Klarion's lightning bolts, which sizzled angrily against the magical barrier.
"Noooooo!!!" Klarion's cry of frustration echoed around them, his face twisted in rage as his attack was thwarted. "No fair! No fair!"
"What's the matter, Klarion?" Wally taunted, a smirk on his face despite the gravity of the situation. "Not used to playing by the rules?"
"Rules are boring!" Klarion whined, stamping his foot petulantly. "I wanna play my way!"
"Not bad for a former Doctor Fake, eh, Kid?" Kent's voice was weak, his body sagging with the effort of spellcasting and the pain he was clearly feeling. As he leaned heavily into Wally's arms, his cane clattered to the ground beside them.
He turned to Zeke, the old man's eyes dull but piercing somehow still. "Ἰδού... κύριοι, ἐκκλίνετε εἰς... οἶκον τὸν παιδὸς..."
Zeke stared back in confusion as the old man chanted with distant eyes, the foreign words washing over him like a wave of gibberish. "...what?" he blurted out, his brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of the strange language.
"The bubble'll give you just enough time," Kent suddenly turned towards Wally, his voice gaining a bit of strength as he gasped for air, each breath seeming to take more effort than the last, "to do what you need to do."
Wally's eyes widened, his expression a mix of confusion and panic, like a deer caught in the headlights. "I have no idea what I need to do," he admitted, his voice cracking slightly under the weight of the situation.
Kent fumbled with his watch, his gnarled fingers struggling with the clasp as his gaze lifted to meet Wally's. "Have faith in what you can't explain. Believe in what you can no longer deny." As he spoke, his strength waned, the light in his eyes dimming as he slumped, lifeless, in Wally's arms, his watch clattering to the ground with a tinny echo.
Wally stared down at the unmoving Kent, shock etched across his freckled face. He glanced up at Zeke, eyes still wide. "What now?"
Outside their protective bubble, Klarion's frustrated screams pierced the air, his voice distorted by rage as he blasted the shield with bolts of jagged red lightning, each one sizzling against the golden barrier with a crackling hiss. "I WANT MY HELMET!"
"Why are you asking me?"
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Klarion continued to assault the bubble with as much magic as he could muster, his hands weaving intricate patterns in the air as he hurled spell after spell after spell at the shimmering barrier. Jagged bolts of crimson energy slammed against the shield, each one seeming to make the golden light flicker and wane, if only for a moment.
"28. 29. 30." Wally had been doing chest compressions for nearly a half-minute now, the teenager looking frantic as he tried to revive the fallen sorcerer. "Come on. Come on," he begged the unmoving man.
Klarion began firing glowing red shots with each hand, throwing them almost like baseballs, the energy sizzling through the air with a menacing hum. Zeke stared at him but felt powerless and confused on what to do exactly, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plan. His attempt at an [Observe] had gone nowhere, the skill providing no useful information on the powerful Witch Boy, and trying again seemed like an exercise in futility.
All I have is what I learned about this guy from the Batman cartoon and the comics, he thought with frustration, and those are two very different things.
"I want that Helmet and I want it now!" the powerful Witch Boy growled, his voice carrying an unnatural echo as he redoubled his efforts, the magical assault intensifying with each passing second.
Through the bubble, Zeke could hear him scream, the young pilgrim shouting some variation of those words for almost a minute now, his voice growing more and more unhinged with each repetition.
After a few more moments of frustrated thinking, Zeke could only think of one thing to do. "Wally, toss me the helmet!" he yelled, his eyes never leaving the Witch Boy.
"What?" The redhead looked up, hands still doing chest compressions, a look of disbelief on his face.
"The helmet!" Zeke shouted back, his attention still on the Witch Boy. "Throw it to me!"
"NO!" Klarion shouted again, his voice screeching like nails on a chalkboard as he threw larger blasts of magic, each one making the bubble shudder and flicker.
Leaping to his feet, Wally took the helmet in his hands and tossed it to Zeke, the younger boy catching it with both hands, the cool metal seeming to hum with power against his skin.
"Alright..." He held it above his head as he shot the frantic Klarion a smirk, ready to bring some Order to this Chaos. "BOUT TO GET MAGICAL UP IN HERE!"
Zeke slammed the helmet down on his head, his heart pounding in his chest as he braced himself for the rush of magic he was sure would come.
Instead-
"Begone, meddlesome child!" A booming voice rang out inside his head, the force of it making Zeke wince.
What? Zeke thought back to the voice, his mind racing as he tried to process what was happening. Nabu, I- Look, hate me or whatever, I just need your help!
"I SAID, DEPART! USURPER OF FATE!"
Gah! Zeke yanked the Helmet of Fate off his head, his mental ears ringing at the booming voice basically screaming at him to take it off. "What the-"
> Ability Gained!
> Resistance: Order
>
> Resistance: Order Lv 1
> Order is Not Good.
> Reduces the magnitude of all harmful and unwanted Order-based effects with a magnitude of less than 100% of your health. Increases .25% by level. (.25%)
"What's wrong?" Wally asked, looking even more worried than before, his eyes darting between Zeke and the helmet.
"I... uh... uh..." Zeke stared back, his gaze flickering between the helmet and Wally, his mind scrambling for an explanation. "Helmet said I'm not worthy?"
"HAHAHAHAHA, SUCKS FOR YOU, LINT LICKER!" Klarion paused his assault, only to clap his hands together, a wicked grin spreading across his pale face as a red glowing magic circle formed beneath and around his feet.
Gathering magical power between his hands, Klarion formed it into two massive red jagged claws of crackling energy that instantly shot out and managed to get a grip on the shield surrounding Wally, Zeke, and the body of the dying sorcerer.
Zeke's blue eyes widened as he took an involuntary step back, the tips of the massive claws piercing and sinking into the shield, the golden light flickering and dimming under the onslaught. "Holy..."
"NOTHING HOLY ABOUT THIS, LOSER!" Klarion laughed again, the sound manic and screeching, his eyes glowing with an unnatural light as he poured more power into his attack.
The claws began to sink deeper into the golden shield, and Zeke's gaze snapped from Klarion's magic to the sight of Kent's cane, still floating in midair, suddenly beginning to burn, the wood blackening and crumbling as the shield weakened.
He looked to the shield and back again, noticing that the closer the claws got, the faster the cane seemed to burn. Oh no.
["Wally, Zeke, we're in trouble,"] M'gann's voice cut through telepathically, her tone laced with as much panic as Zeke was sure he felt. [Tell Kent we need Doctor Fa-!]
The mental connection cut off suddenly, M'gann's mental scream echoing in their heads, the sound making Zeke flinch.
"WALLY, TRY ON THE HELMET!" Zeke tossed the thing to a kneeling Wally, the redhead instinctively catching it, his hands shaking slightly as he stared down at the golden helm.
The claws screeched against the shield, the sound like nails on a chalkboard, but Wally ignored it, looking down at Kent's still form. "A test of faith," he agreed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Standing, Wally stared at the Helmet in his hands, his jaw set with determination.
Klarion grabbed his attention before he could put it on, his voice taunting. "Hey, dumb kid. You put that on, you may never get it off!"
"Shut up, pilgrim boy!" Zeke shot back.
Klarion froze for a moment, his face contorting with rage. "DON'T CALL ME A PILGRIM!" he screamed, his voice cracking with fury as the jagged red claws rose again to slam down onto the fading shield.
"WALLYPUTONTHEHELMETNOW!" Zeke shouted, his words blurring together in his panic, his eyes wide as he watched the claws descend, the shield shattering apart.
SHIT!
"DON'T YOU DARE!" Klarion shouted back, his face twisted into a snarl.
Wally raised the Helmet, his hands steady now, even as Klarion gathered more magic and shot it at him. But before the crackling red energy could hit him, Wally slammed the Helmet onto his head, the golden metal gleaming in the light.
- 75
> Ability Gained!
> Resistance: Chaos
>
> Resistance: Chaos Lv 1
> Unfortunately, Chaos isn't great either. Sue me.
>
> Reduces the magnitude of all harmful and unwanted Chaos-based effects with a magnitude of less than 100% of your health. Increases .5% by level. (.5%)
Zeke dove away as the shield fell, turning around in shock and pain as an errant blast from Klarion grazed his side and sent him flying back even further. "WALLYYYY-oh."