– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Wally's green eyes peered from beneath the Helmet of Fate, his hand outstretched as Klarion's spells crackled against an unseen barrier. Floating upwards slowly, he appeared calm, but the strain was evident in the tight set of his jaw. The air around him shimmered with golden energy, a testament to the power now at his command.
"Give it up, Nabu! Order went out of style in the 20th century," Klarion shouted, his voice slicing through the crackle of his spells. The Witch Boy continued hurling bolts of chaos-tainted energy, his hands weaving intricate patterns in the air as he cast spell after spell. But they all exploded harmlessly against Kid Fate's glowing golden ankh acting as a shield, the ancient symbol of life and power.
Magic sizzled between them, raw power etching glowing lines across the night sky, a dazzling display of light and color. Fate's golden ankh shield shimmered, deflecting Klarion's frenzied attacks with deceptive ease.
Nabu held out both hands, his voice resonating with an otherworldly power. "This battle is pointless," Kid Fate spoke, Nabu and Wally's voices overlapping in synch, both contrasting and grating against each other, almost discordantly. "You sought to take the Helmet before it claimed a host. But you are too late."
"Shut it, you old fart!" Klarion snapped, his frustration growing as his eyes blazed crimson, the color of freshly spilled blood. "I said, Order's dead!" With a dramatic gesture, he ripped free two massive stone columns from the structure of the tower, the ancient masonry crumbling under his touch. He hurled them both at Kid Fate, the massive projectiles hurtling through the air like missiles. "Like you're going to be!"
The columns smashed against Fate's sides with a thunderous impact, the stone shattering into a thousand pieces. But his symbol glowed brightly, a beacon of light amidst the chaos, and the rubble disintegrated into fine dust, swept away by the wind.
"Brat," Kid Fate snarled, his patience waning, the insult sounding strange coming from Wally's youthful face. He retaliated with a surge of golden energy, the light sweeping towards Klarion like a tidal wave, unstoppable in its intensity.
The wave of glowing golden light struck home, engulfing Klarion in its brilliance. The Witch Boy staggered back, barely managing to erect a shield in time, the crimson barrier flickering and wavering under the onslaught. Teekl yowled, the cat familiar darting for cover as magical energies scorched the air, the smell of ozone and burnt fur in the air
The spell caused Klarion to dissipate, his form scattering into wisps of shadow and smoke. Fate relaxed his assault, lowering his guard as he began to descend towards the tower roof, his cloak billowing behind him. But unseen by him, Klarion reformed from the shadowy fragments, a sneer crossing his features as he shot a bolt of red lightning into Fate's back, the jagged energy crackling through the air like a whip.
The surprise attack sent Kid Fate stumbling forward, a grunt of pain escaping his lips. Klarion then conjured a fiery red dragon from his magic, the beast's eyes glowing with malevolent intent as it launched itself furiously at Fate, its maw gaping wide, ready to devour the hero whole.
Kid Fate dodged, leapt, rolled, his shields fracturing under the onslaught as Klarion's laughter echoed, high and manic, the sound chilling to the bone. Kid Fate barely managed to escape the dragon's fiery maw, the heat singeing his cloak, but Klarion was relentless, hitting him with another magical blow that sent him sprawling across the roof, his body skidding across the rough stone.
Struggling to rise, Fate looked up to see red dots hanging suspended in the air, deadly fireflies conjured by the Witch Boy's twisted imagination. With a gesture, the sorcerer was bombarded by red orbs of magic that Klarion playfully fired off like bullets from his fingers, each one leaving a trail of crimson light in its wake.
Each shot cracked the magical shield Fate hastily erected, golden fractures spreading across the surface until it shattered completely, the fragments of light dissipating into the night air, leaving him exposed and vulnerable. The force of the barrage threw him further back, his body slamming against the unyielding stone of the tower.
Regaining his footing, Kid Fate took to the air, dodging frantically, his form a blur of gold and blue against the dark sky. Klarion grinned, his teeth too sharp, too numerous for a human mouth, his fingers morphing into wicked claws, each one sharp enough to rend flesh from bone.
Crimson pillars erupted from the ground at Klarion's command, a deadly forest of thorns and spikes that Fate was forced to navigate, each one seeking to impale him, to bring him crashing down to earth. A column caught him mid-flight, the jagged stone tearing at his cloak, and Fate was forced to the ground in a heap, his body battered and bruised.
The Helmet of Fate clanged loudly as it hit the stone, the sound echoing ominously across the rooftop, a knell of impending doom.
Klarion loomed over his fallen foe, magic crackling between his palms, the air around him thick with the stench of brimstone and sulfur. "Pathetic," he sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.
"You're out of practice, Nabu, and that pathetic host body," his fingernails shrieked against each other as if they were made of metal, the sound setting teeth on edge. "Zero affinity for the mystic arts."
As Fate staggered back, Klarion's laugh filled the air, cruel and mocking, a sound that seemed to suck the very warmth from the air. "You're playing a rigged game, Bucket Head!" Raising his hands, he summoned a storm, the sky above them roiling with unnatural energy, the clouds turning a sickly shade of green. An instant later, unnatural red lightning arced towards the downed hero, the bolts jagged and erratic, like the thoughts of a madman.
Kid Fate managed a weak barrier, its colors flickering like a dying rainbow under the onslaught, the once-brilliant hues fading to a sickly gray.
Klarion cackled, his fingers dancing in the air like a demented conductor, orchestrating a symphony of destruction. "Ooo, rainbow power. How adorable, Nabu. Are you trying to blind me with your fabulous fashion sense?" His voice was mocking, filled with a cruel sort of glee.
Red lightning crackled between Klarion's palms, coalescing into a writhing ball of chaos, a miniature sun of pure, destructive energy. With a manic grin, he hurled it at Kid Fate, the orb sizzling as it tore through the air, leaving a trail of scorched ozone in its wake.
Kid Fate's hands snapped up, golden light erupting from his palms to meet the oncoming attack. The two forces collided in a thunderous explosion, the shockwaves rippling across the tower's roof, shaking the ancient stones to their very foundations.
"Is that the best you can do, old man?" Klarion taunted, his form flickering with barely contained power, his eyes twin pits of endless darkness. "I thought the great Nabu would put up more of a fight!"
Kid Fate's voice resonated with dual tones, the wisdom of the ages intertwined with the brashness of youth, "Your arrogance blinds you, Witch Boy. This battle has only begun."
The Lord of Order's fingers traced intricate patterns in the air, golden sigils blazing to life with each deft movement. They spun outward, a whirlwind of arcane geometry hurtling towards Klarion, the very essence of order given form and purpose.
The Witch Boy's eyes widened, a flicker of surprise crossing his features before being replaced by a snarl of defiance. He leapt aside with inhuman agility, his form blurring at the edges as he moved, but not before one of the sigils grazed his shoulder, the golden light searing his pale flesh. He hissed in pain, smoke rising from the point of contact, the bitter scent of burnt skin filling the air.
"Lucky shot," Klarion snarled. His hands plunged into the tower's stonework, red energy pulsing through the structure like a malevolent heartbeat. The roof beneath Kid Fate's feet buckled and writhed, stone tentacles bursting upward to ensnare him, their surfaces covered in jagged spikes and pulsing veins of chaos magic.
Kid Fate's aura flared in response, a dome of golden light expanding outward from his form, pushing back against the encroaching chaos. The stone tentacles shattered against it, reduced to rubble by the sheer force of order, the fragments raining down around him like hail. "Your chaos cannot overcome true order, Klarion."
"Blah, blah, blah," Klarion mocked, his voice taking on a singsong quality that was at odds with the malice in his eyes. "All talk and no action. Let's see how you handle this, you sanctimonious chrome dome!"
The air around Klarion warped, reality itself bending to his will. Dozens of portals tore open, each one spewing forth a different elemental assault. Fire, ice, lightning, acid – a maelstrom of destruction converged on Kid Fate.
The sorcerer's eyes blazed beneath the helmet. Golden ankhs materialized around him, each one intercepting a different elemental attack. The clash of energies was blinding, the very air seeming to vibrate with power.
"Impressive," Klarion admitted with a grin that was all sharp teeth and malice, his eyes reflecting the chaos he had unleashed. "But can you keep it up, Nabu? Can your little meat puppet handle the strain?"
Kid Fate's voice was audibly strained. "As long as necessary, Witch Boy. Your reign of chaos ends here, on this night, in this place. Order shall prevail, as it must, as it always has."
Klarion cackled again. "It doesn't sound like it, you old fossil. What's wrong, Nabu? Host not up to snuff?" Klarion taunted, fingers weaving intricate patterns in the air. "Let me help you out of that tin can!"
A barrage of crimson daggers materialized, hurtling towards Fate with unerring precision. The Lord of Order dodged, but not cleanly – one blade slammed into the side of the helmet, sending him spiraling.
Teekl meowed loudly, her body arching in alert.
"I am paying attention, you stupid cat," Klarion retorted sharply, his eyes never leaving the struggling form of Kid Fate. "I know what I'm doing, so shut your furry face and let me work!"
Teekl mewed again, her hackles raised and her tail lashing back and forth, her eyes glowing with an eerie red light that mirrored her master's.
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm winning," Klarion gloated, his confidence surging as Fate struggled.
Fate's eyes narrowed beneath the Helmet, a golden light suddenly booming from his chest, the force of it knocking him free of Klarion's assault and creating a ring of yellow flame on the roof around him. "It is difficult for a Lord of Order or Chaos to maintain a presence on the physical plane," he declared, his voice steady and strong once more as the smoke cleared, revealing him standing tall and defiant in the center of the fiery circle, his cape billowing behind him in a non-existent wind.
At once, Klarion's whole form changed, abandoning any pretense of humanity as he erupted in a seething red fire, the flames engulfing both himself and Teekl. With a screeching fury that set the very stones of the tower trembling, he launched a torrent of eldritch fire at Fate, the flames twisting and writhing like living things.
"I am bound to the Helmet and use a human host," Fate declared, dodging the onslaught. He seized a momentary pause in Klarion's attack to launch a counterattack of his own, a lance of golden light that pierced the night like a sunbeam, only to be blocked by a hastily summoned wall of tower stone. "But that is not your way, is it, Witch Boy?"
Klarion dropped the shield, his face contorted into a mask of pure, animalistic rage, his eyes glowing a deep, bloody red. "You're babbling, Nabu," he snarled, his hands gathering red flames once more.
"Am I?" Fate questioned, drawing his hands to his chest in a gesture of focus and concentration. "Or have I perhaps struck a nerve, Klarion Bleak?" A beam of pure, unbridled order shot out from his clasped hands, a golden lance of magic.
Klarion's eyes widened in genuine alarm. "No!"
Two spells flew simultaneously from the Witch Boy's hands. A shimmering dome of crimson energy enveloped Teekl, shielding the familiar from Fate's blast, while a bolt of pure, unrestrained chaos struck Kid Fate full in the chest, the force of it sending him flying backwards, his form ragdolling
The Lord of Order hadn't anticipated the feint, hadn't expected Klarion to prioritize his familiar's safety over his own. The chaotic energies tore through his defenses like tissue paper, overwhelming Nabu's power and Wally's consciousness in one devastating blow, the young speedster's affinity for magic not enough to passively shield him from the blast.
The Helmet of Fate clattered to the ground, Wally's unconscious form beside it. Klarion stood across from him, panting but victorious, cradling a purring Teekl in his arms. "Mine."
"No."
"What?" Klarion frowned as the boy he'd forgotten about steps in front of his prize. "You again?"
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– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
"Yeah, me again." Zeke stepped forward, fists glowing blue with barely contained mana energy.
Okay... okay. Okay! His heart raced, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he faced down the Witch Boy, his mind scrambling for a plan, any plan, to get out of this mess.
"Didn't I blow you up already?" Klarion asked mockingly, head tilted to the side.
Uh, both of you almost did, Zeke thought, eye twitching as he recalled scrambling across the roof, desperately hoping that the two powerhouses wouldn't blast him to smithereens. It was almost worse that they hadn't even noticed he was still there, too caught up in their own epic battle. "No, but you tried."
"Well, then let me fix that," Klarion said with a cackle, his face morphing into a grotesque mask of glee. Teekl dropped from his hands, jagged red magical energy forming between his fingers, crackling and hissing like angry snakes.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Zeke held up his hands, his mind racing. "Before you do that, I've got a question for you."
Klarion paused, his magic still swirling around his hands. "What?" he snapped, impatience clear in his tone.
…okay, let's go for the Hail Mary.
He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to do. "When was the last time you went to Limbo Town, Klarion?" Zeke called out, his voice deceptively steady.
"W-what?" Klarion's voice faltered, his confidence wavering as the magic in his hands seemed to fizzle out.
"You heard me," Zeke pressed, taking a step forward. "Limbo Town. Bleak Villa. Shackle Street. Ring any bells?"
"How do you know about those places?" Klarion demanded, his voice rising in pitch. "Who told you?"
"Nobody told me," Zeke replied, shaking his head. "I just know. Just like I know about Beulah. Your sister. You remember her, don't you?" Zeke continued, tilting his head to the side curiously. A calm smile rested on his face, the action as forced as anything he'd ever managed. "It's been a long time since you've seen her, a very long time."
"I… how do you…" the Witch-Boy blinked, stumbling over his words.
"What? You don't miss your sister?" Zeke asked, dropping the question on the Chaos Lord's lap like a live bomb.
"I..." Klarion's voice trailed off, his face a mix of confusion and growing unease.
> + 1 CHA
"What's the matter, Klarion? Cat got your tongue? Because I know she misses you," the boy in blue continued, pressing his advantage, his words sharp and precise. "Or maybe you're just feeling a little guilty about leaving her behind. Corrupted by Judah and the lies of the Croatoan."
Ast those last few words left Zeke's mouth, Klarion visibly flinched and took a step back, Teekl yowling loudly at her master's quiet form. "Stop it," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the wind. "Stop talking."
Got you. You never beat the Submissionaries here. You never went back. It took effort to maintain the calm smile, to keep sweat from showing on his face as his hands trembled in his pockets. "And what about your mother, Charity? How do you think she felt when you left? Losing her husband, losing her son... it must have broken her heart."
"Y-you..." Klarion's breath quickened, his usual composure slipping as his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. "How do you know those names? J-just shut up!"
Zeke didn't falter, pressing on in the same tone. "Don't you feel a little bad? Your mother loses her father, the only Witch-Man of the house, and now she doesn't have her only son, her Witch-Boy. Who's going to carry on the Bleak name, Klarion? With you and Mordechai gone?"
"You don't know anything about my family!" Klarion screamed again, looking frantic now.
> + 1 CHA
"I know more than you think," Zeke said, his voice low and serious. "I know about Mordechai. I know about your stepfather, Ezekiel. I know what happened to them both, what the Submissionaries did to them with the horrid hands of Horigal."
Klarion's eyes narrowed, his magical aura flaring up as anxiety twisted his features, the air around him crackling with barely contained chaos energy. "Wh-who are YOU?" His voice cracked, echoing off the tower walls, a mix of fear and desperation. "THAT HASN'T EVEN HAPPENED YET!"
The Witch Boy's eyes glowed a stark red, Klarion leaning forward with a shaken look on his face, his hands trembling at his sides.
"What are you talking about?" Zeke asked, still calm. "Of course it's happened. How else would I know about it?"
> + 1 CHA
"N-no!" He stumbled backward, fear etched into every line of his face, his usual arrogance replaced by a primal terror. "An IMP!"
Teekl, sensing her master's distress, screeched loudly at the invisible threat, her fur standing on end.
"Y-your people are supposed to be BANNED! H-HOW DID YOU—Holy carp!" Klarion exclaimed in panic, his voice high and shrill, his eyes darting around as if expecting more horrors to emerge from the shadows. "We're out of here, Teekl!"
In a flurry of fear and confusion, he and Teekl dissolved into black and red wisps, retreating swiftly into the sky, their forms blurring and fading until they vanished entirely.
Left alone atop the tower, Zeke blinked in disbelief, his heart still pounding in his chest. "...Holy shit, that worked."
> Ability Gained: Bluff!
> Bluff Lv 1
> A truth that's told with bad intent
> Beats all the lies you can invent.
> Improves your effective CHA by 1% per level when not quite lying in order to achieve a goal.
> Mission Success!
> 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. [✓]
>
> Hidden Bonus: Fate Defied - Keep Nelson Kent alive [✓]
>
> Success: 25k XP, +3 to [Resistance: Chaos], + 2 to [Manipulation: Mana]
>
> Hidden Bonus Success: [Mana Vision], Kent Nelson Notes Page - Age 12, Frayed Magician's Hat (Junk), Broken Amulet Shard (Junk), Worn Leather Gloves (Junk), Fate's Coin, Arcane Battery, Bent Wand (Junk), Faded Pendant of Order, Depleted Mana Crystal (Junk), Bottled Lightning
>
> Skill Gained: Mana Vision!
>
> Mana Vision Lv 1
> To my Millennium Eye!
> Allows you to perceive magical energies and the flow of mana in your surroundings. Detect uses of magic, or even the trail of magical beings.
> Cost: 5 m/s
> Resistance: Chaos + 3
>
> * Lv 4
>
> Manipulation: Mana + 2
>
> * Lv 7
> Level Up!
> Lv 18 → 19!
>
> You are now Level 19.
As the multiple pings faded away, Zeke's ears caught the faintest whisper from behind, a gentle, rasping incantation that sent chills down his spine. "Redit... aurum..."
Jesus! The thirteen-year-old whipped around just in time to see the Helm of Fate leap from the ground near Wally, drawn magnetically to the outstretched, trembling hands of—
"Mr. Nelson!" Zeke blurted out, his blue eyes widening.
Lying there, battered and weary, against the stone parapets of the tower, Kent Nelson clutched the golden helm in both hands. His breathing was labored, each breath strained and unsteady as he struggled to keep his head upright. Oh man, this is bad. This is really bad, Zeke thought, his heart pounding in his chest as he rushed to the old man's side.
"Ah, Little Boy Blue," Nelson chuckled softly and looked up at Zeke, his eyes twinkling with a mixture of amusement and exhaustion as he lowered the helm to his lap. "Thought you were just a figment, a trick of the old mind, maybe even an angel of death come to watch me go," he added with a quiet laugh, the sound more of a wheeze than anything else. "The way I saw you throwing your soul around, it made as much sense as any..."
Zeke knelt in the debris, his hands hovering uncertainly over the old man, unsure of what to do. "We need to get you to a hospital," he blurted out, his gaze dropping to the large, ominously smoking burn on Nelson's shoulder. The fabric of his jacket was singed, revealing the wounded flesh beneath, raw and blistered. Oh no… The boy swallowed hard against the lump in his throat.
"Oh, don't fuss over me," Nelson interrupted with a dismissive wave of his hand, his fingers trembling with the effort. "I've had over a century of days. What's one more or less?" His focus returned to the helm in his lap, a mix of reverence and resignation in his eyes as he traced the golden contours with a shaking finger. "Seems it's time to part, old friend. Here or there, I'll miss you, you crotchety old bastard."
With a trembling effort, Nelson raised the helmet to his lips, murmuring a string of words that Zeke strained to catch, the syllables foreign and ancient on his tongue. "Per speculum... in foramen cuniculi... arenae temporis fluunt... dum campana antiqua sonat. Proles fati clavem... auream prehendat!"
Above them, the sky tore open, revealing a cosmic tear swirling with shades of deep blue and purple, melded into the endless black. As Nelson held the helm up, it began to radiate an intense golden light, and an ethereal image formed—a wise, old visage with glowing blue eyes, a thick white mustache, and a flowing beard. Is that... Nabu? Zeke wondered, his eyes widening as he stared at the spectral face hovering above them.
"Safe travels, Nabu," Nelson whispered, his voice cracking as he planted a kiss on the brow of the artifact, a final farewell to an old friend. The light surged, and the Helm of Fate ascended rapidly, disappearing into the celestial rift which sealed shut as if it had never been.
Nelson's hand fell away, and he dropped back onto the ground, eyes closed and body still.
Zeke blinked. The frick was that?
A groan drew his attention, snapping him out of his thoughts. Turning, he spotted Wally a few paces away, clutching his head as he sat up, bewildered and disoriented. "Ow... Wh-where's Klarion? Where's the helmet?"
Zeke's mouth hung open as he turned back to where Nelson lay silent, his body still and lifeless, and then looked back at Wally. "I... I..."
Wally's eyes widened, darting around in panic as he took in the empty tower rooftop. "Where is it?"
Zeke shook his head slowly. "I honestly don't know."
> Observed: Abra Kadabra
>
> Abra Kadabra (Citizen Abra) Lv 37
> Future Faux Houdini
>
> A master of technological tricks from a future that probably no longer exists, Abra Kadabra dazzles and deceives with devices that defy logic. To him, this is just technology, but to the average person it might as well be magic, and every show is a chance to rewrite history—one unsuspecting era at a time.