Pain of loss

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"Initiate Combat Training. 3, 2, 1"
Aqualad charged at a shirtless Superboy who ducked under the atlantian's assault landing a strike of his own to the atlantian's abdomen. Aqualad slammed his fists on Superboy's back sending him onto the floor
The computer displayed a holographic screen next to Aqualad that read "Fail"
Artemis stood next to M'gann who watched the fight go on.
Artemis leaned over to M'gann and started a conversation "Ya know you and Aqualad look like you'd make a cute couple. Why don't you ask him out?"
"Aqualad? He's like a big brother to me. Plus I've got my sights set on someone else anyway." M'gann watched as Aqualad sent Superboy to the ground causing the computer to display the same image underneath him. "Fail"
Red Tornado spiraling down from his apartment in the ceiling.
"Robin, you are needed in Gotham" the android's monotone sounded distressed. "The Batman has requested your assistance. The Joker has escaped his cell in Arkham Asylum"
"Aqualad Aquaman has requested your presence in Atlantis"
Aqualad nodded heading to the boom tubes
Wally sped towards Red Tornado high fiving Robin as he turned to leave.
"Do you have a mission for us?" Wally asked dutifully.
"Missions are the Batman's responsibility, Alex Batman has asked me to inform you of something"
Alex raised a brow "What is it?"
Red Tornado turned around and began typing on the holo-computer and pulled up an image of Kent Nelson.
"Most of you remember Kent Nelson from the Hall of Justice on the fourth of July. He mentored Alex Tennyson for a few months and is one-hundred and six years old."
Wally commented "He doesn't look a day over eighty"
Alex chuckled "He's actually a lot older he just doesn't tell people."
"He has been missing for twenty-three days" Red Tornado finished.
"Excuse me?" Alex asked in disbelief as a worried look appeared on her face. "Kent goes on... trips all the time but he's never gone for more than a week, maybe two tops but nearly a month?"
"Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society, predecessor to your mentors Justice League."
"Of course, Kent was Earth's sorcerer supreme, Dr. Fate" Superboy said gaining looks from everyone in the room. "The G-gnomes taught me a lot of things including any hero worth mentioning" he explained putting his shirt on.
Wally leaned over to Alex "More like Dr. Fake, dude knows some advanced science and Dumbledores it up to impress the babes"
Alex looked over at him in anger "Except I spent 5 months learning from him and trust me when I say there is nothing fake about Kent Nelson and have you forgotten that I use magic."
Wally put his hands up in defense "My bad, if Ba- Flash went missing I'd be pissed too"
"It's cool, Wally, Kent gave me a home when I entered this universe"
"I assume this means you will go, take this, a key to the Tower of Fate" Red Tornado held up a golden key with strange carvings on it.
"I've got my own" Alex responded as she walked away.
She walked towards the teleporters and calibrated them for the receivers in Salem. She turned to look at the team who hadn't moved "You coming?"
They shrugged and walked towards the boom tube.
...
They exited in a dirty alley way. The teleporter could only support two at a time so Alex had to wait for Superboy, Megan, Artemis and Wally to come through.
Once they had done so, Alex walked outside the alley way letting the others follow her. "Follow me" she said as she walked towards an empty park across the street from them.
As they arrived, they noticed the entire park was empty.
"I don't see a tower" Superboy said.
Artemis looked over to Wally "What do you think? Adaptive Micro Opto-Electronics combined with phase shifting?"
"Probably, it's not simple camo that's for sure"
"You're both wrong" Alex said as she placed her hand out in the air and waited.
"Uh I think she's gone-" Wally began as suddenly a giant fifty foot tall tower appeared out of thin air. "Crazy" Wally finished as he looked the tower up and down.
Alex opened the door and walked in to a single small room that had mid-evil style walls and long torches in each corner. "Uh guys where'd the door go?"
"That's normal" Alex answered "but this room isn't" as he finished an image of Kent Nelson appeared in front of Alex.
"Nice to see you again Alexandra" the image said
"You've brought guests that the tower doesn't recognize. Please state your purpose and intent"
Wally stepped forwards "We are-"
"Kid don't say anything you might cause something to happen" Alex interrupted. "Kent went missing and we wanted to know if he was here or at least guard the helmet until he gets back"
The image smiled "Welcome home, kid" as the image disappeared a door appeared and opened up behind it.
"Follow me and stay close. The tower isn't too keen on visitors"
As they walked through the door they came upon a stair case which was lined with armored knights. Wally leaned in to touch one when Alex caught his arm "and please for the love of Asmuth, don't touch anything!"
Wally backed away smiling as Superboy leaned into his ear "Who's Asmuth?"
Wally shrugged as they continued up the stairs until they came across a door. After Alex opened it casually a burst of snow and ice blew through the stairwell.
"Wait? What?" Megan said aloud as Alex stepped through and into the snow.
They followed suit as the door closed up behind them.
"We must be in a pocket dimension" Wally said as he felt the snow.
"Wrong" Alex said as she looked out into the snowy plane.
"Then please explain to use where we are because you've been pretty vague up till this point and its getting really annoying" Wally crossed his arms and waited for Alex's reply.
"Ever heard of the Multiverse theory?"
"No way"
"We're in another Universe. If I'm not mistake, this Earth is void of life"
"How'd that happen?" Megan asked
"Not even Kent knows for sure. He said it could've been a virus of some sort. Or something much worse"
"Like?"
"Like we don't want to stick around and find out" Alex looked around intently. "And whatever you guys do. Don't make fire"
"Ugh why?" Superboy asked "Not that any of us can do that"
"Drawing attention here could be really bad"
"Ok so answer this, if this place is so dangerous, why would the Tower lead us here?" Artemis asked.
"Kent always stored his stuff here, things that were too dangerous for anyone to find" Alex's face lit up like a Christmas tree "Like his cane!"
"Oh and I guess that's Kent's magic wand?" Wally said sarcastically.
"Pretty Much. It also allows access to the Tower of Fate so that's why he placed a spell that would send it here if anything ever happened to him"
"Really?" Megan said she reached to grab it; Alex did the same and realized just a little too late what would happen.
"Wait we shouldn't-" Alex was cut off by the cane lifting into the air and teleporting them away in a flash of golden light.
...
Alex and M'gann arrived on the top of a staircase... or the bottom relative to where you were standing. The entire room seemed like it went on forever with staircases in every direction with no specific location at the end of each one. Each one simply connected to another staircase.
Alex looked around and saw a man in a cheap low cut white button up shirt with black hair in a ponytail and black wand in his hand. Next to him was a child wearing a tuxedo with a house cat on his shoulder. On the floor next to them was Kent Nelson with his hands bound together by rope.
"Alex? Well would you look at that" Kent immediately flew over to his cane and as he touched it not only were Alex and Megan's grip released but his rope also disintegrated on contact.
"Nice to see you again, kid. In here" Kent directed his cane to a wall next to them and it opened up into an elevator.
"No No No! I want that helmet! I want it I want it I want it!" the boy yelled as his hands released a red fire that launched at the elevator as it closed.
As the elevator went up Kent turned to Alex who smiled. "See I knew you would figure out I was missing eventually, it was just a matter of how much time I could buy and-" Kent stopped when he noticed the Martian girl standing in the corner "My apologies I'm being rude" he let go of his cane which stood up right without anyone holding it and shook Megan's hand "I'm Kent Nelson"
"Who are those guys?"
"Well one of them is Klarion, the most powerful force of chaos in the known Multiverse" Kent looked away "and the other guy can program a microwave well" Kent smiled "No worries, once Nabu and I reunite everything should be fine"
Alex talked in a worried tone "If you reunite with Nabu you may never come back"
"It's either that or you use your little friend" Kent tapped Alex's wrist with his cane.
"They'd never listen! It'd take hours just to get them to cooperate and last time I checked we don't have that kind of time!"
"True so Dr. Fate it is" the door opened to reveal the roof of the tower and in the middle of the tower floated a golden helmet.
Kent reached for it when he was struck in the chest by a beam of red energy.
Klarion stood on the far end of the roof with smoking hands pointed at Kent "Followed you"
Kent struggled to his knees and grabbed his cane before slamming it to the ground causing a bubble of golden energy to appear around them.
Klarion growled as his eyes turned black his fists gained a bright red aura.
"NO! I WANT THAT HELMET!" he began bombarding the bubble with red fire.
Alex rushed to Kent's side with Megan right behind her "Kent! Are you ok? Please say you're ok!"
"I wish I could kid, but I don't think I can wear the helmet now, you have to"
"Me? I'm not Dr. Fate I can't!"
"Oh Please! You are more fit to wear it than anyone on the planet! Think of it as... my last will... and testament" Kent's eyes closed as tears streamed down Alex's face. Suddenly Alex's face filled with rage.
Alex stood up and walked outside the bubble wiping her tears.
Klarion smiled "If you know what's good for you, you'll give me that helmet!"
"Don't worry" Alex's eyes stung as the tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'll write 'dumbass' on your gravestone!" Alex slammed the Ultimatrix with more force than ever before. In Alex's place stood a six foot tall woman made completely of purple crystals. She had crystals jutting out of her back and a single one coming from her head. She had only one glowing green eye and her fists glowed with rainbow energy similar to Diamondhead's.
"Chromostone? Ugh I hate this stupid watch!" Chromostone leaped forwards and sent a blast of energy at Klarion who laughed. "A Guardian Crystalsapien? That's the best that Ben Tennyson's little sister can do? You're out of your league kid!" Klarion deflected the blast with one hand.
"Out of my league?!" Chromostone slapped the dial on her chest causing another light to engulf the area even M'gann had to shield her eyes.
"ATOMIX!" She had a green and white body with large cylinders on her arms, near her wrists, which are full of a green energy with dark green bubble-like spheres floating around. She had a pointed armored head and the trademark glowing green eyes.
Klarion gulped "probably shoulda kept my mouth shut" the cat on Klarion's shoulder snickered. "Meow" Klarion got angry as the cat jumped off his shoulders. "Oh you shut up; you said this was a good idea!"
Atomix cracked her knuckles "You! Demon! You will pay for what you have done to my friend and mentor!" Atomix had a very over dramatic tone that sounded like a wrestling announcer. Atomix flew towards Klarion who put up a shield and as soon as Atomix's fist connected with the witch-boy's shield a nuclear explosion lit up the roof with enough force to level a city block. The only reason M'gann survived was due to the bubble that Kent's cane continued to produce even after the sorcerers passing.
Klarion's shield barely stood its ground as it fell apart when the smoke cleared. "Jeez girl, I hurt your grandpa and now your all mad about it?" Klarion opened a portal and stepped through along with his cat, barely dodging another nuclear punch.
A green light flashed and Alex groaned in annoyance "really of all the times to change me back it had to be now"
Klarion appeared next to Kent's shield and tried to pry it open with red flames but it proved useless as the shield was indestructible until the cane's mystic energy faded. This was an unknown time frame that Klarion couldn't wait for, "Damn it! Gimme that helmet girlie!" Klarion yelled at M'gann
"Adfishio potentia" Alex yelled a spiraling mass of mana hit him knocking him away from the shield
"Silicus milez sasitatio" humanoid rock figures erupted from the ground pink lines of energy running around their bodies.
They each tried slamming their fists at Klarion but he destroyed them with a red flame
"Turbo!" Alex yelled causing an explosion
The explosion had enough force to level the city and when the smoke cleared Alex had landed next to Kent's bubble, Klarion still stood.
Blood dripped from his eyes and mouth and his breathing was erratic and heavy. "Fine! Keep the stupid helmet! Who needs it anyways?"
A portal opened next to Klarion's cat and the cat jumped through and onto Klarion's shoulder. "You're all a bunch of party poopers!" Klarion made a portal for himself and stepped through narrowly avoiding a pink blast of mana from Alex.
Alex fell to her knees with tears streaming down her face. The first person to care for her in this universe was now gone.
"I'm so sorry" M'gann said as she knelt next to her and hugged Alex tightly as she sobbed into M'gann's shoulder.
The elevator opened behind them with Wally, Superboy and Artemis standing with pride as an unconscious and tied up Abra-Kadabra fell to the floor in front of them.
They all laughed until they saw their leader crying into M'gann's shoulder and the body of Kent Nelson lying on the untouched circle in the midst of the scorched floor around them.
"Oh man" Wally said as he knelt beside Kent and felt for a pulse before looking over to the others and shaking his head in disappointment.
They all looked down in silence to pay their respects to the fallen hero. Dr. Fate would always live inside the helmet and with anyone who would bare it but, Kent Nelson, was gone.
...
After a few hours Alex had stopped crying and was now sitting on the floor of Wally's 'souvenir' room where the helmet of fate sat as she held Kent's cane. Alex stared at it for twenty minutes before Robin entered the room.
"You ok?" He asked but Alex didn't turn from the helmet.
"Yeah, I finally stopped crying like a baby"
"No one saw it like that, you obvi-"
"Robin I think it is about time I tell all of you about my universe I have been feeling homesick so I might feel better if I tell all of you about my home"
"Alright let's go to the others" Robin said as he helped Alex up off the floor. Robin and Alex walked to the living room where everyone was sitting, Alex explained that she wanted to tell her teammates about her world, she sat down next to Robin and started talking.
"My brother and I were the only heroes in my universe; we had partners, my cousin and my brother's best friend. They were part alien and they had powers too. We were unstoppable!" Alex smiled remembering all the good times "We fought bad guys on a daily basis we finally met our grandmother and found out why my cousin Gwen and I could use magic it turns out that my grandmother was an anodite and my cousin Gwen and I gained her anodite abilities" Alex kept telling her teammates about her world and her family during the whole thing she was holding Robin's hand smiling as she talked to everyone about her world

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