The Intruder

Disbelief -----> Belief

The Team jumps through, but what was originally a downward jump spun so the gateway was now floating in mid air from their point of view. Until it disappears in a golden flash. Wally turns away from where he was watching it, to find the whole Team looking at him.

"Well?" Artemis asks, a confident look on her face.

"Every hear of string theory?" he questions sarcastically. "We're in a pocket dimension."

"Ugh." Artemis growls angered by Wally's absolute lack of faith.

"What's that?" M'gann questions. What she's looking at is Kent Nelson's cane floating above the snow.

"Ooo, maybe it's Kent's magic wand." Wally says sarcastically. Speeding over so he grabs it at the same time Artemis does.

"I got it." they synchronize. Then it begins to glow gold. "Huh?" they both question in shock. "I can't let go!" before being pulled upwards by the cane and disappearing in a flash of gold.

The three remaining exchange a worried look.

--

The teen, Abra Kadabra, and Kent walking along a staircase that looks like it's upside down.

"Are we there yet?" the teen drawls, his cat lying behind his neck. "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"

Kadabra grabs Nelson's shoulder, bring all three to a stop. "Tell us how to find the helmet." he demands, clearly becoming aggravated.

Kent glares, but can't say anything due to the collar around his neck. In a second Kadabra removes it, throwing it over his shoulder with a smug look. "Can't." Kent says, though his voice is hoarse he's smiling. "Having too much fun."

Kadabra's face contorts in anger, then electrocutes Kent, knocking him to the ground. "Still having fun?"

The teen chuckles. "I am! Zap 'im again!" another idea comes to his mind as his fist meets his open right hand. "Or dump him off the side, and watch him splat!"

Kadabra raises his 'wand' again. Zapping Kent.

The teen laughs once, enjoying the pain before him. Until his cat meows and grabs his attention. "Ah, yes, yes." he seems to agree with the cat. "I suppose we might still need him." though he looks back at the pain Kadabra is causing Kent with vicious glee.

---

Superboy, M'gann, and Kaldur walk through the snow in almost silence. Until M'gann finally speaks up. "I don't understand Wally. It's almost like he needs to believe the impossible can't happen."

Kaldur approaches it calmly, having known Wally for a few years means he can understand how he thinks. At least a little bit. "Wally uses his understanding of science to control what he cannot comprehend. Acknowledging magic would relinquish the last vestige of that control."

M'gann looks away from Kaldur thinking about what he said. Until something creaks and thuds in the distance.

Turning towards the sound the three find a doorway sitting on top of a nearby ridge with a few steps leading up to it. They exchange no words as they head towards it.

---

On a nearby platform to where the teen is watching Kadabra torture Kent, Artemis and Wally come into existence. Neither lets go of the cane as they move from lying on their sides to kneeling on one knee. Kent sees them instantly.

Once Wally's looking in the right direction he recognizes Kadabra. "Abra Kadabra." he growls.

Kent relaxes and gains a slight smile. "Well, would you look at that."

The cane glows in Artemis and Wally's grip, in response, Kent's whole body glows the same gold. Kadabra and the teen barely glance at the teen-heroes as Kent begins to float and fly past them. Grabbing the cane with both hands immediately lets Wally and Artemis let go it as Kent's bonds come undone.

"In here." Kent says, standing up and using his cane to create an elevator in the wall. All three rush in.

"No! No! No!" the teen working with Kadabra shouts angrily. "I want that helmet!" he raises his hands, red magic gathering as the door to the elevator begins to shut. "I want it! I want it! I want it!" the red lightning only hitting after the doors are fully shut.

----

Elevator music plays in the background as the number shown increases. Both teens look to Nelson, unsure who should say something first.

"I'm Kent Nelson. By the way." Kent finally speaks up.

"No duh." Wally mumbles. Only to be hit by an elbow to the chest by Artemis. "Ow!" he hisses in pain.

"I'm Artemis." she tells him. "Miss Manners here, is Wally."

Kent smiles. "Well, Artemis, we're up against an opponent that with tremendous mystic power."

"Abra Kadabra?" Wally questions rhetorically then scoffs with an eye roll. "Flash proved that he uses futuristic technology to simulate magic." he says directly at Kent. "Guy's all show and no biz."

"Right you are." Kent agrees.

Much to Artemis' shock. As Wally smiles proudly, looking at her shocked expression with a little too much pride. "He is?" she asks, stunned.

"Abra is a charlatan." Kent admits."but Klarion, the Witch Boy, kid with the cat, he's an actual Lord of Chaos, the ultimate enemy of a Lord of Order like Doctor Fate."

"Right." Wally drawls. "You're a Lord of Order." though he sounds hesitant and confused.

"Oh, no. Not me." Kent says with a smile. "I'm just an old coot Fate used to put on. Until my wife Inza convinced me there was more to life." he opens his watch and looks down at her picture. "Ah, she was a real pistol, that Inza." then snapping it shut and getting back on track. "Anywho, Klarion's after the helmet. If he gets his sticky little mitts on it, he'll turn the planet into his own personal playground of pandemonium."

The elevator dings, and the doors open. The three walk out, seeing a giant golden tower-bell hanging on the platform before them. Following Kent, Artemis and Wally ascend the stairs.

Behind them, on the ceiling, a door opens, Superboy, Nico, and Kaldur falling to the floor hard enough to hurt, while M'gann levitates downward.

As Artemis runs to the three of them, Kent turns to Wally. "Friends of yours?"

Electricity zaps in the background. A blue bolt just missing the two of them. On a perpendicular platform are Klarion and Kadabra.

"Friends of yours?!" Wally asks back with equally as much sarcasm as Kent, before grabbing him and getting him out of the way of Kadabra's next shot. Artemis, Nico, Kaldur, Superboy, and M'gann are all forced to dodge it as well.

Kent and Wally crouch near the bell, until Kent stands, raising his cane, and hitting the bell.

As the bell tolls, it gains both Klarion and Kadabra's attention. Keeping Teekl in his arms Klarion takes off into the air, as Kent and Wally walk into the bell. Klarion following them in without any hesitation.