I feel gross. I think I have streptococcus.

Mount Justice

August 19, 19:39 EDT

The team was gathered for training, Kaldur and Superboy in the middle at the moment. They were sparring while everyone but Robin was gathered on the outer edge of the ring. Wally and Pietro were squabbling over food while Artemis and M'gann were chatting.

"Kaldur's nice, don't you think?" Artemis asked M'gann, watching the two boys spar. "Handsome, commanding...you should totally ask him out."

"He's like a big brother to me." M'gann deferred. "You know who would make the cutest couple? You and Wally!"

Artemis scoffed. "Yeah, okay."

"You're so full of passion and he's so full of..."

"It?" Pietro appeared behind the two girls, startling them.

"Exactly." Artemis nodded with the silver haired speedster. "Wally is full of it."

"You two are just jealous of my amazing good looks." Wally joined the conversation, winking at M'gann. 

Pietro rolled his eyes, thankful when the roof opened and Red Tornado lowered down.

Wally sped up to him, forgetting about the conversation. "Do you have a mission for us?"

"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility."

"Yeah, well the Batman is with the Robin doing the dynamic duo thing in Gotham. But you're headed somewhere, right? A hot date? A mission?" Wally finger gunned Red Tornado.

"If we can be of help." Kaldur stepped in, speaking with more manners and respect than Wally had.

Red Tornado caved, pulling up the file of Kent Nelson, explaining who he was. Wally rolled his eyes when Kaldur said he was the earth's sorcerer supreme, saying he was a fake under his breath to Artemis, changing his attitude quickly when M'gann said she believed in magic. Tornado gave them the key to the Tower of Fate so they could check on the Helmet of Fate since Kent Nelson was missing. The team left for the bioship.

Salem

August 19, 20:22 EDT

"We've reached Tornado's coordinates but there's nothing here." Miss Martian lowered the ship into the street in camouflage mode.

Kid Flash and Quicksilver ran around where the coordinates were given, coming up empty. Artemis suggested science was at work and Kid Flash agreed until Miss Martian walked up, then he changed his tune quickly, saying it was obviously the mystic arts. Quicksilver rolled his eyes.

"A test of faith. Stand behind me." Aqualad walked up to the nothingness and inserted the key, a tower appearing. Everyone was shocked.

They walked inside, the door disappearing. "Uh, where'd the door go?"

A ghostly apparition of Kent Nelson appeared. "Greetings. You've entered with a key, but the tower does not recognize you. Please state your purpose and intent."

Kid Flash smiled, stepping forward before anyone could stop him. "We are true believers, here to find Doctor Fate."

Kent Nelson rolled his eyes, a disappointed look on his face as the floor beneath the team gave out, everyone falling towards a lava pit.

Quicksilver grabbed onto a rock, yelping when his shoulder nearly dislocated. He watched helplessly as the team continued to descend towards the lava.

"Hello, Megan! We never answered the tower's question!" She slapped her forehead. "Red Tornado sent us to see if Kent Nelson and the Helmet of Fate are safe."

The lava pit disappeared and the team landed on the door that appeared below their feet. Kid Flash went up to Miss Martian and said he got her.

"Enough! Your whole impress M'gann at every turn is what almost got us killed in the first place!" Artemis yelled, pushing kid Flash against the wall.

"When did this become my fault?" Wally snapped.

"When you lied to that whatever it was and called yourself a true believer?" Quicksilver chimed in, Artemis narrowing her eyes further at the ginger speedster.

"Wally, you don't believe?" Miss Martian asked, looking at her fellow red head.

"Fine, fine! I lied about believing in magic. Magic is the real lie." Wally went on a rant about how much of a lie magic was, saying it was just a bunch of tricks.

"I'm surprised you of all people are so closed minded,  seeing as you can break the sound barrier in your sneakers." Quicksilver raised a brow.

"Simple. I recreated the Flash's science experiment and here I am. Even you got your powers from science, Pietro!" Quicksilver steeled his jaw, looking away. "Uh, right? Cadmus experiments gave you your powers, didn't they?"

"No." Quicksilver narrowed his eyes. "They didn't."

Kid Flash gulped, seeing the anger roll off Quicksilver.  "But that would mean - oh."

"Yeah. Oh." Quicksilver stared Kid Flash down. "Magic is real."

"Everything can be explained by science."

"Let us test that theory." Kaldur opened a hatch, snow flying upwards at the team. They jumped into the hatch, landing sideways on a snowy plain. 

A glowing, floating cane appeared a few yards away from the group, drawing everyone's attention. "Ooh, maybe its Nelson's magic wand." Kid Flash drawled sarcastically.

Quicksilver and Kid Flash both sped towards it, grabbing it at the same time. "I got it! Hey, I can't let go!"

A door appeared above them and they disappeared through it, landing on a platform inside the Tower, staircases going in every direction. Kid Flash looked up, staring at three figures on a parallel platform. "Abracadabra!"

"Well, would you look at that." The real Kent Nelson smirked, glowing at the same time as his cane. He flew towards it, grabbing hold as Quicksilver and Kid Flash were able to let go. He made an elevator appear. "In here!"

Inside, he introduced himself to the two speedsters. "No, duh."

Quicksilver elbowed Kid Flash. "I'm Pietro. This loud mouth is Wally."

"Well Pietro, we're up against an opponent with tremendous mystic power." Kid Flash disputed this, saying Abracadabra was a fake who used futuristic science to fake magic. "Right you are. Abra is a charlatan, but Klarion the Witch Boy, the kid with the cat, is an actual Lord of Chaos. The ultimate enemy of a Lord of Order like Doctor Fate."

"Right, you're a Lord of Order."

Kent explained how he was just a tool that Fate used once upon a time until his wife convinced him to stop. "Anywho, Klarion is after the Helmet of Fate. If he gets his sticky little hands on it he'll turn the whole planet into his own personal playground of pandemonium."

The elevator dinged and the three of them exited to see a giant bell. They heard a noise and looked to see a door open above them, the rest of the team dropping to join them. Kent asked if they were friends. Suddenly, a bolt of magic shot at them, Kid Flash asking if those were friends of Nelson's.

Nelson hit the giant bell with his cane, walking into it with Kid Flash in tow.  Klarion went flying after the two of them and Quicksilver thought on his feet. He ran circles around the bell, creating a tornado of force and pushing Klarion away until the portal entrance closed.

"No, no, no!" Klarion screeched, tossing a bolt of magic at Quicksilver. Quicksilver dodged it, rolling on the ground before getting back to his feet. He stood and looked at Klarion, the Witch Boy staring at him curiously. "Wait a second - don't I know you?"

"No, but you will." Quicksilver taunted, yelping when a red lightning bolt came a little too close for comfort.

Why am I the only one focusing on the Lord of freaking Chaos?!

Sorry, be right there.

Artemis shot an arrow at the Witch Boy, one he easily brushed aside.

"Klarion, your quarrel is with me." The team looked to see Kid Flash - possessed by the Helmet of Fate - appear out of the bell, jumping into battle with Klarion. It took a few moments but ultimately Klarion fled. Kid Flash lowered to the ground in front of his team, taking the Helmet off after a moment.

Kid Flash looked at the team in sorrow. "Kent Nelson is dead. We need to take the Helmet of Fate back with us. Its not safe here."

Everyone hung there head in a moment of respect for the late hero.

Mount Justice

August 20, 03:48 EDT

Pietro sat on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He sat up when he felt his sister's presence in his mind.

Wands? Where are you?

Outside the mountain. I can't risk going inside right now. Kid Flash still has residual magic lingering on him, his senses are heightened and he hasn't left yet.

I stopped Klarion from getting the Helmet of Fate tonight. Does that throw a wrench in anything?

No. It doesn't.  The Light does not want him to have the Helmet, so that works in our favor.

'Our' favor?

You know what I mean, 'tro.

...okay. Do you want my report?

Yes. Give me anything and everything you have.

And that is exactly what Pietro did, from secret identities to personalities,  from relationship dynamics between team members and the Justice League to the cave layout and any security codes he managed to get. He told his twin who would be the easiest to manipulate and who was the most insecure, all the while ignoring the feeling of guilt and shame building in him.

He was doing this so he could be with his sister once more.  He had to do what he had to do.

For Wanda.