32 Chapter 31

-[Dante]-

He lowered the defeated villain to lie flat on the ground as the teens made their way to the tied up Kent Nelson.

"Oh, company. What brings you here?" Kent asked, as if he wasn't previously being tortured.

Robin began undoing the rope that bound the man. "We're here to rescue you."

"We were." Superboy muttered, glancing at Dante who had been silent so far.

"I take it that you four are responsible for dealing with Klarion?" Kent asked as he stood to his feet, massaging his wrists in an attempt to regain feeling.

M'gann had a confused look on her face. "Who?"

Kent's eyes silently scrutinized them as Dante began speaking. "Batman sent us to find you and make sure the helmet was safe."

The man's eyes finally landed on Dante but the boy wasn't done talking. "It's also because we need your help."

Kent showed a mysterious smile. "Well then, why don't we take this conversation elsewhere?" He proposed before leading them out of the theater.

Dante's eyes didn't leave the man's frame once as he led them back to the open clearing that the team once stood in.

However, unlike the time they were there earlier, there was a shimmer of air as a large structure appeared before their eyes.

The eyes of Superboy, Robin and M'gann widened but Dante only frowned.

"Woah. Try staying whelmed after that." Robin quipped as Kent stood in front of the door, a golden ankh appearing before the door opened up.

As soon as they entered, Dante's frown deepened. It felt like his entire body was buzzing just from being inside.

-[Belle Reve]-

-[Sportsmaster]-

Lawrence Crock laid on the bed in his cell in the prison.

The frown on his face hadn't lessened even a bit since the moment he was put in here. He would never forget the faces of those kids who ruined his mission and got him locked up.

He especially wouldn't forgive that accursed clone. As the light's enforcer, he was privy to that knowledge. There was also the fact that he was Speedy's handler.

He didn't even bother conversing with his 'cellmate', he'd get no response.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw the shadow of the bed extend and expand before his very eyes.

"Took you long enough." He muttered under his breath as a man in a suit and a skull-like mask emerged from the shadow.

"Don't blame me that you got caught." Shade retorted as another figure emerged from the shadow.

Lawrence's eyes widened for a moment as he took in the new arrival's features…they were his features!

"Ivo really does great work." He said after a moment, getting off the bed as the android took his place. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

His eyes then moved to the 'person' lying quietly on the bunk bed above his own. It was an android made in Ivo's exact image that took his place soon after he was put in here.

The scientist was cautious and already had it made a long time ago should the need for it arise.

Stepping beside Shade and onto the shadow, the two criminals sunk into the doorway of darkness, disappearing from the prison with no one being the wiser.

-[Tower Of Fate]-

-[Dante]-

With the aid of a psychic illusion, he had explained to Kent the 'meeting' between the lords and himself.

"That is an interesting tale." Kent had a small frown on his face as well as a thoughtful expression. "To be summoned by the lords of order or chaos is no trivial thing. Being summoned by both of them is even more concerning."

They were in what appeared to be the 'living room' of the tower. The teens and Kent himself were seated on the chairs, facing each other.

"We were hoping you could shed some more light on it." Dante said, relieved that he could finally get some answers.

"Unfortunately, I can't give you the answers you're looking for." And like that, Dante's hope was shot down.

Seeing the boy's expression change, Kent quickly continued speaking. "I can't make any assumptions but it may have to do with that thing hiding inside of you."

Dante gained a confused look as he briefly examined his body. "Inside me? I don't follow."

"Even I can't explain it but I do feel something coming from you. It's like a dam waiting to just burst forth." Kent said, causing Dante's mind to travel to the locked door in his mental plane.

'Can it be…that's what he's talking about?' He wondered as he tried to feel the door while staying conscious.

His body almost shook as he felt the door. The door, while still locked, was trembling violently. The energetic and almost uncomfortable buzzing he felt on his skin hadn't stopped either.

"Don't look so down kid. I myself may not have the answers but I know who does." Kent said in a mysterious way as he stood to his feet.

Facing the wall where the painting of Kent's late wife hung, they watched as the wall opened up, revealing an elevator behind it.

"This place just keeps getting stranger." Robin commented as they were ushered into the elevator.

It was almost a tight fit but they managed.

"While I can't presume to know how they think, I can introduce you to a lord of order who should be able to give you answers." Kent said as the elevator music played in the background.

"Dr Fate…" M'gann muttered, causing Kent to nod.

"Exactly. I may not be as young as I used to be but Fate needs a host body. Especially now that Klarion is after the helmet."

"Who is this Klarion guy? You mentioned him earlier." It was Superboy who asked the question.

"To put it simply, Klarion is a lord of chaos, the ultimate enemy of a lord of order like Dr Fate. He was in the theater with Abra but disappeared moments before you arrived." Kent explained. "Since you four didn't chase him off, I have no idea where he is."

Dante's mind briefly traveled to the cat familiar whose neck he crushed before leading the team into the theater.

He knew it wouldn't take long for him to reappear but he needed Kent alive. He wasn't going to risk putting on the helmet nor would he allow a member of his team to put it on.

*Ding!*

The elevator then opened up to reveal an endless realm of stairways. Directly in front of them was a stairway with a large golden bell at the top.

They walked in silence as Kent muttered something. There was a brief golden glow as the man's signature cane appeared in his hand.

"Ah thank goodness. I was beginning to miss it." On that vague note, he struck the giant bell with said cane.

The echoing sound was ominous to Dante's ears as the bell gained a golden glow.

Without hesitation, Kent moved towards it, disappearing in a golden light as he walked into it.

"Well you don't see that everyday." Robin commented as they copied Kent's actions with Dante in the lead.

As Dante walked into it, his surroundings suddenly changed. Looking around, he found himself at the top of the tower along with Kent and others.

In the air above them, a golden helmet floated ominously.

Kent turned to Dante. "Mind lending a hand?"

Dante's eyes narrowed for a moment before reaching out his hand and calling on his telekinesis to pull the helmet towards his palm.

Just before his hand touched the helmet, there was a brief golden spark between them.

*BOOM!*

A violet light burst from Dante, a powerful force pushing everyone else away as the light engulfed the roof.

When the light finally died down, the eyes of everyone on the roof widened. Where Dante previously stood now had a human sized purple crystal.