| Salem - October 3
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Joseph rapped on the door of the Tower of Fate.
A few moments later, the door opened—and to his surprise, it was Raven who answered.
"Oh, hi Rachel. I almost forgot you live with the old man," Joseph greeted.
"Hello," she replied simply. "I'll lead you to Kent since you're here for him." Without another word, she turned and walked inside. Joseph followed.
He had been here once before, but the interior still amazed him. They ascended and descended through several stairways that seemed to defy logic, their shifting geometry and impossible architecture resembling M.C. Escher's Relativity.
"You like it here?" Joseph asked, attempting small talk.
"Yes," Rachel replied curtly, continuing down the twisting corridor. Joseph took the hint. Not everyone was social, and she seemed to appreciate his silence.
Eventually, they entered a cozy study. Rachel gave him a polite nod before vanishing once more through the labyrinthine halls of the Tower.
"Hello, kid. What brings you here?" Kent Nelson greeted from his couch, a book in hand.
"Klarion returned," Joseph said, prompting Kent to sit upright in alarm. "But I took care of him again." He lifted his left wrist, revealing the Chaos Nth Band, currently in the form of a sleek fitness watch.
That made Kent raise an eyebrow. "Explain."
"You already know my body can store magic," Joseph began. "Klarion somehow used the magic he left inside me to return to the mortal plane and tried to possess me. But my body's different now—I have Nth metal flowing through my veins. I was able to redirect Klarion's essence into this band."
Kent rose with his cane and examined the device closely, gripping Joseph's wrist. "Fascinating. It's similar to the Helmet of Fate. But how did you escape being possessed? Does this have something to do with the Dream realm within you?"
Joseph blinked. "How did you know about that?"
"Remember when I asked if you'd heard of Wesley Dodds? He's the Sandman," Kent answered. "He and I had a few adventures in the Dream Dimension back in the day. Recognizing its essence was easy. But now that you're living Nth metal, I can't detect anything from you at all. Truly fascinating."
Even decades retired, Kent still had the curiosity of a researcher.
"It seems completely safe," Kent continued, "but only if you wear it. Anyone else would be possessed instantly."
"Thanks for checking," Joseph replied. "It seems I can only be possessed if I willingly absorb Klarion's magic throughout my body, and even then, I can expel it with my Dream creature. But I came here for something else. Klarion told me he's been cut off from the Plane of Chaos—and that the Lords of Chaos plan to send another agent, carrying all their essences, to wreak havoc on Earth."
Kent's expression turned grave.
Then Joseph's Nova Sense flared. His instincts screamed a warning. In an instant, he reached out and seized a figure materializing beside them by the neck.
A black man in a suit, fedora, and cape—his eyes pure white—looked stunned as Joseph held him aloft. Joseph's right hand morphed into an Nth metal blade.
"Let him go—that's the Phantom Stranger, a mystic ally," Kent said quickly.
"My bad. Didn't expect someone to breach the Tower of Fate," Joseph said, releasing his grip and lowering the man gently using his anti-gravity field.
The man gave Joseph the creeps. And he knew why. From Savage's memories, he knew exactly who the Stranger really was.
Judas Iscariot—the apostle who betrayed Jesus. After Judas took his own life, the Council of Wizards cursed him to walk the Earth forever. God, however, offered him a path to atonement, transforming him into the enigmatic Phantom Stranger.
It was one thing to know God existed from Nova having seen Abel and Cain in the House of Mystery, as well as the Devil when he was following Dream the Endless, but it was another thing to meet a man that met God. Maybe he should take Pastor Norman McCay up on his offer to visit his church in Chicago one of these days.
The Stranger coughed and massaged his neck, looking mildly embarrassed. "The error was mine as well, Joseph Bell." Oh wow, the full government name. "I came regarding the very topic you were discussing." He turned to Kent. "It may be time to unretire Doctor Fate. I was planning to contact Jason Blood, the Wizard, and other mystics—Raven, Zatara, and the rest of the Justice League."
"Raven is but a child. Leave her out of this," Kent said.
"The coming Lord of Chaos is stronger than any before. If unopposed, their arrival could spell Earth's destruction. We'll need every force united to prepare."
Kent's face darkened further.
The Helmet of Fate had been forged around the second millennium BC by the Lords of Order, who fused Nabu's spirit within it after his death to create a new Lord of Order on Earth. With no body of his own, Nabu ensured the helmet passed from host to host so he could continue his eternal war against Chaos.
Eventually, the helmet found Kent Nelson, who used its power as Doctor Fate and became a founding member of the Justice Society of America. Decades later, at his wife Inza's request, Kent had retired. The helmet had remained sealed within the Tower of Fate for sixty-five years.
To don it again now would feel like betraying his late wife's wishes—and Kent remembered too well the suffocating loss of control that came with wearing it. After so long, Nabu would almost certainly refuse to relinquish the body once more.
"If you won't wear the helmet, let another do it," the Stranger urged.
"Finding a suitable host isn't easy," Kent replied solemnly. "And I won't let anyone else suffer that fate. If it comes to it, I'll wear it—and die with it."
Joseph opened a psychic link with the Chaos Nth Band. [I know you've been listening. How exactly can you help me magic-wise?] he asked Klarion mentally.
[When I possessed your body, I noticed it was connected to the Source. Order and Chaos magic both stem from it, amplifying its attributes. But your body converts Source energy into another energy, losing its magical qualities—especially with all that ninth metal in you. Direct some of that Source energy to me, and I'll convert it into Chaos magic you can use. You won't be able to cast spells, but you'll be able to fire eldritch blasts—and Chaos magic can harm Lords of Chaos.]
[That means I have to keep you around,] Joseph thought. [Smart.]
He turned to Kent. "No one's dying, old man. I'm connected to the Source, and Klarion just told me I can channel Source energy into Chaos magic, which will hurt Child. And if it comes down to it, let me wear the helmet. I have a better chance of removing Nabu anyway."
"You don't know what you're signing up for," Kent warned. "You could lose decades of your life—spent as a puppet of Order, not even justice."
"I have countermeasures for that," Joseph said with a faint smirk. "They worked on Klarion, and I'm confident they'll work on Nabu too."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Kent said. "Stranger, I'll accompany you on your recruitment drive."
"I'll let you guys keep preparing, old man. Judas," Joseph said. The Phantom Stranger's eyes widened at hearing his true identity, but Joseph just smirked—payback for the Stranger using his full government name. He was petty like that.
Then Joseph opened a boom tube and stepped through.