Chapter 22 : House of Mystery
[Author note : New Squib who became Iron Lad. I'm on leave from work for 3 weeks. Woohoo~ ! I'm planning on writing and posting more in order to increase the number of chapters available on P A T R E O N. Depending on how much I write, I might increase the post frequency here, too ! So, keep your fingers crossed, you guys !
If you're interested in my stories or want to encourage me, please check out my Patréon : https://www.patréon.com/user?u=66371596 (replace the é by a normal e) or look for Cathbel on their website
KoSP : 2 advanced chapters
The Squib who became Iron Lad... In DC : 3 advanced chapters
AoH : Prologue + 6 chapters (exclusive)
MoH : 8 chapters (Exclusive)
VOG : 6 chapters (exclusive)
Enjoy and please tell me what you think of it !]
When Ned came to, he didn't recognize where he was. The last thing he remembered was…
« Circe ! » He yelled as he shot up.
The first thing he did was look around. The witch was nowhere to be seen, nor was her palace. He was lying on a couch in some kind of living room, with a fire lighting the hearth and bringing a comforting warmth. The room looked cozy but a little dated, like it was built a long time ago. Wooden oak panel covered most of the walls, except the fireplace made out of stone and oil lanterns were adorning the walls, giving another source of light.
Ned was confused. He had no idea where he was or what happened during the fight with Circe. Had they won ? Or was he captured ? He immediately dismissed the idea : the witch was notoriously misandrist. The only men she allowed by her sides were the ones she'd transformed into animals.
Suddenly feeling dread, he looked down at his hands and sighed in relief, discovering his ten digits, fur and claws free. So, he wasn't captured… unless this place was some kind of illusion and he was trapped in his own head, somehow ?
As usual for the squib, when faced with a mystery, his mind worked on elaborating hypotheses, even if they were rather worrying sometimes. Considering the blanket he was covered with, the fire and the fact that the environment was decidedly non-threatening, perhaps he was safe. For now.
As he was about to get up and explore this place, the door was opened and a man came in. Instantly, the heavy scent of tobacco accompanied the man's arrival and the English accent clued him in as to the possible identity of the man. And Ned was… worried.
For one, he wasn't wearing his armor anymore, which meant that his identity was exposed. Did anyone else see his face ? And if they did, could they have found out who he was ? John Constantine, the man who entered, being a magic user with demon blood, probably knew… After all, given the threats and problems he faced, he had to keep up to date on the Wizarding world. But what about the others ? The No-majs knew of him a little for being successful on the Market and his software designs… That was about it. He doubted the teenage Kryptonian girl would have heard of him. Diana Prince, on the other hand ? Demi-Goddess, trained by Ares and princess of the Amazons ? That was another story.
« Where is she, anyway ? » He muttered to himself.
When he saw her the first time, there was something he'd wanted to ask of her but… Well, the situation didn't really allow for personal chats. He really hoped she hadn't died because of his interference or that this Earth wasn't one that killed off its heroes.
« Well, well, well ! Looks like the lad's up ! How you doin', mate ? I've managed to reverse the b… Sorry, the witch's spell, alright ? You feeling anything different ? A pecking for red meat, perhaps ? »
« Ugh… So, that's what happened ? She got me ? Dammit, I need to work on something to deal with God-level entities. She isn't even one of the strongest ones… »
The last part he muttered to himself. And indeed, that was true. Compared to figures like Highfather, Darkseid and other such gods, Circe was small potatoes. But then again, she wasn't actually a Goddess. She'd just been given powers by one !
Sure, the Goddess in question, Hecate, was the first of her kind and the Mother of all Magic, but she couldn't turn a mortal into a Goddess. Not that she'd want to anyway. The piece of magic she'd been given wasn't so Circe became stronger ! It was a means for Hecate to protect herself from humans. Or rather, people like the self-appointed, entitled Lords of Order, who'd imprisoned her to steal her powers. They were meant to be safely kept by the mortals, until a time the Goddess would feel safe or strong enough to retrieve it.
« Yep ! You went and got done in by her nasty curse. I heard, even without yar fancy armor, you gave the princess a run for her money. »
« Where am I ? » Ned interrupted Constantine's babbling.
« Where are ma manners ? » With a flourish and his arm shooting to the sides, he continued : « Welcome !… To the House of Mystery ! »
« The… House of Mystery ? Never heard of it. »
While he indeed never heard of it, he did read about it, once or twice. If he wasn't mistaken, it would go on to become the HQ of the Justice League Dark, the team of heroes which dealt with the mystique. But at this point in time, since the Justice League wasn't born yet, and the Justice Society of America hadn't been reformed (yet ?), he doubted the JLD existed.
The question now was… Why was he here ? A question he promptly asked and to which Constantine responded :
« I arrived right after the b… witch had left. Ya were down and ugly and the two babes didn't know what to do… As the gentleman I am, I couldn't leave em in a pickle now, could I ? So I offered them shelter here. To tend to their wounds, though Blondie didn't have any and to allow them to keep an eye on ya. They'll be glad you're up, mate. And with less… hair. »
During the whole conversation, Constantine was smoking and blowing up smoke without regard for whether or not it bothered Ned. As a matter of fact, he even seemed to treat the House of Mystery as a giant ashtray. It was evidenced by all the ash he left around him or the fact that he just threw the cigarette butt without looking once he was finished.
With a small deprecating smile, Ned spoke up :
« People must tell you all the time, but… You're kind of a dick. Second hand smoke is bad, especially for developing young men like me ! »
Unbothered, Constantine nodded :
« It's been told. The truth is I'm an acquired taste. Like alcohol or tobacco… Give it time. Ya'll come to luv me, lad ! » Then, he shrugged : « As for the smoke… Even if you're a squib, ya've still inherited the Wizarding constitution like all squibs do. A little smoke isn't gonna give ya cancer ! »
« What about my friends ? »
« Your friends ? Oh ! You mean the robots ? »
« I mean My. Friends ! Are they here too ? »
« Yah, they're here. I've to say, it's the first time the House's been this happy about visitors. Even its main resident, me, doesn't get such a warm welcome. »
When he heard this and recalled that the House of Mystery was supposed to possess some sort of sentience, he assumed that it felt kinship with his children. Perhaps the house had some kind of spirit ? In Japanese folklore, there was a type of spirit that guarded and managed houses and in fact, even in western folklore, there existed Brownie spirits, who were also supposed to take care of the house. He wondered if the house inspired the lore. After all, it was a House that was traveling all over the world and even different dimensions, so… Why not ?
He got up, faltering slightly as he felt a bit dizzy. Nothing some water and rest wouldn't fix, but for now…
« Let's go meet them ! » Ned decided.
* * * * *
Winston, Mel, as well as the Kryptonian and the Amazon were all sitting around a long dinner table, chatting and eating… At least the flesh and blood people were. From what he could overhear while arriving, Wonder Woman was fascinated by the two 'automatons' as she called them, and how lifelike they were. She praised in her slightly archaic way of speaking the work Ned had done to create them. She also marveled that someone she qualified a 'child' had been able to create souls. Especially given the fact that he was neither an homo magi, or a wizard… Souls were the domain of gods and masters of magic. Not of powerless teenager, even if said teenager was a genius…
As for the blonde teenager, although she was elegantly eating, her glances toward Winston and Mel told of her own interest in them. She grew up on a world where advanced technology was common place, but their robots were… well, robotic. Nothing like the two she'd first taken as Circe's beastmen. In fact, she wondered how it was possible for something like this to even exist. What kind of metal could appear and feel like skin ? What kind of metal would have the texture of fur ? Were the actual robots covered in some kind of epidermis to give them such an appearance ? It was the only logical explanation but then… It was a waste of money and time ! It wasn't like they were created to infiltrate modern society and kill someone… Because if they were, the gorilla or the girl with blue skin, they weren't exactly inconspicuous.
She both marveled at the robots' existence and puzzled.
That's when Ned made his entrance and as the teenage girl noticed his arrival, she couldn't help but blush. She'd never imagine that the person who wore the armor was so… cute ! There was also something… A kind of confidence in his gait that drew attention.
« Hello, everyone ! »
Mel was the first to react :
« Ned ! Where's your armor ? »
From the sound of her voice, it was clear that she was pissed. And he understood why : at this point, he might as well reveal his identity to the world, given the number of people who knew… Harry Potter and his friends, Steel, and now Supergirl and Wonder Woman. Supergirl would probably tell Superman and Wonder Woman… Well, her and Superman would create the Justice League in the near future so, everyone of their members would probably learn of it sooner or later.
He shook his head before answering :
« I have no idea. I woke up like this. At least, I was wearing clothes. » He turned to Constantine. « Where is my armor, by the way ? »
« It's safe. Don't worry, lad ! »
Ned frowned. He knew Constantine was a shady character so he expected something like this. The man did still Shazam's power from Billy Batson, after all. Even if it was temporary…
« Where. Is. It ? »
« Alright ! Don't get your panties twisted in a bunch ! It's in my study ! I was hoping to figure out how it worked… »
« Yeah ? Well, it's proprietary information. I might not have patented it, 'cause let's face it, magical society is pretty backward but it is mine ! And I dislike people trying to steal my stuff… »
« Geez ! I wasn't gonna steal it. I just wanted to peek a bit under the hood, know what I mean ? »
« Can I have it back, now ? No offense, I'm sure you're pretty smart, not to mention, more experienced when it comes to magic but this ? It's not just magic. It's science applied to magic. If you haven't learned the scientific method, I'm not sure you'll achieve much. » A pause. « And I don't want you to, either. At least, not with my stuff. »
« Science applied to magic ? Lad, that's a load of bollocks ! Magic and science don't go together… Something you'd know if you'd gone to any magic school. »
Ned shrugged and revealed :
« I think it's precisely because of this that I was able to do what I've done. I study magic from a no-maj's point of view. A scientific point of view. And I've been able to understand a fair bit of how it's supposed to work and why. You've seen it yourself, right ? Or do you think a squib like me, or any other squib for that matter, could ride a broom, fire a wand and stuff ? Well… It's not exactly like that, but you get what I mean. Theoretically, my armor and my phones allow anyone to use magic. »
« And do you realize how dangerous that is ? »
Ned scoffed but didn't bother to reply. He threw Mel a look that she understood easily : She nodded. Soon, the armor came up the stair from a side door leading to the basement. When he saw it, Ned frowned. He didn't know if Constantine had done something to it but it was pretty beat up. The armor was dented in multiple places : the chest plate, the arms and the thighs. Even the helmet was deformed. The weird thing was… The damage hadn't come from the outside for the most part. After a short moment to ponder, Ned figured why it was this way. Circe's curse had enlarged his own frame and the armor was designed for his current one. Frankly, it was impressive that Ned's body wasn't injured during the shift… It also showed how frightening the woman was. Even if goblin silver wasn't the hardest metal on earth, it was still much harder than the human body. And of course, this was an understatement.
He swore under his breath before he turned to look at the Amazon. It was time :
« I have a favor to ask of you, Amazon. »