Absolute DC Part 2: As Fate Would Have It
On the outskirts of the city of Salem, Massachusetts lies the Kent Nelson Institution for Higher Learning, a private boarding school for teens and younger children founded under a previous name in 1694, during the initial colonization of the USA. Headed by headmistress Dr. Juniper Moon, the school is actually a bastion of safety Homo magi, humans born with supernatural abilities; it was founded after the Salem witch trials claimed the lives of around 25 innocent magic users. Dr. Moone is the public face of the school, but the true benefactor of these empowered youngsters is Dr. Fate, a powerful sorcerer whose true identity is concealed by the Golden Helm of Foresight he almost constantly wears. Dr. Fate is the leader of The Shadowpact, a team of magic-users that protects Homo magi and normal humans alike from insidious forces across the world. Zatanna Zatara, a student of the school, has returned to talk to Dr. Fate, who long-ago took her under his wing after the death of her parents, who were close friends of Fate in his normal human identity. Zatanna was immediately met by her long-time friends Rex Mason, Eve Helstrom, and Zatanna’s on-again/off-again boyfriend Dan Cassidy. Dr. Fate had sent Zatanna to be a mole in both the Justice League and in the lives of John Kent and his children; John Kent is the civilian identity of Superman, one of the leaders of the Justice League. Fate had observed Zatanna through portals, but the portals only provided visuals, not sound, so he needed her to come in to report all the information she gathered. Zatanna and her friends caught up before she made her way to Fate’s office in the old clock tower build by the original founders of the school. She stumbled upon Fate and Moone watching television. It was a news story covering Carl Wotan, Homo magi and member of The Syndicate, assaulting a ‘gay conversion therapy camp’ to kill the faculty and liberate the children there. The longer the Shadowpact waits to act, commented Moone, the more damage the Syndicate will do. Fate said that he and the team are almost ready to deal with them, and their plans for Superman’s son Connor Kent, but more time is needed. Moone also says that they need to do something about Wotan soon because, even with the Syndicate defeated, he poses a threat of exposing the school, as he was a previous student there, and thus threatens the lives of all Homo magi out there. Soon enough, after Zatanna convened with Fate, there was another emergency report of Wotan attacking another facility. As the teachers convened with Fate to watch this on the news, Moone began leaving the school to confront Wotan herself. Barnabus, a teacher and senior member of the Shadowpact, confronted Moone but she brutally attacked him, drawing the attention of the other teachers/Shadowpact members and Fate himself. Magically donning the ceremonial Enchantress robes of her ancestral culture, Moone battled the senior members of the Shadowpact and defeated them before burying the unconscious Dr. Fate under some rubble. Etrigan the demon returned to the school too late to fight Enchantress, but helped rescue Fate and the teachers. With the Shadowpact now in healing stasis from Enchantress’ attack, Dr. Fate asked Zatanna, Dan, Rex, Eve, and Etrigan to become the new Shadowpact to defeat the Enchantress. They agreed and entered the portal leading them to where Enchantress went to. They emerged in New York City, where Enchantress was already engaged in a magical battle with Wotan. Dan attacked and distracted Enchantress, leading to Wotan escaping via the Syndicate’s teleporter. With the younger Shadowpact on the ropes, Dr. Fate showed up to turn the tides. Then, Zatanna unleashed her full magical power on Enchantress with Dr. Fate’s help, unleashing a blast that knocked both her and Enchantress out. Agents of the DEO (Department of Extranormal Operations) arrived to subdue Enchantress and the Shadowpact fled, leaving behind a sigil of sealing for the DEO to use to keep Moone’s powers at bay. Back at the school, Dan sat at Zatanna’s side as she recovered in a healing stasis field. Dr. Fate was left alone in his office as he talked to three mysterious beings. The Controllers told Fate that he’s running out of time to both save Zatanna’s life and defeat the Syndicate, which means upholding the bargain the Controllers’ struck with Fate…
Notes:</u>
* The ankh pendants on the lapels of the Shadowpact members’ clothes is their symbol and also provide magical remote communication with each other.
* Dr. Fate’s Golden Helm of Foresight was constructed by the prophet Nabu, brother-in-law of the first Highfather of the secret city of Genesis.
* Juniper Moone is a descendant of the Mesopotamian sorceresses, the Enchantresses.
* Dan Cassidy is based on The Blue Devil.
** He is a Homo magi with blue skin, pointed ears, and the ability to secrete and manipulate an organic liquid metal.
* Rex Mason is based on Metamorpho, and he used the same codename when he was one of the Outsiders.
* Eve Helstrom is based on Nightshade and is an amalgam of Eve Eden and Sturges Helstrom. Her power is the ability to control darkness, resulting in intangibility, teleportation, and shadow constructs.
** Eve’s purple skin and poor eyesight in light (hence the dark goggles) is a result of her Homo magi genetics.
* Etrigan the demon was wandering the earth, aimless, until Dr. Fate gave him new purpose at the school and with the Shadowpact.
* Barnabus is a highly-intelligent chimpanzee who is a teacher at the school and a senior Shadowpact member. He is based on “Bobo the Detective Chimp”.
* Zatanna, unbeknownst to her, has a genetic defect that is slowly eating at her the more she uses her powers. Dr. Fate struck a deal with the Controllers to save her and defeat the Syndicate, even if that means Fate’s enslavement to the Controllers… and the murder of Connor Kent.
