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Chapter 110: Welcome To Hell III
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Selina, aka Catwoman, has vanished, and the Roses couldn't find even a shadow of her though Ian seems strangely sure she's alive and well.
That didn't stop him from looking for her though, and to do that, he called someone who also wanted to contact him. They both wanted something from each other, so they made a deal.
On that note, Ian was left pretty much alone with Harley and Ivy as Raven also left on a self-exploration trip of sorts though Ian knows exactly what's on her mind, and he's looking forward to what she can achieve on her own.
He taught her a lot, and showed her many ways she could face an enemy such as Trigon, so of course he's looking forward to what she'll do. Will she go with such methods, or will she use a better method of her own? It was almost like an entertaining show for him.
"It's been a while..." Ian smiled and greeted his guest without leaving his place.
He was seated on a large cushion in the guest room, awaiting her with a golden bat in his hands, the god killer. He did send it away to his dimension instantly after.
"I see that you're alive and well." His guest, lady Xanadu sized him up from top to bottom. She has already talked to him on the phone, so she knows he's alive, but you know what they say, seeing is believing.
And she had to see it and truly appreciate how much he changed. He looked like a different person entirely as if years passed.
He was already handsome but now he was more. He was appealing to her, someone who had wandered the earth for thousands of years.
"Yeah, I still can't believe it. I thought I was dead for sure." Ian chuckle.
She was however having none of it, "I felt like you didn't believe in my prophecy at the time, and now I'm sure you never believed in it in the first place."
"Hmm? Why wouldn't I believe in one of the best prophets in the world?"
"That I wonder as well." Xanadu smiled as she took an already prepared seat close to him.
"Well, I will be generous and let you read my future again. Perhaps you can see something accurate this time." Ian lifted his palm on his own accord, even taunting her.
"Why do I feel like that's exactly what you want? And my hunches are usually correct." Xanadu remarked, crossing her legs together.
"Yet you will still take the bait." Ian smiled still, and she indeed did without a word. Her hands found themselves all over his, looking at every nook and cranny of his palm.
A frown soon emerged on her beautiful mature face as she murmured, "You know. I didn't see much last time, a rare case but it happens. I've dealt with cases similar where I just feel that the connection will be severed at a specific point of time which I consider to be death."
Her eyes met Ian's, seeming confused as she continued, "I've never been wrong, not since I reached my level, and I still didn't fail because your connection was indeed severed.
That same day I spoke of, something happened that severed the connection, and it's still in that state because even now, I can see nothing."
"Hmm. Huh, I see." Ian took his hand back, bringing his staff out and feeding it his life force like usual while contemplating her words.
"How?" She couldn't help but ask, curious because he obviously seems to know something as if he just needed a confirmation.
"I wonder." Ian shrugged. Of course he knew, but he wouldn't tell her. He couldn't tell her that, 'As expected... It all comes back to the energy I call my life force. It never happened before, but that day, giving away my life force healed my wounds and even my old scars.
I had many doubts about that, and many assumptions... Now, I'm almost certain that what she saw as my death was actually the transformation of my life force which has cut off that connection.
The transformations didn't stop there but they continued until today. I can clearly sense the gorgeous petal tattoo on my back on the verge of completion, and that should declare another transformation.'
Ian sensed many things through his life force. It was long ago that he started sensing anything within the area of it.
The give and take process further allowed him to slowly gain more control over things such as his staff and rings to the point where he can now do something akin to telekinesis.
It all started when the tattoo on his back started becoming clearer. He felt a faint connection with the staff which continued to deepen with him feeding it his life force until he became able to control it from afar.
He was even more sure of an assumption of his once he discovered that this sensing and controlling transformation does take the energy, but it goes into the tattoo.
It was as if the tattoo was medium to all that he controls, and he also verified that.
It got to the point that Ian had to wonder, 'Is my life force truly a life force? Or is life force just a part of it... Do I even have a life force? Does this energy I produce just function similarly to life force, but it's not actually that?'
He had so many questions but so few answers like always, and it was killing him. Still, he found himself somewhat entertained. He found himself to be like a book, slowly unfolding before him.
The question is how much effect can he have on the process? can he accelerate it significantly, even more than he was doing now?
"I guess you have your troubles yourself." Xanadu softly remarked.
"I guess I do... Anyway, let's get to business. I will help you recover your magical abilities in return for your occasional help with your precognition."
Xanadu smiled, and nodded, "Starting from now."
"You do seem to have great trust in my ability to help you though. Did Zatanna tell you something?" Ian wondered.
"Ah? As I thought. Zatanna is the one that reserved a spot in your team?" She saw no reaction from his still, so letting out a small sensual laugh, she continued.
"I guess I missed my shot. My only regret is that I trusted myself too much at the time, thinking you were as good as dead, so I didn't bother investigating your strangeness, and that odd energy you release."
Her smile turned a bit quirky, "I'm honestly tempted to make someone disappear under mysterious circumstances to get what I believe to be the best future for me."
She was methodical and logical, mostly thinking about benefits than feelings as Ian noted, "I mean, we already have a deal, so we're in some kind of partnership, but you can if you can."
"Unfortunately, I can not." She shook her head before she continued, "Now, about your girl. It was extremely hard to do so as if veiled by something of darkness, but I found her... In Egypt."
Ian narrowed his eyes. That was something even the Roses couldn't find, "She must've been taken there by some supernatural force then, because there were no traces of her going there... Exact location?"
"Temple of Bastet."
"Huh? That's interesting, but odd at the same time." He had many doubts about the mysterious circumstances, but he still has to go. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? Well...
"Welcome to hell..." How did this happen? How did it come to this? Most importantly, is this for charity?