...........
Chapter 188: Pure Scientific Evil IV
...........
Yeah, Dr. Manhattan is way too dangerous. It feels like he can see through him, and understand him more than he understands himself, but that's also what Ian wants, to find the answers no matter the method.
Dr. Manhattan emotionlessly observed Ian with a tad bit of interest. The latter was seated on Neptune with his eyes closed.
His staff was hovering behind him, and Dr. Manhattan could visibly detect a domain enveloping Ian, a temporal domain where time is thousands of times faster.
What attracted most of Dr. Manhattan's interest, however, wasn't Ian's control of time but the magic he was messing around with.
It took Dr. Manhattan only a second to deem that Ian was creating a magical spell capable of destroying the entire universe.
He was curious and very much anticipating what Ian would come up with. Dr. Manhattan very much enjoyed Ian's company because he can not see his future.
He's forced to wait, something Dr. Manhattan never had to do because he lives in the past, present, and future simultaneously. It was like an exciting ride, one where he has to think and predict the destination.
Not just that, Ian was feeding his Death force into the Mother and Father boxes at the same time, and he strangely found it much easier to take control of them, 'Perhaps because I've awakened the third Death Rose?'
He wasn't sure, and he didn't dwell on it for long. Instead, he continued with the creation of a spell incomprehensible to almost every magical being.
Normally, with his new perfect magic, all he needs is thoughts to basically twist reality, but that's limited due to the limits of his Death force output.
A grand spell on the other hand will allow him to construct something akin to a battery that will constantly absorb his magic as he produces it for as long as he wants.
And the spell will only stop once the magic it needs to take effect is there. That's the difference between instantaneous casting and grand spells.
"It was very hard to find you." Suddenly, out of nowhere, someone spoke that isn't Dr. Manhattan or Ian.
Ian opened his eyes, eyeing the unexpected guest, "Luci? What are you doing here?"
Lucifer Morningstar, the devil himself stood right next to Ian with his eyes never leaving Dr. Manhattan while the latter's eyes remained on Ian.
"I was worried. You suddenly disappeared without any warning. I almost wanted to cause a spark throughout the universe, thinking that you're escaping our deal." Lucifer murmured with a smile.
He was comfortable enough around Dr. Manhattan to start circling around him, sizing him up, "And what's this blue ball?"
"The blue ball?" Ian eyed Lucifer weirdly before giving an honest answer, "He's my kidnaper, quite rude honestly."
"Mm, I can see that. It is indeed quite rude." Lucifer agreed, noting that the blue ball's eyes didn't pay attention to him not one time.
"He also seems to be all-knowing. Who knows, he might know the answers to your questions, negating our deal altogether." Ian further added with a smile.
He noted Lucifer's clear provocation of the Blue ball, referring to him as It. Then again, that would be a better way to describe Dr. Manhattan.
"All knowing?" Lucifer narrowed his eyes as he stood right before Dr. Manhattan, obscuring the latter's eyesight from Ian, "You do feel familiar. Have we met before?"
No answer was received, so Lucifer added to make things easier for the blue ball, "Did we have sex by any chance? Are you my father? Or are you a toy of his?"
Dr. Manhattan certainly didn't expect that as his attention turned to Lucifer. Ian obscuring his future vision gave him many surprises, some good, some bad.
"No. No. Maybe, but unlikely. I'm a toy of my own creation." Dr. Manhattan responded.
"Oh yeah? Wanna fuck then? Do you have a dick? Can you like have a pussy if you so wish? God that sounds naughty!" Again, Dr. Manhattan didn't expect Lucifer's response at all.
Something else he didn't expect was Lucifer patting him on his shoulder and that simple action's consequences.
"Do not do that again." Dr. Manhattan spoke, well, it was more so an order, and Lucifer could care less about orders.
So Lucifer started to applaud, ignoring the consequences of this small gesture, "Quite the tough guy you are huh? Wanna get intimate somewhere else?"
Dr. Manhattan coldly emotionlessly stared at Lucifer, almost as if he was looking at a child. He then glanced at Ian before vanishing along with Lucifer.
And Ian was left alone, eyeing the surroundings with amusement. Lucifer's pat evaporated Neptune and everything down from it for what he assumed to be galaxies away.
It was like the pat created a destructive wave that went on to eradicate everything in its way.
Not what did the applause do? Well, it shook the universe. It destroyed numerous planets, gravity lost its foot, and suns reached their end, even the ones with plenty of lifespan left.
"Well, that went well. I'm so fucking smart. I totally saw this coming." Ian shook his head as he stated, his tone sounding a bit sarcastic.
He took a step, and he found himself back in the House of Mystery. A very interesting sight appeared before him, Raven V Athena in chess and the other girls watching.
And well, Athena was a bit too much even for Raven, "I guess lost again." Raven gave up, stood up, and teleported directly before Ian, hugging him instantly.
"We just started the match??" Athena spoke, a bit speechless, "Just say you want to hug him first."
"Thank you." Raven gently mumbled as Ian started caressing her gorgeous purple hair.
"How are you feeling?" Ian pretty much senses everything that happens in the House of Mystery, so he knew the moment she woke up, and he wanted to check up on her there and then, but the blue ball was watching.
"Great. Strong, but I still can't win against her..." Raven spoke, insinuating her loss against Athena.
"Well, then set down and watch." No one asked Ian about where he is because they knew he was up to something, and if he wanted them to know, they wouldn't need to ask.
"Aghh, you're just like Zeus," Athena complained, feeling a headache. She missed the times when he had no chance against her, always losing, but now, the tables have turned.
"Me? Zeus? How?" Ian asked, confused.
"Both of you are cheating scums. He cheats on his wife. You cheat in chess. I'd say you're worst, many times worst." Her words of annoyance brought a laugh out of everyone.
She even brought a giggle out of Raven, and a laugh of amusement out of Ian, "I mean, you're welcome to do anything to win. I won't stop you."
Athena stared at Ian with venom in her eyes. The calmest and most composed person in Olympus was hating dealing with Ian, and she loved it, "God I so want to slap you."
"Some other time perhaps..." Ian turned his attention to the newly arrived Zatanna because he summoned her, "What happened?"
"You noticed huh?" Zatanna spoke with a bright smile, seeming happier than ever, "I killed someone."
Selina, Raven, Harley, Athena, and especially Layla to the side eyed her strangely. They know her very well, so hearing that from her was that much of a shock.
"That's nice, but that doesn't explain the extremely potent magic I sense. You became many times stronger." Ian shrugged, not seeing that to be odd at all.
That just means that she graduated from Arkham Asylum of the grand university of Gotham, and she was very much welcome to their ranks.
"In my search for the books of magic, I met an old friend, someone who betrayed me a long time ago... I killed him. I got the books of magic, and voila!"
Like the showman she is, Zatanna puffed her cheeks before releasing a breath of fresh air. That breath formed into a gorgeous Rose that found itself in her hand, and then in Ian's hand as she bent slightly, her lips coming close to Ian's, "And it's all thanks to you."
'The Hat?' Ian mused, realizing that the magic he left in the hat had long since disappeared. Perhaps it saved her life? He thought as she invaded his personal space further, sealing his lips in front of everyone.
It was something to be expected from someone as confident and upfront as her, but Athena still found it weird, especially as she caught the reaction of the others to it... None of them seem to mind?
That went especially for Harley who was happily clapping, seemingly enjoying the show.
'He succeeded at what Zeus failed at, and he didn't seem to even mean to... What a bunch of weirdos.'