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Chapter 210: The End Of All Things
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"The concept is very weird. The Multiverse exists in space, so how are we to create a world in our souls?" Raven wondered as she stroked her chin.
"I guess further studies on the soul are needed. We can already use our souls in miraculous ways, so perhaps this is possible... Well, we know it's possible." Zatanna nodded in agreement.
"You know I can just help you achieve it, right?" Ian stated with a speck of amusement.
"Sounds good to me," Harley shamelessly nodded in agreement.
"A World made of only plants..." Ivy was very much lost in the lands of dreams, murmuring from time to time.
"Can't I... Like just steal someone else's world, and use it for myself?" Selina wondered with curiosity.
"No! Isn't it better to figure things out ourselves?" Zatanna shook her head, denying her that possibility, making Selina pout in dissatisfaction.
"Em. It's better this way though I wouldn't mind you clearing the way for us, then we can pave our own path." Raven though didn't mind some help.
Ian shrugged before resting his head on Selina's thigh again, letting her caress his silky fuzzy hair.
They were all lying on the rainbow-like grass of the House of Mystery, still residing in the sixth dimension. Both Layla and Death were resting on his arm, each taking a side.
The others, on the other hand, were being a headache of their own self, trying to decipher something they don't need to.
It's been months since Ian's plans came to completion, and all he's been doing was having a good time with his lovers. He just wanted to chill and teach them some of his methods.
They were, however, a bit stubborn, well, some of them at least, "Well, when you give up, just follow the steps I taught you, and things will work out."
It was the method taught to him by his father, something very vague and incomprehensible to all but those who master it. Now he was passing it to them because they may certainly need it in the future.
"Trying to ruin the fun again? Do you think I, the best Magician to ever exist will not be able to do such a simple thing?" Zatanna stared at Ian as she questioned with unrivaled confidence.
"The best Magician?" Ian raised an eyebrow at that, "I'm not even a Magician at heart yet I accidentally became better than you."
The way he says and phrases it... He somehow finds it very easy to break someone, perhaps because he has experience in that... His father taught him well.
"You!! Wanna give it a try? Huh?" Zatanna instantly stood up and glared at him, readying her Magic.
"With what Magic?" Ian laughed as his eyes lined up with the Magic in her hands. Just that was enough to negate it.
"Hahahaha, so bad!!" Harley laughed her heart out, only working to drive Zatanna madder as the latter jumped at him, trying to scratch him.
However, she ended up hovering a bit above Ian, her hands unable to reach him at all, amusing Ian quite a bit, "Scratching? Isn't that a Selina thing?"
"Perhaps she was infected by my immaculate thieving abilities? She doesn't seem good at it though." Selina giggled as she spoke.
"Again?" A tone of wonder sounded from the voice that just introduced itself to the equation, Diana who just walked out of a door, coming back from Earth to... Well, her new home.
Somehow, every time she comes back, she finds herself faced with someone getting mad, mostly Zatanna though.
"Aghh, I give back! Just wait..." And so Zatanna went back to her studies with Raven, using his words as a drive to work harder.
Ian gently smiled before closing his eyes, getting lost in thought... He was hesitating, and this was completely unexpected. This was lovely... Too lovely, and he didn't want this to end.
Unfortunately, there is a deep undeniable desire in his non-existent heart to finish what he had started.
He was sure everyone here considers themselves family. For most, the only family left, and he was the foundation of the family.
He really didn't want this to end because he has come to very much love this so-called family... The emotions he was feeling from it were special, the likes of which he never felt before... His real family is very peculiar.
"How is Earth?" Ian asked the only person who visits Earth regularly.
"Peaceful as it should," Diana spoke with confidence. She was the only one who learned his ways without bothering with the fun way.
"Perhaps I should pay it a visit," Ian murmured, instantly making Diana perk up in surprise, soon turning into cautiousness.
"Are you... Don't 'accidentally' destroy anything... please?" Diana almost begged. The last time he paid something a visit, he accidentally erased a few universes so she was understandably wary.
She has been working very hard and learning from him to repair all the damage he had done herself, taking a very different approach, and the problem is that it's hard to know how she'd react if he does something like that.
So Diana would rather never have to arrive at that point, but well, Ian is Ian, so he smirked and vanished from her sight much to her dismay.
However, what she didn't know, what no one else knew was Ian's true goal. He did appear on Earth, invisible to everyone.
His steps led him along a dark alley, a very familiar alley to him. It was night, but there were still plenty of people walking about. The area looked relatively clean, much different than the first time he was here.
Soon, Ian's eyes lined up with a very well-lit warehouse. His visit coincided with the lights going off, allowing the warehouse's residents to go to sleep.
They were the homeless of Gotham. They're still kinda homeless, but there is at least a comfy place they could rest on, a clean place.
"I slept in there one time... A night with the homeless of Gotham," It was like he couldn't believe that happened like it was something beneath him, yet there was no trace of regret in his eyes.
"It was great... Lovely memories and experiences," Ian turned around and started making his way in another direction only to stop a second later, "You have my blessing... Nothing but loveliness, I hope."
Ian slowly walked around the streets of Gotham, seemingly studying every nook and cranny of it, "Very peaceful indeed. The bat is doing a good job."
Ian's eyesight traveled towards the sky, eyeing nothing but darkness. There was once the symbol of Batman in the sky, but no more.
Batman might've realized that the symbol brings something else other than fear, many other sinful desires, and perhaps the birth of many evils.
Ian soon found himself standing before a door. He didn't knock just yet, but allowed his physical state to change, his hair becoming black instead of its bright blurry look.
His eyes also turned normal. The same as his usual casual clothes. He tidied himself a bit like a normal person instead of using Magic, and only then did he knock.
Soon, the door opened, giving view to a middle-aged lady, an unfamiliar face, "Who might you be?" She asked cautiously.
"A friend of Ralf. Please let him know that Ian is paying a visit." Ian smiled, and introduce himself.
The lady nodded without too much doubt, and yelled loudly, "Ralf! A friend of yours is here! Ian is his name!" The only doubt she had was Ian's young features because Ralf is a bit old.
Ian was left to casually glance at the house, certainly not shabby, but not too fancy either. It made him wonder what Ralf had done with all the money he was supposed to have.
Some had ambitions. Some just wanted a simple life. The Roses who chose the latter were sent back to Gotham, left to pave their own way of life while the others remained in the Milky Solar system to pursue greater goals.
They had all the tools and power necessary to rise in the universe, but not everyone wanted that life... Ralf certainly didn't.
And neither did Mike because before Ian stood the stunned Mike and Ralf, totally not expecting his visit.
"It has been a while," Ian smiled as he was welcomed inside, to a more isolated room without the lady to hear what they had to say.
"It's really been." Ralf nodded, still seeming confused.
"It was all too sudden. The way you left... Like none of what we built... What you built mattered to you anymore." Mike, on the other hand, got his bearing back very quickly and spoke quite harshly.
Still, Ian didn't mind, "It didn't... It doesn't matter." He answered honestly.
"Yeah, I kinda expected that answer. I can be very smart sometimes, no?" Mike's mood took a different turn immediately.
"No," Ralf firmly disagreed, feeling more at ease, "You can say that when you win a game of prediction against me."
"Hey hey, how can you say that when I'm still new to this football shit?" Mike responded.
"New? we've been doing it for a year!" Ralf spoke with exasperation, "At this point, I'm starting to wanna lose against you! That's how bad you are!"
"Well... It's my wife's fault. She's keeping my brain so busy that I can't think of much else." Mike nodded, coming up with a perfect excuse, perfect in his mind at least.
"I have a wife too, dumbass." Ralf rolled his eyes in dismay.
"Well, that's something I didn't expect. Mike, the family guy?" Ian laughed, amused as he took a sip of beer, just for the occasion.
Mike took a long gulp, "I didn't think I'm a family guy either, but well, you know, things happen."
"Yeah, he surprised me too. We're actually neighbors, living a very similar lifestyle... Simple and sweet." Ralf nodded, explaining with satisfaction.
"How is Barney?" Mike asked with a bit of a frown.
"Living the life he always wanted to... Riches, Diamonds, sleeping with inanimate objects, anything valuable," Ian shook his head in amusement, a smile emerging on his face, somewhat infecting the other two.
"Predictable." Ralf let out a small laugh.
Mike, on the other hand, could only shake his head, "Ah Barney Barney... Don't know if that was the right decision, but I guess he has all of his life to decide or change his mind."
Indeed, Barney stayed in the Milky system, basking in glory, and touring the universe for generous donations as Ian taught him.
"What really brought you here?" Ralf finally asked the most important question, "Is this really something you would do?"
"Circumstances... I'll likely never come back, so I thought to pay some old friends a visit," Ian responded as he took another sip of beer.
"Oh..." Ralf nodded, taking it as if he'll never visit them again when Ian meant something else entirely. Ian's words at least brought the two some happiness... Friends.
The night was spent drinking, watching a football match with some nonsensical talk... Ian then saw himself out without a goodbye. The boys were a bit out of it with how much they drank.
His next visit was the Cat's rest, what was once the stronghold of the Roses, a main base of sorts. Now, it became a museum... About the Roses kept by some of the Roses that chose to settle here.
The people of Gotham loved the Roses, and they still do. The Roses were pretty much a crime family, but Gotham saw nothing but love from them, so its people chose to return the favor.
His eyes shone in a blurry light as he returned to his divine shape, becoming invisible. His steps led him around the Museum, tracing the history of the Roses, very well documented.
Oddly enough, his name and his face weren't there as if he doesn't exist. By choice, Ian only allowed a few people in the entirety of the Multiverse to remember his existence.
Traces of him were even slowly fading away, but someone who got to remember him stood right in front of a Rose statue in the museum.
"Hi," Ian spoke as he stood beside Constantine.
Constantine strangely was smiling while staring at the Rose, and hearing the very familiar voice didn't cause a single change in his expression.
Instead, the odd Magician just let out a sigh and started walking away. Once he reached the door, he outed himself out of Earth with the quickest teleport anyone has ever done.
"Hmm, have I been too harsh on the kid? I don't feel like I was," Ian wondered before outing himself out of the universe.
He was back in the House of Mystery, albeit still invisible. He stood there silently, just watching each of his lovers doing their own things, seeming very cozy.
Ian crouched behind Selina, gently landing a kiss on her head, yet she not his touch not heard his words, "I love you."
It was very much hard for him to say that word, especially after recovering all of his memories, but he still felt the need to say it.
He took a step and he was out of the Multiverse. Another and he was out of the Omniverse into the Sea Of All Things.
"World Projection," Ian murmured as he moved along his world, a sea of blurry beauty, a smooth mirror swimming across literal nothingness until...
"Not too bad," A sound was heard not far from his, a shadowy figure floating close by.
"Father..." Ian nodded as his face, no, his whole body started fracturing, the same with his world, becoming a broken mirror.
"I see... You're here to..."
Just as his father started speaking, Ian interrupted, "To kill you."
"That was rude," The Father noted while eyeing his son calmly, "Why are my children always out to get me? You're not the first, and it doesn't feel like you'll be the last..."
"It's the way you are," Ian explained.
"Hmm, I'm lovely though?" The Father remarked, still just as calm, "I felt like I was merely helping. Was I not just granting you your wish?"
It was almost like he was insinuating that Ian was merely trying to prove a point, to get over something, all the things he has gone through which are a lot.
"And If killing me wasn't enough... You killed my mother, so I'm here to return the favor."
However, reality is often very different from expectations. It was never that simple... A broken family is never that simple, meaning that True Death is possible for either of the parties. Ian risked this despite knowing that.
"I want to show you True Death because I'm certain you have yet to face it, so let this be the End."