Staff Of All Things III

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Chapter 76: Staff Of All Things III

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Ian put on black pants, black shoes, a white shirt, and a black Tuxedo vest above it, looking quite handsome but still as carefree as ever.

Raven came up to him just as he was putting on a black tuxedo jacket, "What do you think? Looks good?" He wondered.

"Trying to impress someone?" Raven eyed him strangely but didn't answer his question. She instead asked one of her own.

"Hm? No one really, just trying to look good. I'm a crime lord after all, and my usual casual appearance doesn't fit my stature anymore, and well, I'm not disappointed. I look kinda cool, I like it."

Ian looked at himself in the mirror with appreciation. He did look more like a young rich man than a crime lord.

"If only you weren't so useless at magic. I really want some kind of magical suit for myself. Guess I have to scam... Yeah, I should do that."

Ian seriously contemplated harvesting even more hatred from Hell, but to do that, he have to meet some people and gain a bit of knowledge. That's one of the main reasons he came here.

"Hi I'm not useless ok? You don't even know what I'm capable of. Moreover, at least I can use magic, can you?"

"Oh, I'm sure you're quite capable, but if all that power remains unused, lying dormant inside, doesn't that mean you're practically useless? So think of a way to take control and use what's yours."

Perhaps Ian noticed he was being a bit too harsh as he started patting her head gently, "It's a life lesson, so take it to heart, and remember, you just have to know."

He didn't give her a chance to respond as he walked out, forcing her to follow him hurriedly after a bit of a trance, 'Does he know? How? It's like he knows everything about me... Like he knows of my other side.'

They soon arrived at an exquisite theater. It has a sense of age, seeming to be made many years ago, perhaps in the seventies.

The place was crowded. It was apparent that whoever was performing inside was very popular.

His and Raven's seats were at the very forefront, very close to the stage, "Have you ever been to such shows?"

Raven shook her head, "I don't have time for such things. They're a waste of time."

"Hm, poor little soul. Never had a childhood huh? Don't worry, I will make sure you have fun on this trip, so just enjoy the show." Ian gently spoke while stroking her hair, something she was getting used to.

"I... I don't necessarily want to have fun. I will just keep an eye on you, so don't pay attention to me." Raven spoke with a timid tone, her head was down not daring to look at Ian.

"Yeah yeah sure," He just shrugged his shoulders before adding, "Can you observe whether magic is being performed on the stage? When the performance starts of course."

Raven nodded, still a bit confused about his goal, but he clarified that directly after, "We'll meet later. I want you to observe her every action and magic happening around us. Just tell me if she used magic on either of us."

The show started soon as the whole theater fell into darkness. What followed is a ball of light manifesting above the stage, giving brightness mostly to the stage, making it the sole focus of the audience.

And on the stage appearing out of nowhere was the performer of the night. A gorgeous woman, attired in a seductive outfit with a trace of mysticism and enticement all over her, Zatanna Zatara.

The magic show started and Zatanna began her performance. She's a professional entertainer, so it's safe to say that she knows what she's doing.

She's also a magician, not just any magician but a real one, her performance was proof of that, "Ladies and gentleman, welcome to a performance that shall twist your sentiment of magic..."

As she spoke in an enticing voice, she brought her arms upwards as if calling for something, and something has indeed been called, a large ball of what looked like water clustering together above her.

"You'll leave this stage today confused. You'll wonder, was it really an illusion? Or was it a reality? Is magic real?"

The ball of water started spreading all around, like tentacles. They flowed toward the audience gently brushing against their skin, making them feel the coldness of water and the reality of the matter.

"Is what you feel an illusion or is it a reality? You must be wondering, how? Well, you shall never know, that's the fun of it, isn't it?"

And so, a wonderful magic show took place. The performance was beyond comprehension to most people in the theater. Things that shouldn't be possible happened, but in the end, people just assumed that some kind of trick was done to confuse them.

Such a spectacular performance made Ian impressed and Raven even more impressed because she clearly felt how the lady on the stage uses her magic, dignified and enchanting.

At last, Zatanna performed a bow, thanking the audience for coming before winking in Ian's direction, a discreet wink before she went back backstage.

And it wasn't long before Ian followed after her. The security guards allowed him to pass due to her instructions and led him to the magician's dressing room, a very nice room suiting Zatanna style.

"I underestimated you."

Ian found Zatanna seated facing a mirror, cleaning her face gently.

"No, you did not. I'm just as weak as you think I am."

"I know you are. You wouldn't have made a contract with a demon otherwise, you must've been quite desperate." Just as calmly, she spoke of secrets she shouldn't know about.

"Well, you know. Desperate times call for desperate measures." Ian just shrugged his shoulders, not questioning the source of her information because he knows he was the source, or the spell she had cast on him during their previous meeting, one he got rid of.

"You? You've made a deal with a devil?" Raven questioned, a bit timidly unsure of what to do. Her father is a demon of sorts, so it's safe to say she doesn't appreciate such a thing.

"Nah, I scammed a demon. Anyway, I want to meet John Constantine. I assume you know where he is?"

"Oh? Why are you in such a hurry? We have a lot, a lot to talk about." Zatanna raised her brow in amusement as she stood up and faced him,

"The thing is that I can't read your mind. That's a bit troublesome because there is a lot I want to know about you, so you won't be leaving here until I permit it."

Raven frowned, looking a bit nervous, knowing she's still a bit weak to contest against her, but she still waited to see what Ian would do. Her trust in him was growing despite all the signs. Even knowing he made a deal with a demon, she still chose to trust him.

Suddenly, she found Ian's hand on her head again, patting her as he said, "I told you before, didn't I? All you have to do is to know. I investigated her a bit since my last meeting with her, and I know she's kind of a mean bitch, so of course, I prepared."

"You did?" The seductive magician narrowed her eyes as she questioned.

"Of course. I didn't get to where I am by being stupid... Well, sometimes, but my point is let's have a civil deal. Deliver me directly to him and I will owe you one."

"And you think what you prepared can stop me?" She further questioned.

"Hmm, not sure, but it should be able to obli... do a lot of damage." Whatever it is Ian wanted to say, he realized he shouldn't say it.

Zatanna caught the implications as she smiled, "I believe you and I was just messing with you."

"Yeah, I realized that. I was also just messing around. I actually prepared nothing." Ian let out a small laugh and lied without batting an eye.

"Of course, I was also just messing around." She was strangely competitive.

The two eyed each strangely for a second before Zatanna asked, "I guess he's quite hard to locate... Why do you want to meet him?"

"I want to scam him of a bit of knowledge. I will not harm him though, so don't worry about him."

Zatanna raised her brow in surprise before letting out a playful laugh, "It's okay, a little bit of harm shouldn't be a problem if you know what I mean."

"A grudge huh?" Ian murmured before pulling out a business card and handing it to her.

"Call me when you need that favor. As long as it's not something excessive. Also, say hello to madam Xanadu for me, and ask her if she considered my offer."

Zatanna opened a portal right there and then as if already knowing the goal's location despite Ian allocating quite a lot of focus on finding him only to fail.

'An offer huh, why didn't she tell me about it? Is he even more special than I thought?' It's safe to say that Zatanna was curious, and you know what they say about curiosity.

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