147: An Earnest Talk.

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(Davian's P.O.V)

I nodded in gratitude at the Wizard.

"Thank you. It's not always I meet someone with enough sensibilities to listen."

"Don't blame them too much. You have a very punchable face."

The Wizard said, landing on the ground before me.

"True. I haven't seen it but he sounds very punchable."

Famine added from his crack.

"No one asked for your opinion. Plus, why the fuck are these guys still around huh?"

I directed the question at the Wizard.

"I am not a fool."

He snorted.

"This could very well be a trap to lure me in. They are here as insurance in case you try anything."

He answered, getting seated on the ground to my opposite.

"Fine but this talk is private. They don't hear anything."

I made a stipulation.

"That is acceptable."

He acquiesced.

I pulled onto the soul of air, ensuring that whatever the Wizard and I talked about would remain between us. No sound could be transmitted beyond our close space.

"Fascinating."

He commented.

"That was not a magic spell. You influenced the very essence of air. Magic can achieve the same but not easily."

He looked at me strangely.

"You are an interesting man, stranger."

He nodded to himself.

"Davian. My name is Davian Mabuz."

I formally introduced myself, getting a bit fed up with the 'Stranger' and the 'intruder' he called me before.

"Well met."

He replied.

"Then you may address me as the Wizard, Shazam."

He inclined his head.

"Sorry about the unannounced visit. Let's try this again."

I thrust out my hand in a gesture of goodwill. Maybe Chase was actually right? There was a time and place for battle and this wasn't it.

By all units of measurement, I was the one who had instigated conflict. It only made logic that I would be the one to end it.

He stared at the rough and calloused palm before shaking it.

I noticed the strength in his grip. The old man was carrying a lot of physical force under his wily form.

With the introductions over, I retrieved two cups from the red gem, before proceeding to pour liquor in both.

He received the cup with a nod.

"I guess I should start from the beginning..."

I sighed, knowing it was going to be a long tale.

******

"Mmh."

The Wizard hummed after I'd shared everything with him.

"So you're from a different dimension, where your friend died but you recently arrived on this Earth and found out that a parallel version of her was still alive."

He started, pausing slightly to gauge my reaction.

"Through some unknown means you know of a world ending threat that is coming for the mortal world, and so you decided to save her by acquiring the abilities of the Seven Deadly Sins for more power. All in a bid to attack and kill Darkseid before the Apokaliptians invade the Earth once more. Is that about right?"

He questioned blandly.

I winced internally at his dry tone.

"I told you I had noble goals."

"Noble?"

He enquired with a slight chuckle.

That chuckle evolved into full blown laughter.

"Noble he says! Hahahaha..."

"I don't exactly see why he's laughing."

I grumbled to My Zanpakuto.

"Really? You don't? Let alone the fact that you don't know how you're going to get there...did you forget you don't have an actual Plan?!!"

My Zanpakuto ended his statement with a yell.

"I do have a plan!"

I shot back before I could control myself. Unfortunately the statement came off more defensive than I had intended.

'Fuck, I can't admit that I've been winging it. Maybe I should really think of a legit plan. Something that makes sense.'

"I feel like I should have been more drunk for that."

The Wizard said, looking at his empty cup and shaking his head.

We had finished the whole bottle. Unfortunately, I found out I couldn't get drunk anymore, which was a bummer. Tairyoku made it all but impossible.

"So what exactly does your companion think about this idea?"

The Wizard asked out of nowhere, his stormy gray eyes establishing contact with my own.

I narrowed my gaze at him.

"How'd you know, Old man?"

"You mean the way you seem to go unfocused and stare at the open space at times? And the way your expressions seem to shift in response to something?... I suspect they don't support this 'noble' goal of yours."

He said cheekily before leaning forward.

"So I'm curious about what they think."

He added.

Looking into his silver eyes, I made a decision.

"Chase you wanna say hi to our host?"

Instead of answering, the Cheshire Cat popped up on my shoulder.

"Sup."

He said, staring at his claws and wiggling them.

"Mmh. A Trickster."

The Wizard hummed in interest.

"I know of a cat like you. You're both more than what you seem. Though Puck has always been a bit too conniving."

"Wait, you know Puck?"

Chase wondered, much more animated.

"Who's Puck?"

I wondered.

"A trickster fae from the land of the faeries, though he's never really been seen in the centuries he decided to come to Earth. But that's besides the point."

The Wizard narrowed his gaze at Chase.

"Tell me something Trickster Spirit, what do you think is likely to happen. Your companion goes on with his foolish plan, attacks Darkseid and then they suffer for millennia in a state of unheard-of pain, or he wins."

"That's easy."

Chase drawled.

"He'll win."

He concluded. His tone was confident though he didn't seem to like his own answer.

I couldn't help the smile that graced my face. A smile I fearlessly threw towards the Wizard.

"You should know something. Chase is rarely, if ever wrong. If he believes I can do it then..."

"Hold on."

Chase interjected from his perch on my shoulder.

His body unravelled into a blue mist before appearing beside the Wizard and I in his human form, his chin placed above his steepled fingers.

"Davian is powerful. That much is undeniable. Sometimes, that goes to his head and he forgets that while power is not new to him, he'll need more to go up against similarly powerful individuals who are not afraid to think."

Ouch.

I was getting burned by my own Zanpakuto.

"Hey, I let you handle the plan part of things because we're a team."

I responded, crossing my hands over my chest.

"And we are, my Wielder."

Chase sighed.

"But you've seen it as well. You're twice as effective when you go about things with a solid plan. You can half-ass all the fights you've been in, but not this one. Not if you don't want the whole Fourth World to retaliate against you and yours."

Raven's face flashed before my eyes. Then Cheshire's, Danny's, Harley's and even Shiva's.

"I have seen and heard enough. Now I understand."

The Wizard spoke up suddenly.

Our attention turned towards him.

Lesser men would have wilted under the intense gaze he was throwing my direction. I never looked away.

I must have imagined it but I did catch a glimpse of begrudging respect. With a sigh, the Wizard looked up to the high ceiling of the chamber.

"It is a foolish yet honorable endeavor. It fills me with hope that humanity will still exist long after I..."

His statement trailed off as he got lost on his thoughts.

Chase and I shared a look.

"Apologies. My mind was occupied with my greatest regret. A mistake I am yet to come to terms with even after all these years."

The intensity in his gaze returned.

"I shall allow you to hold onto the Seven Deadly Sins if you do something for me."

He proposed.

Chase and I looked at each other. Two growing smiles matched each other.

"Alright, tell me what you want."

"Eons ago, I trusted a murderer with the power of the gods. I made him powerful. Gave him strength to match his unyielding Will. I believed such a match up would be unstoppable."

He looked up.

"I was right. And also wrong. For his unyielding Will ensured no one could oppose his reign and power. I made him a champion of the gods as a guiding light for humanity. He perverted my good intentions as Man's protector and coveted more power."

His explanation stirred something in Nick's memories.

"You're talking about him. Black Adam."

I guessed.

The Wizard returned his gaze back to me.

"In those days he was simply known as Teth-Adam. A man who had lost everything to a tyrannical ruler."

"He could have been the greatest monarch history has ever known. He could have elevated Kandaqh past it's prime into a new age of prosperity. Alas, man is prone to hatred more often than Love. Love means giving away your pride, forgiving and to a man like him..."

"That has never been in the cards."

I finished.

"He sounds a lot like you to be honest."

Chase observed.

"With one major difference."

The Wizard interrupted.

"Your companion has you, Trickster. Whenever his consciousness will get the better of him, you will be there to act as his voice of reason."

The Wizard explained.

Normally that would be enough to make Chase and I laugh at the notion of him being the voice of reason, but I could see the point he was trying to make. Power really did corrupt.

My strength made me arrogant enough to break into a Grand Wizard's realm. Power felt like a universal 'get out of jail free card.'

And I've been abusing it to my benefit for so long. It was about time I started taking responsibility of the strength I had.

I looked into his eyes.

"Okay. What do you need me to do?"

The Wizard run his hand over his long beard.

"As much as killing him would have been the wise choice, he is not a completely evil man."

"Recently I have been sensing fluctuations in his prison. Someone or something is trying to break him out. Your job is to prevent that. Do this for me and the powers of the Sins will remain within you, up until you do manage to kill Darkseid. I'll even provide a way into Apokalips."

Chase and I looked at each other.

"Done."

I replied with no hesitation.