144: Plan B.

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(Davian's P.O.V)

"Just so you know, I didn't interrupt you the first instance you came up with this idea because the moment was cool."

Chase informed me, bringing me to a halt in the air above the bay.

"Wow, and here I thought your belief in me was unshakeable."

I replied blandly.

"This is not a joke Davian. The fourth world...is not something you can think of taking on alone."

He responded heatedly, his tone dripping with seriousness.

"Relax Chase. I'm not taking on the entire Fourth World alone. I'm not dumb. I'm only going after Darkseid and Apokalips."

I corrected him.

Killing him would stop what was coming, guaranteeing Raven's safety long after I'd left this universe.

"Do you even hear yourself? There is no difference! Despite your current power, you will stand no chance against one of his generals..."

"I beg to differ."

I cut in stubbornly.

"I know I can kick that prick G. Gordon Godfrey's ass. He has a very punchable face. And Granny Goodness is just a sadistic old woman who should be put through the torture she's inflicted on others. Desaad is likely the easiest to deal with. Him and Kalibak are either driven by greed or fear. Men like that have no will to stand up to me. To stand and face Death."

The latter two were only a matter of releasing a couple of Respiras on their collective asses.

Actually none of them could pose any meaningful danger but Chase was likely worried because of their 'nature' as conceptual beings of the fourth dimension.

"I see you're putting more of your friend's memories to use."

He commented.

"Yeah. They've been growing clearer. Which is why I know what you're likely worried about."

I got the sense that he was narrowing his eyes at me.

"Really now? You do?"

He responded snidely.

"Cut that out."

I growled a little in annoyance.

"More sarcasm doesn't suit you. You're already too much of an ass."

"Well excuse me for trying to be the voice of reason here."

He threw back.

I laughed.

"And this coming from the Cheshire Cat."

"I'm not the one whose reckless behavior almost cost us our existence. My Wielder,you are an irresponsible, reckless individual and I'm surprised that you've survived this far. I'm even more surprised that I've helped in your crazy stunts."

He said in a tired tone.

"Oh come on Chase. Live a little!"

I yelled, dipping towards the bay and flying closer to the water.

My finger skimmed the surface, touching the cold liquid.

Yes, you heard that. Touching it. There was no green bubble shield to block me from doing it.

For I had achieved true flight. No more flying around in a green bubble.

It had been easy to discount my progress in Fullbring when compared to Reiryoku and Tairyoku.

However, it just clicked as I'd been meditating and reviewing my fight with the Cult guy and his bunch of fanatics.

Raven had been in danger and I'd just reacted, pulling on the soul of air and stopping Beast Boy from colliding with her.

So it stood to reason I had the control to do more than just pull on something's soul anymore.

I could manipulate it.

The water below me begun freezing around my hand. I left a trail of white sheets of ice above the surface of the ocean as I approached the city.

"So what's the plan?"

Chase enquired.

"Now we stack all the cards on our favor and afterwards, look for the one person who can get me to Apokalips."

"What do you mean stack all the cards in our favor?"

Chase asked the question I was waiting for.

"Easy. See, you were right. I can't approach Darkseid like any other opponent."

My tone turned grim.

"If he's anything like Trigon, then I either need another White Raven or Bankai to actually permanently put him down.vNow because I don't have that, I'll need to rely on a few temporary power ups."

My flight trajectory was therefore headed towards Salem Massachusetts, where I knew the Tower of Fate likely was.

It had been the same for my Earth. And the differences between the two were very minor.

A few hours later, I was pulling on the soul of air above Salem to obscure my presence.

I hadn't had a plan on how to find the Tower, but a judicious use of Reikaku gave me an almost omnipresent awareness on everything in my zone.

A few scans around the city and I'd eventually found a hot spot for magical energy.

The winds carried me down, blowing past my clothes and ruffling my hair slightly as I lowered to the ground.

The spell formation hiding the Tower seemed to open up to me.

I passed a veil and appeared above ruins.

"This makes no sense."

I said in a little surprise, looking around at the wildly different environment from what I was expecting.

The Tower was right where I'd initially thought but it was in ruins. Flying lower, I could detect the source of the magic I had sensed before even more clearly.

The ruins sat on a Leyline node. Meaning, the material making up the tower while entrenched in the taste of deep magic, that magic had faded away a lot time ago. Absorbed into the air and the node itself.

"Now what?"

My Zanpakuto asked as I landed.

I crouched closer to the ground, running a hand over the broken bricks that had made up Doctor Fate's base of operation.

'Fuck. I don't think I'll find what I'm looking for here.'

"Plan b."

I finally answered, taking flight and leaving the scene as quietly as I had arrived.

Next was Philadelphia.

What was in Philly you might ask. Easy, Shazam. So hopefully The Wizard as well.

I cut through the air at speeds that definitely violated a few State rules but I couldn't care less.

My initial plan had failed and it had left a slight frustration in me.

Going up against Darkseid would have been easy with all the magical artefacts I could have accessed from the Tower.

Not to mention, getting my hands on one of the most powerful mystic items in the universe.

The Helmet of Nabu.

Unlike others, I didn't have the fear of having my body taken over. I had complete control of my flesh and soul essence.

The strategy was juicing myself up on some crazy levels of mystical energies and then unleashing all of it on Apokalips.

But this was only a minor setback.

Plan B thankfully panned out.

The second I got within distance of the city, I could feel the magic permeating the air. It buzzed erratically. Chaotically.

The source being a figure standing on the rooftop of Sivana Industries, aptly named Sivana Towers.

"Please don't tell me I'm what's got you so agitated."

I said, smiling amiably at the Old man with a long beard and staff dressed in gray robes.

The Wizard Shazam. No, not Billy Batson Shazam. This guy was the original Champion of the gods and his soul was unlike any other I'd seen. A battery of magic energy.

"You're not from here, Stranger. What do you seek in the Rock of Eternity?"

The old man said, brandishing his staff my way.

I flew down, hands raised up.

"How did you know what I was after?"

I asked, a little impressed.

"Maybe divination?"

I guessed, looking around.

"And where is the Champion of the gods, surely if my presence brought you out, then you must think I pose a serious threat."

"You misunderstand your situation. I am the Wizard Shazam. The first of my kind. I have given power to saviors and dictators, faced beings of godly power and won. I do not need the power of a child to deal with anything, Stranger."

The Wizard replied with a no nonsense tone, smacking the bottom of his staff onto the ground.

Power rippled out in a weaving pattern.

"Ayo, what the fuck are you doing?"

I asked, cautiously pulling on Fullbring to create a protective shield around my body.

The concrete below us rippled and with the rooftop as the epicenter, everything changed.

Space shifted.

Rocks teeming with mystical power rose up on my sides to surround me. The sun disappeared, hidden away by the high ceiling that stretched hundreds of meters above us.

A testament to his power, the Wizard had forcefully relocated us into his realm.

"You brought me to the Rock of Eternity."

I realized, noticing the familiar architecture from Nick's memories.

The Wizard stood at his full glory on a raised platform that overlooked the hall. Behind him, worn by time were seven thrones.

And along the walls on both of our sides were statues. Seven ones to be exact.

The Wizard narrowed his eyes at me.

"Yes. To talk."

"And if that fails?"

I asked, stepping onto the floor of the chamber.

"Then fate will weave it's strings and what will come to pass shall come to pass."

He replied cryptically.

I dropped the shield around me and allowed my spirit sense to fully immerse me in the air inside the mystical realm.

The Rock of Eternity, according to Nick's memories, was created from a large rock formation from Heaven and another from Hell.

I guess thats why I felt such a strong connection with the dimension. My Bankai manifested in the Hand of God and the Hand of the devil. Two opposing forces.

The Rock was a focal point of all magic in Earth. Each breath filled me with mystical energy. Too bad I couldn't really use magic directly.

My eyes fell onto the seven statues around the chamber. These statues were the reason I'd come seeking the Rock of Eternity.

I didn't need to use magic directly, if I

could cheat.

"You-byou're not a normal, are you?"

The Wizard said, tilting his head.

"Even now...magic seems to gravitate towards you but you possess no gift to use it."

I unsheathed Chesha Neko and held the weapon up. Despite brandishing my weapon, the Wizard merely raised an eyebrow, unperturbed.

"That's what I intend to change, at least temporarily."

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, I activated Shikai, unravelling my Zanpakuto into hundreds of thousands of strings that begun waving around.

I extended a thread forward, spearing through one of the statues.

"I apologize Wizard. I do not mean to behave so brazenly in your lair but I would ask you to trust me."

I said.

The entire Realm shook as the threads sank through the enchantments woven on the Statue.

"Stop! You do not know what you're doing!"

He demanded.

"I don't want to fight you."

I told him as the first statue was fully wrapped in my strings.

The Wizard raised his staff threateningly.

I snapped a finger and more threads; which had been lying in wait, speared through the ground under his feet, ensnaring his body and covering him within a coccoon of purple strings.

"You're lucky he wasn't expecting a sneak attack like that."

Chase pointed out.

"He wouldn't have agreed to my request. It would have taken too much time to convince him. I'll apologize later."

I told him.

"Then do what you need to do fast because while your strings are powerful, they can't hold someone like him forever."

Chase warned.

I turned away from the incapacitated Wizard to stare at the Statues belonging to the Seven Deadly Sins. Otherwise known as the Enemy of Man.

To go up against Darkseid, I needed power. So what would happen if I absorbed the seven deadly sins like I did before with Shrouds?

Plus as representations of humanity's moral vices, the Sins were like the bridge between the Spirit and the Flesh.

I was eager to see what would happen if I took them into me by devouring their essence.

Cracks begun appearing on the first Statue. With a resounding crack, the whole thing shattered into a dark red smoky energy.

Numerous screams sounded out from the smoke, a mis happen face appearing briefly.

The sin of anger tried to escape but my threads were faster. They wrapped around the Sin's essence.

And then I pulled it into me.

My chains of mortality shattered.