...
Observation Haki, in this particular universe, was a lot more... Detailed, in terms of the information one could perceive using it. I wasn't sure what it was about the universe itself that led to said effect and nor was I going to really complain about it. The added detail itself, wasn't necessarily world-breaking in any way, nor did it seem to come into effect from those, either naturally strong in willpower, or they actively made attempts to hide their emotions.
Thankfully, neither of them was the type of people I was looking for.
What Observational Haki could now help me do was see how... Desperate people could be.
It's been a few weeks since my encounter with the Justice League, and since then haven't really come into contact with them.
Whatever they knew about my alternative version, it seemed a history in magic wasn't one of them, which only confirmed the fact the other had never had his memories of the wizarding world showed to him.
The lucky, or not given his story, bastard.
Regardless, it was thanks to those memories that essentially put the league at the back of my mind. Whatever their technological prowess, they had no way to bypass a simple Notice-me-not, backed by a Fidelius. The first of which I placed onto myself, and most of the clones I'd sent out early on- The one designated as a receptionist been exempted, as I doubted an empty desk would help my business in the long-term. And, placing a more subtle form of it, in a seal at that, on the building I'd literally created from scratch, in a magically expanded street, essentially made it impossible for anyone to come across it, not unless they had my permission.
Magic, unsurprisingly, proved to be the real game-changer- At first, I'd been somewhat worried regarding my lack of identity, and frankly anything remotely financial in nature- Thankfully, most of those problems, in the end, wound up rather easy to solve with a simple Imperius here and there.
I was currently set up as a minor on the cusp of adulthood in the systems, which given everything probably fit more than I cared for it to- Though I'd only gone with the age on the off-chance my initial plan of imperiusing an identity and Fideliusing my bank account and future records through the legal system backfired.
In the end, a few Fideliuses, a couple Imperius' and I had a practically untraceable civilian identity, with a bank account that no one would even think to look through, let alone find suspicious, and on the off chance they did- I'd installed a seal onto the bank itself's systems to warn me beforehand. Risky? Maybe, given it could've resulted in me attracting a country-wide reception for my attempt should it have failed- Was it worth it in the end? Absolutely.
I'd already transferred just under a million into it, courtesy of a very confused and probably angry Penguin, and not a single person or machine had thought to look twice.
On a side note, I might be one of the few people on the planet capable of outright avoiding having to pay taxes.
I still wasn't sure how I felt about that.
On the one hand, paying it would essentially give them a red flag in that they wouldn't really be able to explain where the money was coming from- Which would inevitably lead to an investigation. On the other... I didn't actually know how to pay taxes in the first place. I'd probably need to get an accountant- And, well, I doubted I could find one in Gotham City that would take one look at me and wouldn't use me as a magical tax-shelter, given I'd probably need to explain the whys and hows of my identity. If only to stop them from accidentally fucking up everything themselves.
Decisions, decisions.
I idly considered asking the Joker to do my taxes for me, under threat of death.
In the end, I'd decided to set up my base of operations right underneath Batman's nose, in Gotham City. As far as security went, I felt more comfortable dealing with someone whose sole form of investigative ability relied on technology and not, for example, X-ray vision, or a heightened sense to and of magic.
Besides, if need be, I could always teleport everything somewhere else.
My business in a nutshell? Was practically a magical gift shop meant to help the desperate; rich, and or otherwise, accomplish certain goals- Achieve certain dreams, or achieve fame and glory. My payments from said people were intended to be varied based on the 'customers' wishes themselves.
The only thing up until now that I had to deal with, given setting everything up hadn't been particularly hard- Wasn't like I needed a magical license, was boredom.
A day before I'd officially opened, I'd sent out ten thousand pamphlets advertising my services throughout the city through uniquely transformed clones. Pamphlets designed to disappear exactly a day after been read. Further enchanted to appear blank under anyone but the receiver's eyes. With every clone going after one particular type of civilian, and one type alone. Those desperate enough to give it a chance.
Was I a tad overly paranoid? Possibly. But in the end, while I might not have been Danzo personally, his own memories and experience weren't things I intended to ignore.
He'd used those instincts to survive in a ninja village- And as far as I was concerned, Gotham City was worse.
I intended to repeat the process weekly as neither the paper used nor the clones were difficult to acquire as both were made magically. At least until I had a revolving door of customers.
Regardless, despite the number of pamphlets I'd sent out this time, in the end, it seemed only one person had been desperate enough to give it a try.
Oh sure, a lot had called, but only one had been serious- The others likely assuming it to be too good to be true given their tones when my clones had spoken to them over the phone. Most of the callers hadn't realized the line they'd all used, despite a vast majority of them using a burner phone of sorts, had been magically modified.
It took, easily, a few words before they were promptly filtered out should they not meet the requirements.
It had been especially surprising to learn that I could magically mess with a line of communication, and once again, even more so for the Penguin.
I hadn't even needed to so much as a move a step before I'd robbed that fucker blind over a phone call and he didn't even realize it.
Turns out advertising one of your phone numbers on the web was generally a bad idea with wizards and witches running around- Even if it was a line that went straight to his lounge.
One, however, had passed through said filter. The only hiccup been said caller's busy schedule, or maybe it was his own self-preservation? Which incidentally, hadn't won out.
It had taken a week of waiting, but I was finally about to meet my first customer and as I watched the screen before me, showcasing the bottom floor, I realized why it had taken them so long.
He hadn't come alone.
I eyed the three strangers currently talking to the receptionist clone, transformed to look like a middle-aged Koharu, even if the real Koharu had never actually let herself willingly age, downstairs, my mind unsure of whether to settle for a scoff or amusement as I took in the family unit.
I idly watched as my clone took the wife and child aside, and allowed the father access to the revolving doors that led to a staircase.
After a brief moment of hesitation, I watched as the man briefly glanced towards his wife and child and promptly steeled himself as he walked up. The mother covering her child's neck in a hug, her eyes almost dead to the world, if not for the slightest glimmer of hope inside. While the child...
I narrowed my eyes briefly at the pale complexion covering the... Ten-year old's? Face.
Turning off the monitor I watched as the stranger walked in, briefly scoured the room before his eyes landed on me, and promptly froze in brief shock.
"...You're a kid?"
I smiled at him and indicated for him to the seat opposite me.
"Please, feel free to have a refresher before we start." I remarked, watching as the tension in the man's shoulder briefly disappeared, his disappointment taking over before he let out a sigh and took the seat. His hands idly picking up the offered beverage without a second thought.
"Now," I remarked, watching as the truth serum took on its effects with the stranger none the wiser, briefly looking down towards the sheet of paper in front of me if only for dramatic purposes. "Mr. Brown, how can I help you? And what are you willing to pay for it?"
The stranger didn't hesitate.
"My daughter..." He remarked, confirming my theory. "She's dying." He briefly locked eyes with me, his earlier reservations against my age gone, as hope once again soared to the forefront of his emotions. "I am willing to pay anything if you can help her..."
I nodded solemenly to the man.
"I am afraid-" His expression briefly cracked at the choice of words as I clicked my fingers. The clone in response, to the family downstairs's shock, promptly teleported them into my office. "-the only thing that's going to be dying, is your wallet."
A rainbow of emotions filtered through the man's face as the realization set in while I let a smile grow on mine.
...
I idly poured another cup as the mother hesitantly took a seat, her gaze latching onto her husband's curious one. While their daughter found her attention going all around the office, her gaze taking in all the odds and trinkets that filtered throughout the room.
From the Justice League action figures set on the table between us, to the bookshelf filled with moving books.
Idly waving a hand, I made the toys on the table start dancing, her eyes widening the slightest as an amused expression cut her pale face.
"Magic..." The husband breathed, bringing my attention back towards him.
I shrugged in response, idly handing the mother the cup, though she elected not to touch it. Which, wasn't necessarily a problem.
Her daughter, on the other hand, made to reach out towards the drink, assuming it was for her- Before to my surprise, the older woman picked it up the moment she noticed, a worried look on her face as she briefly stared between me and the cup in her hands.
"It's not poisoned," I snorted, idly leaning back. "You don't have to drink it," I added on watching as the tension in the mother's shoulder visibly slumped before she put the cup down. Waving a hand, I watched as the mini-fridge in the corner of the room opened up, a juice box flying out of it and directly into the child's hands. The girl letting out an amused giggle at the show, clear awe in her eyes.
"Now. would either of you, like to tell me how your daughter got her condition?"
Despite the uncertainty and worry clouding their eyes at dealing with something magical in nature, that was a question both of them were more than willing to answer.
I briefly held in the urge to curse when the word 'Joker' almost immediately popped up.
Evidently, the clown prince of crime was as good as he'd ever been when it came to collateral damage in his dick-measuring contest with Batman.
I idly nodded and hummed along when needed, my gaze slowly falling onto the girl between the two, her awe-filled gaze turning somber with every second the story went on, before eventually, I raised a hand, and silenced the two fidgeting parents.
"Can you help her?" The mother questioned anyway.
I propped my elbows on the table, lowering my head on top of my palms as I stared at the three. "That depends, can you afford it?"
Unease, and more worry filtered through the parents' eyes at the words, the two briefly sharing a look.
"What would it cost?" The father questioned.
I shrugged in response. "It involves magic, there's no way to quantify that sort of thing."
I watched as the woman briefly held in the urge to sneer at me, her expression suspicious. "When do we have to pay? Before, or after?"
I blinked in surprise, tilting my head the slightest as I stared at the woman.
The husband chose to immediately interject at the look on my face. "We've... tried a lot of other treatments- All of them promised us the same thing but in the end... " He shook his head, his hands idly patting his daughter's head.
Turning my attention towards the girl in question, I found her squirming the slightest in her seat. Sheepishness and guilt filling her expression.
"I see," I remarked calmly. "I'd like to speak with her if you two don't-"
"We're not leaving you alone-" The mother immediately interrupted, her expression turning protective before I let out a chuckle.
"Perhaps if you'd let me finish, you'd realize you won't have to."
I ignored the way the husband put a hand on his wife, his whispered words ignored, hints of panic filtering through his expression. Though whatever he said seemed to do the trick as the woman's expression practically melted, resignation replacing it.
"What's your name?" I questioned, locking gazes with the pale child.
She blinked in bemusement, briefly turning to her father, only for him to give her a hesitant nod, before she turned back towards me. "Stephanie." She answered curtly. "Everyone just calls me Steph."
I nodded along. "Do you mind if I call you Steph? It's a lot shorter." I remarked amused.
She blinked once and shrugged. "Sure."
"Tell me, Steph. Have you ever been to an amusement park?" I questioned, ignoring the effect my words had on her now very bemused parents.
"Once, that was before..." Her gaze briefly looked downwards.
"Did you have fun?"
She looked back up, a smile cutting her face as she nodded rapidly.
I nodded along, chuckling. "Would you ever go back?"
She blinked at that one, once again bemusement coloring her expression briefly before, to my surprise, she shook her head. "I can't... Mom and Dad say it's very risky."
"Hm, your mom and dad don't sound very smart." I deadpanned, watching as the woman briefly twitched, while the man really held in the urge to comment.
The girl, on the other hand, had the best poker-face out of all three of them. "I didn't say that."
I snorted after a brief moment, shaking my head. "One last question Steph. What do you think I should do, with your illness?"
She blinked a few times, and in possibly the most hilarious deadpan expression I've seen yet, answered-
"Get rid of it?"
I waved a hand, "Yes, yes, I can do that- But, I can also put it into someone else-" The parents didn't react very well to the words, as fear briefly filled the mother's eyes, and resignation filled the fathers- Good god, what did they take me for!?
Stephanie blinked twice at the words. "Why would you do that?" She questioned, tilting her head. "Don't you need to fix them too after?"
"Not if it's the Joker." I finished, earning a gasp from both adults in the room, genuine fear coursing through their eyes.
Stephanie, on the other hand, simply looked worried. "You shouldn't do that..."
"Why not? Do you think it's fair he gets to hurt other people and get away with it?" I questioned curiously.
"No... But if you do that, it'll make him angry..." I blinked, idly wondering where she- "Then he'll just hurt even more people."
Huh.
"What if I could stop him from hurting people?" I questioned in response.
"Do you need to give him my illness to do that?"
"...No."
"Then... You can just get rid of it? And stop him using the other way."
...Am... Am I losing this debate?
"What if the other way is worse?" I questioned, ignoring the apprehension slowly taking over her parent's faces.
She blinked a few times at that, her expression frowning for a moment before she settled for a shrug. "I can't really think of something worse than my illness."
I blinked, once again tilting my head the slightest.
Touche-
"If you can think of something worse, then I think you need more help than me." She added on, in a deadpan voice.
"Oi..." The word escaped my mouth, my expression twitching as I stared at the smiling brat. Before I settled for a sigh and a shake of my head, my own amused snort coming out.
Turning back to her parents, I idly shrugged.
"I'll help the brat." I let a smile grow on my face. "In exchange, you two have a yearly obligation to take her to an amusement park."
The two parents blinked at me in response, confusion, and bewilderment covering the mother and father's faces respectively.
I clicked my fingers.
"Oh, and ten dollars cash." I added on, idly putting a finger on my chin. "I could do with a coffee right now."
...
The figure hovering just outside the breaches of physical space and time, couldn't help the giggle that echoed out of her goth-like face.
Today should've been that child's last... What a pleasant surprise to come to find in her, given the stranger's actions, failed attempt to collect.
Death idly tilted her head, before her form slowly filtered away out of sight, towards her next target- Though she would keep an eye out on the soul she had never seen before. The fully grown form of a human she had never met before. A soul that... Weirdly enough... smelt exotic in nature- As if it was from out of the very universe she inhabited.
Destiny was right, he really was a headache to wrap their minds around.
But in the end, a headache for her elder brother meant reality had found a way to entertain her.
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