"Was this the will of the Three Saints, Sorcerer Supreme?"
Sure enough, once the Secret Vault and sealed artifacts were mentioned, Ian turned serious. He stared fixedly at Deathstroke's face, the handle of the white porcelain teapot in his hand squeaking against his skin.
"You're sure you know what's inside, right? And you know what kind of danger Earth would face if the seals were opened, even for the briefest moment?"
"Ah, I know. Ahem. In the name of the supreme, strongest, and kindest Trinity Vishanti, and as the Sorcerer Supreme of the Main Dimension, I hereby require you to fulfill your family's ancient inherited contract, temporarily open the sealed Secret Vault, and allow me to retrieve an item from within."
Su Ming was not a spellcaster, but he knew what to say. He immediately raised his hand into a triangular seal and made the request in a solemn, more formal manner.
".Ian McNee obeys the will of the gods. Please wait a moment, Sorcerer Supreme."
Ian, who had initially harbored doubts, waited briefly and found that the Vishanti truly had not sent down an avatar to oppose Deathstroke's claim. He immediately accepted the request and happily went off to prepare the ritual.
He did not know what the Vishanti and Deathstroke intended to do, but that was unimportant. Since the gods had demanded it, there had to be a reason.
The Shop Owner left the group and headed into the living quarters behind the store, presumably to change clothes. Hela watched his retreating back, then glanced at Deathstroke as he lit another cigarette. Smiling, she said:
"There seems to be something a little off about that man?"
As she spoke, she tapped her jade-white finger against her temple, making her implication obvious.
"Ah, don't worry about him. I trust