"So, no more death energy," Daniel said, clenching his fist. "No more creepy graveyard aura."
"The edgy grim reaper phase was getting old anyway," Luke said, his edges already blurring into the void. "Now, onto the actual problem. You left a reality-altering artifact sitting on a stained couch."
"How do I get back? That book swallowed the apartment in a flash of light."
"It didn't swallow anything. It tried to rewrite you, and the system yanked you out of the timeline to update your specs." Luke shoved his hands in his pockets.
"You have Dimension Control now. You don't need to rip a portal open anymore. Just fold the space and step through." He gave Daniel a final nod. "Don't die, don't break the multiverse, and don't lose my wedding photo."
Luke faded completely, leaving Daniel alone in the starfield.
Daniel looked at his hand. The cold, heavy drag of his old death magic was entirely gone. He pictured Ivan's cramped Gotham apartment, reached out, and grabbed the empty air.
Space folded seamlessly over itself, overlapping like a piece of paper. Daniel stepped straight through the fold. His boots hit the hardwood floor of the apartment.
Clark stood near the window, the wrong edges of the reality-warp completely lifted from him — back to being the one and only Superman.
Across the room, the imposter was gone. In his place sat a remarkably average, slightly balding man in a cheap gray sweater.
"So. Ivan and Superman," Daniel said, dismissing the residual cosmic energy from his hands.
"Looks like whatever you did worked," Clark said, glancing down at his hands. "The timeline reset."
"Now I'm back to being a regular person," Ivan muttered, staring at his completely normal, powerless palms. "I guess I deserve it."
Daniel crossed his arms. "I'm still confused about one thing. You had a book that could alter the fabric of the multiverse. You could've become an omnipotent god. Or at the very least made yourself a new superhero with your own powers and your own city. Why steal his?"
Ivan froze. Blinked. The realization that he'd wasted a blank check on reality hit him like a truck. He scrambled forward, frantically patting down the cushions of the plaid sofa.
"I didn't think of that! Wait, where is it? The Book — it's gone!"
"Don't joke," Daniel said, tone dropping. "It was right on the—"
He looked at the sofa. The stained center cushion was completely empty. The Book of Destiny had vanished.
Ivan slumped against the couch, devastated, burying his face in his hands.
Daniel let out a tired sigh. "Look, if you want, I can just give you some money."
Ivan's head snapped up instantly. "How much?"
"A hundred million." Daniel's tone stayed flat. "Your approach was entirely psychotic, but you did try to stop a few muggings while you had the suit. You're a good guy at the end of the day. Just aggressively uncreative."
Ivan immediately dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead against the hardwood floor. "You are my true idol! I will worship you from this day forward!"
Daniel took a slow step backward. "No thanks. I'm starting to realize superfans are a massive liability."
"So when do I get the money?" Ivan asked, scrambling to his feet, eyes wide with sudden hope.
"Do I look like I walk around with a hundred million dollars in cash?" Daniel reached his hand forward.
His arm bypassed air entirely, disappearing up to the elbow into empty space. He rummaged around in his inventory for a second, then pulled out a heavy briefcase. He popped the latches with his thumb, peeking inside. "Looks like I only have one million on standby."
Ivan didn't hesitate. He snatched the briefcase straight out of Daniel's hands, dropped to his knees, and threw it open. Stacks of crisp hundred-dollar bills stared back at him.
Clark just stood there, dumbfounded. "You don't carry a hundred million, but you just casually walk around with a million dollars in a briefcase?"
"Emergencies," Daniel said, deadpan.
Ivan slammed the case shut, laughing breathlessly. "With this, I can finally get out of this shitty city! I can buy a farm, get some land, and just live a quiet, leisurely life!"
Daniel raised an eyebrow. "A farm?"
"Yes! I've always wanted to live in the countryside. Away from the smog, the chemical plants, the acid rain. Gotham's pollution is literally the reason I went bald!"
Clark glanced at Ivan's severely receding hairline, then looked back at Daniel. "Is he serious?"
"He lives in Gotham," Daniel said, shrugging. "Honestly, he's lucky the pollution just took his hair and didn't turn him into a supervillain made of toxic sludge. Take the money, Ivan. Go buy your farm."
Ivan scrambled up, hugging the briefcase, tears welling in his eyes again. "Thank you! Thank you! I'm leaving tonight!" He bolted for the apartment door, threw it open, and sprinted down the hallway without looking back.
The door clicked shut, leaving the apartment in sudden, heavy silence.
Clark crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "You just bribed a reality-warping imposter with a million dollars to go become a farmer."
"Sometimes people can be easy to please. And it solved the problem, didn't it?" Daniel looked over at the empty, stained sofa cushion. The humor dropped from his face instantly.
"Now we have a much bigger issue. The timeline reset, but the Book of Destiny disappeared."
*****
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