Hero Within, Monster Without Chapter 19

My dreams were painful affairs. As eating an eldritch entity's mind, body, and soul had plenty of consequences for my very much mortal soul.

But it was in the act of actually putting my soul into the equilvalent of a blender and then a hydraulic press that I learned more about myself and my abilities as Panacea was healing me.

I only awoke much later on as my mind wandered as Panacea kept my canine body from exploding as my soul slowly fixed itself. And as I awoke, I was... In deep pain to say the least.

Though a slight bit of my headache was the sight of Alexandria. One of the worlds most powerful capes sitting in a chair staring at me through the visor in her mask that covered much of her face.

"Are you awake? Or are you still drifting mentally?" Alexandria spoke dryly and I blinked my canine eyes that only saw in black and white before I drawled out with exhaustion clear in my voice.

"Is that stick still stuck in your time locked ass?"

Alexandria tilted her head to the side with her voice coming out plain. "I see... You do know a good bit about myself. So Jake Bariss, what are your plans for the future?" 

I remained silent for a long minute as I realized that Alexandria and furthermore Cauldron had Panacea mastered into healing me as she had barely moved and had no expression on her face she simply kept a hand buried in my fur to have skin contact to heal me.

But as to her question, I replied bluntly. "Trying not to die currently, thanks for the help in stopping that though."

Alexandria remained silent and I could feel her gaze on me telling me to go on. So I sighed and said. "They have a core. Gotta destroy the core with an annihilation-based power that can bypass dimensions or space to destroy their cores."

The 'Who' I was referring to was all too clear. She knew I meant the Endbringers and after a moment with a hint of something in her voice. Alexandria asked quietly. "Where are the cores?"

I took a moment to collect my thoughts of using my ascended form and said. "Leviathan has his in the center of his chest, Behemoth has his in the base of his throat between his shoulders. And the Simurgh has hers in a join of her largest wing."

There was a long silence as Alexandria mentally collected all that information before she stood up and spoke softly. "You did a great thing Jake, I can move you to another parallel world where you wouldn't have any... Of your previous deeds to your name if you want." 

I gave a wry chuckle that made my lips flap about before I said tiredly. "That is appreciated Alexandria but no, I want something else from you in return for dealing with Zion." 

She visibly tilted her head to the side and said plainly. "For killing Zion, and giving the information about the Endbringers you could get damn near anything you want... Tell me, and I will see it done if I can." 

I looked Alexandria directly in the eye, where her singular eye would be behind that face plate and I said bluntly. "Empty the Birdcage... The psychopaths killed, the innocent freed, have Contessa put a bullet in the back of Heartbreaker's head. The world doesn't need villains anymore." 

There was a moment as Alexandria considered my words. My demand of her and Cauldron... And she shrugged and said. "If that's what you want your favor to be used for in killing Zion to be used in Cauldron purging villains? Then very well. The birdcage will be cleansed and Heartbreaker will be dead with the next 24 hours. The rest of the villains will go after the Endbringers are dealt with." 

And that was that. Rebecca Costa Brown - AKA the leader of the Protectorate/PRT who was also Alexandria was telling me that the kid gloves were coming off. I didn't even need to deal with the villains myself if Contessa was going to be going through portals with tinker tech guns to blast villains' heads apart.

"Get rest Jake. Panacea will not remember healing you and she is capable of taking care of you for the next week without alternative measures being needed." 

And with that I felt myself drifting off to sleep with a sigh escaping me as I realized Panacea must have taken Alexandria's words as orders to put me to sleep.

Which I didn't fight as I truly did need the rest to say the least.

The only reason I was still alive, was because Panacea was keeping my body stable which in turn forced my soul to continue to heal. Rather than explode out of my mortal form with all the essence of Zion I had taken in leading to my soul dispersing without a physical body.