Chapter 27: Emancipation 2

Now everybody's got advice they just keep on givin'
Doesn't mean too much to me
Lots of people have to make believe they're livin'
Can't decide who they should be

I understand about indecision
But I don't care if I get behind
People living in competition
All I want is to have my peace of mind

********

"I love humanity," I muttered fondly as the two men left us with a pile of magazines and the remains of our breakfast. "We are a bunch of freaks."

"They were not that odd," Glynda said in their defence. I guess they had warmed her up. When the pair had sat down at our table, the former teacher had maintained a death grip on her hidden crop. "They were rather nice young men."

"They weren't, but they also weren't what I'd call normal," I said. "They were a pair of gay men, dressed in more colours than a rainbow, wandering the streets of New York in the middle of the day. When they spotted a pair of women sitting in a cafe, one seven feet tall and the other with pointed ears, their first response was to invite them to their club."

"As I understand, being 'hit on' is common in the modern world." Medea finished her coffee with a grimace. I hadn't bothered having them order anything for me. Compared to what we had on the Island, everything else was trash. "Courting is different from my day, though I cannot deny its benefits."

"They were not hitting on you," I pointed out. "They wanted you to be models for their clothes. Or didn't you notice how much they talked about the trim of your dress, the cut of your sleeves, or your Mediterranean skin tone? Besides, they had so much trouble keeping their hands off each other that I doubt they spent a full minute looking at either of you. Based on their rings, I would say they are newlyweds in their honeymoon phase."

"I had noticed their rings," Glynda also finished her drink and stood from her seat. She left some money on the table, picked me up, and started to make her way out of the lovely cafe we had been sitting in. "Though I do not think their clothes were too outlandish."

"You come from a world where colours have a very different meaning," I explained. "I wasn't just talking about them anyway."

"Those magazines you were reading," Medea said.

"Tabloids are a great way to keep one's fingers on the pulse of the current zeitgeist of society. They are cheap, easily digestible, and filled with whatever the writers think will sell. Paparazzi, for all their problems, are like bloodhounds. If they smell a story, they will chase it to the end of the earth. Combining them with successful news outlets can tell a lot. If you know what you are doing, at least."

"Did you learn anything of relevance?"

"Plenty," I had time to kill while we waited for our target to get home. I had worried we were wasting our time after the first hour, and the women were growing bored. The two unexpected arrivals had kept them entertained while I continued my reading.

Medea's creation, a silver armband inlaid with charms on my right 'arm,' didn't make me invisible. All it did was provide me with a moving Boundry Field that dissuaded most people from taking notice of me. The general populous only saw me as a stuffed doll and would discount everything I did as their imagination. Usually, something like that would be challenging with Nasuverse Magecraft.

Medea was a witch from the Age of the Gods with an Item Construction ranked A.

There was very little she could not build, given enough time, materials, and power.

And I could provide infinite power.

"Such as?" Glynda asked.

"About us? There is debate on whether I am a god sent to kill the 'false angel,' whether I am an alien and Endbringers are my natural prey, or if Dragon, the heroine, sent out a call for help to the universe, and I answered. That last one seemed to think I would take her as my bride as payment. The general consensus so far is either wait and see or, and I quote from one magazine: 'Please eat more, Dragon 2.0.'"

"You? A god?" Medea giggled behind her hand at the thought. I chuckled as well.

"Apart from that, Tony Stark might be stepping down from the Avengers due to an alcohol problem. The Fantastic Four remain in retirement due to family reasons. Diana Prince, the well-known diplomat from Themyscria and Wonder Woman, has recently returned to Washington DC. And those are only the people columns. Other news includes there is a rising sentiment against Mutants. People here seem to think that any power that mutates the body makes one a 'mutant.' We know the difference between mutants and parahumans from Worm, as do those who study powers, but the average person doesn't. The last few things I learned included the ongoing party for the death of the Simurgh is still boosting alcohol sales. A UN summit to discuss the massive Dragon in the pacific. And a recent escape attempt from the Raft."

"And that is all important?"

"Not directly," I admitted. "It might not affect us, but it does tell us what is on the mind of the average person on the street. Every magazine I read was headlined by stories about the 'Super Scene.' Even though this country is an election year, all news about the candidates and their platforms was relegated to smaller articles. Nothing about any other country doesn't involve some hero or villain. The same in the major newspapers. They were more concerned with Superman's defeat of Bizarro than anything political, economic, or creative."

"They are living in fear," Medea said in realization.

"Exactly."

"Why?" Glynda asked, looking between the two of us.

"Because they live in a world that can take their lives at any time," Medea explained to the blonde Huntress. "In the Age of the Gods, when mysticism was much more common, the average citizenry lived in fear of monsters and Heroes. They needed the latter to defend them from the former, but they would do all they could to cast the hero down once the quest was complete."

"I find that hard to believe," Glynda said. "While huntsmen were treated cautiously, people understood that they stood against the tides of darkness. The heroes of this world do the same."

"The tallest nail gets the hammer." I pipped in. "Do not think of the heroes or villains in this world as Huntsman in yours. Think of them as Maidens or people with magic. Imagine a world filled with Ozpins and Salems. On top of that, more are appearing every day. The earliest verified superhero was Captain America during WWII. More joined him during that time but only a handful. Two dozen people at most, one for every hundred million regular people. Ten years ago? One in a million. Today? One in ten thousand."

"I see," Glynda hugged me tighter as we approached the three-story townhouse. "I can understand why they wish to keep track of such individuals and their actions."

"It's not just that they can't control the heroes," Medea expounded. "That is what Protectorate is for. It is that, by their very nature, heroes are passive. They respond to a crisis. They cannot stop them, only mitigate them. Villains, monsters, and the like have the initiative. Whether the monster is slain or not doesn't matter to those caught in its rampage. Weapons will only work on the weakest of threats, those who weren't a problem in the first place. An army didn't defeat the hydra. Heracles did. They need heroes to fight what they cannot."

"We're here," I stopped their discussion as we ascended the front steps. I wanted to hear more about Medea's knowledge and experience with greek heroes, but that could wait. I wanted to avoid risking our target stepping out again after we had waited hours for him to get home. "Just like we practiced."

"I cannot believe you convinced me to do this," Glynda sighed as she held me up in front of the door. "It seems to be my fate to cater to the whims of old mages."

"I appreciate his sense of humour," Medea said with a smile as she pressed the doorbell. "Even if it's not as funny as he thinks it is, it breaks the tension."

"Ouch." I winced at that burn before assuming my position as we heard footsteps approach the door.

********

Stephan Strange was tired.

Though his mastery of the mystic arts allowed him to keep up activity long past the average man would have collapsed from exhaustion, mental fatigue still built up over time. He had just returned to the Sanctum Sanctorum. It was only the second time in three weeks.

Whatever that Dragon, the Elden Lord, had done to the dimensional walls was something the Sorcerer Supreme had never seen before. They weren't damaged in the conventional sense, there weren't a bunch of holes in reality now, but something had definitely changed in their structure. They were more fluid, less rigid, in allowing passage.

There was no other way to explain the cascade of extradimensional entities trying to make their way into this reality simultaneously.

For the last three weeks, Stephen had been fending off incursions from Aggamon, Dagoth, Dormammu, Satannish and Nightmare, as well as a host of lesser beings. He had called on Dr. Fate numerous times for aid, and the Lord of Order seemed to enjoy the chance to 'unwind' after the disastrous meeting with the Dragon.

If he could, Stephen would banish the Dragon as soon as possible, if only in petty revenge.

That was a pipe dream currently.

The heroes had yet to find out anything about the beast since its landing. The only real discovery had been that the Jewel was a pocket dimension of some sort. One that overlapped with Real Space and had the most secure dimensional wall Strange had ever seen.

Not even the Orb of Agamotto had been able to pierce the mists surrounding the Island.

All this combined made for a very cranky, tired, and frustrated Sorcerer Supreme.

He was looking forward to sitting down with a good book, his favourite cup of tea, and then taking a rather long nap.

It was no surprise that he let out a groan of frustration when the doorbell rang.

Stephen was ready to ask Wong to tell whoever rang to come back later before remembering that his assistant had stepped out for some errands. So with reluctance, the former surgeon dragged himself from his plush chair and made his way to the front door.

It was probably for the best, he told himself. Thanks to the wards around the Sanctum, nobody should be able to ring his bell unless they were either desperate for his aid or were mages.

With his long years as Sorcerer Supreme behind him, Stephen Strange was ready for almost anything. He had dealt with world-ending threats, crazy mages, and even an anthropomorphic duck version of himself.

His meeting with the drunk Ducktor Strange, Mallard of the Mystic Arts, would probably be top of his weird list.

Used to the odd as he was, Stephen still blinked in surprise at what he found when he opened the door.

Two women stood on his landing, neither familiar to him.

The first was short, less than five and a half feet tall. She looked like a woman enjoying a day off with pale purple hair, pointed ears, and a conservative sundress. She was smiling in good humour at him as he opened the door.

The other was a complete contrast. Over seven feet tall, with blonde hair and green eyes behind a set of glasses. Her face was neutral, and she dressed professionally in a blouse-skirt combo.

Steven took the pair in with the speed of a man used to fighting for his life. What the tall blonde held in her outstretched hands really drew him to a halt.

To his mortal eyes, it looked like a cute doll. Its large black eyes, like that of a stuffed animal, and dozens of tiny tentacle limbs brought to mind some sort of franchise mascot.

"Good day, sir," the blonde said in a deadpan tone. "Have you heard the good word of our lord and saviour, Baby Cthulhu?"

The Sorcerer Supreme barely heard the words coming out of her mouth.

Any other time someone pulling something like this would not only get the door slammed into their face, but they would also receive a few light hexes for wasting his time.

Instead, Stephen stood there, mouth slightly agape in a greeting unsaid as his mystical senses went haywire.

It stared at him, black eyes boring into his soul as he was laid bare before the monstrosity. Covered in blade-like fins, dozens of long tentacles moved in unnatural patterns. Its humanoid shape twisted and warped, at times long and sinuous, at others thick and bulbous. It floated in a void of darkness, its pale white skin radiating a sickly light.

Why hadn't his wards caught something like this? How had all this power gone unnoticed in one of the largest cities in the world? When had it arrived? What did it want?

Stephen thought he saw stars winking in and out of existence behind it, only to realize with horror that they weren't stars. The eyes twinkled at him in good humour. Gurgling laughter rang as blood tumbled from the pale eyes in a disturbing sight. The eyes were in on the joke.

The thing's head, chitinous and fleshy, twisted at him in a mockery of a nod. An orifice opened, a yawning void filled with teeth, blood, and tentacles.

Looking through that monstrosity of a mouth, a great EYE met his gaze. Fiery orange with a slit pupil, it evaluated him.

It spoke to him through the abomination. Even this crime against all that was holy and sane was but its puppet.

Its voice resounded with Life and Freedom. The sound spoke of the birth in spring, tearing off your clothes to run through wildflowers, flying through the air on wings of joy and wonder. It held the promise of release from burdens. The spectacle, terror, and hope of the unknown.

It was beautiful.

It made his head hurt.

"I come in peace," It said. "Take me to your leader."

Its words, those of the tiny squid-like creature, shook Stephen from his fugue.

Perhaps he was cranky at being disturbed in his moment of rest.

Maybe it was the shock of that vision or the headache it caused.

More than likely, a part of the reason was due to that stupid introduction, and the other part was long ingrained instincts that came from dealing with beings from beyond time and space.

Either way, the Sorcerer Supreme reacted as one might expect when an alien monstrosity knocks on his front door.

********

As I spoke, I kept my pose, a parody of a crucifixion.

It was all I could do not to break down in giggles at the mage's poleaxed expression.

Until I had a human body, I wasn't going to be anyone's idea of a welcome house guest.

While my current Avatar was much cuter after all the effort I had gone through over the last three weeks since awakening, it was still a baby Cthulhu. So, seeing as we were going to meet someone who dealt with the eldrich abominations regularly, I had to make myself seem as unthreatening as possible.

And what was more unthreatening than a bad joke?

That I found his reaction funny was a complete coincidence.

My first indication that my first impression plan might have gone wrong was when the medallion that hung around the Sorcerer Supreme's neck, the Eye of Agamotto, began to glow with a bright white light.

Glynda reacted quickly, pulling me to her chest and moving her crop to her hand. Medea took a step back, her dress covered by a cloak that billowed behind her as purple magic circles gathered in its folds.

A haze filled the air instantly as the house shimmered with a golden light. My long experience with magic and my Talent told me everything. I felt the wards of the house identify as a threat. Medea froze, her face set in a snarl as the wards caught her. I was Free, of course, and so was Glynda since she was touching me. Sensing the failure of the restraining wards, more violent protections started to activate.

Strange levitated into the air, power gathering into his hands to blast us to smithereens or banish us from this plane of existence.

He was caught by a tendril of shadow wrapping around his leg and pulling him to the floor. It tried to crawl higher but was prevented by the light the Eye released. The light didn't seem to damage the shadow, but it agitated it as the glow brightened.

All this happened in the space of a second.

"Stop!" I shouted.

Everyone on my side froze. It wasn't a command seal, but it was close. A red glow pulsed from my chest.

The Sorcerer Supreme took the time to increase the output of light from the Eye, freeing himself from Raven's hold. The Sanctum's wards continued to charge their deadly defences but didn't release their payloads. Apart from that, no further action was forthcoming, though I did hear him chanting something under his breath.

I dropped from Glynda's hands and shuffled my way to Medea on my tiny tentacles. Touching the greek witch slightly, I Freed her from the ward's imprisonment.

"Now that we are all calmed down," I said as Medea dismissed her magic circles. Even constrained, she was ready to blast the house to pieces. Glynda remained tense, prepared for a restart of hostilities. "How about some introductions? I'm Mikael. This is Glynda and Medea. Raven is the one in the shadow. She's shy. As I said, we come in peace. Why don't we go inside and have a talk?"

"I'd rather not," Strange replied. Power continued to gather in the wards, enough to destroy a good portion of Manhattan. Way too much of an overkill for a bad joke in my book. "Tell me what you really are, Elden Lord! Why are you here, and how you got into this dimension undetected? Then I might not destroy you, Abomination."

"Medea," I said in reply.

"Rule Breaker," She whispered, kneeling on the step of the house and pressing a jagged dagger into the house's foundation.

The wards surrounding the Sanctum Sanctorum were some of the strongest in the world. They were not impenetrable, but they had stood up to the likes of Dormammu, hundreds of monsters, and more than a dozen violent mages during Strange's tenure as Sorcerer Supreme. If a nuclear weapon fell on New York, those in the Sanctum would remain safe.

In a moment, it was all undone.

Where once was a bastion of magical defences, now was a regular townhouse filled with mystical artifacts. I wasn't worried about any sort of prisoners contained in the building. If Strange was stupid enough to connect a jail system to his defences, he wouldn't be Sorcerer Supreme.

Strange stumbled backwards as the benefits of being on his home turf, his workshop, were stripped from him.

Regarding reactions to threats, using Rule Breaker was a bit extreme. But I really didn't like being dismissed or talked down to. I was here not as a supplicant or client but as someone looking to alert the Sorcerer Supreme to a failure in his duty.

Just because I came in peace didn't mean I wasn't prepared for war.

"Ready to talk now?" I asked the horrified man.

********

"This is some good tea," I told the man sitting opposite me. As I drained one of the cups, the teapot floated over and filled it again. It joined the other two held in other tentacles. Medea and Glynda were on each side of me, and Raven hid in my shadow. Their tea remained untouched.

The Huntress kept her eyes on the Sorcerer, ready to react in a moment.

Medea's head was on a swivel. She had returned to her day dress and was taking the opportunity to look over all the magic in the house.

Though the wards were dispelled, the building remained seeped in active magic. Shelves that held more than they should. Furniture that twisted to the most comfortable fit. Windows that looked out on impossible landscapes. Hundreds of other little spells had built up over the years to make the house feel alive.

"Thank you," the good doctor responded to my compliment with a polite nod. His eyes flicked to Medea constantly. The greek witch barely paid him any mind besides to glare for a moment. After realizing that we could cause some real trouble if we wished and that we did come in peace, he begrudgingly invited us inside. "The plants that grow it are not native to this dimension, so I have to get it personally."

"I can tell, I usually don't like flower blends, but this one was such a smooth flavour I can't help but keep drinking."

"I find it helps me calm down after a long period of stress."

"I can see why," I nodded amiably despite his glare, taking another sip.

Was it petty of me to keep up pleasantries when he wanted to get on with things? Yes, it was.

Did I care? Not even a little.

I was a petty bastard when I wanted to be.

Stephan Strange stared at me, sitting in his living room and sipping his tea for several long seconds.

"Mikael," Glynda sighed in exasperation. She finally released her tension and took up her own cup. "Leave the poor man alone. Didn't you come here for something?"

"Fine," I smiled as I set my cups down. "My apologies Dr. Strange. I suppose I was disappointed that you would judge me so quickly, even though I stated my peaceful intent. I allowed my childishness to get the better of me."

Though I said it as an apology, it was also a condemnation. Judging by the increased glare, the good doctor realized as well. Nevertheless, he relented, the heat leaving his eyes as he nodded at me.

"I must apologize for that," he said, setting his cup down on the table. "I have been a bit stressed as of late. A recent draconic arrival has stirred up a hornet's nest that I have been dealing with for the better part of a month. My nerves were frayed, and I lashed out."

Touche.

Pleasantries exchanged and barbs traded, we could move on to the main topic.

"I will be honest with you, Doctor," I started. "I arrived on this planet and noticed an immediate concern. One that falls under the purview of Sorcerer Supreme as it is a multi-dimensional threat. I sought you out to bring it to your attention, should you have missed it."

"What is it?" Sitting straighter in his seat, the former surgeon focused all his attention on me.

"Superpowers," I replied seriously. "Specifically, the one's originating from a type of brain tumour that my people called Corona Pollentia. They act as a conduit to multiversal entities that seek to sow conflict to grow. They grant superpowers to a host species, gather data on their use, then reap the species to reclaim what is theirs. They then move to a different planet to start the process anew."

"You are talking about the Worms," Stephen said with realization. I watched him lean back in his chair with relief.

"Worms?" Medea asked, turning her attention from a bespelled painting.

"That is the common term for them in the intergalactic community translated to english. I believe the Shi'ar first coined it," the Sorcerer explained to the witch. "They are bottom feeders. They prey on undeveloped planets or those barely into their space age. Any sufficiently advanced society notices them right away and kills them. They are only a multi-dimensional threat in the most basic and crude terms. Little more than planet-sized vermin."

"Nevertheless, your home planet is infested with them," I pressed. "It has been for some time. The only way to deal with vermin is to exterminate them before they ruin a home."

"Normally, I agree with you," Dr. Strange nodded amiably. I felt he was happy to hold information I didn't have. "They landed on an empty version of the earth during my predecessor's time as Sorcerer Supreme. She investigated and found them to be no threat."

"No threat?" I asked in surprise.

"Indeed." Rather than continue, he retook his tea cup and sipped it with a smirk. I could recognize and appreciate a bit of irony when I saw it, so I nodded in acknowledgement and took up my cup again.

Glynda wasn't so graceful.

"Are you going to explain, or shall we sit here for another twenty minutes sipping tea?" How much politicking she had to deal with Ozpin? I understood she was straight-laced, despite what she let me get away with, but there was a particular order to meetings between 'rivals.' You had to allow the other small victories when they came. That kept things amicable.

"Let the men play their games," Medea said as she stood from her chair and started perusing the shelves of books directly. "Your collection, limited to this open space, is curious. I imagine you have a more esoteric one hidden somewhere, but a few of these tomes have piqued my interest. I do not suppose you would be amenable to a trade?"

"I would be open," Strange said cautiously. "Though you will forgive me if I prefer other knowledge since I doubt you have much that my predecessors haven't collected. Such as the nature of that dagger earlier."

"Rule Breaker?" Medea asked, only half paying attention as she took a tome from the shelf. "I can't give it to you, nor will it work for anyone but I. I do have an original copy of Pythagoras's treaties on animism. Notes and all. That will do for a few of these books. I'm sure you have other copies somewhere. You won't miss them."

"How?" The doctor shot to his feet, staring at the witch in surprise. "All those have been lost to the ages. The last known copy of a copy was burnt in Alexandria."

"I'll take that as a deal then," Medea said with a smirk. Five books of various sizes floated from the shelf and disappeared into her cloak. A tattered piece of papyrus appeared in her hands, which she passed over to the Sorcerer, who opened it and devoured its contents with his eyes. "I will throw in Empedocles' note on the human soul if you would be willing to answer my husband's questions."

I allowed myself a smirk as the Sorcerer Supreme staggered in surprise at Medea's words.

I had spent less time on the Island and in the Mansion than any of the women. I knew, intellectually, that our library contained any book we could ever want from our home worlds, but I hadn't thought to leverage that lost knowledge as a bargaining chip.

I had brought Medea originally as insurance with Rule Breaker. Her noble phantasm could no-sell most of what Strange could throw at us, and I could take care of the rest. My chest tightened with affection and pride as I saw her shark-like smirk.

"You are her," Strange said. He had retaken his seat and was watching Medea studiously. "Medea the Witch. The original from the legends. Wife of Jason. Argonaut. Last known to hold the Golden Fleece."

"I would rather not talk about that man," Medea said with a grimace. "I have traded up in the world, and any reminder of him ruins my good mood."

"You've been to earth before," Strange said, looking at me. "Thousands of years ago. Maybe multiple times. There are a bunch of myths about white dragons around the world and lost continents around the world. I know that Island is not Atlantis, that always resided under the waves, but Plato reported a different continent in his works."

"Something like that," I nodded my head though I giggled inside. Let him make his own mistakes. I would sit back and watch the confusion. "But you were telling us about these 'Worms' and how they are not a threat. The Ancient One isn't well known for making bad judgements, but I would still like to hear her reasoning."

"How did you... Nevermind. You are correct that she had a grasp of foreknowledge that few could match. While I might be her magical equal today, that is one aspect I have remained behind." Strange narrated wistfully. "I never talked to her directly on the subject, but I have notes on her discoveries. She found the two Worms in alternate realities. There appeared to be some issue with their landings, and they both crashed. They survived, but their higher functions did not. The pair operated a little more than bioorganic machines. They still sent out their powers but received no input back. No free will, no creativity."

"So why not kill them?" I asked. Could the Abbadon encounter have been more violent in this world? Instead of just hitting The Thinker, shards collided with The Warrior as well? "Put them out of their misery."

"She initially planned on it," Stephan nodded. "I do not know what she saw on those planets but whatever it was, and her predictions from it convinced her the world was better off with humanity gaining those powers. She has been right so far. Without the conflict drive and with no means of continuing the cycle, those who gained their powers from the Worms are indistinguishable from Mutants without extreme examination. Due to her decision, the world has more heroes than ever."

"Despite the Endbringers?" I couldn't help but ask.

"What do the Endbringers have to do with anything," he looked at me, confused.

"They are a result of the 'Worms,'" I explained. He had been so well informed that his lack of knowledge on the subject surprised me. "They are conflict engines. Designed to push the world into more serious situations without exterminating the species to draw more data."

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"How certain of this are you?" His eyes stared into mine with utmost focus as if trying to peer into my mind.

"Ninety-eight percent?" I half asked. I didn't know how to quantify out-of-context knowledge. So far, I haven't seen anything to prove that the Endbringers weren't a result of the Entities. "I ate one, after all."

"And that destroyed the Simurgh?" Strange looked at me dubiously. "Forgive me for saying this, but we have tried all possibilities for destroying the creatures. No matter what we did, they reformed or escaped their confinement. I personally banished Behemoth to other dimensions four times, and it returned no worse for wear. How do you know your consumption of the Simurgh will not be the latest failure, and she won't reform to terrorize some other city."

"Because I destroyed her core?" I asked rhetorically. No matter what he said, I was sure the Simurgh would not be coming back. I had felt her Die. My Life Element, my connection with Death, and my lack of still being Bound to her all pointed to one fact.

She wasn't coming back.

"Core?"

"You know, her nucleus. Her real body. The winged woman everyone sees is like her armour. She and the other Endbringers are just a bunch of hyperdimensional silicone flesh driven by cores moving around the body. Destroy the core, and they go poof. Sometimes literally, depending on how you do it."

"A core!" He exclaimed as he stood, pacing around the room. I thought it was an overreaction to such a simple idea. "They have to have an anchor to tether them to this reality. Why didn't we ever think about a core? But we have yet to find one. We should have discovered something even if it moves around the body."

I watched him pace around for a bit, muttering to himself and couldn't help but feel a bit put off by the situation. Something didn't sit right with me here. Was it an information thing? I knew things that seemed obvious to me but wouldn't be to others.

"He seems rather animated," Glynda leaned in to whisper in my 'ear.' "You would guess he heard the most outlandish idea in the world."

"It might be," I said, trying to see where he was coming from. "We might have done the equivalent of providing Ozpin with a method of killing Salem. I don't understand why people like him, Reed Richards, or Batman never thought about a core before. After the first few times, I could understand, but it has been years now."

"Could there not be a core?" Glynda asked.

"The Simurgh had one. It was how I killed her. The other must have one too. Some sort of Stranger effect, maybe? Even in the book, a lot was left vague. He seems to have realized it now, so it may need someone to point it out. It might just be a misinformation overlap that I cleared up."

"If so, we needn't worry about the other Endbringers." Glynda took me in her lap. "The other heroes, once they learn of this, should be able to take care of them."

"You still didn't answer my question," I asked the pacing Sorcerer Supreme. He stopped and looked at me. "Even with the Endbringers, was it worth keeping the Worms alive?"

"Yes," he answered without hesitation. "The Endbringers, for all their destruction, pale before the good the heroes have done with their powers. If the Ancient One saw the Endbringers, she would also have seen that we would overcome them and do further good. When you are Sorcerer Supreme, you must make difficult decisions like that."

"All right," I nodded. I had come here for a consultation with the Sorcerer Supreme and received it. While it wasn't the best result, that of destroying the Entities and their Shards, it was one I could live with. At least I didn't have to worry about the Golden Idiot ending the world on a whim. "Then I thank you for your time."

If I had been around when they first landed, I would have killed them ASAP. Now? If they died, we risked the shards going all Titan on us. In a way, Eden and Zion being brain dead were the best results I could hope for.

Glynda picked me up, and we made for the door. Medea followed us after leaving another scroll on the table.

"If that is all you are here for, I won't detain you. But answer me this, Mikael. Why are you here, on this planet? What are your intentions?"

I couldn't see him, held in Glynda's arms as I was, but I could imagine him debating trying to take us down depending on my answer.

"I'm going to find a way to get a human body and meet with someone," I answered while thinking of that gay couple from not too long ago. "Then I am going to enjoy my honeymoon."

We left the Sanctum quickly, and I had Raven verify we were not followed. I wasn't too worried even if we were, but an ounce of caution could prevent a pound of harm.

"Am I being too cautious?" I asked my companions as we meandered around New York. Our final target for the day wasn't expected to be home for another two hours, so we were killing time and seeing the sights.

"No." "Perhaps."

"You cannot be too cautious," Medea continued after a nod from Glynda. "Knowing more than anyone else, knowing what people want and can do to you, is the only way to remain safe. We have a lot of only half-relevant knowledge from you, Raven, Diana, and Emma. You have taken steps to verify or disprove various hypotheses about that knowledge. To act as if we know everything due to our sources would be more dangerous than knowing nothing."

She echoed my concerns, but I nodded to Glynda for her to elaborate on her position.

"While caution and information gathering are vital to a secure operation, you are obsessing too much on gathering that information. We have a good grasp of this world now. Any further information we need can be assembled at will. They are known unknowns. You must not remain passive for fear of lack of information."

I could see where she was coming from with that as well. I wasn't the biggest RWBY fan, but I could see how trapped Ozpin had been in his passivity, continually ceding the initiative to Salem.

"Why didn't you ask him about rituals or spells that could get you a body?" Medea asked, taking me from my thoughts as we passed Washington Square Park. I wanted to show them the Empire State Building and Avengers Tower while we were in town.

"Leverage," I answered. "I am not going to trust anyone to either build me a body or provide me with the means to get one unless I have some leverage over them. Your move with the scrolls was brilliant, but if the Sorcerer Supreme could put some sort of failsafe in my body, he would. He is part of the Illuminati, after all. In fact, I would bet three tentacles that as soon as we left, he contacted everyone he could with whatever information he got from us. Besides, I trust you to find a way if magic can get me a body."

I took glee in seeing Medea freeze in place, hands going to her flushed cheeks and wiggling in joy.

I was reminded of Carnival Phantasm and the Emiya Family timelines, the only cannon routes in my mind, as she collapsed into joyous giggles. She was so easy to please.

I almost felt bad for complimenting her into an absolute mess.

Almost.

"Can magic even give you a body?" Glynda asked.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I am kind of winging it here. Body Talent gives everyone a one-time optimization to our ideal form. It is applied automatically when you sign up for the catalogue or are bound, so I got it when I was first put in the Cell. I didn't sign up for any sort of shapeshifting abilities, and, for all their mysterious powers, Great Ones in Bloodborne are not known as shapeshifters either. Even my size change is only possible due to observing Priscila doing the same and replicating with my Talents. I can manipulate my flesh slightly due to my Life Element, but that is the thing about Life. It doesn't care what form it takes. As far as it's concerned, a human body is a regression towards a lesser state of being."

"He is hard locked to only one Avatar as well," Medea added after leaving her happy place. "We tried connecting him to a homunculus. As soon as we do, that body becomes his Avatar and defaults to his Great One status."

"I've tried dismissing my Avatars and creating a new one, but that also defaults to my GOO form. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have gone for the Childhood's Beginning ending. Curse my completionist tendencies!" I shook a tiny tentacle at the sky, cursing past me.

That guy always fucked me over.

"At this point, our best bet is for him to keep practicing his limited shapeshifting abilities. Learning with Tsunade helps, but it is still a long time coming. Unless we can come up with a way to force his body into certain shapes, that is his best bet."

"I wish I had some of Ozpin's magic," Glynda said. "He was able to give the Branwins the ability to shapeshift to birds. I'm sure you could manipulate it into- what's that?"

Glynda's arms tightened around me, and she shifted to one side of the street to press up against a building. Medea followed her as screams rang through the streets. I did not have the practice with Haki that the women had, so I couldn't sense what they could. I heard crashes and bangs in the distance, but I couldn't get a good look at the situation due to being pressed against the huntress' cleavage.

Thankfully, the reason for the disturbance was coming our way.

Crashing down the street, the ten-foot-tall, half-mechanical form of the Rhino tore through the cars in his way as pedestrians were sent fleeing by his rampage. He wasn't moving too fast, but he was being incredibly destructive.

Behind him, swinging between buildings and pulling cars and people out of the Rhino's way, was the red and blue form of Spider-man.

"You can't take this turn, Aleksei," the arachnid-themed hero shouted over the screams. "It's a one-way street. You'll get a ticket!"

The vigilante shot a web at the villain's leg to slow him down but was forced to shift focus to pull an occupied vehicle out of the Rhino's way.

"Bug!" The Russian yelled, pausing in his rampage to pick up a motorcycle and toss it at the hero.

"Arachnid! Why can nobody get that right? You don't hear me calling you a horse, do you?"

"I'll crush you!"

"Should we do anything?" Glynda asked, her hand tightening on her crop.

I seriously debated the question. Even if Spider-man couldn't stop him quickly, the Avengers would get Rhino eventually. Ultimately, I fell back on my default questions whenever the option to be a hero presented itself.

Would it inconvenience me? Not really.

Could I get something out of it? Possibly.

"My first day off the Island," I sighed. "I should have known. I knew there was a breakout from the Raft. The Avengers will probably be here soon. Raven, can you be ready to transport us? Glynda, grab him. I want to conduct a very methodical and scientific test. Medea, continue to look pretty."

Though I was a bit bummed my 'date' had been interrupted, I decided to take this as an opportunity to try something.

Purple Aura surrounded the Rhino, lifting the two-tonne man into the air. I could see the Russian's face contorted in surprise but trapped in the Huntress's semblance. He couldn't even scream. She had risen to Tier 7 while on the Island, giving her an increase in power and control that she never had before.

"Woah," Spider-man said in surprise as he alighted on a nearby street lamp. "Rhinos can fly now. You've been holding out on me, Aleksei." Though he said so, his head remained on a swivel.

He found us in moments.

Medea continued to wiggle in happiness, unconcerned for the destruction around us, but Glynda was very conspicuous. Begin seven feet tall, holding a Baby Cthulhu doll and a riding crop, and surrounded with a purple aura of power would do that.

As soon as he saw us, Spider-man flinched back, almost falling from the light post. He whipped his head around, looking skyward. I did as well, as Glynda approached the massive form of Aleksei Systevich, wondering if his Spider-Sense was alerting him to something approaching.

"And who might you be purty lady," the vigilante asked, affecting a fake western accent even as he continued to look around cautiously. "I thank you fer the assist. The sheriff in these parts will be along shortly. If you could keep this here bandit in irons, it'd be mighty appreciated."

"You'd make a terrible cowboy," I deadpanned at the vigilante. He flinched again, eyes passing over me as I poured power into Medea's armband, before looking skyward once more. He could hear my voice, but focusing on me took considerable effort. Strange could only do so because he was so intuned with the mystical side of things. I knew Spider-man wasn't part of the PRT, so he couldn't officially arrest people, but he was well regarded enough that they wouldn't try to detain him, so he had nothing to fear for staying here. I didn't want to be bogged down, though. "Anyway, we're just tourists. We'll be out of your web in a moment. Glynda, would you be a dear and bring him closer? And if you can, do you mind cleaning up a bit?"

"Of course," she answered professionally. Even as the armoured man approached, cars righted themselves, the cracked pavement was repaired, and twisted metal was bent back into shape.

It looked like time was being rewound, but I knew it to be incredibly skilled telekinetic manipulation.

Spider-Man whistled, taking a more extended look at Glynda.

"Useful trick," he said, dropping to the ground and approaching us. I saw his body flinch again every once in a while, but he didn't falter in his steps. "Glynda, was it? Haven't heard of you before but welcome to New York. How's the big apple been treating you?" Now that he wasn't pretending to be John Wayne, I could hear a distinct Brooklyn accent.

"The food has been subpar, but the people have been interesting," she answered.

"What are you trying to do?" Medea sidled up to us, looking over the paralyzed Rhino. With my tiny frame, he seemed absolutely massive, but I was used to seeing giants, so I wasn't particularly impressed.

Sirens filled the street as the cops approached. Now that the situation had calmed down, pedestrians were returning. I saw more than one cell phone pointed our way and sighed.

So much for a low profile.

"Aleksei is bound to this armour," I explained as I reached out to touch the metal with a tentacle. "Literally. He can't get it off. I know I can Free people, but I want to see if there are any repercussions. He makes a great test subject."

I could feel my Element responding to my will. I willed Aleksei to be 'Free' of his armour. Either he'd get his wish to be divested of it or turn into chunky salsa as the armour ripped itself from his body. Either way, I'd learn more about the exact nature of my abilities.

Luckily for the Rhino, it seems the former was the result.

Like water, the metal flowed off the man and fell at his feet. The tubbing connecting the suit to his flesh slid out of his body, leaving unblemished skin behind. His iconic helmet fell to the ground with a weighty thunk.

After a moment, all that was left was a discarded suit of armour and a naked man. It seemed like Aleksei retained the increased musculature the operation gave him.

I doubted he was eight feet tall originally.

"Hey!" Spider-man covered the naked man in webs instantly. "Kids could be watching. We keep things PG around here."

"You can let him go," I told Glynda. "We're done here. Let's grab lunch at home before heading to our last stop. Raven, if you would."

"I'm not one to stop people from getting some grub," Spider-man said. "But what did you just do? Any side effects we should be aware of? He's not going to die, is he?"

"He's fine," I said, waiving a tentacle dismissively. I didn't know that for sure, but I also didn't care enough to stick around. The vigilante flinched at my voice, and, for the first time, I felt his complete focus fall on me. He stumbled backwards after a moment, finally piercing the Bounded Field surrounding me. "He's Free now."

"Stop!" The spider shouted, hands coming up to shoot at us, but it was too late.

We sunk into shadow, leaving New York behind.

********

"Excuse me, I am looking for Taylor Hebert," I heard Glynda say.

"Who are you?" Emma Barnes answered.

I couldn't see them, hidden in a nearby alley, but we were close enough to hear them. Finding this place had been easy enough with Emma's help, as had getting the pair's schedule.

"My name is Glynda, and I am here representing the interests of Drakon Inc. Our CEO worked with Danny Hebert in the past and is looking to reach out to him to offer a position at our company. We have been unable to find his most recent residence and would like Ms. Hebert to provide us with a number we can reach him at."

I had brought Medea today as insurance against anything Stephen Strange could throw at us. On the other hand, Glynda was with us because she was the most professional of the women on the Island. Perfect for playing the part of a potential business party interested in hiring the old head of a labour union.

"Please let your boss know that my father passed away last year," I heard another voice say. Taylor.

"Go," I told Raven.

I was being overly cautious here, probably paranoid.

All signs pointed to Taylor not being a parahuman. I had waited for her to be home from work and brought up her dead father to engineer an emotional response from any Swarm she might have. If there was anything suspicious at this property, Raven would find it.

Barring the death of her mom and then her dad last year, Taylor Hebert had lived a relatively happy life. She was engaged to her childhood sweetheart Emma, was working on her Doctorate in Literature, and had inherited a tidy sum of money from her father. Enough to put herself through university, at least while her fiance continued to work as a model.

Despite that, I took all available precautions against the Queen of Escalation. Emma had not been able to read her mind, and the Administrator shard was of such importance that, even if she had a different power than insect control, it was probably the most potent Master effect possible.

I had no plans to tangle with Khepri, armed with all the heroes of Marvel and DC. I'm not sure that was possible due to the varied natures of powers in this world, but I wasn't willing to take risks. This world was already funky in some weird ways.

"My condolences," I heard Glynda say, sounding genuinely sorry. I wondered how often she had to tell people their families, her students, had died in the line of duty. I resolved to do something nice for her the next chance I got. "Do you mind if I asked how he passed? And where is he buried? My boss would like to pay his respects, I imagine."

"He was buried in Bay Central cemetery with my mother," Taylor replied. "There is also a plaque on the Ferry if you wish to pay your respects there."

"Thank you, I apologize for disturbing you this evening. Do not be surprised if you find a gift in your mail from my boss with his well wishes in the coming days."

My shadow fluctuated, indicating Raven's return. We only needed the pair of women distracted for a short time, just enough for the Cambion to spread throughout the house to find any hiding holes.

"Nothing," her monotone voice whispered in my ear.

"No bugs, costumes, suspicious tech, or anything?"

"No."

"That's that then," I sighed. I shook my head at Glynda as she returned to us.

A part of me was disappointed.

I hadn't been a big fan of Taylor early on in Worm since I liked my protagonists to have agency, and she mainly reacted. By the end of the book, she had become someone I could respect, so I was a bit bummed.

I shook off the melancholy quickly enough. Taylor was happier here than she ever was in the book.

"Back to the Island?" Medea asked.

"Not yet," I hadn't come to Brockton Bay just for Taylor. In fact, she was a target of opportunity. I was in town to make an offer. I doubted my target would take me up on the offer, but I figured it was worth the shot. "Take this road for four blocks, then take a left and keep going. You'll reach Panacea Park."

"I'm familiar with the name," Glynda said. "That is one of the people you asked Emma to check in on, correct?"

"When I found out Worm was an aspect of this world, Panacea was one of the first things that came to mind when I thought about getting my body back."

"She was a healer if I remember right," Medea said, pressing me closer to her bosom. "I thought healers couldn't help you. Your 'healthy' state is your Great One body."

"She pretended to be a healer," I explained, feeling a sense of loss for one of my favourite characters. "She was actually a biokinetic. Amy Dallon could manipulate flesh like clay. In the parlance of this world, she was a Striker 12+. Her exact limits were unknown, but I believe she could have manipulated my body into a human form if I let down my Polymorph Defence."

"She died."

"She did worse than die," I explained. "She proved the Joker right."

"I am familiar with that name," the Huntress pipped in. "Diana spoke at length about that villain. A clown and a monster."

"You can consider him Batman's arch-nemesis if you want. While he has taken various forms depending on the media, one of his most common themes is his desire to twist people. He believes everyone, even heroes, is just one bad day from becoming a villain. He constantly pushes people, Batman especially, to fall to his level. He's succeeded several times over the years in various tellings of his story, and Panacea was his masterstroke in this world. One of the greatest healers in the world, an icon of good, turned into a villain."

"What happened?"

"I don't know the exact details," I pointed out to the pair as we made our way to the park. "I don't even know why New Wave, the hero group she was a part of, was targeted. Maybe the Joker was just having an off day. Perhaps he wanted a road trip. All I know is the madman made his way from Gotham to the Bay. He blew up New Wave's house while most of the group was home. He taped the whole thing. Amy saw her sister, the only survivor of the blast, be shot dead on live television."

"I could see how that would devastate the girl," Glynda frowned. "I have seen Huntsmen crack from less."

"She wanted vengeance," Medea said. Her voice was soft. Given her history, I imagined she sympathized with Panacea more than most. "She used her powers to get it and didn't care who she hurt to do it."

"She found him laughing over her sister's body in the remains of her house. Her mistake was in trying to make him suffer. The heroes got there in time to stop her from killing him, but after she had cooked up a deadly plague. Naturally, she took exception to them trying to stop her from getting justice.

The Red Queen was a villain for five hours. By the end of her rampage, the newly instituted Justice League had stepped in before she could threaten the eastern seaboard. Her body count totalled three heroes, eighty-seven civilians, and herself. The Joker survived the day, though he was bedridden for over a year. He is currently at large again."

"And they named a park after her?" Medea asked incredulously.

"She died in the end, and the tragedy was fairly well televised. While the death toll was pretty high, most of humanity knew her as a Healer. One who worked with anyone never asked for payment and had saved millions of lives over her career. She was only twenty when she died. Humanity chose to remember the hero Panacea rather than the Villain the Red Queen."

"Why are we heading to the park?"

"I figured I would talk to her, offer to bring her back if she wanted," I shrugged. It was a long shot, anyway. It would depend on what state of mind Amy was in. I wouldn't even make the offer if she was a raving lunatic bent on revenge. Even if she was lucid, she might not want to come back to life or do me a service.

"I had forgotten about Death being your patron," Medea whispered in my ear.

"I haven't," I answered darkly. I still needed to talk to that woman/concept. I was going to give her a chance to explain herself. Bringing Melina back granted her that much, but I still wasn't really pleased with her. "Today is the first time I've been off the Island, so I haven't really interacted with her powers. I know the basics. I can only bring back people with their permission and at the sight of their deaths. Everyone I bring back gets the benefits of the catalogue since they are Bound. I don't think I will be bringing too many people back."

"They will be able to control your Avatar, like us." Medea realized.

"I'm willing to take the chance this time because having Panacea around would fix my human body problem, and I think she would get along well with Tsunade. With Raven in my shadow, I don't have to worry about her controlling me for too long. All this is contingent on her accepting revival."

"Do you think that likely?" Glynda asked.

"No. If I did, I would have been out here weeks ago. For all that the living fear Death, the dead are at peace. No matter their regrets and afterlife, most will not want to return unless they are tormented in some way. The only exception I can see is if Amy would come back for a chance at revenge. I can offer that. Unfinished business can be worse than any torment."

"It's smaller than I imagined," Medea said as we approached the park. She lifted me to her shoulders so I could get a better look. It was only three blocks long and two wide. "For one of the greatest healers in the world, it seems underwhelming."

"They just converted the damaged area from her rampage into the park," I said, distracted by the opening of my new senses. "I said they chose to remember her good deeds rather than bad, not that the government would fork out the money to displace people to build a bigger monument."

To say I could see the dead was a misnomer.

There was a visual aspect, a layer over reality I had never noticed until I sought it out, but that was different from where most of the information came from.

I could feel my soul, the fundamental aspect that made up all I considered 'me,' reach out to the world, and the world responded with information.

I knew the names of all eighty-seven civilians who died here. I knew their age, gender, dreams, wishes, and fears. I learned how they died. The same for all three heroes who perished at the Red Queen's hands, Velocity, Night Watch, and Rockslide. The first two died when they touched Amy, trying to stop her. The last died when she created an infection that ate away at stone to reach the Joker again.

I felt the blast that killed New Wave.

I heard the wishes of a family of heroes whose only fault was trying to replicate the Fantastic Four too close to Gotham.

I felt Glory Girl's pain, fear, sadness, and rage as she looked at the laughing face of the Joker, her shields down.

I knew her last thoughts.

She thought of her cousins, the other family of New Wave, and hoped they weren't targeted. She thought of Dean, her boyfriend and wished their last meeting didn't end in another petty argument.

Victoria's last thought was of Amy, of how she hoped her sister would live a long and happy life after she was gone.

It was what I didn't feel that told me the most.

"Well, I'll be damned," I said, looking out over the monument to New Wave. My soul asked a question to the dead, getting an affirmative answer. "I might be getting a human body sooner than expected."

*********

Here we are with the next chapter.

I'll keep this brief since it is some bad news.

Due to some severe IRL problems, I find myself needing to move. This has seriously cut my writing time as I pack, find a place, and eventually move.

I am not willing to put the story on hold again, as I want to maintain momentum, but I also need to be realistic. If I can continue to release a whole chapter a week, I will, and that will be my goal. If I cannot, I will still write something, though it will be shorter. I can bang out an omake, What-If scenario, or something between work and the move in an hour or two.

I hope to have this situation fixed by the end of October, but I will still see you all next time for one of the most anticipated events of this fic.

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