Legend laid a hand on the forehead of Eidolon's mask before gently laying his body on the ground. Legend levitated into the air, his fists clenched, lips pulled back in a snarl. "Alexandria, I'll come around from behind. You–"

"Enough, Legend. Leave." Alexandria said, her voice as emotionless as it had been when we'd first started speaking.

"Lex, he just killed–"

"Keith," Alexandria said, the slightest trace of pain creeping into her voice. "Go."

Legend shook his head, turning to face me, his fists illuminating with a rainbow of colors.

"Door to Earth Fei." Alexandria said dispassionately as she rapidly flew up behind Legend. He was too shocked to resist as she kicked him through a gold-rimmed rift in reality that snapped shut the moment Legend was gone. Alexandria hung her head for a moment before turning back around, floating down to the ground a short thirty meters from me. She held her hands up. "Oberon, I want to talk."

"David attempted to take advantage of my good faith. I have no reason to believe you will not attempt to do so again." I said, Tattletale appearing at my side. I couldn't read Alexandria, and needed all the help I could get in that regard right now. I'd just killed her friend, and she was acting as if she could move past that fact as easily as she drew breath.

"You have my word, I have no intention of taking advantage of your goodwill. David attacked you. I did not."

I grinned. "Another half-truth. I suppose I could listen to you, but the High Priest is gone. Perhaps it would be wiser of me to call forth Strider to close the gap between us so I can claim you next?"

"You could, but if you wanted my power, you would have taken it already."

I tilted my head as I slowly drifted towards her through the air. "You sound confident in that. Why would I not desire the most powerful Brute in the world?"

Alexandria's lips pulled into a thin line. "Because you want me alive for some reason."

I smiled, wide and cruel. Her Thinker ability was potent. I did want to leave her alive. As great as it would be to have her power, I didn't really need it. I had Eidolon now, and I'd already had Glory Girl before. While Glory Girl wasn't nearly as powerful as Alexandria was, leaving Rebecca alive had advantages. I would likely be able to get more out of her and out of Cauldron if I spared her. Eidolon was a prize so great I was confident I could battle anyone on the planet once I recharged his power. I could feel it was weak, but I knew how to charge it back to full. I would not allow unchecked avarice to compel me to take Alexandria without thought now that I was one of if not the most powerful man on the planet, I would kill her without hesitation if she attacked me, but Tattletale supplied that Alexandria had no intention of attacking me.

"It seems you shall have your talk, Alexandria. Is there a specific reason you sent the Legend away for this?"

"He was too emotional. Things would have devolved into a fight again. We can't afford that. We couldn't before, and we certainly can't now."

"You say 'we' could not afford this, but I certainly benefited from our last battle. Surely I could benefit again. Or, perhaps, you were referring to your compatriots that helped you banish Legend?" I said, the corner of my lip pulling up. Tattletale informed me Alexandria was desperate to know how I knew the things I did. Alexandria had put together that I recognized Doormaker and saw that David had acknowledged what I'd said about him and the Endrbingers as truth. She needed to know what else I knew and how I came to know what I'd already shared.

"You refused the Birdcage and requested an alternative. I have an alternative now. You already know of Cauldron somehow. Come work with us. You will be stationed on another world and–"

"I refuse." I said simply. "I have no desire to be Cauldron's puppet. And I would note that you misspoke, Fortitude. I said I would not enter the Birdcage until I was sure I could leave it at my leisure." I held a hand up to my side, and Eidolon slowly drifted forward. "I am now capable of leaving whenever I wish to. I will enter your Birdcage in one week's time, once I have gathered specific powers I still seek."

Alexandria frowned dangerously. "You will not harm any Protectorate, Wards or PRT personnel during your hunt."

I chuckled at her glare. "I do not believe you are in a position to demand anything of me anymore, Fortitude. But I will humor you. There is a single Ward I require that–"

"No." Alexandria's voice was iron. "I will not allow you to take a Ward. Who do you intend to take? I will find a villain with a similar power to appease you."

"You will be unable to. Sting is simply too great. I would…" I trailed off as an idea occurred to me. That could work. It certainly wouldn't be the same, but it would work well enough for my purposes especially with Eidolon. "Very well. I will take no Protectorate, Wards or PRT personnel in the coming week. In exchange, you will ensure the same forces, as well as the Guild who I will also spare, stay out of my way."

"I cannot guarantee the Guild will stand down. They are outside of my authoritative reach."

I frowned, my eyes narrowing. "Do not attempt to deceive me, Rebecca. The Dragon is bound to do as you command."

Alexandria's fingers twitched. Tattletale told me she was carefully controlling her actions. Tattletale was still able to tell that she was nervous I knew her identity.

"That is dangerous information, Oberon. I would have your word that–"

"That I not remove the mask of the shepherd that guides the sheep? And what do you offer for my word?"

"Toybox hosts a number of powerful Tinkers, but they are out of your reach. I can provide a path to and from their base."

"Unneeded. David was a fool, wasting his power on extravagant gimmicks to please the masses and make himself feel like a hero from myth. Had he not been so obsessed with their approval, he would have been capable of far more than even your great soothsayer could predict."

Alexandria tightened her fists. Tattletale told me she was panicking internally. She'd immediately guessed that by 'soothsayer', I was referring to Contessa and thought I meant to take the woman's power.

I raised a hand placatingly. "Be at ease, Fortitude. I do not desire the maker of paths. Hers is a curse as much as it is a gift. I already suffer under too many curses, I would not so easily welcome another."

Alexandria relaxed. Tattletale told me she'd believed me, and was curious about what my 'curses' were.

"If you are cursed, we would be able to assist you for a price." Alexandria said, watching my reaction closely.

I laughed. "I assure you, nothing you can do would be able to assist me." My adolescent body and fractured mind were both 'gifts' bestowed by the magnanimous ROB. I doubted there was a power on Earth Bet that could even hope to touch either ailment. Eidolon had the potential to help my mind, but I'd need to experiment with that first. "Returning to our deliberations, I do not require aid to assault Toybox, nor am I yet certain that I desire to. Eidolon will be sufficient to transport me should I so desire."

Alexandria was frozen, not moving an inch. Tattletale told me she was dreading the answer to the question she was about to ask.

"David… Did Eidolon truly control the Endbringers?" Her words were hollow. Tattletale supplied that she already thought she knew the answer, but needed to hear me say it to make it real.

I thought for a moment, then said, "In exchange for five of the monsters Cauldron keeps caged, I will swear not to reveal your true face to the world, Rebecca." While revealing Rebecca Costa-Brown to the public could create chaos for me to take advantage of, I would be content with this deal. It would take care of an issue I would have likely put off for the future immediately.

Alexandria was surprised by the sudden change in topic, but Tattletale told me her Thinker power almost immediately realized my request had something to do with answering her question.

"Doors to the bottom of cells G23, F41, K11, T2 and T60." Alexandria said quickly. Tattletale informed me she was retrieving monsters she believed to be 'expendable', but that suited me fine. Their powers were not for me.

Five golden-rimmed portals opened in the air around us. A misshapen monstrosity fell through each of them. A mass of red flesh with yellow spots. A crystalline, bipedal shape. A spindly feminine form covered in feathers with a single wing extended from its back. A round, fluid-like form dripping ink-like liquid from its body. A three-limbed, hulking mass with branches jutting out of its body.

Eidolon raised his hand and closed his fist. All five of the monsters dropped dead immediately. David was a fool. He didn't need to burn energy with flashy colors and great explosions to use his power. Shutting off the brains of his enemies worked well enough.

Eidolon's spirit drifted around us to each body. Alexandria watched closely as the spirit summoned a new power, a starving power. A thin line of blue energy connected Eidolon to each of the corpses as his power devoured. The monsters lay still as Eidolon's spirit surged with power. I smiled. Now I wouldn't need to waste my time hunting down powers I didn't actually want to recharge Eidolon. He was 'full' now. I doubted David had ever experienced his powers being so potent as those of the spirit I now commanded.

Turning to Alexandria, I said, "I thrice swear on my magic that I shall never reveal your identity, Rebecca. Should you ever be exposed, it will not be my doing. The word of a king is binding."

"You believe your power is magic?" Alexandria asked.

I blinked in surprise. I did say magic, didn't I? That… I hadn't really thought about it while I was saying it. Why did it feel so right? Canary appeared at my side and hummed soothing tones into my ear.

Alexandria began to fly backward, but stopped. Tattletale informed me Alexandria initially thought I'd summoned Canary to try to attack her, but had quickly determined I was using her on myself.

"Your mind is unstable." Alexandria observed, her Thinker power having drawn the conclusion.

I frowned. "Tread with caution, Fortitude. Such insults may be taken as attacks."

Alexandria got the message, immediately abandoning that line of questioning as she said, "Did David really control the Endbringers?"

I smiled, and sent an order through Eidolon. The active Endbringers were told to break the cycle and no longer attack cities. I felt through Eidolon's connection to them as they reacted differently. Behemoth slumbered deep beneath the earth in Europe. Leviathan slowly slunk along the bottom of the ocean towards the Mariana Trench to hibernate. Ziz drifted out of low Earth orbit towards the moon where she intended to land and sit to await further orders. It was likely just a trick of my broken, whisper-assaulted mind, but I could have sworn I felt Ziz send something akin to [Gratitude] and [Loyalty] towards me. Canary's humming grew louder to help me focus. I needed to find a way to use Eidolon to fix my mind, but that could wait until I had all the parahumans I wanted for my court. I didn't want to have to fix myself every time I acquired a new subject.

"Your cities shall no longer be assaulted by those you call 'Endbringers', nor by their kin who have yet to appear."

Alexandria sharply inhaled, the most apparent tell about her mental state since I'd met her. I didn't even need Tattletale to tell me she was shocked.

"How many other Endbringers are there?" Alexandria said, keeping her voice calm.

"What would you trade for this information?"

"I will give you an additional case 53 in Cauldron's holding cells for each Endbringer that has not appeared."

"Two additional subjects for each latent destroyer, and the stipulation that I be allowed to collect them at my leisure." I amended her offer. If Cauldron was willing to give them to me, their magic would not be overly powerful, but it would be wise to keep a stock of subjects I could use to recharge Eidolon's magic whenever necessary. It would take years of constant, David-like use for his magic to drain even slightly, but it was always wiser to side with caution.

"Done. How many Endbringers are there?"

"There are twenty in total with only three currently active."

"Can you control them all?"

"I can issue orders to them, but the continued destruction of cities serves no purpose any longer. The original purpose was to give David a proper challenge. With him gone, it is unnecessary for them to continue attacking."

Alexandria's fists tightened. Tattletale told me she was furious, though her ire was not directed at me. She recalled all those she'd seen die fighting the Endbringers and was glaring at Eidolon's spirit hovering behind me.

"With this deal complete, I am content. I shall arrive outside the Birdcage in one week's time to allow you to transport me within. Was there something else you wished to discuss before I leave you?"

Alexandria was silent for a moment. That silence spoke volumes to Tattletale. My advisor told me Alexandria desperately wanted, needed to ask a question but dreaded the answer she would receive.

"You called me Fortitude. What does my title mean?"

I smiled at her. She'd thought she was subconsciously harming her people like David had. The difference between the two of them was that David was an idiot while Rebecca was just a morally bereft, desperate woman throwing everything she could at the end of the world to try to stop it.

"Fortitude is unyielding, no matter the obstacle. It is not always a blessing, but you would know that better than I, Rebecca. Farewell." Strider appeared at my side and whisked me away. I was standing in the middle of an empty road somewhere in Vermont. The location didn't really matter. I just came here to be away from Alexandria while I found my quarry,

After the conclusion of today's events, I had sufficient power to overcome nearly every force on the planet, but my versatility was lacking. While I could use Eidolon's versatility to make up for this weakness, over-reliance on Eidolon's magic was what led David to weakness. I would only use Eidolon when absolutely necessary. That meant I needed versatility through other means. The best way to facilitate that was gathering a plethora of spirits to summon at my will. There were three groups in particular I had in mind. The first of these contained the man I would take in the place of Sting. The magic was not potent in the same way, but it would perhaps serve me better than Sting would have.

Eidolon summoned a power to locate any individual and provided me with the location of my target. If I could not have Sting, I would take the next best thing, acquiring other potent magics in the process. Strider pulled me away once more.

I had a doctor to visit.