No-One But You (The Zephyr Endeavor) - Part 2
Chapter 25: MILLION DOLLAR BABY (Part 5)
Ezekiel could tell Wade was very angry, and he could also tell that he was lying when he said everything was "fine." It devastated the quiet coyote when the mercenary said he needed to leave the room.
Wade also said he couldn't breathe, and that he'd be on the balcony. Ezekiel didn't want him to go anywhere, and he inwardly wished that he hadn't reacted to Doom's letter as he did.
He should have waited before he read it, but it just happened, and…
Oh, the baby Jackal felt far more than devastated. He really was brought to tears as Wade left. You can blame it on all the emotions that were stirred up from that heartfelt movie they watched together.
Well, no, Ezekiel knew exactly why he felt overly emotional… and honestly it was a first for him. He never got that worked up when he'd argue or part ways with Victor Strange, so…
The quiet Jackal eventually removed himself from the bed he was sharing with Wade, then he silently fixed his clothes. His shorts were pushed in odd directions, and it felt like his t-shirt was on backwards.
Ezekiel felt like a mess, so he stepped in front of a tall mirror that was toward his left, then he slowly took a seat on the bedroom floor.
His body was still sore and bruised. He had to do something about it, and he also had to shed off a layer of mental weight.
…
And you, Ezekiel Stane, are you simply the modern embodiment of someone's war prize? The concubine of Achilles? Perhaps your next name will be Briseis?
…
So… someone out there thought he was becoming nothing more than Wade Wilson's, concubine? His whore? No wait… his little, plaything? Doom's words were really beginning to affect Ezekiel's state of mind, and he was dreading any sort of backlash from Wade.
…
The baby Jackal took a glance at his current appearance for a moment, then he softly sighed and covered himself up with Zephyr's skin.
That white armor cloaked over his damaged soul, and Ezekiel began communicating with his technology. He told it to carve everything related to "Rae-Ann" out, because it was time for her to stand alone and operate S.H.A.D.O.W. instead of him…
Ezekiel understood that she was actually real, but he wasn't completely sure how he managed to accomplish that. Details about the Mind Stone were being withheld from him at this point in the story, but everything will come together soon…
…
So, while Ezekiel was all alone in the bedroom of that fancy Airbnb, Rae-Ann's flesh, blood, and bones were slowly pushed out of his soul.
Everything cricked and cracked into place as she was removed entirely from Zephyr, and Ezekiel's eyes looked her over as everything took its perfect shape.
She had the appearance of Captain America's mother, remember? And Ezekiel was glad he made that choice. The young woman was finally brought to life, and he watched her as she slowly opened her eyes.
Ezekiel and Rae-Ann sat at equal height, and one might say they were like mirrored fraternal twins. She could see him beneath his armor, but the young woman said nothing to him.
She was more or less, "receiving" information about her next steps, so she simply glanced around her surroundings and waited for the details to be complete.
Shedding Rae-Ann from his soul made Ezekiel feel ten times lighter, but he didn't necessarily feel any better. His heart was still in pain about Wade, and he felt sick about what was happening.
So, he sent Rae-Ann off to correspond specifically with Nick Fury. Her body and soul disappeared from the room, and Ezekiel slowly closed his eyes. Shedding her soul from his and sending her off made him feel a little dizzy, but the sensation was slowly fading.
He couldn't stand up at that point either, but the Jackal was getting there. He told Zephyr to heal his body as well, so he could actually survive another encounter with Wade.
The baby Jackal needed to talk to him, and he needed to communicate and work things out. He couldn't do any of that in his current state, so his technology got to work in total silence…
Chapter: END
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