As they got into Mystique's car and pulled away from the hideout, the shapeshifter's thoughts drifted into darker waters.
'He didn't need to know the full reason. Not yet. Erik's concerned. We've gotten word from our contacts about a supposed weapon the governments are developing. Something.'
Her hands tightened on the wheel.
'And we're not just heading for a mission. He's going to see someone he never thought he'd see again.'
She glanced sideways at the boy beside her—cocky, twitchy, eager for approval. He had no idea what he was in for.
'Now how to find our loose omega… the Juggernaut. That shouldn't be too hard to track. He'll go after Charles eventually. All I need to do is stay ahead of the curve… and use that to bring him to our side.'
Mystique's expression turned calculating.
'The Governments on the other hand always want a leash on power. Captain America? Untouchable. Stark? Uncontrollable. Thor? Well no one can claim to control a god. Magneto and the Hulk? They've spilled too much blood. So what do they do? They build their own as to the hidden weapons they are currently developing. Although I wonder if anything the humans live their bombs so could it be that or have they finally gotten creative, either way they build theirs and we build ours.'
But even darker thoughts surfaced.
'And then there's the prophecy Irene gave me…'
Destiny's words came back to her vague, layered, dangerous. 'So who is the fragile vessel of the flame and what the heck does she mean by the void. For once it'll be refreshing if she just mentioned names instead of vague, incoherent words jumbled up together'. She didn't like unknown variables, and this one was starting to gain attention.
'What are the chances the prophecy and that white haired boy Charles children have been hanging around with being connected… no that's a stretch it couldn't be… but still If they arewell, I wonder how malleable he might be.'
She smiled faintly, cold and precise.
'First, let the humans reveal him. Let their fear, their envy, their hatred do the heavy lifting. No one hates better than they do.'
And if things went as she intended…
'He might not see the appeal of humans at all. And Charles? He'll never reach him. Not before I do.'
Her grip on the wheel tightened as the car sped toward their destination.
'Then I'll show him what they've done to us. What they'll do again and again and again because they will never understand and the only thing the humans respond to is and always will be overwhelming power and violence. That will make my work… all the easier.'
———
Gojo appeared in his apartment with the faint sound of air being displace as he filled the once empty space . The silence greeted him like an old friend, he turned in his light which t casted soft shadows across the modern but modest room. With a deep breath, he pulled off his trousers, tossed it onto a nearby table, and walked toward the bathroom.
His fingers turned the knob, steam soon beginning to rise as warm water cascaded down from the showerhead. He stepped into the spray, letting it wash over him, muscles relaxing.
'Three elements down... hmm. Well, two down and one still underway, but still' he smirked, 'the progress is undeniable.'
Yet even as he stood in the calming water, his thoughts drifted to the raw, crackling power within him his lightning something he never thought he'd have or wield before coming to this world. It was potent, sure, but lacked the surgical precision he desired. It needed refinement. Control. Well I do need to smoothen the flow, much more like a current obeying its channel instead of breaking through it.'
The thought trailed off as he stepped out of the shower, steam curling off his skin. He dried off with swift, practiced movements, then dressed in a loose black trouser, the fabric hanging comfortably around his frame. Just as he reached for a shirt, he paused.
His head turned slightly.
A golden portal spiraled open to his left.
He sighed. "You have impeccable timing."
From the portal stepped a composed figure in yellow robes—the Ancient One.
"Hello, Gojo," she greeted, her tone light but precise.
"Hello, Yao," he replied, a flicker of curiosity in his voice. "Wasn't expecting you. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
She smiled faintly, stepping further into the room. "I would've made an appearance earlier... but you've been busy, my boy."
Gojo tensed subtly, watching her movements with cautious eyes. Her presence was rarely casual. Something was off.
"Remember what I told you about the sorcerers of Earth?" she asked, her gaze now drifting toward the window, hands clasped behind her back. "Our main and illu-defined objective preserving Earth from mystical destruction."
He nodded with confusion, letting her speak.
"Most threats are trivial," she continued. "Some require effort. But over the years, we've faced everything from rampaging spirits to ancient gods veiled behind mortal masks." Her voice carried a deliberate calm, but laced beneath it were words that weren't said—threats wrapped in silk.
Gojo narrowed his eyes. "I already gathered as much, Ancient One. But why are you bringing this up now all of a sudden?"
She didn't turn. "Because the greatest threats to our dimension... are of course the realm lords. Entities who wish to assimilate this plane into their own. They crave corruption and earth is a price they would do anything to have. And though Earth is shielded—by the Vishanti, by old pacts they cannot enter directly. They need agents. Anchors."
Her gaze slid to him as she said it.
Gojo's shoulders straightened. "So… you think I'm one of those anchors?"
"Two months ago," she said calmly, "every sorcerer on Earth felt a displacement. Unfamiliar. Unnatural. It shook the balance."
His eyes flickered with realization.
"It threw most into panic," she went on. "This type of displacement is rare—caused when a foreign dimension forcefully pierces ours or tries to."
'Oh shit. My Domain. The Unlimited Void.'
She noticed the shift in his expression and continued, voice steady, measured. "Which can only mean one thing—someone has begun opening a gateway from within. A realm lord's presence masked... but felt."
She stepped closer now, posture curious but composed, eyes sharp. Gojo felt a bead of sweat trail down his spine.
'Wait… two months ago? But I've opened my Domain multiple times trying to control it. Why wasn't it detected before?'
Then another thought hit him.
'Him… could he have shielded the effects?'
He frowned inwardly. 'Did Ethan's protection stop…? Maybe because I'm supposed to deal with it now on my own.'
"Well," Gojo said aloud, masking his inner spiral, "sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm no one's anchor or agent."
'Well... technically I'm Ethan's by logic of the situation but still,'he thought with an inward smirk, 'but I highly doubt he'd want to conquer this universe…right?.'
The Ancient One watched him quietly. "Is that so? Well… I hope so. For all our sakes."
There was a finality in her tone, a blade beneath velvet. She raised her hand, a portal forming once more. But just before stepping through, she glanced back over her shoulder.
"Tell me this, Gojo what would you give to protect this world?"
Gojo met her gaze head-on.
"This is my home. My world. And what kind of man allows what's his to be taken or threatened?" His voice dropped, quiet yet charged. "Know this, Yao. It doesn't matter who or what it is. If anything threatens what I hold precious…"
His eyes turned a cold, a simmering crimson light began to appear in them.
"Only retaliation and despair await them."
A small smile touched her lips. "Then there's nothing for me to worry about."
She stepped into the portal.
"Good day, Mr. Gojo."
The portal closed with a shimmer of light.
Gojo released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The room fell quiet once more.
'That… was dangerous'.