"Wait, what's going on? Why'd they just freeze like that?" Bobby's voice cracked out, his eyes widened as the projection lingered on Gojo and Juggernaut locked in eerie stillness.
"Jarvis, something wrong with the feed?" Tony asked, already flipping diagnostics on his HUD.
"Negative, sir," Jarvis replied evenly. "Feed is still running in real time. Multiple satellites remain locked on the location."
Jean's brows furrowed. "Wait… you don't think…"
Professor Xavier's voice cut her short, sharp and unsettled.
"No. That's not possible."
He and Jean exchanged a knowing, troubled glance.
Logan scowled, as his body twitched. "Spit it out, Chuck. What's wrong?"
Charles exhaled slowly, his voice sounding grave.
"It's not supposed to be possible. Not with Juggernaut's protection on."
"Protection?" Tony quipped, his mouth curling in a smirk. "What, like a tinfoil hat upgrade? That'd save me a fortune in therapy bills."
Scott shot him a look. "Stark…"
Before he could add more, Storm's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Careful with your words, Tony." She turned to Charles. "Professor… what exactly are you saying?"
Xavier gestured at the screen, eyes on the frozen pair.
"His telepathy. Normally, it's impossible to invade an individual's mind when their head is encased in metal. The interference blocks psychic intrusion."
Hank adjusted his glasses, nodding. "Precisely. The metallic density generates electromagnetic scattering, essentially scrambling neural transmissions. Any telepath attempting entry would find their signal distorted beyond usability. Juggernaut's helmet is, in effect, a perfect psychic shield."
"Right," Tony said, tapping a finger against his temple. "So it's like trying to bounce a radio wave inside a Faraday cage. Signal just keeps ricocheting until it fizzles." His smirk dropped. "Then how the hell is the kid doing this?"
As if in answer, the projection flared. Red and gold energy began leaking from Gojo's body, his frame was trembling as his mouth stretched open in a silent scream.
Rogue's hand flew to her lips. "What the hell's happenin' to him?"
Jean's tone was clipped as she spoke up. "If I had to guess… it's a psychic battle."
Charles's voice followed, heavy with concern.
"Indeed. Their minds are currently clashing. And the strain is probably tearing through the physical world as well."
The energies thickened, weaving around the two like a storm, the battlefield became shrouded in raging red and shimmering gold energy.
"Okay, we gotta do something," Scott snapped, turning toward the others. "We can't just leave him like that!"
"My thoughts exactly," Spider-Man said, fists clenched.
But Tony raised a hand. "Stop. Look closer."
Kitty frowned. "Why? What do you see?"
"According to my sensors," Tony muttered, voice grim, "those energy particles around them are highly volatile. Gamma-level volatility."
Everyone froze at that.
He shook his head, his eyes narrowing at the readings. "And here's the kicker, I can't believe I'm saying this, but these particles match properties consistent with… dark particles."
Hank's expression turned grave. "If that's true… approaching them would shred us to atoms before we even crossed ten feet."
Rogue's fists clenched. "So we're just supposed to watch him tear himself apart?!"
Before anyone could respond, the projection shimmered again. They saw golden sparks cut through the chaos as a circular portal opened. A robed figure stepped out of the portal calmly.
Another portal followed, and then another as two men emerging in unison.
"Who are those people?" Rogue whispered.
Charles's eyes narrowed.
"That's the Ancient One."
"Oh, right," Tony said dryly, "the magic woman." His gaze shifted as one of the men placed a large ornate pot on the ground. "Wait, what's this? They having a cookout now?"
Before further sarcasm could spill, the three vanished from view, slipping from the battlefield without a trace.
"What just happened?" Scott demanded.
"If I were to guess…" Charles's voice was low. "They've entered the Mirror Dimension."
"The what?" Spider-Man blinked.
Charles folded his hands, explaining quickly.
"The Mirror Dimension is a parallel plane. A reflection of our world, but separate. Actions within cannot directly affect our reality. Sorcerers use it to contain volatile forces… or protect the fabric of our world from tearing apart."
As if on cue, the air split with a deafening crack. The projection became distorted fir a moment, then sharpened to show a fracture in space itself. A convulsing river of red, gold, and deep, writhing purple energy erupted from the break, billowing outward in monumental waves.
The sky itself changed color, painted in shimmering hues that bled across the horizon.
"Jesus," Logan muttered, jaw tight.
"Jarvis, readings now."
"Unprecedented, sir," Jarvis replied. "Exotic particle density rising exponentially. Energy signature consistent with extra-dimensional origin. Unstable beyond measurable parameters."
Tony's eyes widened. The implications struck him like a hammer: if that energy spilled unchecked into this dimension…
Suddenly, the Mirror Dimension collapsed back open. The two male sorcerers were flung outward, crashing violently into the dirt. Juggernaut stumbled back, roaring in primal fury and shaking his head as his body grew even larger.
"They're back," Hank murmured.
The cameras shifted again, focusing on Gojo. His form hovered a few feet above the ground, there was something blazing in his hands. The very region warped colors again twisting into a reddish-orange hue.
"Jarvis?" Tony prompted.
"Thermal readings spiking. Temperature in thousands of degrees and still rising sir. Warning: several drones have already melted."
On-screen, Gojo's hands sculpted the inferno, shaping it into a glowing shaft of concentrated fire. The earth beneath liquefied, glowing magma-red.
"Ten thousand degrees… fifty thousand… one hundred thousand," Jarvis droned as cameras popped one by one.
"Jarvis the magic woman is opening that mirror dimension again, get those cameras in," Tony barked.
Only one feed remained as most melted and got destroyed due to the rising heat inside the mirror dimension as the flame condensed further. Gojo's face twisted into a manic grin, teeth gleaming in the fiery light. His mouth moved, barely caught by the last camera.
"Fire Arrow."
The final drone melted to slag, the screen turning black. But before it died, Jarvis's last calculation flashed:
Thermal output—2.7 million degrees.
"Uh," Spider-Man whispered, voice squeaking, "how the hell does anyone stand that level of heat?!"
Hank shook his head, stunned. "The boy's elemental mastery has… surpassed anything in recorded history. I wasn't aware it had reached this scale."
Rogue swallowed hard. "That's unreal…"
Scott's eyes narrowed, voice almost bitter. "How can one person hold that much power and not lose control of it?"
Before anyone could answer, portals opened once more. The two sorcerers stumbled through first, battered but alive. Then came the Ancient One who looked worse for wear with burns in her outfit.
Gojo emerged next, his clothes untouched by the scorching heat.
And infront if him was Juggernaut.
Gasps filled the room.
Cain Marko staggered forward, his crimson armor melted and warped. His helmet was gone. His skin… well there was no longer anything related to a skin on him, what was left was but raw, steaming flesh, veins glowing red as blood poured freely down his massive form.
The unstoppable force was broken, burned, and trembling.
And with one last guttural groan, Juggernaut collapsed to the ground unconscious, steam still rising from his ruined frame.
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