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"You are laying it on too thick. What did you do now, Jay?"
Jay's confidence returned as he stood straighter. "It's not what I did. It's what I'm gonna do. And I need your help."
The Ancient One gestured as two cushions appeared. She sat and waited as Jay sat across from her. He took a breath and then began.
He narrated everything. Meeting Spider-Man on the rooftop. Giving him advice to focus on family and childhood, even gifting him Domino's quarter. Uncle Ben nearly dying because of the lucky quarter he'd given Peter. Peter's words about people always needing help, always needing saving. The breakdown and impossible weight pressing down on a kid who just wanted to do right.
At the end, the Ancient One took it all in, processing it, but her expression was unreadable. "I know of Peter Parker. The boy grows up to be the best of us. The best of heroes. I have watched his path across the timeline before you arrived and changed things. His fights, losses and perseverance. He is an example of responsibility taken to its highest form. But fate has dealt him a terrible hand. Loss after loss. Pain after pain. And he carries it all with grace that few can possess."
Jay nodded. "Yeah, well, fate's a bitch, and I'm gonna do something about it."
He explained what he was planning, and The Ancient One listened. Her expression shifted. From neutral to concerned and from concerned to alarmed.
And after hearing the makeshift plan Jay had cooked up, she put her head in both hands, praying to the Vishanti. "Oh, Vishanti, what did I do to deserve such a troublesome student? Have you abandoned me to this madness?"
Jay, seeing this, held her hands, calling her out. "Master, please, you don't have to be so dramatic! It's not that crazy of an idea."
The Ancient One turned to him, her eyes ancient and weary and full of knowledge he couldn't begin to comprehend.
"Crazy? Crazy?! If this is not crazy, what is? Jay, you are proposing to fundamentally alter how Earth functions and change the relationship between the planet and its inhabitants. To ask an Elder Goddess, a being who has existed for billions of years, to become an active interventionist rather than a passive observer. Do you understand the implications? The cascading effects? What happens when other cosmic entities notice Earth behaving differently? What happens when Death herself takes issue with our planet that actively prevents deaths?"
She stood and paced. Her robes flowing behind her.
"And you want to meet Gaea directly. An Elder Goddess who has no particular reason to grant your request. Who might see your proposal as hubris of the highest order."
Jay sat calmly, letting her vent and then spoke with a smile, trying to quench her intensity.
"Well, if you say it like that, it sounds crazy. But yes, that's the plan."
The Ancient One, after a long moment, sighed deeply. "Jay, you need to know you are under watch from many entities. Not to mention Death herself, since you resurrected those twelve hundred in New York and someone of Jim Jaspers' potential in London. And now this? You really need to pace yourself, my student. One does not defy fundamental cosmic forces without consequences."
Jay's tone was confident. "I know what I'm planning, and the consequences of my actions are mine to bear. Not to mention, soon Odin himself will gift me access to his Bifrost. And you know what that means."
The Ancient One nodded slowly. "The Temple to Eternity. Well, I guess you have a good head on your shoulders, even if you use it for the most audacious schemes imaginable. Go and get the necessary things done. I'll prepare for the ritual to open the gateway. But know this, my student: Elder Gods are not like the Asgardians or Olympians. They are older, primal and connected to fundamental forces. Gaea may appear kind and maternal, but she has existed since Earth's formation. She has seen species rise and fall. Civilizations bloom and collapse into dust. She takes the long view, and your mortal perspective may mean nothing to her."
Jay, excitedly, hugged her. "Thank you so much, Master! I promise I won't let you down!"
Before she could respond, before she could overcome the shock of sudden affection, he teleported and vanished.
The Ancient One stood alone in the meditation hall. She calmed herself, then walked toward the ritual chamber. There was work to be done.
Surfers' Paradise, Australia.
Domino materialized on the sand, Hawaiian shirt fluttering in the ocean breeze. The sun was bright, and the beach was crowded with tourists and locals. Surfers rode waves. Kids built sandcastles. The smell of salt and sunscreen filled the air. The sound of waves crashing, people laughing, and music from a nearby beach bar reached her ears.
She scanned the beach, looking for her target.
It didn't take long.
Near the lifeguard tower, a man sat in a chair, binoculars around his neck, whistle dangling from his chest. Mid-thirties, tanned skin, lean muscle from years of swimming and rescuing people. His name tag read "Marcus."
Domino approached casually, her scarlet-touched eyes hidden behind sunglasses. She leaned against the lifeguard tower, looking up at Marcus with a smile.
"Hey there, mate. You the head lifeguard around here?"
Marcus looked down, surprised to see a stunning woman in a Hawaiian shirt addressing him. "Uh, yeah. That's me. Can I help you with something?"
Domino's smile widened, trying her best Australian accent just for shits and giggles. "Actually, I'm lookin' for someone. Say, can you point me towards Heather Cameron?"
Marcus frowned slightly, his professional instincts kicking in. "You a fan or somethin'? Look, even though she's a hero and all that after New York, she's a lifeguard here first. We've had issues with people hasslin' her since the invasion. Mutant-haters and obsessed fans both. So, if you're gonna cause trouble..."
"Whoa, calm your tits, mate. Can't you see my skin?" Domino pulled off her sunglasses. Revealed her pale complexion, the black spot around her eye, and the hints of scarlet in her irises. "Pretty damn obvious I'm a mutant too, yeah? As for being a fan, that depends on her answer. But more importantly, I'm here with an offer that could change her life."
Marcus hesitated but studied her and relaxed slightly. "Right. Sorry, miss. We've had way too many of those cases recently. People trackin' her down like she's some celebrity. Gets tirin' dealin' with it." He reached for his walkie-talkie. "Let me check if she's free."
"You do that. I'll be right here waiting." Domino leaned against the tower. Patiently watching the waves and feeling the sun.
Marcus spoke into his radio and, after a quick conversation, turned back to her.
"You're in luck. She'll be here in a few. Finishin' up her patrol." He climbed down from the tower. Still protective but less hostile. "What exactly are you offering? Because if this is some mutant recruitment thing, she's already turned down a few."
Before Domiono could respond, another figure approached. A woman in her late twenties in a Lifeguard uniform of red swimsuit with white cross. But the most catching thing about her was her golden skin, matching her impossibly golden hair.
Heather Cameron. Also known as Lifeguard was a mutant with the power to adapt her body to rescue people in danger.
She'd been in New York during the invasion when she and her brother answered Jay's summons and saved dozens of people from Chitauri fire. Pulled civilians from collapsing buildings as her powers had manifested in ways she'd never imagined, thanks to Jay's upgrades. And now she was back in Australia, back to being a lifeguard, trying to process what she'd experienced.
Heather looked at Domino. Then at Marcus. Then back at Domino.
"Marcus says you've got an offer for me." Her accent was distinctly Australian. Casual but wary. "Because if this is some mutant recruitment thing, she's already turned down a few."
Domino pushed off the tower. Extended a hand and put her best smile she learned from watching Jay.
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