A week after the New York incident, Gojo Satoru was back in his Bayville apartment. The news had been buzzing with reports of the Avengers' clash with the Masters of Evil, and Gojo found himself a subject of curiosity, albeit an anonymous one.
The television droned on, a reporter recapping the events. "Last week, New York City was the battleground for an intense confrontation between the Avengers and the Masters of Evil. The fight caused significant collateral damage, but miraculously, much of the city was restored to its original state shortly after the battle."
The screen displayed shaky footage of the fight, capturing the blurred figure of Gojo among the Avengers. "An unknown individual aided the Avengers, but their identity remains a mystery. The only footage we have is heavily obscured. However, eyewitness accounts describe a figure with white hair and immense power."
Gojo smirked, thinking, 'Must be Stark. I'll have to send my thanks for keeping my identity a secret.' The footage cut to a still frame of the city being restored, as if time itself had rewound.
The reporter continued, "Experts are baffled by the miraculous repair of the city, speculating that it might have been some form of advanced technology or supernatural intervention."
Gojo reflected on the battle. 'That fight was both terrifying seeing the chaos all around me but exhilarating as well. Facing opponents of that caliber pushed me abit. It was a rush, but also a reminder of how much stronger I need to become.'
As he walked to the kitchen, lost in thought, he felt a subtle shift in the air. 'What was that?' Confusion swept over him, and he tried to pinpoint the source of the disturbance. A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
'Who could that be?' Using his X-ray vision, Gojo saw three figures standing at his door. His TK shield flared instinctively, and he nearly activated his teleportation powers in shock. The Ancient One, Kaecilius, and Mordo were standing outside.
'Shit, how did she find me?' Gojo thought, realizing that avoiding her would be futile. Steeling his nerves, he walked to the door and opened it.
The Ancient One stood with a soft smile. 'So he's the anomaly,' she thought. Physically seeing him but unable to penetrate his mind, she mused, 'No, it's not that I can't feel it. It's there but unreachable, nor can I see his future. He's the blot.'
"Hello, Gojo. Nice to finally meet you. I believe we have a lot to discuss," she said softly.
Gojo narrowed his eyes before smiling eerily. "Of course, I have been expecting you, Yao."
The Ancient One laughed, surprising Mordo and Kaecilius. Mordo, eyeing Gojo's glowing blue eyes, thought, 'He's dangerous.'
"Oh, I haven't heard that name in centuries. You, Mr. Gojo, are getting more interesting," the Ancient One remarked.
Gojo invited them in, leading them to the living room. The Ancient One took a seat while Mordo and Kaecilius stood alert behind her. Gojo sat across from her, observing Kaecilius and Mordo closely. 'They look just like they did in the Doctor Strange movie,' he thought, recognizing them instantly.
"How did you find me?" Gojo asked, breaking the silence.
The Ancient One's expression turned knowing. "You made it easy. Your interference in a robbery changed the narrative significantly. A woman, Dana Matthews, who was meant to die that day, lived because of you. Your actions created a new twist in the timeline."
Gojo frowned. "Who?"
"The woman held hostage," she clarified. "Your interference in New York also left an impression on the reality of those you helped, marking your existence in their minds."
Gojo considered this. 'My actions left a mark in reality,' he thought, realizing the profound implications. "So, you linked the future of those people and noticed the specific divergence caused by me?"
The Ancient One nodded. "Yes. A lot of those people were meant to die. Your actions altered their fates, creating ripples in the timeline. All I had to do was trace those changes back to you. In total, 3,244 lives were impacted by your presence."
Gojo felt a surge of anger. "If you knew that, why the hell didn't you do something and warn the Avengers about the threat?"
Mordo interjected, "There is a reason we mustn't interfere with the lives of mortals. The more the Ancient One interferes, the more the timeline branches. Each branch multiplies, causing chaos and attracting entities that can devour those branches, like Dormammu, Mephistopheles, and others."
'Entities like Dormammu? Mephisto? They exist here too?' Gojo thought, trying to grasp the enormity of it all. His thoughts were interrupted.
Kaecilius, who had been silent until now, spoke up, his tone dripping with disdain. "You think your power makes you untouchable? You're just another anomaly that can be dealt with."
Gojo's eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat?" His TK field surged, causing a nearby lamp to shatter.
Kaecilius sneered, stepping forward. "It's a warning. Don't overestimate your importance."
Gojo's blue eyes blazed as it turns red with a fiery red intensity. The energy trails lift upward from his eyes in fluid, incandescent streams, radiating an almost tangible heat. His gaze becoming a window into his simmering fury, with the edges of his vision rippling and glowing as the raw power of his heat vision builds up, ready to be unleashed.
"I will reduce you to a pile of ash before you can even lift a finger." Gojo said in a heavy voice. Seeing this Kaecilius and Mordo tense up.
Before the situation could get worse the Ancient One raised her hand to silence Kaecilius, "my apologies, master kaecilius spoke out of place due to the gravity of the situation," casting a spell that created a holographic representation of the timeline, branching out into numerous paths. "This is what happens when we interfere too much," she explained. "We deal with entities invading reality and can't always bother with issues caused by humans themselves."
Calming down,Gojo studied the branches, understanding the complexity. 'So, my actions can create this kind of chaos,' he thought.
"As I said your interference in New York left a mark on reality," the Ancient One continued. "Even though I can't see you directly, I was able to link the future of all those present and notice a specific blot—an emptiness where you should be. It made it easier to paint a picture and guess who you were."
"The future is now uncertain because of you," she said, her tone serious.
Gojo tensed, his TK shield and telepathy dialed up to a hundred, ready to teleport away. The Ancient One continued, "Usually, I would eliminate you as an undesirable variable, but there is a crisis we will need your help with eventually."
"What crisis?" Gojo asked, suspicion clear in his voice.
The Ancient One didn't give a direct answer. "Your presence has been noted by several entities. Odin, the Living Tribunal, and others are aware of you."
Gojo's mind raced, thinking of the entities she mentioned. 'Odin, the Living Tribunal, TOAA…'
The Ancient One stood, reality around them shimmering before shattering like glass. 'So that's why I felt out of place earlier,' Gojo thought, realizing he had been in the Mirror Dimension. 'Could I have even teleported out of it?'
As she prepared to leave with Mordo and Kaecilius, she said, "I wonder which one you belong to, that has enough power to render the probe of the Time Stone useless on you and make sure your mind and soul couldn't be touched."
Smiling, she added, "We will meet again, Mr. Gojo. Let's hope the next meeting ends just as well as this." She stepped through a golden portal, disappearing with her companions.
Gojo stood in the now-empty room, processing the encounter. 'I've got to be more careful,' he thought, his resolve hardening. 'The game just got a lot more complicated.'
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Ok, so I'll be starting my exams soon, which means updates will be tight or no updates at all for a while. Thank you for reading😌.