As the domain collapsed, reality reasserted itself, bringing them all back to the devastated battlefield. Thor helped Tony up, his suit crushed and damaged beyond repair.
Gojo observed this, thinking, 'Maybe for anyone else, but not Tony Stark.'
Carol broke the silence, "Gojo, what did you do? What was that place you took us to? It felt so..." She struggled to find the words, "...weird."
Tony chuckled despite his condition. "Although I'd love to hear all the explanations, we really do need to get out of here, and I need to get out of this suit."
Thor chuckled but remained silent, giving Gojo a look that said, "We will talk later."
As if on cue, the helicarrier flew over the damaged section of the city. Agents descended, beginning damage control and searching for survivors. Gojo encased them in a telekinetic bubble, lifting them up to the helicarrier.
---
Later, inside the helicarrier, Tony, Thor, Carol, and Gojo stood bandaged up, looking over holograms projecting the various places where the supervillains had wreaked havoc and the extensive property damage.
Fury spoke up, "Over 6,233 dead and trillions in property damage. It would have been worse if the floating city had smashed back down."
Tony demanded, "How did this happen, Fury?"
"I don't know," Fury replied, "but we can find out together." He looked at Gojo. "Thank you for your assistance with Agent Sharon and helping us out, son. As you can see, the world is full of threats like Graviton, and we could really use the help of someone like you. Come work for me. As S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, you can make a real difference."
Gojo stared at him silently before replying, "I already told you my answer, Fury. Besides, I don't work with hypocrites who put up a front to get what they want."
Tony interjected, "No. This is your fault, isn't it?" He got right in Fury's face. "S.H.I.E.L.D. created Graviton, and whatever you had Hall doing, it changed him. You kept it under wraps, and this happened."
Fury and Hill remained silent, neither denying Tony's accusation. Thor shook his head, adding, "That mortal wielded power so great it could crack a world like an egg. And yet you stand here speaking to us as if all this damage isn't your fault, Fury. If you hadn't done what you did to Graviton..."
Tony flipped his hologram from his watch, replacing the one on display and expanding it for the group. "Someone hacked the Raft's camera feeds. I hacked into the Raft to try and see who would have access to the control room." They watched as an agent sabotaged the locks on several prisons, releasing dangerous inmates.
"So whose incompetence are we evaluating here, Fury?" Tony demanded. "You can't control all your agents, and how did anyone get into a max prison like that?"
Gojo scoffed, "And you want me to join you when you can't even keep tabs on all your agents. Let's not pretend you want me to join out of the goodness of your heart, Fury. You just want to monitor and control a variable on the board."
Hill rested her hand on her gun, saying, "Careful, boy. You're only a child with more power than should be allowed for anyone to wield. You need to be watched because you're a potential threat."
Tony and Carol tensed, remembering Gojo's display of power. Carol muttered, "Oh, poor choice of words, Hill."
Gojo turned to Hill, his eyes cold and his white hair rising. The helicarrier began to shake as he telekinetically gripped Hill. "Careful, woman. I'm not in the mood to play. Don't ever call me a child again, do you understand? Next time, you'll be reduced to nothing more than pieces of meat and limbs on the floor for your agents to mop up."
Thor and Carol quickly diffused the situation, calming Gojo and prompting him to release Hill, who gasped for breath. Fury apologized for Hill's comment.
Gojo suddenly announced, "I'm leaving."
Fury asked, "Aren't you going to help with the city?"
Gojo was silent for a moment before replying, "I'll think about it." He looked at a hologram showing the missing villains. "Take care of your mess before they ruin more innocent lives."
With that, Gojo blinked out of the helicarrier and back to his apartment.
Thor, leaning against a wall, considered Gojo's abilities from a different perspective. The power to create a domain that warps reality itself was reminiscent of the abilities wielded by realm lords and other god-like beings. 'Father often spoke of beings whose very presence could unravel the fabric of reality,' Thor thought. 'Could Gojo be one of them…?'
Thor couldn't shake the feeling that Gojo's powers might rival those of the ancient gods. 'He might not be a realm lord, but his power is comparable. If he is not an ally, he is a potential threat to all existence.'
Tony sat down all bandaged up bandages as he pondered the conversation with Fury. 'Gojo's power is beyond anything we've encountered. If he decided to go rogue, how would we stop him?' The potential for destruction was enormous, and the responsibility to ensure Gojo remained an ally weighed heavily on him.Godlike power in the hands of a teenager…
Back at the apartment which was as quiet as ever compared to the chaos he had just left behind. The quiet was almost disorienting. He sat down, reflecting on the battle and the confrontation with Fury. 'They don't understand me. They see power and they fear it.'
He knew Fury's offer wasn't out of genuine goodwill. It was about control. But Gojo valued his independence too much to be a pawn. 'They need to clean up their own messes.'
Back on the helicarrier, Fury and his team began to formulate a plan to handle the aftermath of Graviton's attack and the release of the other villains. They needed to regroup, strategize, and prepare for whatever came next.
Fury watched as Gojo departed his mind working through the implications of their encounter. 'We need to keep an eye on him, but he's right about one thing—we need to get our house in order.'
He turned to Hill and the others. "We tighten security, we vet our agents, and we find those missing villains. This isn't over."