"Wait, where's Rintrah's Asgardian toilet papers?" Satoru muttered, his eyes widening behind the silk.
Wanda and Illyana, who had just caught their shimmering pendants, looked at him with confusion. Tony Stark tilted his head.
"Asgardian what now?" Stark asked.
"Indestructible scrolls!" Satoru groaned, slapping his forehead. "One of my student ask for magical-alien paper and I totally left the stack on Eitri's workbench."
He let out a dramatic sigh and looked up at the sky. "I'm a terrible teacher. Rintrah is going to be so depressed. He's going to look at me with those big, wet eyes and I'll have to tell him I brought jewelry for the girls but nothing for my green minotaur."
"I'm sure he'll understand, Satoru," the Ancient One said, though she looked like she was trying very hard not to smile.
"Hopefully." Satoru sighed, then he forgot about it quickly. He shifted his gaze towards Stark "Anyways…"
"I'm coming with you Stark. I gotta come check on Rintrah."
Stark nodded, but then he hesitated a second afterwards. "General Ross is still at the compound. If you show up now, he's going to pester you. Maybe it's better to wait until he leaves?"
"Why would he pester me?" Satoru asked, tilting his head.
"He's been hunting for you since Sokovia," Stark explained, rubbing the back of his neck exasperatedly.
"He wants you to stand before the World Security Council for questioning."
"Sokovia?" Satoru blinked and scratched his head. "I almost forgot about that. Questioning? Why? I saved the world, didn't I?"
He paused, letting out a small, internal sigh. 'No matter what world it is, there's always a group of old foogies who are just too afraid of things they can't control.'
Before Stark could respond, Satoru waved a hand dismissively. "I might as well face them then. If they have questions, I can humor them for a bit. But," he added with a sharp grin, "if they go too far, I might accidentally sneeze in their direction. Who knows what would happen then?"
"We'll come too." Illyana and Wanda said at the same time.
Satoru turned back to them, his smile softening.
"Stay here," he said, gesturing toward the debris and the remaining sorcerers. "Help the Ancient One clean up the mess here and then go relax. You've both had enough for today."
"But—" Wanda started to protest.
"No 'buts'," Satoru cut her off. "Be obedient and stay here."
He glanced at the Ancient One, who nodded silently in agreement. She knew these two apprentices of Satoru needed rest.
"Fine," Illyana muttered indignantly, crossing her arms then walking away.
Wanda stayed and watched on as Satoru and the Avengers walked away and entered a portal he summoned while clutching the crimson pendant.
She looked at it as it rested on her palm, then he wore it around her neck.
'It feels so warm…'
…
[ Avengers Compound - Sub-basement Infirmary ]
General Ross was still fuming, tied firmly to the pillar where Pietro had left him. The moment the portal hissed open and the group stepped through, his tirade began.
"Stark! Rogers! You are in violation of federal—" Ross stopped abruptly. His eyes locked onto the tall, white-haired man walking casually at the back of the line.
Satoru stepped into the sterile white room, hands in his pockets. He walked right up to Ross, leaning in to inspect the ropes with genuine curiosity.
"Wow, you're really tied up, aren't you?" Satoru marvelled at how tight he was wrapped around with the rope, poking at him unceasingly. "Pietro, I didn't knew you're this talented with tying. It's perfect."
"You," Ross hissed, his face turning a dark shade of purple. "You're Satoru Gojo. The one who vanished Novi Grad"
"Guilty," Satoru said, flashing a toothy smile that wasn't friendly at all. "But 'vanished' is such a negative word. So, I heard you have some questions for me? I've got a long day, so I'll have to check with my student over there," he pointed at the still-sleeping Rintrah, then continued. "Then get something for dinner. So, you'll have to wait for a few then we'll talk with your whatever council, okay?"
"No, you listen here. You—"
"Bye~ Talk to you later." Satoru waved a hand with the Sling Ring and General Ross was sucked from the portal that appeared under him.
The portal closed with a soft zip, leaving a stunned silence in the infirmary.
Tony slowly removed the helmet he still has on. "Gojo, where did you send the General?"
"To a safe place." Satoru answered vaguely as he walked toward Rintrah's bed.
"Just make sure he'll be fine." Steve Rogers said while rubbing the bridge of his nose. He looked exhausted.
"You worry too much, captain." Satoru chirped. He leaned over Rintrah, his Six Eyes scanning the minotaur's vitals through the black silk.
Then, he placed a hand on Rintrah's forehead. A soft, blue glow flickered for a second as Satoru used a bit of Reversed Cursed Technique to soothe the magical exhaustion in the apprentice's system. Rintrah's breathing immediately became deeper and more calm.
A few moments later, Rintrah's large, soulful eyes fluttered open. He blinked, staring at the sterile white ceiling of the infirmary before his gaze shifted to the side.
"Master... Gojo?" Rintrah rasped, his voice sounding like gravel.
"Yo," Satoru greeted him with a lazy wave. "You look like you've been through a blender, Rintrah."
Rintrah tried to sit up, his massive green ears twitching as he scanned the room and saw the Avengers, but not Wanda and Illyana. The memories of the attack flooded back. "Kamar-Taj... the demon Belasco! And… Mordo! Master, I tried to hold the weave, but—"
"Relax," Satoru said, patting the minotaur's shoulder. "The big lizard tucked tail and ran, and Luigi got evicted. I already handled it. The girls are back at the temple helping the Ancient One clean up."
Rintrah let out a massive sigh of relief, his shoulders slumping. "Thank the Vishanti. I thought... I thought we were lost."
"You did good, big guy," Satoru smirked. "Standing your ground against a dimensional ruler? That's some gnarly stuff right there if I see one."
Rintrah beamed at the compliment, it wasn't everyday you can get one from a person such as Satoru. Then, his eyes widened as if remembering something vital. He looked at Satoru expectantly, his tail giving a small and hopeful swish.
"Master... did you... were you able to visit Nidavellir?"
The room went quiet. Tony and the other Avengers in the room held back a laugh.
"I did!" Satoru chirped.
"And the... the scrolls?" Rintrah asked, his voice full of expectations. "The Asgardian Scrolls?"
Satoru's smile didn't falter, but he didn't reach into his pockets either. He leaned back, crossing his arms. "Ah, about that. You see, the Dwarves... they're very meticulous. Very professional. They said that the specific paper you want needs to undergo a very strict 'Asgardian Authentication Process'."
Rintrah tilted his head. "Authentication? I haven't heard of that from Master Enitharmon before…"
"It's a new policy," Satoru lied smoothly, nodding with fake gravity. "Top secret stuff. Thor had to stay behind just to sign the paperwork. It'll be here... eventually. Consider it a lesson in patience!"
Rintrah's ears drooped slightly, but he nodded. "I see. If King Eitri deems it necessary, then I shall wait."
Tony snorted, looking away to hide his face. Steve just shook his head. They both knew Satoru had simply forgotten the cow-man's gift.
"Anyway!" Satoru clapped his hands together, changing the subject. "Now that my favorite student is awake and breathing, I believe I have a very important appointment with the buffet room. Stark, show me the way!"
…
[ Back at Kamar-Taj ]
Wanda and Illyana moved through the debris, assisting the surviving Masters in tending to the wounded. Despite their own lingering fatigue, there was a sense of purpose in their movements that hadn't been there before.
The most surreal part of the afternoon was watching the Ancient One work.
She stood at the edge of the glass-smooth crater Satoru had left behind. Then she twisted the Eye of Agamotto. Green, clockwork mandalas of light expanded from her chest.
Wanda and Illyana watched in awe as the landscape literally 'rewound'.
Shattered pillars flew back into place, dust settled back into solid stone, and the massive, bottomless pit Satoru had gouged into the earth began to fill itself with soil and grass.
Within minutes, the physical scars of the battle were healed, leaving the temple looking nearly as pristine as the day they arrived.
"Mastering the mystic art of time seems very advantageous," Illyana muttered, wiping soot from her cheek. She reached up and touched the black pendant around her neck. "I wonder if Gojo can do that."
Wanda looked down at her own crimson pendant, tracing the intricate Uru carvings with her thumb. "I don't think so."
"Why do you think that?" Illyana asked as she looked over her shoulder to Wanda.
"I mean, we haven't seen him do anything similar to what the Ancient One does." Wanda said softly, her voice barely a whisper. "He just... fixes them, I guess? In the most violent way possible."
She felt the pendant against her chest again. While she was answering Illyana, her mind laid elsewhere.
'It's that feeling again,' she felt her heart beating faster as the pendant rested on the skin of her chest.
Every time Satoru leaned into her personal space, every time he gave that annoying, cocky smirk, or even when he just sat silently in place.
And the relief when he arrived while they were struggling, with prior thoughts during the battle on how she wished Satoru would just be there and save them… save her, and he really did… all of it… All of it started to bubble up in her mind.
Wanda looked over at Illyana. The blonde girl was still tracing her own black pendant with an almost… dreamy expression?
Huh?
'Do I have that same expression just now?' Wanda thought as she touched her face, and she could feel her cheeks were warm.
She looked at the side of a window mirror and saw she was… blushing?
In that moment, the realization hit Wanda like a physical blow. It wasn't just admiration. It wasn't just the gratitude of a student for a teacher.
It was much deeper than that…
'Is this love?'
And judging by the way Illyana was holding onto that piece of Uru metal, she wasn't the only one.
Wanda felt a sudden, sharp spike of urgency. The idea of Illyana — the fearless and blunt Illyana — figuring this out and telling him first made Wanda's heart race.
'Should I... tell him how I feel?' Wanda thought, her eyes lingering on the side of Illyana's face.
The thought of someone else claiming that lopsided smile made her stomach knot. She didn't know if he would even understand, or if he'd just make a joke out of it, but the silence of keeping it inside was… unbearable.
'I should tell him.'
[ IMAGE ]
...
[ Author's Notes ]: For those that didn't know, Jujutsu Kaisen is now in the Marvel Multiverse!
I got so pumped up by this that I stood up and slapped my Dad in the face.
Edit - I woke up on the floor the next day... Stay safe out there guys.
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