When night finally rolled around, Satoru and the rest of the group bid their goodbyes to the Rasputins.
The arrangement was simple: Illyana would head back to the mansion tomorrow to stay with Piotr and her mom until Satoru finished his 'business trip'.
As they walked out of the institute, the group took a slow stroll across the massive lawn with the clear night sky and calming clouds overhead.
Satoru had his hands in his pockets, glancing up at the stars.
'Asgard, huh?' he thought. 'Still can't believe I'm actually going to a place that sounds like a myth. I still have no idea how I'm supposed to get there, though. Thor just told me to say his name. If that's really how they do long-distance calls in space, their technology is seriously OD.'
He remembered Stark mentioning that yelling for Thor might work like Beetlejuice. 'If I have to say it three times while spinning in a circle…'
He sighed wryly. 'Who am I kidding? I won't do that embarrassing stuff. Calling his name's worth the shot, though. I'll try it tomorrow before I head out.'
His reason for the trip wasn't just to see the land of the gods. He needed a skilled blacksmith who actually knew what they were doing to make him an artifact to house the Mind Stone. He had a specific design in mind — something he'd been sketching out for a while — and he finally had the materials for it. Stark and Natasha had spent half an hour bragging about Vibranium being the toughest metal on Earth, so he'd snagged a decent chunk of it.
He'd left it at the Avengers Compound for now and planned to grab it on his way tomorrow.
'Vibranium is a good start,' Satoru mused. 'But if those vikings have something even better tucked away in their pit house, I'm definitely not saying no. The more options, the better. I'm not settling for second-best when it comes to my gear.'
But, honestly, there was something else on his mind that was way more important than metal or blacksmiths.
'I wonder what kind of desserts they have up there,' he wondered, a small smirk playing on his face. 'If it's just a bunch of grapes, that'll be a real bummer. But if they have actual Asgardian pastries... man, that would be a game changer. If there is, I'm bringing back a whole suitcase.'
He couldn't help but hum and whistle under the moonlight at the thought.
…
[ Illyana, Wanda, and Rintrah ]
Satoru walked several yards ahead of them. He was whistling a low, airy tune, appearing completely in the zone of his own thoughts.
Rintrah was the first to break the silence, his large hooves thumping softly on the pavement. "Master Gojo seems... quite looking forward to something, is it about the place where he would go?"
"I asked. He told me he was going to see the God of Thunder," Illyana muttered, kicking a loose pebble across the lawn.
"Asgard?" Rintrah's ears perked up. "The architecture there is said to be divine. I don't know how true that is though, I've only heard rumors of that Realm."
"I hope he brings back souvenirs," Wanda said and smiled.
"He's more likely to bring back sweets," Illyana said, though it lacked any bite. Over the last four months, she had even stopped calling him 'Magic Man.' He was just Gojo now — a name that felt like a permanent fixture in her new life.
She slowed her pace slightly, watching the way the moonlight hit Satoru's white hair further down the path. "Hey," she started, her voice dropping to a more serious yet quiet tone.
"I was just thinking today... but I've realized I'm the most 'me' when I'm around Gojo."
Wanda's foot faltered for a fraction of a second, her eyes blinking rapidly as she processed her words.
Rintrah blinked his large eyes. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Just that... I feel so comfortable with him," Illyana continued, her gaze remaining fixed on the retreating back of their teacher. "The nightmares I get from... you know, the 'experiences' in Limbo... they've calmed down. It's like, no matter how scary the world is, everything feels quiet when he's there. I don't think I could feel this safe with anyone else. Not even when I'm with Piotr."
Wanda froze entirely for two full steps. Her eyes go wide for a split second before she looks away and continues walking beside the two silently.
Rintrah, completely oblivious to the implication of her words, let out an appreciative thoughtful nod of his own.
"Don't we all?" Rintrah said cheerfully. "He gives me that feeling too. Sometimes it's just sometimes, and sometimes it's all the time."
Rintrah turned his head toward Wanda. "Wanda? You okay? You're so silent all of a sudden."
Wanda blinked, pulling herself back from the edge of her thoughts. "Yeah. Fine. Just... thinking about something," she said, her voice sounding a little more distant than she intended.
She kept her pace, but her eyes lingered on Illyana. The younger girl looked more relaxed than Wanda had ever seen her; with her eyes soft, staring at Satoru's back with something she doesn't know why but annoyed her.
Wanda then shifted her gaze toward Satoru. He was still several yards ahead, occasionally doing a little hop in his step as he whistled into the wind.
Her expression a mix of confusion and a sudden sharp ache on her chest she doesn't have a name for yet.
She looked away briefly, focusing on the dark grass beneath her feet for a moment.
Ahead of them, Satoru stopped at the edge of the institute's main gate and turned around. "Hey! Stop dilly-dallying back there!"
"We're coming, Master!" Rintrah responded as he trotted forward first.
Illyana took a step and glanced at Wanda, only to see the other staring back at her as well.
Illyana raised a brow. "Are you okay? What's the matter?"
Wanda blinked then shook her head and laughed softly. "Nothing."
Illyana frowned, but didn't dwell on it and followed Rintrah from behind.
Wanda stood there just for a moment, then she whispered to herself. "Comfortable, huh?"
…
[ The Next Day ]
Satoru still had a morning lecture in the morning. At the end of it, he informed his other apprentices that he would be away for an indeterminate amount of time, 'a business trip to see an old friend', as he put it.
When pressed for a return date, he simply waved a hand dismissively, telling them that until he reappeared, they were to be in 'self-study' for the time being.
By the afternoon, Satoru, Wanda, Illyana, and Rintrah stood on a wide, flat plateau atop a slope quite a distance from Kamar-Taj.
Satoru turned back to face the three who had followed him all this way. He adjusted his blindfold relic and said. "You guys don't have to come here, you know,"
"Anyway," he continued, leaning back slightly with his hands in his pockets, "since I'm heading to Asgard, do you guys want something from there? I already have plans on what to bring back, but if there's something specific on your wish lists, speak now."
"Something old," Wanda suddenly said. It was the first time she'd spoken directly to him all afternoon.
Satoru tilted his head toward her. "Old? Like a dusty book? Or an ancient Viking beard?"
Wanda let out a small laugh, though it died down quickly. "Something… meaningful." She glanced at Illyana for a split second, then back at Satoru. "Maybe a trinket, or a pendant. If you think it suits me, I'm fine with anything as long as it lasts."
Illyana silently glanced at Wanda, then said suddenly. "I want one too."
Their eyes met and it stayed like that for a good amount of time.
Satoru blinked, his head swiveling from Wanda to Illyana. He let out a low whistle. "Girls with their pendants. Since when did you two become so interested in jewelry? I figured you'd ask for a magic spear or at least a very heavy book to hit people with."
Rintrah, oblivious as ever to the undercurrents, clapped his large hands together. "If everyone is making requests, Master Gojo, I have heard the smiths of Asgard create scrolls that never yellow! If you happen upon a stationery shop near the palace—"
"Stationery? Rintrah, what?" Satoru laughed, reaching out to pat the minotaur's massive shoulder. "But fine, fine. Jewelry for the ladies and indestructible paper for the minotaur."
"Alright," Satoru said. "Time to see if this'll actually work. If not, this will really be embarrassing."
He cupped his hands around his mouth, not because he needed to, but because he knew it made the moment feel more like a scene out of a movie.
"YO! THOR! I'M READY FOR MY PICKUP!"
For a minute, there was nothing, he was about to try Stark's idea when the atmosphere suddenly curdled.
The sky seemed to ripple. A massive circular sigil of ancient runes burned itself into the clouds directly above them, glowing with a fierce kaleidoscopic light.
Satoru stayed exactly where he was with his hands in his pockets, but his three apprentices wisely backed up just in case.
A split second later, a roar louder than any thunderclaps they had ever heard shattered the silence. A towering pillar of rainbow-colored energy slammed down from the heavens, striking the plateau with the force of a falling star.
Through the shimmering, swirling light of the Bifrost, they could see Satoru's silhouette. He turned his head just enough to give them a two-fingered salute.
"Don't kill each other while I'm gone!" he yelled over the rainbow-colored energy that covered him. "And stay on top of those studies! If I come back and you've forgotten how to cast a foundational mandala, I won't go easy on you! Also, I kinda forgot to tell Wong I'm leaving, can you—"
He didn't even finish before with a sudden and violent crack, the light vanished, shooting back into the sky at impossible speeds.
"..."
"Sigh…" The three sighed in unison.
…
[Author's Notes]: Decided to drop one additional chapter, why? Because I appreciate y'all. This is just my show of appreciation for you taking the time to read my fic. Hope you enjoy it.
Also, I purposely didn't show any more screentime for Rogue or any of the other X-Men for the time being, since that'll be best suited for another time.
Advanced chapters & show of support: Patreon.com/Shiriai
Daily chapter drop (One each): Monday → Sunday.
Powerstone Goal (When including the DCD and this goal is met, there'll be two chapters released when Sunday arrives): 1,500 Powerstones [DROP THOSE STONES!!]
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