Chapter 27

Two weeks had passed since the chaotic battle with Graviton and the subsequent villain escape from the Raft. Gojo had been instrumental in restoring major parts of the city, utilizing his power of rejection to restore and rebuild structures, mend roads, and stabilize the infrastructure. However, he left much of the remaining cleanup to S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

' They should clean up the rest on their own.'Gojo thought before moving on with his appointment.

S.H.I.E.L.D. Briefing Room

Maria Hill stood before Nick Fury, her expression as stern as ever. "Director Fury, the city's recovery is progressing. Thanks to Mr Satoru," she said the name with a hint of distaste, "the major damages have been restored. The public's trust is slowly being rebuilt."

Fury raised an eyebrow at her tone but said nothing. He nodded for her to continue.

"The Raft, however, has suffered significant damage. Graviton's fight with Gojo and Captain Marvel left extensive structural and security breaches. Here's the footage."

Hill activated the hologram projector, displaying clips of the battle. They watched Gojo's arrival, his swift dispatch of lesser villains, and the intense confrontation with Graviton. The footage included Gojo erasing Carnage with his heat vision, his brutality and destruction caused, and the climactic battle against Graviton.

Fury's thoughts churned. 'This kid is beyond anything we've ever dealt with. His power is frighteningly vast, and he seems almost too calm about it. We need to understand his motives and his limits—or lack of.'

Natasha Romanoff, sitting in one of the chairs, spoke up. "From what we can see his power level is off the charts. What's your evaluation, Carol?"

Carol Danvers leaned forward, recounting the battle. "His combat prowess is unmatched. He moves with incredible speed, adapting to the fight as it unfolds. He utilizes his powers effectively, creating barriers, teleporting, and manipulating the environment to his advantage."

"Questions?" Fury asked the room.

One agent asked, "How did you take down Graviton?"

Carol had a flashback of Gojo's domain, recalling his awe-inspiring and terrifying words: "You stand at the precipice of infinity, where the familiar rules of the universe dissolve into an overwhelming, incomprehensible expanse." She shook off the goosebumps. "It took a lot of effort. Thor and I blasted Graviton with everything we had, and Gojo used his powers to contain and encompass the blasts, neutralizing Graviton."

Fury narrowed his eyes, sensing something was omitted but let it pass. "What's the estimated threat level?"

"Omega," Hill replied.

Natasha interjected, "Isn't that the same as the Hulk?"

Fury nodded. "Yes, it is."

Fury turned his attention back to the escaped villains. "What about the villains still at large?"

"The Avengers are still searching for them," Natasha responded.

"Well, you all need to look harder," Fury said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Hill continued, "The remaining repairs in the city are manageable, but the Raft is another matter. We estimate it will take several months to become fully operational again. The structural damage is extensive, and we need to upgrade the security systems to prevent another breach."

Fury nodded. "Make it a priority. We can't afford another incident like this."

Meanwhile, at the gates of the Xavier Institute, Gojo stood quietly, taking in the serene surroundings. The gates opened, revealing a bald man in a wheelchair flanked by a burly, feral-looking man and an attractive dark-skinned woman with white hair.

"Mr. Satoru, we have been expecting you for a while now," Charles said.

They started to make their way inside the mansion. The Xavier Institute stood alone in the remote farmlands surrounding Worcester. It was around three stories tall and had two main wings attached to the main building. Gojo noted how the institute didn't appear to look anything like a school but rather a posh residency.

"Clever strategy, old man. Nobody would suspect your home to be a school."

Logan snorted, "I think you're giving Chuck too much credit. He just loves his mansion too much to change it." Gojo nodded as he admired the architecture. It was so much different than it was in the comics and movies. He thought to himself, 'Well, a lot of things are different from what was on paper. This, on the other hand, is reality.'

Logan and Ororo looked at Gojo, with Logan saying, "Hmph, so pearly eyes here is the one eluding Cerebro, huh, Professor?"

Ororo reprimanded him, "Logan, that's no way to treat our guest." She then turned to Gojo, "My apologies, he's a bit rude."

Gojo chuckled, "No offense taken. I can't refuse an apology from a beautiful woman now, can I? Well, unless she's secretly a psychopath."

Ororo smiled, "Well, it's a good thing I am not," while Logan groaned and rolled his eyes. The Professor also chuckled.

They passed by many places, seeing different kinds of mutants. Gojo's thoughts wandered, 'How many of them will eventually make it out alive with how frequently the mansion gets destroyed in the comics and cartoons?' He was suddenly brought out of his thoughts as they approached Charles' office, meeting up with Hank.

Hank saw Gojo and said, "Hello, my boy. It's nice to finally meet the one who gave me a challenge with Cerebro."

Gojo laughed, "Hehehe, well, I do hope you enjoyed the challenge, old man."

Hank was surprised Gojo wasn't shocked by his presence. "I'm Dr. Hank McCoy, code name Beast."

As Gojo was about to introduce himself, someone said, "Gojo." Turning back, he saw Scott, Jean, along with Kurt, Kitty, Jubilee, and Rogue at the door.

The Professor said, "Come in," and as they made their way in, Kitty said, "We haven't seen you in school for like two weeks."

Rogue looked at him and asked, "You alright, sugah?"

Gojo replied, "Oh, you know, I was in New York trying to enjoy some food when I ended up doing some clean-up work for a super spy guy with an eye patch." He said that in a teasing tone, but Logan frowned, looking at the Professor while thinking, 'Fury.'

Gojo then looked at the Professor, his eyes shining as he had gotten rid of his shades. "You're the one who tried to enter my mind. Had it been any other time, I would have dropped the weight of my mental defenses on you, and believe me, you definitely don't want that."

"I apologize for that," Charles said. "I meant no disrespect, but I had to be sure that you were indeed the mutant we were looking for."

"Mutant?" Gojo questioned in disgust.

Jean frowned, "Is there a problem? You said that as if it's a poison."

Jubilee added, "Considering you are one as well."

Gojo replied, "Hmm, I don't accept it." This caused confusion as they looked at him weirdly. Ororo and Hank asked him, "Why? Do you hate your powers?"

Gojo turned and said, "On the contrary, I fully accept myself for what I am and my power, and there is no one who can put me down for it."

Kurt then stepped forward, "Then why do you sound like you hate mutants?"

Gojo looked at him for a moment and said, "I don't hate mutants, Kurt. I just hate that word of reference itself." He then turned to the Professor, "You have multiple PhDs, yes? Then can you define what the word 'mutant' means, Professor?"

Charles nodded, "A mutant, in the context of biology, is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism."

Gojo then turned to Hank, "And from a medical point of view, Dr. McCoy?"

Hank adjusted his glasses, "Medically speaking, a mutant refers to an organism, cell, or gene that has undergone mutation, resulting in a variant form that may be transmitted to subsequent generations. This can lead to abnormalities or new traits."

Gojo nodded, "And there you have it. You are literally calling yourself an abnormality, a cancer that needs to be cut out. You refer to yourselves in such a way and wonder why the humans reject us."

Ororo thought, 'He is right. The terminology we use to describe ourselves has a significant impact on how we are perceived.'

Gojo continued, "You are what you refer to yourself as. If a man walks up to you and says he's a rapist, you will immediately see him as one. If a woman says she's a prostitute, you will immediately see her as cheap, and her value decreases. If I suddenly say to you that I am a serial killer, even if you don't believe me immediately, somewhere at the back of your mind, that seed of reference has been planted, and gradually you will begin to become wary and afraid of me."

Hank thought, 'He has a point. The labels we use are powerful and can shape perceptions.'

Gojo continued, "If you want to refer to me, I'd like to be referred to as a META-HUMAN instead."

The room fell silent as the weight of Gojo's words settled in. Charles, Hank, and the others considered the implications of what he had said.