Domino blinked as her surroundings suddenly changed from one moment being suspended thousands of feet above the Atlantic held in FURY's crushing grip with yellow energy coiling for a killing blow, to the next moment finding strong arms wrapped around her while warmth flooded through her chest where Tether's connection pulsed with familiar comfort.

  She didn't panic. The sensation was too familiar and too safe. Even her body recognized him before her mind caught up.

  "You're back, babe?" Her voice came out weak, strained from the beating she'd taken. Her healing factor was already working overtime though, visible wounds closing with each passing second while bruises faded from purple to yellow to nothing.

  Jay looked down at her, and for just a fraction of a second something in his eyes was different, older somehow, carrying weight that hadn't been there before. But then his expression shifted to that silly lopsided smile he reserved just for her, the one that said everything would be okay even when the world was burning.

  "Yep, I'm back. And I bring gifts!" He gestured toward the sky.

  Domino followed his gaze and saw them, golden motes of light falling from the heavens like snow, drifting down across the entire visible sky where each one pulsed with warmth, with life, with promise. They descended slowly, beautifully, painting the world in gentle gold.

  "Wow." Domino's exhausted brain tried to process what she was seeing. "She golden showered the whole planet?"

  Jay sighed, the sound carrying affectionate exasperation. "Really, Dom? That's what you're going with?"

  "What? Too soon?" She grinned despite the pain, despite everything. Because that's what they did. They found humor in impossible situations.

  Jay's expression grew more serious, his hand coming up to cup her face gently. "I know we talked about me worrying too much, but that's FURY down there. And I'm sorry, but you can't handle it alone. Not this version. So how about we switch?"

  Domino's smile softened as she understood what he wasn't saying, that he'd seen her getting torn apart through whatever cosmic awareness he'd tapped into, that watching her nearly die had probably aged him ten years, that he needed to do this, to face the thing that had hurt her.

  "Alright, you're up, partner." She raised her hand for a high five. "Give that clunker hell."

  Their palms met with a satisfying smack, the contact sending warmth through both of them in a moment of connection before Jay had to leave again.

  But before he could teleport them to safety, Domino grabbed his arm. "Wait. What happened? And what's with this light show?"

  Jay's mind flashed back to his most anticipated meeting, the conversation that had changed everything.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Gaea's Domain

  Jay had walked past the rainbow portal that the Ancient One opened for him, stepping through the threshold between worlds, and what greeted him on the other side stole his breath completely.

  The first thing he felt was sunlight that wasn't harsh but gentle, passing through the entire plane with a quality unlike anything he'd experienced as it illuminated greenery so vast, so diverse, so impossibly varied that even his enhanced mind would need months to categorize each species individually. Plants that shouldn't exist together thrived side by side. Trees from every era of Earth's history grew in harmony while flowers bloomed in colors that had no names.

  And the fauna, creatures exotic and pure moved through this paradise where each lived in perfect harmony with the others, predator and prey existing in balance where the cycle of life was visible but never cruel. Everything had its place, its purpose, its role in the grand design.

  The air itself was intoxicating, so pure and sweet that Jay felt lightheaded like breathing pure oxygen after a lifetime in smog, and every breath filled his lungs with vitality, with life itself.

  Jay stood transfixed by this dimension's beauty that outweighed even Asgard's golden halls, surpassed Nidavellir's forge, made everywhere else seem pale by comparison until he nearly forgot why he'd come here in the first place.

  Until a voice sweet as honey called to him.

  "I hope you like the place, child."

  Jay startled, spinning around, and what he saw made him freeze completely.

  before him was the most astounding being he'd ever encountered with a face that was a striking image of the maternal word made manifest, every culture's concept of mother given form. She was stunning in her own right, impossibly beautiful, but not a single ulterior thought passed through Jay's mind. The only thing he felt was warmth and safety, exactly like a newborn child feels from its mother.

  Something fundamental in his soul recognized her for what she was.

  Jay quickly regained his senses, bowed his head, and used his hands to greet her with a traditional namaste. "???????" (Goddess Earth)

  The woman surrounded by flora and fauna, her hair a mix of green and blue representing the planet itself, was a giant in all terms as befitting her station and power, standing easily twenty feet tall with her presence filling the space without overwhelming it.

  She called gently, her voice carrying across the distance. "It's been a long time since someone called me by that name. Come here, my child."

  Jay tried to crack a joke to ease his nerves and set the mood as he walked toward her, careful not to overstep even the smallest insects or saplings. "Technically, I'm not your child since I'm not from this world."

  Gaea smiled warmly as she placed her giant hand on Jay's head, ruffling his hair with care that belied her size. "You're wrong in this case. Any and everyone who walks this land are my children. It's a mother's nature to look after even strays, as she looks after her children."

  Jay shuddered suddenly, hearing the maternal note in those words, the same ones he'd heard from his Dadi, his grandmother, in another life that felt both distant and immediate. The loss hit him fresh again, the memory of love unconditional and pure.

  He sighed, emotion thick in his throat. "I'll be blessed to be your son."

  Gaea's smile widened, genuine pleasure radiating from her. "So what does the great Power Broker need from me, which even you can't achieve with your awesome powers?"

  Jay smiled as he formed sentences carefully, mindful not to offend the literal will and representation of the planet. "Nothing is hidden from you, Lady Gaea. You must have seen my struggles and victories. And you must have also seen my limitations, whether they be metaphysical or philosophical."

  Gaea made a face that Jay could swear was a pout, though he didn't dare put those thoughts to words. "Even still, my child, you haven't answered my question."

  Jay let his heart speak, emotion bleeding into his voice. "Lady Gaea, I have this friend, Peter Parker. He's just a kid, but in my world, he grows up to be the greatest hero of all time. But even then, his story is full of tragedy. Whether it be his father figure, his first love, his firstborn, his first marriage, everything would be stripped away from him, leaving him a shell of a man. The only thing holding him together is his responsibility."

  He paused, gathering his thoughts and his pain. "Whenever he's starting to rebuild his life, that same responsibility of saving someone always comes in between. Something similar happened in this world. Even though I made sure to help him with his Parker luck, his uncle was still in mortal danger. And that too from the lucky quarter I gifted him."

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  Jay's voice cracked slightly. "And then the breakdown the poor kid had, the way he blamed himself, and his questions, they tore through my heart. Even I couldn't find answers for him. He asked, 'Why do bad things always happen to me? Why do people always need a hero to save them?'"

  He looked up at Gaea, meeting her eyes directly. "So I ask you the same thing. As a mother, why let such things happen to your children?"

  Jay saw Gaea suddenly smile, her expression shifting as she answered in the most soothing voice, completely different from both Lady Death and the Queen of Nevers. "Child, this world works on balance. A food chain needs to be followed for the sustained growth of life, which is my prime responsibility. Nobody is made equal, and everyone, after they've grown, is responsible for their own actions. You must, of course, know of Karma."

  Jay, now unsatisfied, spoke with more intensity. "That's a half-baked answer, and you know it. You claim yourself to be the mother of all, but how can a mother be so partial? How can you favor humans over other animals? How can even among those humans, some like Jamie and Jim are born with powers equal to or greater than your own?"

  His voice rose, passion overtaking caution. "How could your heart not break when you see common people out there losing their lives to just mere actions of these powered juggernauts? Why do they need people like Peter to make sacrifices of their childhood and life?"

  Gaea, ever the sweet mother, took Jay's words as those of a curious child rather than being offended. "Child, tell me, if everyone were to be made equal, what would you eat? The food you ate last night was made from a poor chicken's loss of life, whose whole life was spent trapped in a cage, its fate already decided to be slaughtered for your consumption."

  She gestured around them. "What of the trees you cut away and animals you displaced when building your home in the Savage Land? And you, my child, are the most favored by the mark of the One Above All itself. Not everyone can be the same. Such a world would soon stagnate. And I too have my responsibilities as an Elder Goddess."

  Jay found no rebuttal, could only swallow his frustration as the logic was sound, even if it hurt to accept.

  But then Gaea spoke again, her tone shifting. "But since we Elder Gods and Goddesses are bound by our responsibility, so are our words and so are favors. And you, my child, did me a favor by stopping the Chitauri invasion and bringing back to a mother her twelve hundred children from Lady Death. Use it wisely."

  Jay, still surprised by her cooperation, used his enhanced mind to think of the perfect favor, the right way to phrase it, to get what he truly needed without loopholes or complications.

  "Then, Gaea, Elder Goddess, against my favor, guide me the path to achieve what I seek. People never having to depend on heroes. People being able to save themselves."

  Gaea smiled with cheerfulness, seeing Jay use the right way to cash in his favor, his only chance. "Well done, my child. You chose right. So I shall now tell you this: there is a danger to me and this whole planet. And even with my powers, I can't do anything against it since beings older and more powerful than us are making sure those events occur."

  She leaned forward, her expression growing serious. "So tell me, child, will you give me your word to ensure my and my children's safety?"

  Jay's mind processed her words about what could endanger Mother Earth herself, an Elder Goddess, but then his Comic Nerd perk activated, and it clicked.

  "Tiamut?!" Jay's eyes widened. "Of course, it's the Celestials that could endanger you! Arishem the Judge stops you from stopping the birth of Tiamut, doesn't he?"

  Gaea finally sighed, her seriousness waning for a more relaxed expression. "You guessed it correct, my child. I'm in danger of being forced to birth a Celestial in return for losing myself and, more tragically, all my children."

  Her eyes held his, ancient and knowing. "So, Power Broker... No, Jay, my child, will you make me a promise? Will you save me and my children? And in exchange for that promise, I shall grant you your request in an equivalent exchange."

  Jay thought of the cost of offending and outright making enemies of Celestials, beings who could unmake entire planets with a thought, and hesitated before throwing the thought away.

  Jay held Gaea's giant finger with both his hands, small against her immense form but firm in his conviction. "You have my word, Mother!"

  Just that single word, and a beautiful smile cracked on her face. "Finally, you called me Mother. Do you know how frustrating it is seeing your child call you by your name?"

  Jay, baffled after hearing the reason behind her pout, could only smile awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Mother! I'll be mindful next time."

  Gaea smiled and said, "Now then, my child, tell me how you plan to achieve your goal of letting common citizens be independent of heroes in this strange world of them."

  Jay smiled as in his right palm a golden orb of light manifested, Heather's power taken with permission and sacrifice now given purpose, and he extended it toward Gaea's face.

  "This is the power I took from Lifeguard. That girl really loves life. She's really a true hero, sacrificing her powers for the greater cause. Using this, you could help all your children with the need to intervene directly, without crossing your responsibilities."

  Gaea sensed the power in the single mote of light with astonishment as she finally saw the full scope of what Jay was planning, taking the mote in her hand and bringing it near her belly, letting it pass through the skin into her core.

  "Hiranyagarbha," she whispered. "That's what they prayed to me as, the golden womb. And now I shall birth the salvation you and your companions have sought out."

  Jay, still astonished at the eagerness of seeing Gaea's maternal nature to help her children, bowed to her again. "I can't thank you enough, Maa!"

  His heart spoke his true emotions. The word came from somewhere deep, from memories of another grandmother, another mother figure who'd shown him unconditional love.

  Gaea, her hand on her belly, patted Jay with her other hand. "Now go, my child. My children are again in danger, as Lady Death didn't like the violation of her domain."

  The lake nearby rippled and showed scenes that made Jay's blood run cold, Jim Jaspers' soul leaving in a mote of white light while gaining control over Zola in the cyberworld, his control over Master Mold, his attack on the Helicarrier with the worldwide attack happening on Earth where an army of Sentinels marched, causing death and havoc across every continent.

  Seeing Jay's panic, Gaea said, "Don't blame yourself, my child, since you are also the reason for them."

  The scene shifted to show heroes like Krish, Surge and Sunspot and many more fighting against the Sentinels and saving innocents, light in the darkness where hope pushed back against mechanical death.

  Jay, seeing this, said, "But how? I made sure Jim was completely dead and all his power stripped away to me."

  Gaea shifted the scene in the lake where suddenly the time in the Mirror Dimension where Jay resurrected Jim Jaspers to take away his power played out differently, showing a silhouette of a lady in black robes present who instead of letting Jim's soul ascend back to her domain, sweetly called the soul, corrupted it with hatred and rage, and sent it out of the Mirror Dimension before Jay could notice.

  Jay finally got it. Lady Death. Finally wanting to punish Jay for his discretion of stealing from her, first the twelve hundred lives, then with Jim Jaspers again.

  This was her revenge. Calculated, cruel, and devastating.

  Seeing Jay's complex expression, Gaea soothed him. "Calm down, son. Now's not the time to ponder but for action. Go now, go back to your world, and call my name when you are ready, and I'll be there to assist."

  Jay, without saying any word, bowed to her again. "Thank you for opening my eyes, Ma! I promise I'll pay back this favor, no matter what."

  His ring, Tether, activated on its own violation, sensing Domino in danger and pulsing with urgent energy as the Bifrost connection flared, and he teleported back to the material plane.

  Gaea remained alone in her domain, rubbing her belly where Heather's power now resided. "Go, my child!"

  Golden motes of light generated from the trees as if they were fruits, falling down to Earth and then to the material plane itself, spreading across the world like seeds of hope.

  Present - Above the Atlantic

  Jay finished explaining, his words coming fast while Domino processed it all, her enhanced mind working through implications even as her body continued healing.

  "So Death herself sicced that thing on us?" Domino's voice carried anger but also understanding. "And here I thought we were just dealing with leftover HYDRA bullshit."

  "She's playing the long game," Jay said, his jaw tight. "But so are we. Those golden lights falling? That's Gaea's gift activating. Heather's power, spread across the entire planet. When people are in danger, when they need saving, Earth itself will respond."

  He looked down at the Atlantic far below, where FURY still hovered, its single eye tracking their position. "But first, I need to deal with the immediate problem."

  Domino cupped his face, forcing him to look at her. "Hey. I know that look. Don't go full manic mode, yeah? That thing is dangerous. Just be smart about it."

  Jay smiled, the expression carrying genuine affection. "When am I not smart?"

  "Do you want the list alphabetically or chronologically?"

  He laughed despite everything and kissed her forehead. "Help others where you can. This won't take long."

  Blue light enveloped Domino as she vanished, teleported to the Helicarrier's safe zone where Steve and the others were regrouping.

  Jay turned his attention to FURY below where the robot had been watching, calculating, adapting, but it hadn't experienced what Jay had just been through.

  Jay's eyes shifted, whites replaced by black, stars speckling them like he'd swallowed the cosmos as Mad Jim Jaspers' universal reality warping activated fully for the first time since he'd stolen it.

  Around him, reality began to bend.

  Time for subtlety was gone.

  The only answer was an overwhelming, undeniable force.

  FURY's single eye brightened as its sensors detected the massive energy spike while the robot's adaptive systems immediately began analyzing, learning, and preparing to counter.

  But this time, it was too late.

  Jay smiled, and the expression was sharp as broken glass.

  "Let's see how well you adapt to this, you mechanical bastard."

  He descended toward FURY like a falling star with reality warping trailing behind him like wings of pure cosmic power while the golden motes of light continued falling across the world, each one a promise that things were about to change.

  That the age of people needing constant saving was about to end.

  That Peter Parker's question finally had an answer.

  And that answer was coming with the fury of a man who'd made a deal with Mother Earth herself.

  The battle for humanity's future was about to begin.