"I'm shutting down Stark Industries' weapons division."
With that single sentence, Tony Stark sent shockwaves through the entire venue. Reporters gasped, their cameras flashing relentlessly. This wasn't a minor business pivot—this was a seismic political and economic decision. Stark Industries had long been the largest weapons supplier to the United States, and this choice would ripple across the military-industrial complex.
None of this, however, concerned Kurogai.
From the second floor, he watched the chaos unfold with calm detachment. When the press conference ended, he quietly returned to Stark's villa, as if the entire spectacle had been nothing more than mild entertainment.
After some time, Stark finally arrived back at the villa.
"Kurogai, did you see how heroic I looked up there? That was one hell of a speech, right? Admit it—you were impressed."
Tony's voice rang with excitement. Though he was shutting down his weapons branch, he knew just how monumental the announcement was.
"It was fine," Kurogai replied, his tone indifferent.
He turned to Stark, his expression unreadable. "I won't be staying here for a while. But I did promise to protect you until your armor is complete. I intend to keep that promise."
As he spoke, he extended a hand slightly, as if sensing something unseen.
"I've already placed protective enchantments on you. You won't need to worry."
The statement wasn't a boast—it was a guarantee.
Stark blinked, caught off guard. For a moment, he thought Kurogai was abandoning him. But the assurance of protection softened the blow.
He knew better than to question Kurogai's power. The man had already proven more capable than anything Stark had seen. If he said Stark was safe, then he probably was.
"I get it," Stark said, nodding slowly. "I won't ask you to stay. But I'd appreciate a way to reach you. Something easier than guessing when you'll reappear."
Tony knew the score. He had no leverage here. In every interaction, Kurogai had always held the cards. Trying to stop him from leaving would be pointless.
Still, Stark felt a growing urgency to finish the Iron Man suit—maybe then, he'd be able to hold his own in this game.
Kurogai picked up a pen from the table and traced a rune along its barrel. The faint glow from the engraving pulsed briefly.
"If you need me, break this. It'll send a signal I can sense, wherever I am."
Tony stared at the pen like it was a relic from another world. "Seriously? A pen? Again?"
He groaned. "Come on, man, can't we just exchange phone numbers like regular people? What happened to email? Whatsapp? Are you telling me magic is your default messaging service?"
Kurogai gave a faint smile. "If I'm off-planet, no digital signal will reach me. Magic does."
"Off-planet?" Stark froze. "Wait, are you telling me—?"
But before he could finish, Kurogai vanished from the villa, leaving Stark with more questions than answers.
Kurogai reappeared aboard his base vessel, a spacecraft hidden far from Earth's surface. It had been a while since his last visit. He needed to check on the status of the ongoing research.
"Kurogai! You're back!"
A familiar voice called out as Jean Grey ran toward him, her eyes lighting up with joy. She leaped into his arms without hesitation. She had missed him—more than she'd realized.
He caught her easily and smiled softly. With a whisper and a twist of space, the two vanished into a portal and reappeared in her private quarters.
Desire met reunion. Heat met longing.
For a long while, words gave way to motion. Their bodies spoke the language of absence and affection in equal measure.
Only after the fire between them had cooled did they lay side by side, talking quietly beneath the dim lights.
"So… you actually fought that big green brute? Dr. Banner?" Jean asked, her fingers brushing against his chest, her expression laced with worry.
Kurogai nodded, his tone calm. "He's not as dangerous as people make him out to be. I scared him off."
He leaned in and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I'm not so easily shaken, Jean. You know that."
Jean looked at him, a mixture of admiration and exasperation in her eyes. She knew how powerful Kurogai was—but hearing he'd fought the Hulk still sent a shiver through her.
After a while, she sat up slightly, shifting the conversation to something more pressing.
"Dr. Helen Cho's addition has sped things up significantly, but there's still a major gap between human and mutant genetic structures. The transformation process isn't simple. It might take a lot more time."
Kurogai nodded thoughtfully. "That's fine. We don't need to rush. And even if this experiment fails, I have a backup plan."
He glanced toward the glowing interface on the wall.
"I've activated a new ability—something beyond what I expected. It's a Clock of Time. Right now, I'm focused on unlocking its potential."
Jean blinked, her curiosity piqued, but she didn't press further.
"And if this project fails," Kurogai continued, "I'll use the Cerebro-enhanced brainwave amplifier to find more mutants across the world. More samples, more possibilities."
Jean finally relaxed, reassured by his confidence.
"I understand," she whispered. "I'll do my best, as always."
And he knew she would.
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