For Jonathan Storm, meeting someone like Kurogai was enough to shatter his worldview. Power on that scale was intoxicating, and now that Kurogai had spoken of a plan that could grant such strength, Jonathan's heart burned with desire. He wanted in—desperately.
Even before Susan had voiced her decision, Jonathan was already itching to persuade her. But Kurogai, sensing the boy's eagerness, cut him off with a calm but firm request.
"Jonathan, may I speak to your sister alone?"
The young man faltered, caught between excitement and disappointment. He had so many questions, so many things he wanted to say. Yet, Kurogai's piercing gaze left no room for argument.
"…All right," Jonathan muttered reluctantly. Still, before leaving the room, he cast Susan a meaningful look, silently begging her to agree.
Susan, seeing her brother's insistence, exhaled softly. She stood and faced Kurogai. "Fine. Come with me. We'll talk in my room."
Her tone was cool, but not hostile. She wanted privacy, a chance to settle this without Jonathan's bright-eyed dreams clouding the air.
Inside her room, the tension was immediate. Susan closed the door behind them, then turned to face Kurogai with steady eyes.
"Mr. Blackwood," she began, her voice firm, "I've made my decision. I don't want to be part of your plan."
Kurogai tilted his head slightly. "And why is that?"
Susan's hands clenched against her sides as she spoke. "Because you're too powerful. Too mysterious. Whatever world you come from, it's far beyond ordinary people like me. I may have glimpsed it during that fight, but I know better now. That world of yours is chaos and destruction. I'm just an ordinary woman—I wouldn't survive in it. I'd only be a burden."
Her words were sincere, not spoken from fear alone but from responsibility. She thought of Jonathan, his reckless streak, his longing for excitement. If she got involved, he would follow. And if something happened to him because of her… she would never forgive herself.
Kurogai studied her in silence for a moment, then his lips curved in a faint smile. "And what if I told you that the world will come for you whether you choose it or not? That Earth itself is marked for destruction? You can't simply walk away, Susan. You and your brother are already pieces on the board."
He spoke not as a threat, but as someone who had seen too much. His words carried the weight of inevitability.
Susan opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off. His eyes shifted, turning crimson. The familiar tomoe spun, merging into a deadly windmill pattern—the Mangekyou Sharingan.
"Look."
The world dissolved around her, replaced by visions of chaos. Armies from the stars, burning cities, ships tearing through the skies. Thanos's gauntlet glittered with stolen light, planets crumbled, heroes fell.
Susan gasped as the images tore through her mind. The illusion vanished, leaving her trembling and pale. She stared at Kurogai, horrified but no longer dismissive.
"…I understand," she whispered. "I'll accept your invitation."
Kurogai allowed himself a small smirk. He hadn't forced her will—merely shown her the truth. She wasn't a puppet. She was a woman who had been given a glimpse of what awaited.
"Good," he said simply. "You made the right choice."
Susan swallowed hard, trying to steady her racing heart. He hadn't threatened her, but his presence pressed on her chest all the same. Yet she couldn't deny it—without strength, she and Jonathan would be swept away when the storm came.
Kurogai leaned closer, his voice dropping. "You understand what I want from you, then?"
Her lips parted, uncertain, but before she could form the words, he closed the distance. His kiss was firm, not hesitant, yet not cruel either. A declaration of intent, as much as an act of possession.
When he finally pulled away, Susan's cheeks were flushed crimson. She didn't know what to say—whether to push him away or to admit that, against all reason, part of her felt drawn to the shadow he cast.
Kurogai straightened, his expression once again composed. "The preparations are already underway. Victor von Doom is handling the arrangements, including the craft you'll need. You'll find it at the company where you had your last interview. From there, everything begins."
Susan blinked, startled. "Victor… von Doom? My old classmate?"
Kurogai gave a faint nod, as if the name held little consequence. "Yes. And when the cosmic storm arrives, you'll be ready. Bring your brother. He craves this power, and I won't deny him. He'll find his place soon enough."
He spoke as though Jonathan's future were already written, and perhaps it was.
"As for Reed Richards…" Kurogai's eyes hardened. "I once considered bringing him into the fold. But I've since dismissed the idea. Richards would only complicate things. His fixation on you is something I have no interest in tolerating. If necessary, I'll erase him from the equation altogether."
The cold edge in his words made Susan shiver. Reed was brilliant, yes—but she could not deny that Kurogai was right about his feelings toward her.
"And Benjamin Grimm," Kurogai continued. "Perhaps he will have a role. But that can wait."
Susan was still caught on the earlier revelation. Victor von Doom—brilliant, ambitious, secretive Victor—was part of this? And the company she had interviewed at…? She realized then that there were pieces moving behind the curtain she hadn't even noticed.
Before she could ask anything more, Kurogai's form shimmered. The golden light of his departure filled the room, leaving her standing alone, still shaken from what had transpired.
Susan touched her lips unconsciously, heat rising in her cheeks. She wasn't sure if she felt anger or something else entirely. What she did know was that her world would never be the same.
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