"The problem is—" Ryuuto smirked, hands in pockets, "you can't dig me out of Axville even if you tried. I'm an orphan. Ten years at that school, and the professor's the closest thing I've got to family. So no matter how many mountains of gold you pile in front of me, I'm not leaving."
Banner chuckled. "What about beauty then? I saw the way you shielded Natasha just now. She looked pretty moved."
Before Ryuuto could clap back, Natasha strolled over, arms crossed, lips curled in mock disdain.
"Moved? Don't flatter yourself. The only thing I feel is admiration—temporary, at that. You Avengers have plenty of shortcomings. You, Banner, can't control yourself and turn into a raging green toddler. Tony? A reckless genius with an ego problem. Steve? A stiff soldier who doesn't understand emotions. Hawkeye? Always glaring like the world owes him money. And Thor? That guy runs back to Asgard or goes off on dates whenever he's supposed to handle crises. Honestly… compared to you clowns, even a student looks better."
"…Alright, I surrender," Banner muttered, hands raised. "No arguing with you. What about Stark?"
"Waiting outside the rainforest," Natasha said with a shrug. "And the Hulk?"
"Scared straight," Banner admitted sheepishly. "After Ryuuto here… disciplined me, I doubt he'll come out anytime soon. I even asked him to deal with me if I transform again."
"Correction," Ryuuto interjected, flatly. "I never agreed."
"You'll have to," Banner grinned. "Cap and the others can't handle me. You're the only one who can knock sense into Hulk. If you refuse, well… one day New York or San Francisco might wake up flattened."
Ryuuto sighed. "Fine. If I'm around, I'll reluctantly stomp you again."
Natasha clapped her hands. "Great, now let's regroup with Tony and Steve."
Banner walked ahead, while Natasha and Ryuuto fell into step together.
Truth be told, Ryuuto had a hard time not glancing at her. Natasha's body was flawless—supermodel curves with assassin poise. And hey, he'd just turned eighteen. If he wasn't at least looking, something would be wrong with him.
Still, he wasn't some stallion who jumped on every girl who smiled at him. Otherwise, he'd already have tried his luck in the past couple of days.
"Ryuuto, do you want me to do something for you?" Natasha asked suddenly.
"…No."
"Don't make it hard for me."
"That's boring," he grinned. "Pushing you a little is more fun. Honestly, if Hulk had landed one more hit today, I'd have been turned into a pancake. So, if I think of something for you later… I'll let you know."
Natasha smirked. "Fine. Just don't embarrass me too badly."
They walked in silence for a bit before she asked again:
"You said this energy you use is called Chakra. I checked everywhere online—there's nothing about it. What is it really?"
"Chakra's an energy that flows through special meridians in the body," Ryuuto explained. "Problem is, almost no one has those meridians. As far as I know, I'm the only one. That's why you'll never find it in any database. The name? I gave it myself. Chakra is… unique."
Natasha's eyes lit up. "That kind of power is terrifying. Lucky for us you're not with HYDRA or some villain group. Otherwise, the Avengers—and the whole world—would be screwed."
"Mm. I know Avengers and X-Men have a partnership. But what about the Justice League or the Fantastic Four?"
"Separate. We cooperate sometimes, clash other times. Frenemies, you could say. But the ultimate goal's the same: world peace." She suddenly slowed. "Go ahead first. I'll catch up."
"Why?"
"Three human needs," she said flatly.
Ryuuto raised a brow. "…Want me to stand guard?"
She smirked. "I'm Black Widow. I can handle myself."
"Fair. I'll chat with Banner then. Kinda curious about his gamma nightmare."
"Do that. I'll catch up soon."
Ten minutes later.
"You two are too fast—I could barely catch up!" Natasha jogged up, a little out of breath.
Banner slowed. "Then I'll leave you two. I'll meet Tony."
He vanished into the trees, leaving Ryuuto with Natasha. She tugged his wrist.
"New discovery. Come with me."
Confused, Ryuuto followed her back into the woods. They walked a short while before she suddenly spun—and dove straight into his arms.
His palm, without warning, pressed against the softness of her chest.
Eyes brimming with uncharacteristic tenderness, Natasha whispered, "You fought bravely today. I've fallen for you, Ryuuto. Please… take me."
But instead of excitement, Ryuuto's expression didn't change. His eyes narrowed slightly.
Because he'd already caught the scent of something off long before this hug.