"Agent Romanoff," Nick Fury's voice rumbled through the comm, heavy with irritation, "you're not just an Avenger—you're also S.H.I.E.L.D.'s operative. You should be thinking like one. That kid—Ryuuto, 'Red Mirage'—he deserves thanks for snapping Banner out of his rage, sure. But his abilities? They're too strong, too unpredictable. If he doesn't stand with the Avengers, one day he'll stand against us."
Natasha's tone sharpened. "So what—you're saying every mutant might be an enemy? Even Charles? You've seen it yourself: mutants come with powers we can't even imagine. But whatever happens down the line, the Avengers won't be turned against the X-Men."
"Agent Romanoff, politics doesn't care about idealism. There are two factions on the world stage—one believes mutants are just humans with quirks, the other sees them as walking disasters. If the wrong faction wins dominance, war between the Avengers and the X-Men is inevitable."
"And you want to make Red Mirage an Avenger to… what? Play mediator when it all blows up?"
"If he's one of us, then yes. He could bridge that gap. Don't you see the value?"
Natasha's reply was ice-cold. "He's his own person, Nick. You can't force him. Try, and you'll only make him your enemy."
"You—! That's betrayal!"
Nick's growl carried no real fire, just frustration. Natasha smirked faintly. "Sorry, Director. I've always been on the right side."
"…Fine. Then apologize to him for me. I'll handle the rest."
The line clicked dead.
Natasha turned toward Ryuuto. "Director Fury asked me to apologize to you on his behalf."
Ryuuto snorted. "The things he said just now? Didn't even make sense."
"He was trying to spook you into compliance. Classic Fury scare tactic." She tilted her head, studying him. "So, any interest in joining the Avengers?"
"No."
"Yeah, I figured." Natasha shrugged. "So what then? Back to school, or tag along with us in New York?"
"New York!" Ryuuto grinned. "Never been there."
"Then New York it is."
The quinjet's engines roared, lifting them into the clouds. Natasha piloted, while in the cabin Ryuuto found himself bombarded by curious stares from Tony, Banner, and Steve.
"So this… chakra," Tony pressed, eyes gleaming like a kid in a candy store. "Give us the crash course."
Ryuuto leaned back, adopting his mock-lecturer tone. "Chakra is energy flowing inside every human body. Some have barely enough to light a candle—those are the ones with weak abilities. But some…" he jabbed a thumb at himself, "…have so much it feels limitless. With enough chakra, you can shape reality itself."
"You're one of the limitless ones?" Tony prodded.
"Obviously."
Tony's jaw dropped. "And those tricks you pulled against Magneto? That's not even the half of it, is it?"
Ryuuto smirked. "Trade secret."
"Unbelievable! We're supposed to be brothers!" Tony dropped his voice conspiratorially. "Tell you what—once we hit New York, I'll call up a few Hollywood starlets. We'll drink, we'll talk, you'll thank me later."
"Stark," Natasha cut in from the cockpit, "your 'whispering' carries. And if you're trying to corrupt a student, I'll knock you out of this plane myself."
"I'm training him in social skills!" Tony laughed. "He should thank me."
"You'll just teach him bad habits," she shot back.
Ryuuto raised his hand. "For the record, student or not, I'm free to do what I want. And honestly? Drinking, sure. But chasing girls at bars? Nah. If a girl has to be 'picked up,' it means she wasn't interested in me in the first place. I'd rather have something mutual, natural. Love, not performance. Got it?"
Tony blinked, then laughed, rubbing his neck. "Kid, you just roasted my entire dating history. Fine, fine—I'll curb it. A little."
But Ryuuto wasn't laughing anymore. His brow furrowed. "Wait. Which one of you is wearing perfume?"
The three men stared blankly. "Perfume? Not me." "No." "Nope."
Ryuuto's eyes narrowed. Natasha never wore perfume either. Which meant—
There was a sixth person on board.
His voice went flat, dangerous. "Alright. If you don't show yourself, I'll start tossing bodies out of this plane one by one."
A honey-sweet voice rang out from the shadows of the cabin. "Alright, alright! I surrender. I just wanted a free ride to New York."