[What?! Excuse me! I'm not an all-knowing encyclopedia, okay?!]
Shion's voice snapped in his head, uncharacteristically flustered.
Ryuuto raised a brow. "Wait… you mean the missions aren't planned by you?"
[Of course not!] Shion huffed, clearly annoyed. [The missions are generated on the fly, depending on how the parallel world shifts. Even I can't predict every ripple you cause, Host. For example—if you hadn't agreed to fly to Australia, the system wouldn't have issued the kill order against Toad and Sabretooth.]
"So basically… you can't tell me how to trigger missions that let me pick the data packet I want?"
[Mm. Not exactly.] A lazy pause. [But if the mission is graded S or SS-level, it should give you some choice. Not unlimited, but a few options to select from.]
Ryuuto pinched the bridge of his nose. "If I finally clear an SS-level quest and the system hands me four worthless Genin packets as a 'choice,' I swear I'll smash you into digital dust."
[Eh?] Shion perked up with mischievous innocence. [Smash me? …Can that be done?]
"…What?"
[You literally said you'd 'smash the system.' I'm curious—how would you even accomplish that?]
"…Forget I said anything."
Still, one thought nagged at him. "Oi, Shion. Do you only exist in my head, or will you ever show up in person?"
[Mmm… the records say that someday I might manifest as a real entity. But since there isn't a specific "Athena package" in the Hokage database, I'll probably appear using some other ninja character's body.]
"Then Hinata! Definitely Hinata!"
[Hah! As if I get to choose…] Shion yawned. [Anyway, what matters is you keep getting stronger, so I can finally step into reality.]
"Yeah, yeah. Fine."
[Ding! New A-Rank Mission!][Objective: Remove Susan Storm from your bedroom.][Reward: None.]
"…You've gotta be kidding me." Ryuuto's face went dark. "This invisible stalker again? First time I watched Fantastic Four, she was supposed to be a goddess, not some obsessive creeper camping in my room!"
Depressed, he cut his shower short, tugged on shorts, and walked back into the bedroom. Sure enough, there was a faint dent in the mattress.
"Susan," he sighed, glaring at the empty air. "You're not a kid. You know what respecting people's privacy means. Sneaking into someone else's room without permission—do you even realize that's basically the same as a thief?"
A feminine laugh floated out of the air. "So you noticed me."
"Out. Now."
"But I only came to talk." Her voice was playful, but there was an edge to it. "Ryuuto, you're wild. Unruly. Someone like you doesn't belong chained to the Avengers. They're tied to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the government—missions, orders, endless obligations. Even if you don't want to, they'll force your hand. I know. We went through the same thing at the start. That's why the Fantastic Four broke away and became independent. Free. Untouchable."
He cut her off coldly. "Not interested. And the more you push, the less I like you. Don't test me."
"…By the way," she teased, "who were you talking to in the shower just now? Sounded like you were arguing with yourself."
"That's none of your business."
"It's funny, though. Almost like you've got a split personality. Like Banner."
Ryuuto forced a straight face. No way was he exposing Shion. "Mutants get treated like freaks all the time. When I was a kid, no one talked to me. So I got used to talking to myself. Simple as that."
The bed creaked—Susan had stood. Her perfume drifted across the air, and suddenly a soft, invisible hand brushed his cheek.
"You feel lonely," she murmured. "Too lonely. Join us instead. Our base is beyond government control. No orders, no restrictions. Absolute freedom. You'd be safe, powerful, and no one could dictate your choices. Isn't that what you want?"
Ryuuto's patience snapped. He caught her wrist, yanked her forward, and before she could react—slid an arm around her waist and hurled her straight out the window.
Susan's startled cry echoed as the wind swallowed her.
He slammed the window shut.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Her muffled voice carried through the glass: "Red Mirage! I swear, the Fantastic Four would treat you a thousand times better than the Avengers!"
Ryuuto rubbed his temples, utterly exhausted. "Go back to your base. If you keep hounding me, next time I won't be polite."
He turned away.
Then—
"Ahhh!"
Susan's scream ripped through the night. Ryuuto froze, eyes snapping toward the window.
Something outside had gone wrong.