"I want to maintain world peace," Reed said calmly, his voice carrying that clinical precision only a scientist could manage. "If their experiment succeeds, and tens of thousands of Mutants start showing up with the same ability as Ryuuto, the world as we know it could end."
Susan frowned. "Then let's just report it to the military—"
Reed cut her off sharply. "Susan, Iron Man's an Avenger, sure—but he's doing secret research behind their backs. We can't trust the Avengers completely. The Justice League's worse — they're a mess, all ego and chaos. And both groups? They've got ties to the military. If you leak this to them, it's the same as putting a target on our backs."He exhaled, eyes darkening. "Face it. The country already threw us away. We act on our own now. I'm still the captain of the Fantastic Four. You just follow orders. If you can't handle that… don't come back."
Susan hesitated. "Reed, you're not—"The line went dead.
She stood in silence, the glow of the comm fading from her wristwatch. For a long moment, she just stared at her reflection in the glass, eyes clouded with unease. Something about Reed felt… wrong. Cold. Controlled.
She thought of Loki's scepter—the one that could twist a person's will—but that was locked in their vault, accessible only through their combined iris scans. Reed shouldn't have been able to touch it.So why did his words sound like someone else's?
Susan's jaw tightened. She changed course and started toward Tony Stark's seaside villa.
Down by the cliffs, Ryuuto and Tony were leaning against the railing, glasses of wine in hand as the waves crashed below. Pepper stood nearby, filling their glasses whenever one ran low—a rare domestic sight.
Ryuuto swirled his drink lazily.At Xavier's school, students weren't allowed to drink until twenty. Charles's rule. But Charles was the kind of man who believed more in reason than rigidity. Ryuuto had had his fair share of drinks since fifteen; sharing a bottle with Tony now didn't feel strange.
When Tony offered him a cigarette, though, Ryuuto waved it off. "Pass. I like my lungs functional."
"Your loss," Tony smirked, lighting one anyway.
They drank in companionable silence until Ryuuto's phone started buzzing. Natasha Romanoff's name blinked on the screen.
He sighed. "…What now?"
"Ryuuto," came her sultry voice. "When are you coming back?"
"What's wrong this time?"
"I felt bad about dinner last night," she said, tone suspiciously sweet. "So I'm making it up to you. I used to cook a lot when I was younger, but… missions happened. I got rusty. Accidentally used salt instead of sugar last time, but I swear it'll be perfect tonight. Come back and taste it—I promise you'll change your mind."
Ryuuto's mouth twitched at the memory of last night's culinary disaster. "I'll… see if I can make it back to New York. No promises."
"Fine," she pouted. "At least tell me who won. You or Tony?"
"Call it a draw."
Tony, overhearing, immediately grabbed the phone."Natasha! Don't believe him! The guy's a walking cheat code! He grows into a freakin' bomb, disappears into thin air, and launched me across the yard! My armor systems fried! But hey—worth it. Got new data! Tell Fury to stay off my back for a month, I'm making the next-gen suit!"
"Why don't you just call him yourself?"
"Because Fury talks too much," Tony said, dead serious. "The man gives lectures."
Natasha's voice sharpened. "Then give the phone back to Ryuuto. I don't have time for your nonsense."
Tony chuckled. "He's drinking with me. Planning to hit Vegas next—gambling, girls, you know."
"If you even try dragging him there," she said darkly, "I'll put a bullet through your arc reactor."
Tony grinned. "Men aren't bad, women don't fall for them. I'm just helping her love him more!"
"Die."
Tony snorted and handed the phone back to Ryuuto. "Tigress. Be careful with that one. She acts all tame now, but once you slip up—bam. Instant widow-maker. But if you can tame her…" he smirked, "she'll probably worship you."
Ryuuto ignored the jab and pressed the phone to his ear. "You done threatening billionaires, Natasha?"
"You're not actually going to Vegas, right?"
"Relax. We're heading to Manhattan. Tony's lab."
"Why there?"
"Curiosity," he said. "Besides, I'm not a kid. You don't have to hover like a helicopter mom. You should worry more about your sleep. Those dark circles? Tragic."He smirked. "Here's a mission for you—next time I see you, lose the panda eyes. Deal?"
A soft laugh. "Fine. Then it's a deal."
"Good."
Just then, the studio alarms screamed.
Tony cursed, setting down his glass. "Gotta run! Workshop's having a meltdown!"
Ryuuto raised a brow. "Go. I'll wrap up here."
"Take care of yourself," Natasha said softly before hanging up. There was something tender in her tone that made Ryuuto pause.Was she… actually falling for him?
Nah. Probably just admiration. Nothing deeper.Still, he couldn't shake the feeling as he slipped his phone away—and vanished like smoke.
Without his armor, Tony was just another genius with great hair and bad luck.By the time he reached the lab, Ryuuto was already there—standing before the locked reinforced door, eyes scanning the shattered glass of a side window.
Fingerprint and iris scan required. Great. He'd have to wait.
Inside, Susan Storm—still invisible—was frantically typing, trying to override Tony's security system. The glow of the console lit her invisible form in faint shimmer outlines.Every few seconds, she glanced toward the doorway, eyes narrowing at Ryuuto's silhouette.
Of all people, she feared him more than Tony Stark.