"Does it count if I like sandwiches?" Susan asked, her voice awkward but honest.
Ryuuto blinked. That... was not the answer he'd expected. For a second, his brain just—crashed. Like a Tokyo arcade machine after some kid kicked it.
"You... huh?" he muttered, at a loss for words.
Susan smiled faintly, realizing she'd thrown him off.
"So, about that lab explosion," Ryuuto recovered, narrowing his eyes. "You and the Fantastic Four involved, or what?"
"Can we talk privately?" she asked, glancing toward Tony.
Before Ryuuto could respond, Tony—always the perceptive one—grinned and walked off with a casual, "I'll, uh, be over there, not listening."
Once he was gone, Susan exhaled slowly. "Alright. You're not officially part of the Avengers yet, right? Then I can tell you something Stark shouldn't hear."
"He's far enough. Go on," Ryuuto said, folding his arms.
"Reed—our leader—asked me to sneak into Stark's lab," she began. "Said he needed to confirm something. I thought he just wanted a look around… but he used one of our missiles instead. He's changed, Ryuuto. Completely. His whole aura feels… off. I think Loki's scepter had something to do with it."
Ryuuto's eyes sharpened.Athena's voice flickered in his mind:
[SS-Rank Mission: Capture Loki Alive.]
"Wait," Ryuuto said, stepping closer. "Where's Loki now?"
"Dead," Susan said flatly.
"Impossible."
"It's true," she insisted. "He showed up at our base days ago. Wanted to ally with us. But we're not exactly keen on teaming up with alien gods, so… we fought. Reed killed him. We sealed the scepter in our vault. Four-way iris scan security—no one can open it alone."
Ryuuto's tone dropped to a mutter. "Then Reed's already compromised. Loki's alive—and pulling his strings."
"That makes no sense," Susan protested. "We killed Loki first. If he'd possessed Reed, the vault would never have opened."
"You ever consider," Ryuuto said, tapping his chest, "that someone holding the scepter can control people—without killing them? One touch right here, and your will's not your own."
Susan's expression faltered. "You think Reed's being controlled?"
"I don't think. I know." He smirked. "Care to make it interesting?"
"What kind of 'interesting'?"
"If I prove Loki's alive, you'll owe me one favor. No limits, no conditions. You'll do whatever I ask, whenever I decide."
Susan raised a brow. "And if you're wrong?"
"Then I'll join your team," he said confidently. "Make it the Fantastic Five. Has a nice ring, doesn't it? I could be… hmm… what do you think? Invisible Woman and—"
"—Master of Inflation?"
Ryuuto choked. "Can you not?"
"Super Expansion Man?" she tried again, totally serious.
He sighed. "Forget it. That name's better suited for Cyclops after a bad meal."
Susan chuckled. "Actually, 'Master of Inflation' has a kind of… grandeur to it. Fits your powers."
"Oh yeah? Where exactly do you see the grandeur?"
Ryuuto raised a hand; raw chakra rippled visibly across his palm like liquid flame.
"Swelling's just one of my talents," he said, grinning. "Don't underestimate me, Invisible-san."
"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes. "Let's pretend I'm bad at naming."
"You don't have to pretend," Ryuuto quipped.
Susan gave a sharp "hmph," but a smile tugged at her lips. "Come on. I'll take you to where we buried Loki."
"Got it. Let me tell Tony to head back first."
After a quick call, Ryuuto returned. He didn't bother putting on the armor this time—it felt too restrictive. Instead, Susan took his hand, their fingers locking together as she summoned her force field.
Under Tony's half-jealous gaze, the two lifted off into the sky.
"Man," Tony muttered, watching them disappear. "If I didn't have money, I'd be just like that guy."
With a sigh, he turned and flew off.
Meanwhile, up in the sky, Susan activated her invisibility field, cloaking them both.
Ryuuto stared at his now-transparent hand, his voice filled with childlike wonder. "Whoa… Susan! This is actually amazing!"
"Maybe for you," she said with a small frown. "I don't even like my power. Reed always sends me to do recon work because of it. And no matter how invisible I am, I can't fool sensors or scanners. It's exhausting. If I could trade, I'd pick Mystique's shapeshifting any day. She can become anyone—completely undetectable. You'd never have to worry about being caught."
Ryuuto chuckled. "Guess the grass really is greener on the mutant side, huh?"
Susan sighed. "Yeah. Maybe."
The two soared silently across the clouds, the horizon ahead faintly glowing with danger.