"Thor, I'll give you one last chance," Malekith growled, his face dark and his eyes flaring with cold, otherworldly light. A shroud of dark energy rolled off him like poison fog. "If you fail to retrieve the Aether again, don't blame me when our alliance ends—with your blood."
"Try it," Thor snapped, fury tightening his grip around Mjolnir. The god's pride burned behind his calm mask. Every muscle screamed to strike these smug elves down. "That kid isn't some random earthling. If you rush in like idiots, don't come crying when it blows up in your faces."
Malekith sneered. "We'll handle it. The Aether will be ours."
Their glares locked, sparks crackling between Asgardian thunder and dark elven void. A fragile truce hung in the air—one forged by necessity, not trust. Together, they began planning how to hunt down Ryuuto and reclaim the Aether, even if it meant burning the Earth in the process.
Meanwhile, deep inside Professor X's private research wing, Ryuuto sat beside Jane Foster. A faint red shimmer pulsed through her veins—the Aether squirming like a living curse.
"Still nothing?" Jane asked, her voice shaky but calm.
Ryuuto sighed, wiping sweat from his brow. "Sorry. I can't pull it out—not without wrecking your body."
Jane's lips trembled. "Then... I'm stuck with it?"
"Not forever." His gaze sharpened. "There's one way. But it's dirty—dark magic."
Her eyes widened. "That's the power of the dark elves…"
"Exactly. Which is why I'm gonna need your help." Ryuuto leaned closer, his tone serious but calm. "I need you to get close to their leader, Malekith. Make him think you're desperate. Get him to try extracting it himself."
"You're saying… use his own spell against him?"
"Bingo." A faint smirk crossed Ryuuto's face. "Two birds, one magic bullet."
Jane hesitated, then nodded. "I'll do it. I trust you."
The plan was set. A dangerous game of deception had begun.
[Ding! Optional Quest Available — Accept Mission?]
Ryuuto's eye twitched. Now what?
[A-rank Mission: Locate and defeat the Mutant known as Nightvision. Reward: Classified System Upgrade.]
"Nightvision?" he muttered. "What is he, Batman's cousin?"
[Possibly. Try not to die checking.]
"Yeah, thanks for the vote of confidence."
With Jane resting safely under the school's protection, Ryuuto took off, vanishing into the neon-lit chaos of New York.
Night fell. Music and laughter thumped through a downtown nightclub like a heartbeat gone wrong. Ryuuto stepped inside, trench coat fluttering, eyes scanning the crowd.
Before he could move further, a wall of bodyguards in black suits blocked his path.
"Sir," one of them said coldly. "Private club. Members only. Show ID."
Ryuuto tilted his head. "Oh? Guess I missed the memo. But I'm not here to drink. I'm looking for someone."
"Then tell us who," the guard snapped, reaching for his shoulder.
"Bad move."
The air rippled. A single flick of Ryuuto's hand sent the man flying through the glass doors in a shower of light and sound. Gasps and screams erupted from every corner as more guards rushed in.
Ryuuto cracked his knuckles, calm as the eye of a storm. "I'll say it once. Bring me Nightvision. Or I level this place."
The crowd scattered. The guards froze for a heartbeat—then roared in unison.
"It's him! Take him down!"
Dozens charged with batons raised.
Ryuuto smirked. "Guess we're doing this the fun way."
...
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