"Too... too fast, right?"
Ryuuto blinked at Susan's flustered face, tilting his head. "What's too fast?"
"You, uh... confessing." Her voice wavered as she looked away, cheeks pink. "I wasn't ready for that. We haven't even known each other that long and suddenly you just—ugh, whatever! I just... I really like being with you, okay? You're the first guy I've ever actually kissed, so... let's take it slow, alright?"
Ryuuto chuckled, drawing her gently into his arms. "So, that's a yes to growing old with me, huh?"
Susan sighed into his chest. "Just don't go chasing other flowers."
"Please," he smirked. "I don't even know how to provoke flowers. But if it's a human woman…"
The grin that followed was so wicked Susan nearly threw a pillow at him.
Her face turned bright red. "You're impossible, you know that?"
Ryuuto laughed softly. Truth was, he did enjoy holding her like this—but he wasn't about to push things too far.
Not with her possibly eavesdropping again.
The man had learned the hard way that when Katie Dee was around, privacy was a myth.
If she wasn't a good-hearted girl, he would've kicked her through a wall ages ago.
Literally.
Still, everyone already knew he and Susan were together. So what's wrong with sharing a bed? It's not like—
Beep.
The communicator on his wrist buzzed, and Natasha Romanoff's calm, unmistakable voice came through.
"Ryuuto, Tony's here. He says it's urgent."
"For real?"
"If you'd rather stay and play Romeo, I'll tell him you're busy."
"Nah, tell him I'm on my way." Ryuuto grinned, giving Susan a quick kiss on the cheek before slipping out of bed.
As the door closed, Susan let out a tired sigh. Her force field had tanked direct artillery fire earlier, leaving her body aching inside and out. She hadn't told Ryuuto—it'd just worry him.
Superhuman or not, pain still hurt. So she slid under the sheets, her long blonde hair spilling over the pillow, and drifted to sleep.
Ryuuto found Tony Stark in the lobby, sipping hot water like some kind of meditation monk.
"The armor's fixed already?" Ryuuto asked.
"Upgraded, actually." Tony tapped his chestplate proudly. "Fourth Generation Mark-IV. Thirty percent stronger, sleeker design, new solar conversion panels, and reinforced with Adamantium. You can thank yourself for breaking the last one—motivated the hell out of me."
"Nice. So when do I get to punch it?"
Tony nearly choked. "What?! No, hell no. I'm not fixing another suit because of you!"
"Come on, you might reach Mark-V faster that way."
"If you even think about it, we're not friends anymore!" Tony snapped, pointing at him.
Ryuuto just grinned. "Relax, man. I was kidding… mostly. So what's got you flying all the way from L.A.?"
"I heard my Mark-II got dragged into a war. Came to check what's left of it."
"Like a kid's toy—blown to bits."
Tony groaned. "Don't remind me. The Mark-II's defense barely holds up to modern tanks, and you… you treat it like target practice."
They walked toward the corner of the hall, away from the others.
"Tony," Ryuuto said quietly, "tell me about what happened with the Fantastic Four base."
Tony's expression darkened. He explained everything—the attack, the chaos, the government's interference. By the end, Ryuuto's hands were clenched so tight his knuckles cracked like snapping ice.
"The Ministry of Defense..." he growled. "They really went that far?"
Tony nodded grimly. "And now it's gone global. The news spun it against you. Mutants are being blamed for everything. Countries are cracking down—South Korea just announced new sanctions. They're forcing mutants into containment zones up north, practically prisons. Anyone who refuses? Executed on the spot. They've even upgraded X-gene scanners. Door-to-door raids."
Ryuuto felt a cold, sharp fury boil under his skin.
This wasn't just injustice—it was genocide in slow motion.
"...So that's how far they've sunk," he muttered. "Then I'll give the world something it can't twist."
He turned to Tony, his eyes burning like a storm. "I need a platform. Global broadcast."
Tony didn't even hesitate. "I can set it up. When?"
"Tonight. From Axville Academy."
Tony grinned. "Got it. I'll prep the feed."
They shook hands, iron grip meeting iron heart, and Tony walked off to ready the tech.
As silence fell, Ryuuto moved toward the backyard. The air was still, but he knew better.
He looked to his right and said, calmly,
"Don't bother hiding. I know you're there."