Whether they join or not is their choice. Ryuuto doesn't beg people twice, much less humble himself for them.
If they refuse, then fine — next time they meet on the battlefield, he'll just send them straight to hell. Simple as that.
With that thought, his steps quickened, the grin on his face carrying a quiet edge.
Behind him, Steve had already lifted Banner into the helicopter. The rotors chopped the air as the craft rose into the sky.
Just as Ryuuto was about to leave, he stopped.
He turned, frowned, then walked back toward a broken car by the bridge. Inside the passenger seat sat a small blonde girl, crying softly.
She looked about thirteen, maybe fourteen — face streaked with tears, voice trembling. The kind of fragile, fairy-tale child you'd see in a poster for "save the world's innocence."
He crouched down and smiled faintly.
"Hey there, little sister. Where are your parents?"
"They all ran away... I'm the only one left." Her lip trembled. "My seatbelt's stuck... I-I can't get out. I'm scared. Big brother, can you help me?"
"Of course," Ryuuto said smoothly. "I'm a good, helpful brother."
He reached in to unbuckle her seatbelt — but his hand drifted lower, tracing toward her abdomen.
The girl's body flickered.
"...What do you think you're doing?!"
The illusion shattered — the child's body stretched, bones cracking and reshaping — and in the next heartbeat, Mystique's blue skin and golden eyes reappeared.
Ryuuto just laughed. "Knew it was you."
Mystique scowled. "How? Do you have telepathy?"
"Not exactly," Ryuuto said, leaning back casually. "It's just too suspicious. A crying little girl, all alone on a collapsed bridge? Come on. Besides—" he tilted his head, smirking "—you turned into Eva, didn't you? That child actress from America's Got Talent. Little too famous to hide in plain sight."
Mystique's lip twitched. "She's adorable. People sympathize with adorable."
"Well, not this people," Ryuuto said. "So? You hiding from the Hulk?"
She nodded. "Yes. He was out of control. I had to hide somewhere."
"Then you can crawl back to Magneto now," Ryuuto said, stepping away. "And tell him he owes me."
Mystique blinked. "Owes you?"
"Yeah. For taking the blame."
Her eyes widened. "So you're the one who destroyed Devil Island?!"
"Obviously." Ryuuto's tone was matter-of-fact. "In a way, Magneto and I think alike. We both hate being controlled. We both wanted that island gone. But since he's the loud revolutionary and I'm the quiet saboteur... let him carry the blame. Just make sure he knows not to spill innocent blood under my nose. If he does—" his eyes flashed crimson "—I'll send him west personally."
Mystique froze. No one had ever spoken about Magneto like that. But she could tell — Ryuuto wasn't bluffing.
"Understood," she said quickly, nodding.
Ryuuto smiled faintly and vanished in the next instant — gone in a blur faster than sight.
Meanwhile, at the top of the tower, Susan paced back and forth, tapping her heel impatiently.
"Sis, if you keep walking like that, my eyes are going to pop out," Katie Dee muttered.
"That guy still isn't here," Susan sighed, pouting. "Honestly! We should've just gone with him!"
Katie tilted her head. "Sis... what's it like to be in love?"
Susan froze mid-step.
After a pause, she coughed awkwardly. "Love, huh? It's... like being wrapped in cotton candy. Everything feels light, sweet... even the air smells nicer. When you're apart, you ache to see him. When you're together, you never want him to let go. When he holds your hand, you want time to stop right there. And if he lets go—" she smiled wistfully "—you can't help but reach for him again. It's like eating strawberry ice cream under summer sun."
Katie blinked, unimpressed. "...That sounds kinda dumb."
"Of course you don't get it!" Susan snapped playfully. "You're still a kid! Women in love are blind, okay?"
"Blind enough to ignore that he kills people?" Katie asked bluntly.
Susan's eyes softened. "Even then. I've already chosen to be with him for life. Whatever he does, whoever he kills — I'll support him. If he asked me to take a life myself, I'd do it without hesitation. Even if it were... someone I once called a friend."
Katie frowned. "That's... a little scary."
"That's love." Susan smiled, half dreamy, half dangerous. "You'll understand one day."
Katie sighed. "Guess I will."
Susan nodded. "And Katie — if you ever hesitate again, don't go out on missions with Ryuuto. Out there, hesitation means death."
"I'll adjust," Katie said seriously. "This is just my first real mission. I'll get better."
"Good. That's how it starts."
Neither of them realized that Ryuuto had already arrived. He stood behind the glass, watching the two sisters talk, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Susan's words — her unshakable devotion — hit him harder than expected.
In this chaotic, rewritten world, maybe having someone like her wasn't such a bad deal.
He turned his eyes to the skyline — just as a sharp killing intent brushed against his back.
Ryuuto's smile vanished.