"Really? Then I can't ask for more!"
Ryuuto grinned, chasing Quicksilver with unhurried ease — just close enough to make the speedster sweat.
"If you somehow make it out of here alive, tell that arrogant Magneto I'm in New York," he said lazily, voice laced with venom. "Waiting for him and his little Brotherhood of Misfits to come die."
"Arrogant bastard!" Quicksilver's expression twisted with fury. He wasn't Magneto's lapdog, but hearing someone insult his father figure like that? Yeah, no way he was letting that slide.
"Ryuuto, enjoy your last few days breathing! If I want to leave, you can't stop me!"
A smug grin curved Quicksilver's lips — one second too early.
"Really?" Ryuuto's eyes flashed with mischief. "I never said I was planning to stop you. But… sure, let's make it fun."
[Ninja Art: Mind Confusion Technique!]
In a heartbeat, Ryuuto formed the seals and unleashed Ino's data pack. His chakra flared — an invisible pulse locking onto the speeding blur in front of him.
Then thud.
Ryuuto landed lightly on the floor, arms crossed.
And Quicksilver froze mid-run — eyes wide, body locked like a puppet whose strings had been yanked away.
"Wha—what the hell…?!" Quicksilver's mind screamed, but his body refused to listen.
He could feel himself shouting to move, but every nerve bowed to Ryuuto's control.
Ryuuto smirked. "So, how exactly are you planning to run now?"
"Nice one!" Gwen called out, eyes sparkling. With a flick of her wrist, she shot a web straight at Quicksilver, binding him tight — limbs pinned, wrapped up like a shiny silver mummy. He looked ridiculous.
"Heh, mind if I take a few shots too? It's been a while since I had target practice," Natasha teased, spinning her pistol around her finger, a dangerous glint in her eye.
Susan and Katie Dee circled closer, cheering and laughing at the sight of Quicksilver dangling helplessly in midair.
"Ryuuto! You—You better think this through!" Quicksilver stammered, trying to sound threatening through the panic. "If you lay a hand on me, the Brotherhood will never let you go!"
"Wow, scary," Ryuuto deadpanned, rolling his eyes. "So what do you want me to do, apologize?"
"Listen to me!" Quicksilver forced his voice to harden. "If you let me go now, maybe there's still a way to—"
Smack!
The slap came fast and loud enough to echo. Ryuuto's handprint bloomed red on Quicksilver's cheek, the speedster's brain short-circuiting for a full second.
"You… you hit me?!" he stammered in disbelief.
"What about it?" Ryuuto's tone was pure mockery. "Should I kick you next?"
"You little— I'll kill you!"
"Try it, if you can move your legs."
Ryuuto stepped down hard, grinding Quicksilver's face into the floor. A few shoe prints later, the proud son of Magneto looked like he'd been run over by karma itself.
He dusted off his hands and turned casually toward the girls.
"Gwen, Susan — don't hold back. Treat him like a free training dummy. No need to be polite."
"Oh, finally!" Susan cracked her knuckles. "I needed a stretch anyway."
She raised her hand — and boom! Quicksilver's body was lifted by an invisible force field, then slammed into the floor like a rag doll. Blood splattered. Teeth flew.
"Not dead yet?" Natasha's grin widened. She whipped out an electric baton, handing one to Gwen and another to Katie Dee. "Let's fix that."
A trio of electric crackles filled the room.
Quicksilver's body jerked violently, his hair standing up like a scorched broom.
"Good work, team," Ryuuto said from the sofa, sipping orange juice like a villain on vacation. "Keep going if you're having fun. If you get tired, we'll take a break and grab drinks."
"Hahaha! That's the spirit!"
A new voice broke in — manic and delighted.
Deadpool, who had just finished regenerating from Ryuuto's earlier Dust Release attack, plopped down beside him. His costume still smoked in places.
"Man, that jutsu of yours? The world-stripping thing? Chef's kiss! Almost made me see the goddess of death again! You have to do that to me later!"
He looked down at Quicksilver, blinking. "Wait, this guy's still alive? Damn, for someone without a healing factor, he's tough. No wonder Magneto likes him."
"Yeah," Ryuuto chuckled, patting Deadpool's shoulder. "Pretty durable. Wanna test how he holds up compared to you?"
Quicksilver's eyes bulged. The blood drained from his face, then rushed right back in as fury. He tried to shout but only managed a choked wheeze.
Deadpool tapped his chin. "Tempting… but what's in it for me?"
Ryuuto's smirk deepened.
"Oh, I'll think of something."