"Hey, Ryuuto! You think this is gonna be easy? Keep dreaming!"
Quicksilver's voice sliced through the smoke, taunting and sharp. Even as Ryuuto ripped through his men with terrifying precision—each movement a blur of fists, kicks, and killing intent—Quicksilver didn't rage. He grinned. Like this was all part of the plan.
The thought that he might finally kill the "Red Mirage" himself made Quicksilver's blood sing. "You and everyone connected to you are going to die tonight! Every last one of them!"
Ryuuto smirked. "Big words for someone who got his face kicked in last time. You sure you want a repeat performance?"
Then he moved—like lightning wearing human skin. His body flickered between shadows, breaking through the Brotherhood's line. Bones cracked, grunts echoed, and mutants went down in flashes of motion they couldn't even follow. The entire field tilted in his favor—until Quicksilver raised one gloved hand.
The sound that followed wasn't human.
From the dark, the ground began to quake as massive armored mechs rolled forward. The air split open with the whir of high-tech rotors. Gun barrels locked on target—on him.
"Boom!"
The first shell ripped through the night sky like a falling star. It exploded beside Ryuuto, hurling heat and dust across the battlefield. Trees snapped, windows shattered, fire bloomed in waves.
Ryuuto stepped through the smoke, unharmed. His chakra-fueled aura rippled around him like a storm. The mutants behind Quicksilver froze, trembling. For a heartbeat, it was like a wild animal had turned its eyes on them.
"You seriously brought tanks?!" he shouted. "What's next, nukes?!"
Shion's lazy voice chimed in his head: [Host, did you forget? Idiots are weak but resourceful.]
"Not helping!" he snapped mentally.
Now the entire sky crawled with metal. Armored vehicles, tanks, even fighter jets circled overhead. It wasn't a battle—it was an invasion.
"You think this is enough to stop me?" Ryuuto's eyes sharpened. "Try harder. None of you are leaving here alive."
Quicksilver's grin widened. "Arrogant till the end, huh? Let's see how long that lasts. These troops are elite. Even Iron Man couldn't tank their firepower!"
He spread his arms dramatically, reveling in the chaos. "Oh, and guess what? Every weapon here? Courtesy of the White House. You still think your little Avenger friends are on your side? Ha!"
Ryuuto snorted. "You talk too much for someone about to lose teeth."
From the smoke above, Tony's voice crackled through comms, sharp and angry. "Don't listen to that maniac! He's lying through his metal teeth!"
"Same here!" Wolverine bellowed over the roar of artillery. "That brat's just stirring the pot!"
"I know!" Ryuuto yelled back, flattening a mutant with a clean strike. "You think I'd fall for that half-baked villain monologue?"
The X-Men rallied around him, energy flaring, morale surging. For a moment, they pushed back. Fire and ice collided with explosions of light, beams, and claws. The headquarters held.
But Quicksilver wasn't done.
"Light them up!" he roared into his communicator. "I want every shell, every missile, now! Turn that building into dust!"
The world turned white.
Tony's sensors screamed warnings as the barrage hit. "Everyone, fall back! Defensive formation!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Artillery fire turned the night into a furnace. Ground ripped apart, the air shimmered with heat and pressure. Dust and flame swallowed Ryuuto's silhouette whole.
Quicksilver laughed like a lunatic. "Yes! That's it! Burn him down to atoms!"
His laughter stopped when a voice colder than winter slid through the noise.
"Quicksilver."
Mystique stood behind him, blue and unreadable, her tone like a knife. "Focus on the mission. You're wasting time."
He turned, scowling. "You here to teach me now?"
"I don't need to." Her eyes didn't blink. "You know what Magneto wants. Stay on task. Eliminate distractions, or we all pay for your ego."
Quicksilver clenched his fists, jaw tight. "Don't lecture me. I've got this handled."
"Handled," she repeated flatly, watching the smoke rise higher. "Right."
He turned away, barking new orders. But deep down, even he felt it—the storm he'd unleashed wasn't done. Somewhere inside that inferno, something still moved.