"No! You're not Bobby at all!"
Arlo froze, instincts flaring. Something was wrong—terribly wrong. He jerked Wanda back and glared at the figure wearing Bobby's face.
"Arlo, I'm right here—wait—!"
The real Bobby's voice rang out from behind.
Scott spun around, and the two X-Men stared in horrified silence.
They almost handed Scarlet Witch to the enemy.
The fake Bobby's face melted like wet paint.
Mystique.
"Give her to me," she hissed, eyes cold as steel, claws emerging as she reached for the unconscious Wanda.
"You wish."
Arlo snapped his arm out, and an icy gale exploded from him like a roaring blizzard.
"Not on my watch!"
Scott and Bobby dashed in, flanking him, cutting off Mystique's escape path.
"Mystique," Scott growled, visor glowing, "you picked the wrong day. Since you delivered yourself to us… stay for dinner. Headquarters serves three meals."
"Tch. Annoying pests."
Realizing Magneto was losing ground and her plan had collapsed, Mystique spit one last glare at Arlo and the others.
"You won't keep Scarlet Witch. She belongs to Brotherhood—down to her bones."
Then her form shimmered—
and she vanished into the trees.
"Damn it, she slipped again."
"It's fine," Scott said grimly. "So long as Wanda doesn't fall into their hands, we'll eventually end the Brotherhood for good."
The three exchanged solemn nods, re-centering around Wanda.
SUSANOO
"Run! RUN! There's a giant! A real giant! I want to go home!"
Jaws dropped across the battlefield.
Ryuuto stood in the center, Mangekyō blazing, and towering above him—
A crimson Susanoo, armored like a war god, swinging spectral weapons with the force of a wrathful titan.
The Brotherhood screamed as they were slapped, smashed, and swatted away like trash.
"Jiang Li, are you even human!?" Quicksilver shrieked.
"You pull out a new cheat every time! I— I—I'm going to vomit blood!"
Magneto, still barely conscious after being chewed on by the Devouring Swarm, looked like a ghost.
He clung weakly to Quicksilver's back, hate blazing in his eyes but strength gone.
"Heh. Magneto, down again?"
Ryuuto smirked, scratching his nose. "And having your own son piggyback you? That's brutal, old man."
"You… you arrogant brat— I… I'll kill—"
Magneto lurched forward, rage boiling—
And immediately spewed a mouthful of dark blood.
His vision swam.
His knees buckled.
Blackness swallowed him whole.
He fainted on Quicksilver's back like a sack of bricks, almost flattening the speedster into the dirt.
"DAD!! Don't die! We'll return later! We'll get revenge! I swear—"
But Ryuuto's voice cut through the battlefield like a thunderbolt.
"Susanoo — Yasaka Magatama!"
Eight massive crimson discs spiraled from Susanoo's hands—
Blasting through the battlefield like meteors.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Brotherhood mutants were vaporized in a chain of explosions—
not even a scream remained.
Quicksilver went white as chalk.
"WHAT THE—!!
Jiang Li! I'll repay this grudge every single day! Just you wait!!"
He didn't even finish talking before bolting at top speed, a silver streak disappearing beyond the mountains. No hesitation. No dignity.
Ryuuto watched him flee and shrugged.
"Heh. I'll be waiting."
With the enemy broken and scattered, Ryuuto dismissed Susanoo and landed beside his team.
"Comrades! I'm back."
"Captain!"
"You crushed Magneto again—that was insane!"
"Teach me how to do that—please!"
Bobby, Steel, Scott, Arlo—they all swarmed him, eyes shining like fans meeting their idol.
Ryuuto grinned, then turned to Wanda.
"Wanda. Are you okay? It's safe now. With us here, no one will ever hurt you again."
Wanda slowly opened her eyes.
Her voice trembled, but relief finally washed over her.
"Yes… I'm fine. Thank you."
She could feel it.
These people weren't here to use her.
For once, she wasn't alone.
Ryuuto extended his hand.
"Wanda… stay with us.
Stay with the X-Men.
I'll help you learn to control your Origin Magic Power—properly. You'll never lose yourself again."
Wanda looked at his hand—then at his face.
"Is… is that really okay?" she whispered, hope trembling in her voice.