Ritsuka stood quietly, replaying Pierce's words in his head. He knew the world was complicated, tangled in politics, power, and deception. As he gazed into the distance, deep in thought, Bucky's voice cut through the silence.
"Thinking about changing the world?" Bucky asked, his tone both curious and amused.
Ritsuka snapped out of his thoughts and turned toward Bucky, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Change will happen when people see the value in everyone," he said, his voice steady. "But for now... it's not the right time for my plan."
Bucky studied him for a moment, seeing something familiar in Ritsuka's eyes—something he hadn't seen since Steve Rogers. A light, a determination to push forward no matter the odds.
Bucky nodded thoughtfully. "Well, whatever you've got planned, I'll wait. Change doesn't happen overnight."
Before Ritsuka could respond, Jarvis's calm, mechanical voice filled the air. "Greetings, Mr. Fujimaru and Mr. Barnes. Mr. Stark, Ms. Da Vinci, Dr. Yinsen, and Ms. Potts are currently in the laboratory. Shall I direct you there?"
Ritsuka gave Bucky a knowing glance. "Looks like we've got a little more work ahead of us."
"Lead the way," Bucky said with a smirk, motioning for Ritsuka to follow as they made their way toward the lab.
As the door slid open, they were greeted by the unmistakable hum of advanced machinery. Tony, Yinsen, and Da Vinci were deep in discussion, while Potts worked on a set of documents nearby. Da Vinci looked up first, her eyes brightening when she saw Ritsuka.
"Ritsuka!" she greeted him warmly, walking over with a wide smile.
Her infectious grin brought a smile to his own face. It was hard not to feel lighter around Da Vinci. She always had that effect on him. "What's going on?" he asked.
Da Vinci glanced over at Tony, a sparkle in her eye. "Tony made a decision today—he's stepping down as CEO of Stark Industries and making Potts the new head."
Ritsuka's eyes widened slightly, turning to Potts, who gave a modest smile. "Congratulations!" he said warmly, and Bucky echoed his sentiments with a nod of approval.
"Thank you," Potts replied, looking genuinely appreciative. "Though, now I've got a mountain of paperwork waiting for me. Duty calls," she added with a small laugh before excusing herself.
As Potts left the lab, Ritsuka's expression shifted, a hint of suspicion clouding his features. Something wasn't sitting right with him. Yinsen's words earlier in the morning had been cryptic, and the way everyone was acting now… something was being kept from him. Ritsuka already knew about the poison but he thought to play along.
"What are you hiding?" Ritsuka asked, his gaze moving between Da Vinci and Tony. "Yinsen's words this morning… they were too vague. What's going on with you, Tony?"
Tony looked toward Da Vinci, then back at Ritsuka, his usual smirk replaced with a more serious expression. Before Tony could answer, Da Vinci stepped forward, her face softening. "Tony's been… dealing with something," she began. "The arc reactor in his chest—it's poisoning him."
Ritsuka's breath caught for a moment. "Poisoning? How long has this been happening?"
"Long enough," Tony chimed in, his voice calm but laced with tension. "But don't worry, we've been working on a solution."
Ritsuka turned to Da Vinci, raising an eyebrow. "You've got a solution, don't you?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Da Vinci was always three steps ahead.
She smiled, confirming his suspicion. "Of course. We combined our work—Tony and I—and found a way to recreate the New arc reactor. Only this time, it's different."
Tony took out a small object from his pocket and tossed it to Ritsuka, who caught it effortlessly. His eyes widened as he recognized the crystalline material in his hand. "This is… Saint Quartz?"
Da Vinci's smile grew wider. "Exactly. We've created an arc reactor that utilizes Saint Quartz, converting magical energy into pure energy. It's sustainable, and it eliminates the poisoning problem."
Ritsuka stared at the small quartz in his hand, stunned. "Saint Quartz… that's incredible. How does it work?"
Tony, now back to his usual self, stepped in, clearly enjoying the chance to explain. "So, the reactor uses the quartz as a core. It draws out the magical energy stored within and converts it into clean, usable energy for my suit. Da Vinci's magic knowledge and my engineering skills make a pretty good team," he added, throwing a proud glance at her.
"Not only does it power me up without killing me," Tony continued, "but it's also a hell of an upgrade. I get more energy than the old reactor ever gave me, and it's renewable."
Ritsuka was impressed—and surprised. "I didn't think you'd be able to integrate magic like that."
Tony shrugged. "Well, when you've got Da Vinci as a partner, the impossible becomes possible, ofcourse I should be Main to make impossible possible. Besides," he added with a smirk, "I've always been a fast learner."
Da Vinci's grin widened as she looked at Tony, clearly proud of their collaboration. "And that's not all. This reactor isn't just limited to Tony. The technology behind it could revolutionize the world's energy sector. Clean energy, limitless power—"
"—And no need for dangerous fossil fuels or unstable sources, it's my plan for future. And I'm only use this magic Sq arc reactor for me." Tony finished.
Ritsuka nodded, feeling a sense of awe at the groundbreaking creation. But more than that, he was grateful. Tony was safe, for now. "You've really outdone yourselves," Ritsuka said sincerely.
Tony shot him a quick grin. "That's what I do, kid.".
Ritsuka glanced at the Saint Quartz reactor in Tony's chest, the gears in his mind turning. Everything seemed too perfect—too easy. He knew better than to believe in flawless solutions.
"What are the problems?" he asked, his voice cutting through the silence. "Any side-effects we should be worried about?"
Tony and Da Vinci exchanged a glance, and Tony was the first to answer. "Well, the biggest drawback is that I need to place another new Saint Quartz every twelve hours. It's a temporary fix, not a permanent one," he explained.
Da Vinci nodded in agreement. "We've tested it extensively, but we haven't seen any side-effects yet. That said, we're still monitoring everything carefully."
"Jarvis, run the scan," Tony ordered, his tone confident but serious.
Immediately, Jarvis displayed a holographic scan of Tony's body in front of them. "Mr. Stark's current physical condition shows no signs of adverse effects. In fact, there have been surprising improvements in his overall health. His breathing has stabilized, blood flow is optimal, and there is a noticeable strengthening of his bones."
Ritsuka raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "That's… unexpected. What's causing those changes?"
Da Vinci stepped closer to the holographic display, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "The magic energy from the Saint Quartz is actually mixing into Tony's bloodstream. It's a side-effect we didn't fully anticipate, but it seems to be having a positive effect on his physical health."
"If Tony had magic circuits," she continued, "this energy would probably enhance them, maybe even refill their capacity or awaken latent abilities. But since Tony doesn't have magic circuits, all the magic power he absorbs just dissipates over time."
Ritsuka nodded thoughtfully, but his mind wandered for a moment. He remembered that in the Marvel universe, traditional magic circuits weren't always needed to perform magic. Strange had become a Sorcerer Supreme without them. He briefly considered the possibility of Tony wielding magic, but quickly dismissed the thought. There is no magic Tony stark.
But unknown to them, This give Tony different path for him.
"Still," Ritsuka said, shaking off his musings, "it's impressive work. I'm surprised you haven't hit any walls with the integration of magic and technology yet."
Da Vinci gave him a mischievous smile. "We've had our challenges, but nothing we couldn't handle. But… I have been meaning to ask you something. Remember when you mentioned that you have some of the Phoenix's powers now?"
Ritsuka blinked, then realized where she was going with this. "You want to study the Dark Phoenix energy."
Da Vinci's eyes sparkled, and she nodded eagerly. "Exactly! That kind of energy could give us new insights into integrating even more powerful magic into the reactor. Besides, analyzing Phoenix energy could lead to breakthroughs we haven't even imagined yet."
Ritsuka sighed with a half-smile, knowing she wouldn't take no for an answer. He raised his hand, summoning a small, dark flame of Phoenix energy, and condensed it into a small sphere. "Just… be careful with it. This energy is volatile, and you don't want to mess with it without precautions."
Da Vinci's face lit up as she accepted the small sphere of Dark Phoenix energy. "Don't worry, I'll handle it carefully," she promised.
She motioned for Yinsen, who had been quietly observing in the background, to come over. "Yinsen, I need you to store this in the containment tube I created."
Yinsen nodded, taking the small magical container tube Da Vinci handed him. With steady hands, he transferred the dark energy into the tube, sealing it tightly. "Got it," he said, his voice calm but reverent. Handling something as dangerous as Dark Phoenix energy required complete precision, and Yinsen's focus was unwavering.
Da Vinci leaned back with a satisfied smile, watching the energy swirl within the container. "This is going to be an interesting study," she murmured, almost to herself.
Ritsuka crossed his arms, eyeing the swirling dark energy. "If anyone can crack this, it's you, Da Vinci," he said, though there was a hint of caution in his voice. "Just… don't push it too far. Phoenix energy isn't something you can control easily."
She gave him a playful wink. "I'm not worried. With your help, we'll be ready for whatever comes next."
Ritsuka couldn't help but smile at her confidence. Da Vinci was always one step ahead, always thinking about the next big breakthrough. But as he looked at the Saint Quartz, the Dark Phoenix energy, and the people around him, he couldn't shake the feeling that the stakes were only going to get higher from here.
Bucky smiled, clearly relieved that Tony was okay after hearing the recent developments with the Saint Quartz reactor. As they continued their conversation, Ritsuka took a deep breath and looked around the room. He knew this was a good moment to extend an invitation to everyone.
"By the way," Ritsuka said with a grin, "I wanted to invite all of you to the opening of my bakery shop this weekend. It'd be great to have the famous Iron Man there for the occasion."
Tony raised an eyebrow, amused. "I know, That's a four-day gap. I'll clear my schedule," he said, smirking.
Yinsen, who had been quietly brewing coffee, handed a cup to each person. "Here you go, everyone," he said, and they all accepted the coffee with smiles.
Da Vinci took a sip of hers and smiled at Ritsuka. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. I've been dying to see your dream shop in person."
Ritsuka chuckled, feeling a sense of warmth from their support. "I'm glad you'll all be there."
Tony leaned back in his chair, his typical swagger returning. "And hey, ask Happy if he wants anything special for the opening. He loves pastries."
Ritsuka nodded, grinning. "Happy's already been a huge help, actually. I've even given him a VIP pass to the bakery."
Tony laughed. "Good call. He deserves it."
Suddenly, Tony's expression shifted, and he leaned forward. "There's something else. Tomorrow, there's a Grand Prix in Monaco. It's going to be quite the event. I hope you'll join me."
Ritsuka nodded, handing his coffee cup back to Yinsen. "I'll be there. Sounds like it'll be fun."
With that, he gave a final farewell to the group and teleported away, reappearing near the entrance to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. As he walked toward the school, he glanced down at his hand, noticing that his command spells were slowly recovering. His mind wandered to the upcoming events involving Tony, particularly the Monaco race. He debated whether to interfere in Iron Man 2's plot but quickly dismissed the idea. Trying to control Tony's superhero life would be hypocritical, and besides, the villain in that scenario wasn't particularly dangerous.
Tony had already upgraded his suit significantly after analyzing Da Vinci's technology without her direct help. He was stronger than the version in the movies. Ritsuka figured he only needed to step in during the final battle at the Stark Expo, ensuring Potts' safety if things went south. As for the corrupt World Council? He didn't have the political power to deal with them yet. Fury would likely handle that part after the attack.
Approaching the school, Ritsuka was greeted by Xavier and several members of the X-Men, who were in the middle of training with the students.
"Ritsuka," Xavier greeted warmly, rolling his wheelchair forward, "Good to see you again."
"Likewise, Professor," Ritsuka replied, shaking his hand. "Seems like I caught you in the middle of a training session."
"Yes, we were just working on some sparring routines," Xavier said with a smile. "The students have been improving significantly."
Jean Grey, her eyes glowing faintly with restrained power, stepped forward. "You're always welcome here, Ritsuka. It's nice to have a little break from the training."
Colossus crossed his arms, smirking. "So, what's the occasion? You don't usually just drop by for a chat."
Ritsuka laughed lightly. "I wanted to invite you all to the grand opening of my bakery shop this weekend. It would be great if you could make it."
Storm nodded with a warm smile. "We'll be there. And I'm sure the students will appreciate a day off for something sweet."
Beast adjusted his glasses. "A bakery, you say? I'd be curious to see what culinary creations you've come up with. It sounds delightful."
"Count me in," Cyclops added with a nod. "It'll be good to get out for a bit."
After a few more exchanges, Ritsuka bid them farewell, promising to see them at the bakery opening. He left the school, feeling the support of his friends from both sides of his life. As he returned to his house, his mind was already preparing for the challenges ahead—not just in his world, but in the lives of the people he'd come to care for.
**
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