In a dimly lit apartment, Natasha stood with her arms crossed, her face flushed with anger and hurt. Across from her was Ren, his broad chest exposed, a towel lazily slung around his waist. Clinging to him was a woman with heavily styled hair, dressed in revealing clothes, her expression one of bored amusement as she leaned into Ren.
"Why are you so cruel?" Natasha demanded, her voice trembling as she tried to hold back tears. "How could you just throw me away like that?"
Ren rolled his eyes, letting out a dramatic sigh. "Cruel? Don't be so dramatic, Natasha. I told you from the start—I'm not a 'serious relationship' kind of guy."
Natasha's hands balled into fists, her knuckles white. "But we were together for a year, Ren! I thought we were building something real."
Ren chuckled, throwing an arm around the woman's shoulder and pulling her close. "That was your problem, Natasha. You were so serious, so clingy. Relationships don't need to be all… suffocating."
Natasha's eyes narrowed. "Any normal human would love the person they're dating. Or date the person they love."
Ren smirked, his gaze cold. "Love? You sound ridiculous. Love is just some fantasy you cling to so you don't feel so alone."
The woman beside him giggled, running a hand across his chest. "Ren's just telling the truth. Not everyone needs all that messy 'love' nonsense."
Natasha's voice shook as she glared at the woman. "And you're okay with this? Just being… convenient to him?"
The woman shrugged, smirking as she glanced up at Ren. "He's honest about it. It's a lot easier than dealing with all that drama."
Natasha shook her head in disbelief, her face a mixture of shock and disgust. "How can you say that? Relationships aren't supposed to be… disposable."
Ren rolled his eyes, clearly bored. "Relationships are whatever you make them, Natasha. If you want fairy tales, you're looking in the wrong place."
Natasha's eyes filled with tears, but she held her ground. "You were the one who pursued me, Ren! You acted like you cared, like I meant something to you."
Ren laughed, giving her a mocking smile. "I acted like I cared? God, Natasha, I was just having fun. You're the one who made it all intense and emotional."
Natasha took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I thought you felt something, too. That's why I trusted you."
Ren shrugged, pulling the woman closer to him. "Trust? You're making this a bigger deal than it ever was. Not everyone wants to be tied down, Natasha. You're the one who couldn't handle that."
Natasha's voice grew stronger, her anger overpowering her pain. "You lied to me. You led me on, letting me believe I mattered to you."
Ren smirked, unbothered. "People believe what they want to believe. Maybe you saw what you wanted to see."
The woman laughed softly, casting a pitying look at Natasha. "You're so naive, thinking he'd change just because of you."
Natasha glared at the woman, her face flushed with indignation. "It's not naive to expect respect and loyalty."
Ren rolled his eyes again, clearly growing tired of the conversation. "Respect? Loyalty? You sound like some old-fashioned fool. I told you I wasn't a one-woman guy."
Natasha's fists clenched at her sides. "If you didn't want a real relationship, why keep me around at all?"
Ren shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. "I liked the attention. You made me feel important, Natasha. Who wouldn't enjoy that?"
Natasha's face twisted with anger. "You're a selfish jerk. You toy with people's feelings like it's some game."
Ren laughed, pressing a kiss to the woman's cheek, who grinned smugly at Natasha. "And this one here? She doesn't care about any of that. She's just here to have a good time."
Natasha's voice shook as she fought to keep her composure. "I deserve better than someone who only cares about themselves."
Ren raised an eyebrow, his expression condescending. "Then go find someone better. I never asked you to stick around."
Natasha's chest rose and fell with the effort of holding back her rage. "I was blind to even think you could care about anyone but yourself."
The woman sighed dramatically, running her fingers through Ren's hair. "Look, honey, if you can't handle him, just leave. He doesn't need this kind of energy in his life."
Natasha's voice was a mixture of sadness and anger as she glared at Ren. "I can't believe I wasted so much of my time on someone as shallow as you."
Ren shrugged, flashing her a cocky grin. "You did it to yourself. I never promised you anything serious."
Natasha's eyes glistened, but she held her head high. "You're going to regret treating people like this one day, Ren."
Ren laughed, clearly amused. "Not likely. I live for myself. That's what makes me happy."
Natasha took one last, deep breath before turning away. "Then enjoy your empty, selfish life."
As she walked away, she could still hear Ren's mocking laughter echoing behind her, a painful reminder of the man she had finally seen for who he really was.
As Natasha stumbled out of Ren's apartment, she was greeted by a surreal sight: a thick, red fog blanketing the entire street, mixing with the eerie purple mist that seemed to cling to every corner. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering in the sudden cold, when she felt a sharp, stinging pain on her ankle. She looked down, gasping as she saw a strange, mangy cat with glowing red eyes, its sharp teeth latched onto her leg.
"Get off me!" she screamed, kicking at the animal. The cat released her, hissing before it darted back into the fog. Natasha clutched her ankle, blood trickling down from the bite. Heart pounding, she limped to her car, her breaths coming out in panicked gasps. She quickly slipped into the driver's seat and locked the doors, her hands shaking as she fumbled for her phone.
Meanwhile, Xavier arrived at Ren's apartment, his face set in a cold, steely expression as he stormed down the hallway. When Ren opened the door, his usual smug grin faded slightly upon seeing Xavier's intense glare.
"Where's Natasha?" Xavier demanded, his tone leaving no room for games.
Ren leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms, a smirk reappearing on his face. "Natasha? Oh, you mean that yappy little dog that couldn't handle a bit of rejection? She left, probably back to wherever she crawled out from."
Xavier's jaw tightened, anger flashing in his eyes. "Watch your mouth. Where did she go?"
Ren shrugged, his tone condescending. "Why don't you go fetch her yourself, then? Not my problem if she can't control herself." He wrapped an arm around the woman beside him, who was watching with mild interest. "Honestly, she's like a stray mutt—always barking, always in the way."
In an instant, Xavier's fist connected with Ren's jaw, sending him staggering back into the apartment. Ren's face twisted in pain and surprise as he clutched his cheek, while the woman beside him let out a shriek.
"Are you insane?!" she yelled, clutching Ren's arm as if shielding him from further harm.
Xavier took a threatening step forward, his voice low and filled with venom. "This is your last warning, Ren. If I ever see you anywhere near my sister again, you're done for. Understood?"
Ren forced a laugh, though his tone was strained, his face red from the blow. "Oh, please. You think you can scare me, Loid? Natasha's the one who came crawling back, not me."
Xavier glared at him, his voice colder than ice. "If she came here, it was only to confront you, to get closure on your mess. But you treated her like garbage."
Ren sneered, trying to save face. "She knew exactly who I was. I'm not changing myself for anyone, least of all some clingy little brat."
Xavier took another step forward, his fists clenched. "Call her that one more time, and I won't stop at one punch."
The woman beside Ren clutched his arm tighter, casting a nervous glance at Xavier. "Come on, Ren, let's just go back inside. He's not worth the trouble."
Ren scoffed, glaring at Xavier with a mixture of defiance and bitterness. "Fine. Run back to your precious little sister, Loid. But don't blame me when she's back here again, begging for attention."
Xavier's eyes narrowed, his voice steady but filled with a warning. "This is the last time you'll get away with this. Next time I see you even looking in Natasha's direction, you'll regret it."
Ren rolled his eyes, though there was an unmistakable flicker of fear in his gaze. "Sure, sure, big brother. Just keep your dog on a tighter leash next time."
With a final, sharp glare, Xavier turned on his heel, his mind already racing with worry for Natasha. As he stepped back into the fog-filled street, he pulled a heavy lab mask from his bag, strapping it securely over his nose and mouth to block out the red mist swirling around him. He could feel the ominous heaviness of the air, even through the mask, and knew he had to find Natasha quickly.
Dialing her number again, he listened as it rang, but there was no answer. Just as he was about to end the call, a faint ringtone echoed somewhere nearby. He followed the sound, his heart pounding as he navigated through the fog-covered street, his eyes searching the dark alleyways.
Then he saw it—a blue butterfly heel, partially hidden in the shadows. Natasha's shoe.
Xavier's stomach twisted as he hurried toward it, scanning the alley. Just beyond the shoe, he spotted her, slumped against the wall, her face pale and her breathing shallow. She looked as though she had been struggling to hold herself up, but exhaustion had finally overtaken her.
"Natasha!" Xavier called, rushing to her side. Her eyes fluttered open briefly, but she seemed disoriented, barely recognizing him.
"X…Xavier…" she murmured weakly, her head lolling to the side.
Without wasting another second, Xavier dug into his bag and pulled out an emergency injection—the immunity vaccine that Dr. Gunesh had provided him for situations just like this. He quickly injected the serum into her arm, watching anxiously as it began to take effect, hoping it would neutralize whatever toxins or infections were spreading through her body.
As he held her, his worry began to ebb slightly, replaced by relief as her breathing evened out. He gently brushed her hair from her face, speaking to her softly.
"Natasha, it's okay. I'm here now. You're going to be fine."
She blinked slowly, her eyes focusing on him with a look of gratitude and pain.
"I'm…sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Xavier shook his head, his voice gentle but firm. "Don't apologize. You're safe now, and that's all that matters."
As he lifted her into his arms, the fog swirled thicker around them, but he held her close, his mind focused only on getting her out of there and back to safety.