"Fine then, hats off to him," Tony said, turning back to his projector. "Oh, FRIDAY found something else. It's unimportant."
Natasha's voice was sharp, cutting through the exhaustion in the room. "What is it? Any information can be useful in negotiation and interrogation."
Tony shrugged, but his curiosity was evident. "His grandmother was a priestess in Rameshwaram Temple, and his family name is Rudra."
"Oh." Bruce's single word carried a surprising amount of weight.
"What is it?" Natasha asked, sensing the shift in the room's energy.
"His name is great one," Bruce explained. "Well, in Indian culture, old families believe names have power and can often tell the life story and character of a person. So naming is done after careful consideration. Google can tell you more, but from what I know, Rudra is associated with an avatar of Lord Shiva, one of the three great Hindu Gods. The Rudra avatar is mostly associated with storms, upheaval, might, fearsomeness, and righteous wrath."
Thor's eyes widened slightly, and a newfound respect for the young man glimmered in them. "I am the god of thunder, but this one is the embodiment of the storm. I like him already."
Tony scoffed, but there was a hint of awe in his voice. "Damn, the family name 'Anthony' feels weak after that. So does Steve. No offense, Cap."
Steve simply shook his head. "None taken."
"So, who will talk to him?" Carol asked, her directness returning.
"I will go," Steve said, already walking toward the door.
"Then we'll monitor from here, and keep your earpiece on," Natasha instructed, her professional demeanor firmly in place.
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As I walked into the room, I saw the boy open his eyes, standing up he put his hands together, head bowed. "I apologize for attacking you earlier," he said, his voice calm and clear.
I was startled for I was not expecting that apology.
From my earpiece, Tony's voice crackled. "Does he think an apology would cut it?"
"No," the young man said, his voice clear enough to be heard through the comm. He looked up, his eyes meeting mine. "Apologizing for my mistake is my duty, and the right to forgive or not resides with those whom I inconvenienced or harmed, Mr. Stark." His reply silenced my earpiece.
I like this boy, I thought, a small smile forming on my face. But let's move on to the main subject. I turned off my earpiece so he wouldn't find out the others were listening, and got straight to the point.
"I have some questions for you."
"Please," he said, and with a surprising show of respect, he sat down cross-legged and gestured for me to do the same. I sat down on the other side of the bars.
"Before we begin, can I ask if everyone from the Avengers is listening?" he asked, a knowing look in his eyes.
"Yes," I answered truthfully.
"Then I request that no trace of our conversation here remains," he said, his voice firm and unwavering. "It may prove harmful if leaked, and as much as I believe in the character of everyone present, I do not believe in something that cannot be stolen."
I turned my earpiece back on. "Do it, Tony."
"Fine," Tony grumbled. "But how will we know about the talk?"
The young man's lips curled into a faint smirk. "You can come face to face, Mr. Stark. And if you doubt my credibility, you can come armed."
"Fine then," Thor's booming voice cut through the comms. "We will talk face to face. I prefer that anyway."
And so I was freed from my cell and followed Captain Rogers to the penthouse. When I arrived, everyone was already there.
"Are you ready for questioning? Who goes first?" Tony asked.
"Let me. So why did you attack us?" Steve said.
The young man took a deep breath. "My grandparents and great-grandma just turned to dust one day. As I came to New York looking for the one friend I have left, I saw the news today at the airport. All the sadness I had been bottling up turned into a blinding rage, and I looked for the only outlet to vent. Since I could not find the murderer of my grandparents, I found the next best target."
"So you mean to say you wanted to kill us because you were angry?" Natasha asked, her voice skeptical.
"No. While I was angry, I was not completely mindless. I did not want to kill anyone; at most, just beat you guys up and put some bruises on your face."
"So you marched into the Avengers Tower to beat up all of us alone?" Thor boomed, a hint of genuine curiosity in his voice.
"Yes." Ryan's voice was unwavering.
"Good man," Thor boomed, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"You thought you could do that alone?" Carol asked, her arms crossed, her voice sharp with disbelief.
"My mind did not think about the outcome," Ryan replied, his gaze steady. "All I could think about was beating you guys until you had bruised and swollen faces. That was what my mind painted as the desired outcome."
"So why aren't you fighting now?" Tony asked, his eyes narrowing as he tried to find the lie in Ryan's words.
"Well, I know you guys are not at fault in the matter, and I am back to normal," Ryan said as he bowed his head. "I am sorry for my loss of control."
"So who trained you to fight?" Natasha asked, getting to the heart of the matter.
"My great-grandma from my father's side trained my body, senses, agility, body coordination, and battle awareness," he explained calmly. "And an ancestor from my mother's side further trained me in martial arts and polished my physique."
Steve's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "Great-Grandma? How old is she?"
"She was over 80 when I was trained by her," Ryan said, his expression completely serious.
Bruce leaned forward, his scientific curiosity at its peak. "She trained you at such an old age? How?"
A faint, almost wistful smile touched Ryan's lips. "Please don't think of her as some weak old lady. Even today, I don't think I can win against her, and she would be over 90 if she were here."
Tony's mouth hung open slightly. "Damn, are you sure?"
"Yes, I am pretty sure she would win against me," Ryan confirmed, the simple truth of his words landing with a heavy thud. "If she went full force, she probably could have made quick work of me."
Carol's voice was sharp, laced with a familiar suspicion. "Is she enhanced or alien?"
"No," Ryan replied calmly. "She is 100% human, but she comes from a line of what you guys would call battle priests."
Bruce's eyes went wide, a light of recognition flaring. "Like the ones in 'Mahabharata'?" he asked, his voice filled with wonder.
"Not as exaggerated as the ones in the tale," Ryan conceded with a slight nod, "but you are not wrong."
"Damn," Bruce muttered, a note of reverence in his voice. The Avengers sat there in stunned silence, a chilling thought crossing their minds. If a few old women like her could come and demolish them, what else was out there?