"Norman, control your dogs!"
"I hate barking. If I get annoyed, your precious son might lose a limb or two."
As Sora Yukihara spoke, he casually walked aside, picked up an exquisite antique, and began examining it—completely ignoring the armed guards.
Norman's face twisted with rage. "Sora Yukihara, this is my house!"
"Oh? So you know me."
Sora Yukihara smiled wider. "What, do you have a full dossier on me? Or have you already prepared some 'special treatment' for a guest like me?"
"You're overthinking it."
Norman felt increasingly uneasy. Even with guns pointed at him, Sora Yukihara showed no fear.
Sora Yukihara set the antique down. "Go ahead. Tell them to shoot."
"My hands won't move!"
"Boss! We can't control our bodies!"
The two guards cried out in panic.
At that moment, Norman remembered Dr. Ratha's bizarre death.
"Are you… a mutant?"
"Enough talk."
Sora Yukihara cut him off coldly. "Where is Peter's family?"
Norman hesitated.
"My patience is limited."
Sora Yukihara flicked his fingers.
The two guards turned around, guns aimed directly at Norman.
"…So it really was him."
Rage surged within Norman.
He had always been the one in control.
But now—
For the sake of his only son, he forced himself to endure.
Raising his hand—one that now looked disturbingly inhuman—he said, "Peter's family isn't here. They're in one of our secret laboratories."
"I want real-time footage."
"Carly."
At Norman's command, the screen lit up.
Two scenes appeared.
Uncle Ben paced anxiously inside a holding cell.
Peter was strapped to a table, unconscious.
Sora Yukihara's voice turned cold. "What did you do to Peter?"
Norman answered honestly, "He was our first test subject. The experiment succeeded—his physical capabilities surpassed human limits."
"But he tried to escape. To continue studying him, we used anesthetic gas and restrained him."
"Honest for once."
Everything matched Sora Yukihara's information.
"I want Peter's family here. Safe and unharmed. Immediately."
Norman hesitated. "They're far from here. Even with immediate transport, it will take three hours."
"Then I'll wait."
Sora Yukihara's tone turned icy. "Three hours. If you're even ten minutes late—I'll cut off one of Harry's fingers."
With a wave of his hand, the window opened.
He floated out into the night.
"…Definitely a mutant."
Norman gritted his teeth, watching him leave.
"Get out. Both of you."
The guards, finally freed, retreated in disgrace.
"Carly, take over surveillance. I need a secure communication channel."
"And edit the footage of Sora Yukihara threatening me."
"Yes, Boss."
Within seconds, Carly executed the commands.
Then—
Norman opened another interface.
The symbol of the X-Men appeared.
On a rooftop.
Harry stood smoking, gazing at the New York skyline.
Sora Yukihara stood nearby, practicing his thread abilities.
Lately, every time he fought, he felt slightly off.
He knew how to use his power—
But he wasn't fully in control yet.
Skill without mastery.
He needed practice.
"Are you not worried my father will ambush you?"
Harry suddenly asked.
"With his personality, he won't submit easily," Sora Yukihara replied calmly. "But what does he have right now that could threaten me?"
"He has plenty."
Harry smirked darkly. "You just don't know it."
Whoosh!
A figure with white wings suddenly swooped down—
Grabbing Harry and flying off.
Angel.
From the X-Men.
What?
Why were the X-Men helping Norman?
Before Sora Yukihara could react—
Boom!
A massive figure dropped from the sky.
Then two more followed.
The Blackbird jet hovered above—completely undetectable.
No sound.
No heat.
True invisibility.
Standing before him—
Colossus. Iceman. Pyro.
Pyro sneered, "Didn't expect this, kidnapper?"
"…Kidnapper?"
Sora Yukihara frowned.
Pyro scoffed, "You used your mutant abilities to kidnap Oscorp's heir for ransom. The evidence is clear. Still want to deny it?"
"A thief accusing others of theft…"
Sora Yukihara sighed.
Norman had played it well—
Twisting the X-Men's sense of justice against him.
"…This just got interesting."
Sora Yukihara had imagined many enemies.
Even S.H.I.E.L.D.
But never—
The X-Men.
Still, for Peter's sake, he held back slightly.
"Are you sure you understand the truth?"
Pyro smirked. "The victim is right here. That's all the proof we need."
That was it.
Sora Yukihara lost his patience.
He sneered coldly.
"Even if I am a kidnapper…"
"What the hell does it have to do with you X-Men?"
"Don't you think you're sticking your noses where they don't belong?"