Isaac's gaze cut across the table, sharp and wordless, landing on Sven and Takeshi. The two caught the silent command instantly.

Sven clenched his jaw and leaned back, swallowing whatever colourful remark had been building behind his teeth. Takeshi remained perfectly composed, unmoving - as calm and unreadable as always.

Isaac appreciated it. He'd use their strength when needed, shamelessly if he had to, but not now. Losing his temper here would only feed his father's smugness - and Fletcher Sr. lived for control.

The man had built an empire out of it. His influence reached through London like veins of iron, binding politicians, businessmen, and criminals alike. He didn't need a mutant ability - his manipulation was its own kind of power. He'd bent his wife, his employees, and even his city to his will.

But Isaac wasn't that malleable boy anymore. He'd walked through hell and come out sharper. The scars weren't just on his body. They were carved into his mind. There was a quiet certainty in him now - a confidence that didn't need to shout.

And that quiet confidence, more than anything, unsettled his father.

"At least we know you haven't changed," Fletcher Sr. sneered. "Still a quiet coward after all these years. You can't even face me, can you?"

Isaac didn't flinch. His expression barely shifted, just a faint curve at the corner of his mouth. That infuriated the old man. Silence, calmness - it was mockery disguised as composure.

When his digs failed to land, Fletcher Sr. turned his attention to Isaac's companions. "Who are these two with you?" He jabbed a thick finger at Sven. "That one looks like a sleazy creep, the kind you never do business with."

Irwin chuckled, eyes glinting. "And this one - what is he supposed to be? A blindfolded samurai? Is he cosplaying or something? That ribbon's probably see-through. And the sword? Please, no one's scared of that."

Isaac almost laughed. Sven's hand trembled under the table, white-knuckled as he restrained himself out of respect for Isaac. Takeshi, on the other hand, didn't move an inch. His face remained impassive, and somehow, that calm made the entire scene funnier.

'They really have no clue,' Isaac thought, his lips twitching. 'If they'd seen Takeshi fight once, they'd be on their knees begging for forgiveness. Guess they've been living under a rock. Or maybe they've heard the stories and just can't imagine that the real Blind Swordsman is sitting in front of them.'

Well, it made sense; they were completely underestimating him and, by extension, his companions. In their eyes, all they saw him as was someone who left their family and shamelessly returned in this ragged state.

Isaac suppressed a laugh.

He'd come here nervous, bracing for the ghosts of his past. But seeing them now - pompous, ignorant, trapped in their own arrogance - he realised how insignificant they were.

The Fletchers were big fish in a tiny pond, one that they now dominated.

Isaac, on the other hand, was a small fish in a vast, vicious ocean. And his friends? Sharks.

"If these are your friends," Fletcher Sr. said with that same condescending smirk, "then I can't imagine you've achieved much."

"Are you just going to ignore us? You can at least tell us what you've been doing?" Irwin chimed in.

Isaac leaned back, the confidence in his posture infuriatingly casual. "I've been travelling."

That was all they'd get. They didn't deserve more.

They had no idea who he'd become - that he was the Phaser, one of the notorious Mutant Outlaws. They hadn't even wondered how he'd escaped the manor that night without a sound.

No one had looked for him. Not when he'd vanished. Not when Elizabeth had cried for weeks. His father had simply said that a man who renounced the Fletcher name should be able to fend for himself.

Isaac wasn't here for reconciliation. He was here to face his past and enjoy twisting it to his advantage.

"Travelling, huh?" Fletcher Sr. said with a mocking laugh. "Is that why you called us from Romania? Got stranded and needed help, did you? I knew you'd come crawling back eventually. So tell me, boy - why are you really here?"

"It's nice to see nothing's changed," Isaac murmured under his breath.

Irwin shot up from his chair so fast it screeched against the floor. "What do you mean nothing's changed?" he barked, his face red. "While you were wandering around, Father and I expanded this empire. Just being in the presence of a Fletcher has become an honour - and you? You're a disgrace!"

"Irw-" Elizabeth started softly, her voice trembling.

"Shut it, Elizabeth!" Irwin snapped, cutting her off with a glare. His words were venomous, but his anger was performative - meant to please his father. He looked to Fletcher Sr., who gave him a slow, approving nod.

Permission granted.

Irwin's lips curled into a cruel grin as he began walking around the table, each step deliberate. His polished shoes clicked against the marble floor, the sound echoing through the silent dining hall.

Elizabeth's hands twisted together beneath the tablecloth, pale fingers fidgeting nervously. She couldn't bear to look up. She never could. The faint tremor in her shoulders betrayed her fear, but what could she do?

Their mother was in a similar bind and remained silent. She hadn't even greeted Isaac. And as always, she said and did nothing.

'She never does,' Isaac thought coldly, eyes flicking to her for only a second. 'Just sits there, pretending silence makes her invisible.'

Fletcher Sr. leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, watching with that familiar detached satisfaction. 'That boy needs to be reminded of his place,' he thought smugly. 'He's always been beneath Irwin - even as his twin. He'll see just how big the difference is now.'

But as Irwin closed the distance, a smirk spread across Isaac's face - small, unreadable, dangerous. And something in the air shifted.

Isaac wasn't the same boy they remembered.

And this time, someone else was about to learn that the hard way...

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.