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The Suzuki's engine cut to a purr as Dante eased it to a stop outside the Command center. The force field spread with him as the center rendered him invisible while also isolating any sound and scent, everything else. It was like they were in their own bubble.
He peeked into the Command center. Maps still spread across the central table and equipment lights blinked in the darkness, but no signs of Silvija.
Felicia pulled off her helmet and shook her head to straighten her ponytail. "Darling, I counted at least fifty black cars over there. Will Silver be okay?"
"Over a hundred and fifty armed fighters, minimum." Dante frowned. The Hand had come even more prepared than he had expected. "We're going to need more backup."
It wasn't just the Hand they had to worry about, but also the tortured symbiote hosts who would climb up the elevator shaft. They absolutely had the ability to do so. There was also a chance Norman would free the symbiote hosts within the hundred plus pods to stop the escaping prisoners.
Depending on Norman's reaction, the event could end peacefully or devolve into a full-on chaotic situation.
He took out Anna's phone with encrypted comms and called Emma Frost. One of the perks of enhanced intelligence was perfect recall—quite useful for remembering phone numbers and other uninteresting stuff.
Emma answered on the third ring. "Dear..." A yawn stretched through the word, turning it into something erotic. "What did you encounter to remember me at this hour?"
Even half-sleep, Emma Frost's voice was charming and seductive.
"How would you like to acquire live symbiotes?" Dante kept his voice professional. "Oscorp Island. Right now."
Emma was literally his ally by pact, and this was the best time to make use of this alliance. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that having Emma would be immensely helpful here.
"Huh?" Her sleepy seduction evaporated instantly. "Now?"
He briefed her on the Hand's attack and how he would use it to end Norman's never-ending supply of symbiotes.
"You're making decisions without my input. Equal partnership my foot." Her cold anger was transmitted even through the phone. "Why did I even believe Death's companion of all people would honor his word?"
"I didn't want to involve you at all." Dante watched Felicia adjust her mask and go through her equipment. "This kind of work is beneath you."
"Oh, is it?" Emma laughed cynically. "Then what changed your mind? Finally realized you bit off more than you could chew?"
"Kind of." He shook his head. "I don't want to kill everyone down there. Your telepathy is the best non-lethal option I have. Plus, it's super effective against symbiotes."
"Why should I come running at your call when you don't value this alliance?"
Dante sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Emma, are you really going to let your ego get in the way? You'll lose me as an ally and a chance to see the symbiote that started everything. Do you want that?"
She went silent instead of answering, weighing the profits and losses like the businesswoman she was.
Then a soft click of her tongue, she answered, "I'll be there as soon."
"Perfect."
"We're discussing compensation later," she hissed. "I'll see if you owe up to it like a real man."
With that, she ended the call.
Felicia raised an eyebrow as he pocketed the phone. "Are you sure getting Emma involved is a good idea? You already owe one favor to her."
"This isn't something I can handle on my own. Besides, no price is too great for protecting Silvija."
If it was just about killing, he could absolutely destroy everything. Unfortunately, not every matter could be solved with bloodshed.
"Will you do the same for me?"
He gave her an unamused stare. "I made my first public appearance for you. Do you want more proof of how far I'll go for you?"
She chuckled. "I'm more than satisfied. I wonder if Silvija will get jealous of me. You're giving me too much love and care, you know?"
"I fucked her silly for hours. She won't be jealous for a few days."
Dante patted his jacket, and the symbiote—previously connected to Walter—slithered out to wrap around his hand. "Listen, find Silvija, the woman I was sleeping with earlier. You have to protect her."
Felicia fiddled with her phone and handed it to him. On the screen was Silvija sitting on the hood of her armored SUV in her tactical gear. "A photo would be more helpful than 'the woman I was sleeping with.'"
"I have none. Weren't you sleeping when this happened?"
"Don't trust the sleeping cat," Felicia said smugly. "Just because we're rivals doesn't mean I can't appreciate a badass woman."
Something warm bloomed in his chest. Felicia could be petty, jealous, competitive, but she never lied about the people she respected and despised.
He pointed at Silvija's face on the screen. "Protect this woman at any cost."
The symbiote let out a squelching sound and wrapped a tendril around his finger as if agreeing to him.
"Good boy." Dante smiled. "As a reward, you get a name. Greed."
Felicia rolled her eyes. "That's the best you could come up with? Why not something cool like Terminator or Executor?"
"It came from your father. Greed runs in your bloodline."
"Hey! Would I share you with others if I was greedy?"
Ignoring her sharp question, he called out the other symbiote. "And you. Your name is Agony."
The symbiote, which had bonded with Felicia, was more afraid of pain than death. The name Agony was quite fitting to remind it of its biggest fear.
"Another stroke of brilliance," Felicia added. "We aren't done with you calling me greedy—"
Dante tossed Agony at her.
"Ahhh!" Felicia;s hands flew to her body, patting frantically as the symbiote slithered under her suit. "No, no, no—where did it go? Darling, why? What did I do to deserve THIS?"
Her voice cracked on the last word, real fear bleeding through. Symbiote possession wasn't something she just got over in hours, especially when the thing had completely taken control of her body.
Right now, he had no other choice. Anything could happen once they were in the underground research, like being separated. Having something to protect herself would be better than having nothing.
Dante caught her wrists. "Hey. Look at me."
Her green eyes met him, a look of hurt crossing them. "Why?"
"Agony knows what I'm capable of. It won't try to take control," he said comfortingly. "We might have to fight symbiotes down there. Just treat it as extra protection."
Felicia's breathing slowed. She nodded, though her hands were still clenched. "You're giving me comfort therapy after this."
"Anytime, anywhere."
They tidied everything and moved into the central compound.
Dante glanced over his shoulder, then shook his head. He should trust Silvija to handle her business. She was the mercenary queen who had survived much, much worse odds. Even if Emma changed her mind at this moment, Silvija had Piotr, Ghost Spider, and the symbiote to guarantee her survival.
Felicia silently squeezed his hand, and he nodded at her before stepping inside. The elevator platform wasn't on this floor but on the underground level, probably gone with the cargo trucks.
Felicia looked down at the darkness stretching below before giving him a frown. "I can grapple down. Claws will help with the grip. But I can't carry you."
"We're jumping." Dante wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. "Hold tight."
"Darling—!!!"
He stepped off the edge.
Felicia gasped as they dropped into freefall, winds whipping past them.
THUMP.
They landed on a solid but invisible platform twenty meters down, courtesy of force field creation.
The twenty-meter fall barely affected him after he had modified himself with Biokinesis. He was near peak-human class before, now he was on the lower spectrum of superhuman, thanks to Biokinesis improvement. He felt stupid for not figuring the easiest way to make his vessel stronger wasn't training—it was self-modification. Elixir's Resonance Link at 100% was a necessity to bypass the endurance limits for other Resonance Links. Not to mention, Biokinesis would let him regenerate endlessly and even self-resurrect.
'Omega-level mutants are on a different level.'
If there was one thing Biokinesis couldn't do, it was enhance his mental strength and willpower. He could alter his brain, but he would rather not mess with it. He had to find another way to train his mind.
Felicia fixed her mask. "Afraid of another fall?"
"Nothing. Just..." He smiled at her. "Appreciating how amazing it is to be on a mission with the stunning Black Cat."
She rolled her eyes, though the rising corner of her lips betrayed her. "It's my honor to go stealing with someone as powerful and divine as Death's chosen companion."
His hand on her waist dropped lower to her ass. He squeezed slowly, feeling the generous give of soft flesh through the smooth fabric of her suit. His fingers spread wider, trying to encompass the sheer amount of her ass. He couldn't do it.
'Incredible.'
Where Silvija's ass was all firm and toned from years of combat training, Felicia was soft and full with heavy proportions on her ass.
"Really, Darling?" She whispered, almost purring, seemingly enjoying herself. "Getting handsy in the middle of work isn't right."
"Can't help it." His thumb traced small circles, feeling how the bodysuit clung to her generous curve. "You're making it very hard to concentrate on the mission."
"Good." She shifted her hips slightly. "Stay motivated."
He faced her and pulled her in his arms. She fit perfectly in his arms, tall enough that her head tucked just under his jaw, the rest aligning with his in all the right places.
He bent his head slightly, lips finding her ear. "You're playing a dangerous game."
Felicia tilted her head, exposing the elegant line of her neck. "I like dangerous games. Haven't you noticed?"
His hand on her ass squeezed again, firmer this time, fingers digging in just enough to make her gasp.
"Darling..." Her voice had gone soft and sensual, losing the playful edge. "We're still on a timeline here."
"I know." But he didn't let go immediately. "Just making sure I have something to look forward to after we survive this."
"Oh, you do." Felicia clutched his collar tenderly, looking up to meet his gaze. A burning desire to claim him or be claimed shone in her eyes. "Only if you focus now and touch me properly later."
"Properly?" He gave one final, possessive squeeze to commit the feel of her ass to memory before reluctantly releasing her. "Is that a challenge?"
"It's a guarantee." She stepped away and gently brushed her fingers over curves he had just been exploring. "After we rescue my father, I'll let you explore thoroughly. Every. Single. Inch."
The way she emphasized those last three words made him sigh out. "Don't cry when I go full beast mode."
"That's the plan." Felicia laughed and spread her arms before slowly falling backward. "Catch me~"
He hurriedly made a softer platform in the shape of a hand to catch the suicidal maniac.
Flirting, teasing, and enjoying the fall, they descended one force field platform after another and finally landed on the elevator platform parked at the bottom. The elevator doors were open as men in hazmat suits loaded symbiote-filled containers onto the cargo trucks. Which meant the gigantic steel door leading into the research site was also open.
Felicia grinned. "I was losing my mind over how to crack this steel junk. Darling, you might've turned my bad luck into good luck. Maybe you're my lucky star."
What she said about her good luck might not be far-fetched. In the comics, Felicia once gained probability manipulation through causing unconscious accidents to those who attacked her while also causing misfortune to those close to her.
He might've awakened more than predatory genes.
'If she starts causing me bad luck, I'm rewriting her genes again.'
***
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