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"Gwen," Dante said as she pulled him down the hospital corridor by the wrist. "Why aren't you with your father?"
"Those surgeons want to run some tests to make sure everything's okay," Gwen replied without slowing her pace. "They'll be poking and prodding him for a while."
"Where are we going then?"
"I'm taking you home." She pulled him through a service exit and onto a narrow balcony overlooking the city. The cold night air hit them immediately. She finally let go of his wrist and pointed at his face. "Put that away. The flames will attract too much attention."
Death did that without him saying a word. Gwen showed a complicated gaze as she wrapped her arms around herself. Her lips pressed together like she was holding something back, something heavy she didn't want to say out loud.
"I'm so sorry. This happened because of me."
He furrowed his brows, confused. "What happened?"
She shook dismissively. "Nothing. Just… Can you remove the spell on me?"
Something was wrong. He could feel it in the way she avoided his eyes. But she clearly wasn't ready to talk about it. Pushing her wouldn't help so he let it go for the meantime.
He snapped his fingers. The illusion shimmered and vanished, revealing her Anti-Venom Ghost Spider suit once more. "Convenient, isn't it?"
"I'd love to have that. It'll save me from changing in bathroom stalls."
Those were the best places for her to change in the university.
She turned her back to him and glanced over her shoulder. "Hop on."
"It's alright. I'll get a cab."
Gwen moved back and bumped into him, grabbing his arms and putting them around her neck. "Don't be shy. This is more exciting and quicker than a cab ride."
He sighed and leaned his weight onto her, deciding that if she was offering to be exploited, he wasn't going to say no. It was a little awkward due to their height difference. He was taller and heavier, which meant he had to coil his legs around her waist like a koala to make it work without throwing off her balance.
The white symbiote matter extended from her suit and stuck to his clothes, securing him firmly in place.
She fired her webshooter and pulled them both into the air. Soon, they were swinging through neon-lit New York. The city stretched out below them in a glittering sprawl of light and motion. It was beautiful.
"It must be amazing having fire-based powers in this weather," Gwen said, her voice carrying over the rush of wind. "It's like I'm carrying a heater on my back."
It felt like she thought hard to find a topic to talk about, and this was the best she could come up with.
"It's convenient."
Then it went back to silence. He let his head rest against her shoulder, enjoying the view and the pleasant feel of her figure.
"I wasn't sure if I wanted superpowers before," Gwen said suddenly, breaking the silence. "I mean, I didn't ask for the spider bite. It just… happened. And for a while, I thought it was a curse. Just something that made my life harder."
"And now?"
"Now I'm glad it happened." Her voice softened. "Because I got to meet wonderful people. Felicia. Amy. Piotr too."
He tightened his arms around her neck slightly. "You're missing someone."
"Oh, yeah! That person with the burning skull," she said cheerfully. "I don't know her name, but I'd love to be her friend. She was just way too cool."
He groaned. To think he would be teased to such an extent by Gwen Stacy of all people. "I guess I'm a horrible person then."
She chuckled. "You aren't on the list of wonderful people."
"I know—"
"You're on that 'Person I'll do anything for' list." She lowered her voice. "Seriously. Thanks for everything. I don't know what I would've done without you."
Her sincerity made him smile. "Just keep being a vigilante so I don't have to come out of my cave. That'll be the best thanks possible for me."
"Don't worry, I've gotten strong with your symbiote. There'll be a day when criminals will start running the moment they hear my name."
"You'll make your dad proud."
"..."
She didn't say a word after that. It didn't take long for them to land smoothly on the sidewalk in front of the Silver Sable International building. The symbiote loosened its grip, and he hopped down.
'Home sweet home.'
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gwen tug the lower edge of her mask to expose her mouth. He turned toward her, puzzled by her decision.
She suddenly stepped closer, rose onto her toes, and kissed him. A quick and soft, barely more than a brush of lips type of kiss. Yet it was this kiss that left him stunned.
"Good night!" Gwen blurted in a flustered rush, then fired a webline to launch herself into the air as if staying another second would kill her.
He stood there on the sidewalk, one hand rising slowly to touch his mouth.
"What was that for?" He whispered to himself. Then he shook his head with a wry, bewildered smile. "Has to be her way to say thanks."
He shook his head with a wry smile and walked inside. Before heading to his room, he decided to greet Anna on the third floor.
The elevator doors opened to a surprisingly busy lobby. There were lots of people here—most of them just expressing gratitude or hoping to meet Silvija in person. Despite being the sole receptionist, Anna handled them all without any stress.
'A real professional.'
He walked up to the reception desk and leaned against it. "Hi."
Anna looked up at him and blinked. "Wow, I like the new look."
"New look?"
"Hairstyle."
He pulled out his phone and flipped the camera to selfie mode. A lot of white streaks ran through his black hair. He had burned through his biomolecular energy making Anti-Venom. And when that ran out, his body had drawn it from his life force.
He stared at his reflection for a long moment, and suddenly realized what Gwen's earlier guilt was all about. She blamed herself for this. The kiss was also out of guilt.
'I gotta tell her to stop worrying about it.'
He shook his head and pocketed the phone. "How is my angel doing?"
"Boss is our new guardian angel," Anna said with a grin. "She came in clutch for you today."
"She sure did." He glanced at the crowded lobby. "You look busy here."
"Nothing I can't handle," Anna said, already turning to answer a question from someone waiting nearby. "It's almost time to close up."
"Good luck. I'll see you tomorrow."
Anna waved him off. As he walked toward the elevator, he noticed a pair of teenagers who stood out from the crowd. One of them was wearing expensive clothes like he was some wealthy businessman's son. He seemed like someone who might be here to offer Silvija a contract.
Yet Dante couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen them somewhere before.
"Death, can I have their names?"
"Robert Drake," Death answered immediately. "Warren Worthington."
Dante's eyes narrowed. "X-Men."
They had come to investigate Silver Sable.
'Iceman and Angel.'
One was already classified as an Omega-level in the main timeline while the other could become a great fighter after Apocalypse's enhancements. Currently, they were still in their rookie days and nowhere near as strong. But given enough time they would be a force to be reckoned with.
It made him wonder if Thanos's threat would be as great in this universe. Then again mutants wouldn't be able to stop him once he completed the Infinity Gauntlet.
"Inform me if they try anything."
Death hummed in agreement. "They aren't here with hostile intentions."
He stepped into the elevator and caught his reflection again in the mirrored panel on the wall. White-streaked hair and tired eyes.
"How much lifespan did I burn?"
"I know the lifespan of your vessel," Death said. "But the lifespan of your soul is unknown."
The entity responsible for death couldn't see his end.
He laughed at that. "What a crazy flex."
"Your body is still affected by it," Death answered. "You can reverse it through Biokinesis anyway. The power to alter organic matter is quite handy."
"It's the next ability I'll take through Nexus."
The elevator doors slid open on the second floor.
Silvija was waiting with arms crossed and a cold expression on her face. "Surprise."
"Can your voice be less dead?" Felicia stepped from the other side, smiling. That smile disappeared in an instant. "What happened to your hair?"
Silvija's eyes went wide. "Is that hair dye?"
"A side-effect of my new ability," he said, brushing the topic aside before they could start interrogating him. He took both their hands and started walking toward Silvija's room. "Give me dinner. I'm so starving."
***
Anna sat behind her desk, staring at the two young men who had been waiting even after she had told everyone they had closed for the day.
And what a pair they were.
The first guy had brown hair, an easy smile, and the boy-next-door face. He looked nervous as hell. Cute in that harmless, approachable way. He seemed to be the type of guy a girl would bring home to meet her parents because he would help with the dishes and compliment her mom's cooking.
The second one, though, was completely different.
'Christ.'
He was tall with short blonde hair and a sharp jawline. He stood with his shoulders back, chin slightly elevated. Slightly arrogant, slightly dominating. The type of young man who had grown in mansions with more rooms than he could count, who spent more money in one day than Anna's monthly pay.
'Still, Dante is better.'
Just the thought of Dante had her sighing in misery. Her boss had found someone who was quite out of this world. She had hardly seen anyone better in her one and a half century of life. He was carved in the image of male perfection, made to attract women like a magnet.
She forced herself to focus before she felt an urge. "How may I help you?"
Whatever these two were here for, it wasn't about hiring mercenaries. These two looked too young and naive to be hiring professional killers.
"Ah, uh." The brown-haired—Robert "Bobby" Drake—fumbled immediately. His face flushed, hands gesturing vaguely at nothing. He looked at his friend desperately. "Buttercup, I tag you!"
Anna couldn't help but smile. She might not be Silvija-level beauty, but her youthful energy and perfect smile still had an effect on young men.
"What the fuck, Bobby? We're already six hours late because of your impromptu family visit." The blonde man—Warren Worthington III—cursed his friend, even so, he sounded cultured with that accent. "Now, you're pulling this stunt."
"Why did you puff your chest and accept this assignment then?" Bobby revealed a disgusted look. "You should've been honest with the Professor. Jeanie and Ororo are out for movies. Scott and Beast are still there."
"You fu—Jean was present during this. How could I be a coward in her face?"
Bobby was stunned speechless.
Anna leaned back slightly, finding this very entertaining boy drama. Mutant boy drama over a mutant girl specifically. She knew exactly who these two were, even if they thought they were being subtle.
Warren Worthington III, heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, codenamed Angel.
Robert Drake, middle-class kid from Long Island, codenamed Iceman.
Both were students at Xavier's School, which was a polite way of saying Charles Francis Xavier's mutant training facility.
She had read thick dossiers on every single one of them. Powers, weaknesses, psychological profiles, and even family histories. She had memorized most of it.
Warren could fly with those wings hidden under his expensive coat. Bobby could freeze that entire office in seconds if he wanted to. She also knew they were both hopelessly in love with Jean Grey, who was in love with Scott Summers, who was hopelessly loyal to Charles Xavier.
'Kids. Always so dramatic.'
Bobby crossed his arms. "She already likes Scott. Stop embarrassing yourself."
"Rich coming from you. You gave her flowers last week, asked her out for dinner. You made chocolates for her a week before that. Last month, you froze the entire pool because 'Jeanie wanted to try skiing.' You—"
Bobby placed his hands on Warren's mouth and turned to Anna. "U-Uh, sorry for bothering you, Miss. We need to meet the owner of this building."
Warren shoved Bobby's hands away, immediately straightening his shirt and resuming that aristocratic air like nothing had happened.
"Silver Sable is her name," Warren said in a haughty voice. "One of the world's premier mercenary commanders. Also the queen of Symkaria. They call her the mercenary with a heart of gold. She may fight with guns, but she does it with the dignity of a royal."
Anna had to hold back a smirk, otherwise, it'd affect her professional smile. Angel had definitely done his homework or maybe he was fascinated with Silver Sable like a dozen more men who wanted the queen as well as the wealth of her enterprise and her nation.
She gestured to the photo on the wall. It showed Silvija in a clean black suit, silver hair pulled back. She was wearing one of those rare, genuine smiles that only appeared when she thought nobody was watching. Anna had caught it on camera, but its preciousness had faded. Silvija showed this smile every other minute after she met Dante.
"My boss, Miss Silvija Sablinova… also my cousin," Anna whispered the last part to herself.
Bobby leaned closer to the photo, squinting. "She looks too young to be a queen."
"She is twenty seven," Warren answered, seemingly knowing everything about Silver Sable. "Don't taint her dignity with those swine-like eyes. You might be great for an average woman, but a queen as dignified and pureblood as her is far out of your league."
"Dude." Bobby looked genuinely offended. "I wasn't even trying. My heart belongs to Jeanie. My one. True. Love."
Warren snorted and turned to Anna. His demeanor shifted as he smiled warmly. "Forgive my companion's rudeness. May we have the pleasure of meeting with Queen Sablinova?"
Anna felt heat creep up her neck. The polite and old-fashioned manners did something unfair to her brain. A century of discipline pulled back her composure. "She's resting after a long night of work. Please, leave your number with me. I'll arrange a meeting for tomorrow."
Warren pulled a business card from his wallet. "Thank you."
Anna also passed Silver Sable's business card. "This number will connect to me."
They exchanged a few more pleasantries before the duo headed toward the elevator. The subtle bulge on Warren's back was where he had folded his wings.
Anna watched them go, unable to suppress a smile.
"Dude, you should've done it from the start." Bobby punched Warren's shoulder as they waited for the elevator. "You acted like a dumbass for nothing."
Warren scoffed. "Screw your mother. I wasn't pretending. I was testing the waters."
"Screw your mother too." Bobby grinned. "I'm not lying, though. Your mom is kinda hot. I love that whole noble persona she has going on."
Warren clicked his tongue. "Go ahead and screw that woman. I don't like her one bit."
The elevator doors closed, but their bickering didn't end. Real friends were like that.
Anna's smile faded. Then her hand moved to the bottom desk drawer, the only desk requiring her fingerprint scan to open. She picked the burner phone and unlocked it with a seventy-eight-character alphanumeric password. Two wrong guesses, and it would wipe itself clean.
The screen opened to a stark black background displaying a single symbol: a skull with six tentacles like an octopus. The mark of an organization that had been cut off a dozen times and always grew back.
HYDRA.
Anna opened the encrypted messaging app and typed: [Mutants made contact with Skullfire and Silver Sable. Requesting next orders.]
Her thumb hovered over the send button.
She thought about Silvija and Dante, the warmth in their treatment, but she could not disobey.
'Sorry, cousin.'
She pressed send.
The other phone buzzed, showing a text. The sender was also coincidentally named "Anna."
[Anna Marie: Can you come home tonight? It's my b'day.]
Her adopted daughter rarely asked anything. What's more, it was on her birthday as well.
'How do I explain my disappearance to Silvija?'
With Silvija's limited technical staff, Anna was put in a tough situation. She had only volunteered for this laborious task to earn Silvija's trust. Now, she couldn't take a day off without concerning every higher up in Silvija's mercenary order.
After thinking for a while, she typed her answer.
[Busy with job]
She did feel sorry for not being there. However, her work took more priority than keeping her daughter company.
Besides, Anna Marie wasn't a kid anymore. As an adult, she needed to learn the harsh reality of this world more than she needed to celebrate a birthday party. She had to understand how lucky she was to live in peace and comfort, unlike eighty percent of mutants who were taken by SHIELD.
A/N: Yes, Anna was [Redacted] this whole time.
***
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