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Felicia woke up with a gasp and shot upright in bed. Her whole body shuddered as she took deep breaths.
Nightmares had become routine ever since Emma had told her the truth about her father. Most nights it was the same loop: locked doors she couldn't open and voices calling her name.
Today was one of the worst. It had been about Dante. It showed him vanishing. She had tried to run after him in the dream while screaming. It hadn't worked.
Felicia exhaled slowly and pressed a hand flat against her chest.
"Okay," she whispered to herself. "Okay. You're fine. You're fine."
Only then did she notice someone sitting in a chair beside the bed. The figure was so silent that Felicia's brain hadn't registered them until now.
"Laura?!"
"Yes?" Laura tilted her head, puzzled by her shriek. "Do you need something?"
Felicia stared at her, trying to decide whether to be angry or call out that it wasn't normal to infiltrate someone's room and wait for them to wake up. "Why are you here, girl?"
"I want to ask something."
Felicia swung her legs over the edge of the bed and forced a smile onto her face. She didn't want to be cruel after what happened last night. Laura had helped her search through that nightmare prison. Although they hadn't found her father, Norman had confirmed his status. It was better than nothing.
Felicia pushed messy hair out of her face. "What is it?"
Laura continued gazing at her like she was measuring something.
Felicia's instincts twitched. At that moment, Laura moved. One moment, Laura was in the chair, and the next her hand was on Felicia's throat, pinning her flat against the mattress. The bed frame creaked under them.
Despite being enhanced by Dante, Felicia couldn't react to that speed.
Her hands shot up on instinct, grabbing Laura's wrist. She tried to peel the grip away, which refused to budge. The young mutant was deceptively strong.
"What the hell do you want?"
Laura's right hand shifted, and her claw extended with a metallic snikt.
"Where is Dante?" Laura pressed her right claw against her neck. "I don't want to hurt his friend. But I will if you don't tell me."
Felicia glared at her despite the pressure on her throat and the very real threat of being decapitated by adamantium claws. "You think I'd be here—sleeping—if I knew? He is my boyfriend for god's sake."
Laura expressionlessly looked at her as though searching for lies or perhaps making a decision.
After another moment of silence, Laura let go.
Felicia sucked in a deep breath and sat up immediately, rubbing her throat, glaring while trying not to look shaken. "You could've asked nicely."
"People lie when their lives aren't in danger," Laura said in a matter-of-fact voice. "I lied about hurting you. Sorry."
"Try the friendly approach next time, okay?"
Laura nodded and sat on the edge of the bed, gaze dropping to the floor. She looked lost and confused.
"Why do you want to see him?"
"SHIELD will take me if he isn't here." Laura's fingers curled around the bed frame, making it creak. "I don't want to go back..."
"Trust me he'll come back."
Felicia had no idea what else to say besides this. The city would suffer tremendous damage without them. The worst part was Norman had seen them disappear. He wouldn't let go of a chance to launch more attacks in their absence.
Her phone rang abruptly. She frowned at the caller ID.
'What does Gwenny want?'
She answered the call and pressed the phone against her ear. "Morning, Gwen."
"Good morning to you too," Gwen said. "Coming to ESU today?"
"Nope. Got something to do."
"Oh, that's a bummer. How are your fans going to survive?"
"Fans? Or just one in you."
Gwen chuckled. "You're too ignorant. Your symbiote suit went viral on the campus."
Felicia blinked. "It—what?"
"They're starting to suspect you were with Dante on the ship."
"No way. How?"
She had tweaked her symbiote suit to the point it longer resembled her Black Cat suit.
"Some nerd probably matched your proportions like you did to me." Gwen laughed, clearly in a good mood. "Just hope it doesn't get out of the campus circle. Or that menace man will chew you alive."
"That is not comforting, Gwenny." She sighed. "How come you're in such a tremendous mood? Who gave you the sunshine?"
She thought Gwen would be a bit down on energy after working overtime yesterday. The Gwen on call seemed like she could fight a couple more wars against the symbiote army.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Gwen replied cheerfully. "Dad's health is better than ever."
"That's great. Seriously."
"Heh." Gwen paused for a second then asked, "By the way… any idea where Dante is? His phone is unreachable. I have something to show him."
Felicia's recovered mood fell straight off a cliff. "He is… something happened last night. Natasha and Dante's location is unknown."
"What?!" Gwen raised her voice. "Felicia, what do you mean unknown? I need details."
"Not over the phone. Meet me at my place."
She hadn't even told Silvija yet. This could be the right time to tell them both. Or better yet, include Emma as well.
"Unlock your window."
"Huh? Are you—"
"Yeah. Open up."
Felicia rubbed her forehead, then walked over and unlocked the window. A white blur flashed through the opening.
Gwen landed lightly inside the room in her white symbiote suit. Just its presence made her own symbiote fearful. Gwen's symbiote deserved its name as Anti-Venom.
Gwen nodded once at Laura then sat on the bed like it was her own room. "Felicia, you look like a mess."
"Gwennie, I thought you were at the university."
"It's not important where I was." Gwen's tone shifted to a focused one. "It's important where he is. Start talking."
Felicia stared at her for a moment, then let out a breath. "Everyone is asking me, but who the hell do I ask?"
Death would be the obvious answer—except the cosmic entity had gone radio quiet ever since Dante disappeared. The lack of communication gave way to concern and stress, leading to that nightmare she woke up with.
'What if something happened to Dante and Death had returned to her realm?' — was her deepest fear.
Gwen rubbed the back of her head. "Okay. Slow down. What happened?"
"Be patient. Let me call some people."
It took her a few words to convince Silvija. Getting Emma on board took about a minute.
When Felicia finally put the phone down, she looked back at Gwen. "You said you had something to show him."
"It's just something I made to fight symbiotes."
She stood up and looked around the room, then fired a webline at the wall. The strand struck with a snap, and Gwen jerked her wrist. Tiny arcs danced the line. The sight was like a performance, but Felicia knew how deadly that little sparkle was.
"I figured it out last night," Gwen said in a slightly mentor-like voice. "Conductive webbing, plus a charge source. It's got enough voltage to make a symbiote question its entire existence."
While Felicia had been spiraling, Gwen had been building solutions.
'This is embarrassing.'
She had spent years chasing her father's rescue alone. Years of planning and training. She had worked years to rescue her father, on her own. Since when did she become so reliant on someone that she couldn't function properly without them?
That wasn't who she was.
Even if Dante wasn't here, she could still do her due diligence in screwing Norman over and stealing her father back.
After all, she was the one and only Black Cat, the future greatest thief.
Her mood immediately became brighter.
"That's an amazing upgrade," Felicia said with a nod. "Mind helping me upgrade my arsenal in the lab? Emma gave us access to a high-level lab."
"I did mine at home but sure."
"..."
A minute later, Silvija arrived. Her gaze swept over Gwen, Laura, and then settled on Felicia. Then she asked the only question Felicia couldn't answer.
"He left my room last night. Now he won't pick up my calls. Where did he go?"
Gwen gestured to her right. "The queue for the answer starts here."
Silvija crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes on Felicia. "How did you fuck up now?"
"Don't talk like I mess things up everyday." Felicia groaned. "It wasn't me this time. Uh… maybe a little. I'll explain when Emma gets here."
Because, technically, Dante wouldn't have been in that facility without Felicia's request. But the real screw-up was Natasha's contract with the Spirit. They could've avoided Norman's bait while invisible.
Silvija frowned. "Why?"
"It's a long story. I'm not repeating it again."
"Lazy cat," Silvija grumbled. "Don't you dare hide anything."
Felicia dragged Gwen to the study table and began to brainstorm ideas on the laptop. Their nerd talk made the room lively, but Silvija grew bored and pulled out her phone to make a call.
Ten minutes later, Anna appeared in the doorway with a grin. "You can come in."
At her signal, a maid rolled in a food-service trolley stacked absurdly high with delicacies—pastries, pancakes, donuts, fruit, creams, little sweets and whatnot arranged in plates.
The maid was visibly nervous when she saw Ghost Spider casually hanging around in the room, but she kept her composure and unfolded a portable dining table.
Felicia loved sugary treats, but just looking at the table made her afraid to approach. "Gwen, you want some?"
"Already had my sugar cravings. Dad shoved dunkin donuts in my face."
"It must be nice having a father." Felicia let out a sigh. "Gwennie, I made a website for orphans. It doesn't have a homepage."
Gwen's lenses went wide. "Dark."
"Just like my heart."
"..."
Once the maid and Anna left, Silvija picked up a donut while glancing at Laura. Felicia recognized Silvija's cunning tactic—the mercenary queen brought out the heavy weapons to befriend Laura through bribery.
She could only shake her head.
'It's not going to work.'
***
(Silvija's POV)
Silvija munched on donuts while keeping a close eye on Laura. The young mutant kept glancing at the plate in particular.
'She wants the pancakes.'
She set the empty plate on the table and picked up the pancake plate. Laura's eyes tracked the motion like a cat tracking a mouse. Silvija stabbed a thin slice with a fork and lifted it without a rush.
She brought it to her own mouth and paused before turning toward Laura. "Do you want some?"
Laura's throat moved as she gulped, staring at the slice like it was a trap. She still couldn't resist looking away. A few seconds of internal struggle passed across her face, then she quietly nodded.
"Yes."
Silvija moved the fork closer. Laura hesitated for a second then leaned forward to take a bite. The way her features softened made Silvija smile. The phrase about the quickest way to a man's heart being through his stomach applied to everyone else too. She had taken care of Ava long enough to recognize this.
"Let me know if you want anything else," Silvija said lightly. "Any time. Privilege of being part of Wild Pack."
Laura chewed, swallowed, then looked up at her with sharp eyes. "Dante said he'll give me a normal life without killing… Isn't Wild Pack a mercenary business?"
Silvija didn't flinch from the question. "You don't have to participate. All of your expenses will be covered by Dante's salary."
There would be a gap in their operations when Ava took time off to attend university. Felicia would be able to cover it with her symbiote suit. Silvija also got a huge upgrade to her combat capabilities with the symbiote, and leadership and tactics upgrade through the modifications Dante did.
The Wild Pack would be stronger even after losing Ava, their former ace.
"Then why am I a part of it?"
"For a sense of belonging I suppose." Sivija chuckled and offered another bite. "Do you hate it?
Laura took it faster this time and thought hard while chewing. After swallowing, she shook her head. "Wild Pack is a good name."
It certainly suited Laura, who had a tendency to go wild.
Silvija made Laura try other delicacies. Laura liked a few. Loved most of them. And with the sweet treats made by her new chef, Silvija had made progress.
Fifteen minutes later, her phone rang. Anna was asking if she should guide Emma Frost and one other woman to Felicia's room. Silvija immediately gave her permission.
Five minutes after that, the door opened. Emma Frost stepped in first, as calm and elegant as ever. Psylocke followed and scanned the room for threats. A soft smile appeared on her face when she noticed Ghost Spider.
Ghost Spider waved at her. "Hey!"
Psylocke nodded in return. "You're doing a good job."
"Dante deserves that more," Ghost Spider replied, shaking her head. "I didn't fight much."
Psylocke nodded again. "That is true. Where is he?"
Felicia shut her eyes as though holding herself back from snapping. This question really ticked her off.
"Good morning, Ghost Spider," Emma gave a cheerful greeting. "And Felicia, you're still causing trouble. How consistent of you."
Felicia rolled her eyes. "Hi to you too, Frost."
Gwen went a little stiff. She had a bit of trauma against mind-readers after she got knocked out one last time.
Another figure stepped from behind Psylocke. It wasn't Anna who had escorted them here. It was Ava.
***
(Emma's POV)
Emma turned and smiled at Silvija, settling gracefully onto the seat beside her. She could be comfortable anywhere. "I hope I didn't make you wait too long."
Silvija shrugged. "Don't worry about it."
"I wasn't." Her eyes flicked past Silvija and landed on Ava, who was posted near the wall like a guard dog with a personal grudge. "But speaking of worries… What's the deal with your little sister? Why is she glaring at me like I kicked her puppy?"
Emma could have read Ava's mind, which would've taken less effort than breathing. She wasn't going to bother with telepathy for something this trivial.
Silvija looked at Ava with a helpless look. "Ava, what's the matter this time?"
Ava leaned against the wall behind, crossing her arms across her chest. She looked from Emma to the others, as if counting them. Then she said in a dead serious voice, "I have a question."
Emma arched an eyebrow. "By all means."
"Why is every—" Ava pointed vaguely at the room. "I mean every single woman in this room beautiful?"
Emma had to admit the girl had a point.
Psylocke was a striking Japanese beauty. Felicia and Gwen could sweep beauty contests without breaking a sweat. Laura and Ava had that same feral, untamed edge to their personalities that made them wild and dangerous in an appealing way. Silvija was a queen and commander in every sense of the word.
And Emma herself? Well. She was the most superior of them all, naturally.
"All I can say is," Emma smiled. "Dante has great taste in women."
Gwen raised her hand, as if asking permission to speak. "I'm average compared to everyone here."
Emma turned toward her immediately. Her expression softened, becoming sincere. "Stop underselling yourself, dear. Your heart makes you the most beautiful person here."
Even without telepathy, it was obvious Gwen was kind. No terrible person would put on a mask and fight crimes for strangers.
Gwen scratched her cheek with one finger, uncomfortable with the praise. "I don't agree with that."
Emma's curiosity sparked. She let her telepathy brush the surface of Gwen's thoughts. And the glimpse she caught made her freeze. She probed deeper and deeper.
'That can't be real.'
A man sacrificing years of his life to save a friend's father—it sounded like a story people used as an inspirational story. Except it had happened yesterday.
Perhaps she'd misjudged Dante.
He had been quite mature in handling Laura and very patient with Gwen after Norman had left her in shambles. He wasn't someone who did something just for profit.
'Will he go that far for me if I'm in Gwen's situation?'
Emma forced the thought away. She hadn't built an empire just to lean on a man.
Across the room, Gwen and Felicia were bickering in low voices. Emma watched them with a faint smile and decided to do something fun.
"Ghost Spider," Emma said in a teasing voice, "do you disagree about being in love?"
Her suit's lenses went wide. Even the new, more intimidating suit couldn't stop it from looking goofy. "F-Felicia, everyone's here. Why aren't you starting?!"
Silvija narrowed her eyes. She had caught Gwen's fumble immediately.
Felicia acted like she had heard nothing and began talking, "It was like two thirty when Dante and I met in this bedroom. We spent twenty minutes doing… some couple things."
A bait for Gwen. Teasing Gwen to cure her bad mood was typical Felicia behavior.
Gwen made the universal gesture for timeout with her hands—Felicia's bait worked. "Wait!"
Felicia batted her eyelashes with a smile. "Yes?"
"What do you mean 'couple things'?" Gwen cleared her throat when everyone turned their attention to her. "We might need all the clues. It's… basic detective stuff."
Silvija looked like she really wanted to curse someone, probably Dante for making another victim.
Felicia's grin turned wicked. "So after that we…"
She told the whole event yesterday that led to Dante teleporting away with the Spirit of Vengeance.
Emma had known SHIELD's trump card was dangerous. She hadn't expected it to be Dante's equal in Death form.
'She deserves the title of his bride.'
Emma shook away the distraction and decided to assess everyone's reaction through her telepathy.
Gwen looked shaken, feeling as though Dante being in a tough spot had something to do with his over-using his powers for her father.
Silvija paced around the room with heavy strides, filled with fury that had no place to vent.
Ava leaned against the wall with a complicated look. She clearly wanted her sister to stay away from the three-timing jerk, but at the same time, she wanted Dante to be safe. The Latina had begrudging respect for the man who had defeated her in combat.
Psylocke looked deep in thoughts that Emma wasn't privy to.
Only Emma herself remained calm in the room.
If Dante had taken the Spirit away, he would've done it with a plan in mind. Death's lover wouldn't go down so easily.
Silvija stopped pacing and looked up at the ceiling. "Death, where the hell are you?"
"I'm here."
A black tear appeared in the air, and a black shadow dropped into the room, materializing as a black-haired woman. She looked around, and her eyes stopped on Emma. "Looks like all of his main allies are here."
Everyone went still at Death's appearance. She had opened their eyes to the beauty that existed beyond mortals.
"Death!!!" Felicia's figure vanished in an afterimage, as she threw herself in Death's arms. "I missed you!"
Death looked exasperated and rubbed the back of Felicia's head. "Sorry for not responding earlier. I've been busy."
"It's not on you." Felicia stepped back, shaking her head. "How is he?"
"He is safe."
Relief washed over everyone in the room. Even Emma felt a part of her loosening.
"Unless he risks his life, he'll need two or three days to return."
"What?!" Silvija raised her voice. "Why? Where is he?"
"In Asgard."
Silvija didn't understand it. Nobody in the room did except for one woman.
"Asgard… as in Odin's realm?" Psylocke asked. "Thor's father in Norse Mythology?"
"Wait, that Asgard?" Felicia's eyebrows lifted up in surprise. "Are the Norse gods actually real?"
"Most of them are…" Death's gaze went to Emma. "Norman Osborn will try to accelerate his plans in Companion's absence. Dante asked you to help Silvija. "
Emma showed a calculative look. "Who's going to stop SHIELD in case they come at me for using my powers?"
She couldn't underestimate SHIELD. Natasha's existence alone proved they had monsters in their pockets. What if there were more like Natasha hiding in SHIELD's base? Her telepathy was useless against a Spirit of Vengeance's host. Not even Psylocke could stop a Spirit of Vengeance at the peak of its power.
"I will," Laura said suddenly. "I'll talk to them… the Director will reconsider if I agree to return."
Laura would hate to go back, but she would do it willingly to save the city. The heroics yesterday had inspired the young mutant to be a bit more selfless.
Silvija shook her head. "Not happening."
"It's my problem."
"It's our problem now," Silvija said with a threat in her voice. "I'll ask Phil for permission to let mutants use their powers against the symbiotes. They should allow it. They'd be idiots not to."
Emma's gaze went from Laura to Silvija. "I doubt that. Fury is very rigid in the matters of mutants."
Laura thought for a second and said, "Dante said someone is mind-controlling SHIELD's high ranking members."
"Charles thinks he can make them co-exists." Emma put a hand on her face and laughed. "When mutants don't want to co-exist with either side."
His lovely fantasy couldn't be more tragic.
Death didn't respond to Emma's commentary. She walked to Gwen's side. "He wants you to take the lead. Don't overdo it and take proper rest."
Gwen's fist clenched on the table before she replied in a heavy voice, "Got it."
Death patted Gwen's shoulder gently. "He changed fate for you. Don't let him down."
"I won't."
***
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