"Uh... isn't this pose a little too... avant-garde?"
Azazel, the Red Demon, looked at his reflection in the mirror, his red face a mask of discomfort, like he was passing a kidney stone. He was crammed into a tight, purple and white spandex uniform and forced into a ridiculous, twisted posture.
"Shut up! Do you want to die?!"
Loki, completely playing the role of the big dog's lackey, sounded more professional than Captain Ginyu himself.
"Watch closely! The moves must be perfect! The eyes must be sharp!"
Loki scolded him while personally demonstrating.
He stood on one leg, body tilted at a forty-five-degree angle, arms crossed protectively over his chest, chin lifted high, wearing a frantic smile that suggested he'd just won the lottery and finally managed to go to the bathroom after a week.
"This is the soul of the Ginyu Force!"
Watching this display from the center position, Apocalypse, En Sabah Nur, felt his blue face muscles twitching wildly.
He was Apocalypse! The First Mutant! A being once worshiped as a god!
And now he was being commanded by this ridiculous, spandex-clad trickster god to perform this incredibly humiliating dance?
"I'm not..."
Just as Apocalypse was about to lower his hand, a terrifying aura, one that made his very soul tremble, radiated from the man sitting in the executive chair nearby, sipping red wine.
Frieza simply cast a brief, indifferent glance his way.
In that instant, Apocalypse saw the phantom image of Washington D.C. disappearing, and the chasm that now scarred the North American continent.
"Hmm? Do you have an objection?" Frieza gently swirled his wine glass, his tone as soft as if greeting an old friend.
"N-no... none."
Apocalypse took a deep breath and instantly backed down.
Survival, apparently, was more important than dignity.
Gritting his teeth, he raised his hands and struck the most mortifying pose of his eternal life, shouting loudly:
"If you ask with sincerity..."
Next to him, Sebastian Shaw (the Black King), Nightcrawler, and Azazel quickly followed suit:
"We will answer with our boundless compassion!"
Five figures, five different colors, five bizarre poses, frozen in formation.
"We are the Ginyu Force, here to conquer the universe for Lord Frieza!"
Although they looked like patients who had escaped from a mental asylum, their perfectly synchronized performance actually generated an oddly intimidating aura.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Frieza put down his glass and applauded elegantly, a satisfied smile on his face.
"Excellent. Absolutely excellent."
"A little rough around the edges, perhaps, but that combination of confident stupidity? That's the real spirit."
Frieza stood and walked over to the five men, as if reviewing his honor guard.
"For the next two days, you have one mission."
"That is to practice these maneuvers right here until they are burned into your DNA!"
"At the opening ceremony of the games two days from now, I want the entire universe to see the flair of my Frieza Force!"
"Yes, Lord Frieza!" The five men roared in unison. Though their souls were weeping, their bodies were obedient.
Having sorted out these muscle-bound brutes, Frieza was in a good mood.
He turned, his gaze falling upon the couch across the room.
Sitting there were two women, utterly different in style, yet both absolute knockouts.
There was Felicia (the Black Cat), clad in a tight black leather catsuit with a zipper pulled low, revealing a generous amount of pale skin.
And there was Emma Frost (the White Queen), elegant in a white couture gown, her demeanor regal and icy, like a glacial monarch.
Sensing Frieza's aggressive gaze, the two women reacted differently.
Black Cat licked her red lips and offered a flirtatious wink.
The White Queen merely puffed out her impressive chest, a glint of ambition in her eyes.
"Ladies."
Frieza stepped forward and extended his hand like a true gentleman.
"Since the interview is over, we should discuss the details of your contract."
"After all, the role of personal secretary requires rather intimate work."
"Loki, prepare the car. We're going back to Long Island."
The Long Island estate.
Sharon Carter, still in her maid uniform, was bustling about, directing the newly hired staff in cleaning the mansion.
When she saw Frieza enter the villa with two such stunning women, her eyes momentarily dimmed, but she quickly reverted to her submissive demeanor.
"Welcome home, Master," Sharon said sweetly, offering his slippers.
Frieza didn't even look at her, proceeding directly up to the second floor, taking the Black Cat and the White Queen into the lavish master suite.
Even Loki was called inside.
Click.
The door closed.
Gazing at the bedroom, which reeked of masculine hormones, both Black Cat and the White Queen felt a certain nervousness, mixed with curiosity.
Was he going to... start the casting couch process right away?
"Don't be nervous."
Frieza removed his coat, tossing it casually to Loki, then loosened his tie and sat on the edge of the bed.
His crimson eyes, carrying a look of deep-seated amusement that seemed to see right through them, scanned the two women.
"Are you truly not afraid of me?"
"I am the demon who just destroyed a city and plans to enslave all of humanity, you know."
"Afraid? Of course we're afraid."
Black Cat swayed forward, sat directly on the carpet at Frieza's feet, placed her hands on his knee, and looked up at him with seductive eyes.
"But more than fear, I love power."
"In this world, only a man like you is worthy of Felicia."
"As for 'morals'? That's just a game for the poor to play."
"Oh-ho-ho... A truly honest little kitty." Frieza lifted her chin, his thumb brushing against her smooth skin.
"And you?" he asked, looking at the White Queen, who stood a few feet away.
Emma Frost didn't approach him as directly as the Black Cat, but her gaze was far more explicit.
It was a raw craving for authority.
"Lord Frieza."
The White Queen curtsied elegantly, her voice cool and steady.
"I don't need 'security'; I need the view from the pinnacle."
"If you will allow me to be your permanent personal secretary, and share in the glory of your world domination..."
She stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and took Frieza's hand, pressing it against her cheek.
"Whatever you choose to do to me, whatever special preferences you may have, I have no objection."
The implication was crystal clear: Give her power and status, and her body was his to command.
"Brilliant! Beautifully spoken!"
Frieza applauded, the amusement in his eyes deepening.
"I do like women who are both honest and greedy."
"However..."
Frieza's tone suddenly shifted, his eyes turning cold and piercing.
"No matter how sweet your words are, how can I know what mischief you're hiding in your hearts?"
"What if one of you decides to stab Your Emperor while we're in bed?"
"While it certainly wouldn't hurt me, it would ruin the mood."
The women's faces stiffened.
"Loki!"
Frieza snapped his fingers.
"Bring me those things."
"Yes, Master!"
Loki, who had been a silent fixture in the corner, scurried over and produced two pieces of parchment that glowed with an eerie green light.
Soul Contracts.
"Sign it."
Frieza pointed to the contracts, his tone non-negotiable.
"If you want to climb into Your Emperor's bed, to gain power and protection, consider this your admission ticket."
Black Cat and the White Queen looked at the bizarre contracts. Although they instinctively recoiled, both were ruthless pragmatists.
Once they decided to attach themselves to a powerful master, there was no room for hesitation.
Rather than being small-time villains who could die at any moment in this chaotic world, better to be the Cosmic Emperor's prize canary.
Without a second thought, they bit their fingers, signing the contracts with a bloody fingerprint.
Whoosh!
The contracts burned away, and the souls were bound.
Frieza felt two new spiritual connections form; the sensation of absolute control made his mood soar.
"Very good. Very obedient."
Frieza stood up and waved his hand at Loki.
"Go get those two special uniforms I had prepared in the closet."
Loki instantly understood, flashed a vulgar grin, and returned with two outfits composed of... well, almost entirely ribbons and lace.
"These..." The White Queen looked at the few strips of fabric in her hands, her cheeks flushing.
"What? A problem?" Frieza narrowed his eyes.
"No! Of course not!"
Neither dared to refuse. They began a highly stimulating show of changing clothes right in front of Frieza.
Loki, taking the hint, wisely backed out and closed the door.
A moment later.
Frieza gazed at the two utterly alluring women, who were as smooth and tempting as silk, yet clothed in outfits that provided a stark, contrasting look.
He slowly loosened his tie.
He walked toward the two women, his towering form casting a shadow that completely engulfed them.
"Since you are ready..."
Frieza reached out, encircling their slender waists and pulling them close.
His crimson eyes burned with a primal fire, yet also held the scrutinizing look of a dictator.
"I must, however, warn you."
He whispered in their ears, his voice husky and dangerous.
"Your Emperor's power is quite immense."
"In every single way."
"Can your delicate little bodies..."
Frieza's finger trailed across the White Queen's diamond-smooth spine.
"...handle it?"
The White Queen, Emma, smiled faintly, her body instantly shifting into its Diamond Form. She became transparent, beautiful, and utterly indestructible, yet still retaining her soft, feminine curves.
"Lord Frieza, you might not know this."
She looked at Frieza with seductive eyes, her voice carrying a hint of a challenge.
"I can switch between my softest and my hardest state at will."
"No matter how powerful you are, I can... take everything you dish out."
Beside her, the Black Cat was not to be outdone, wrapping herself around him like a serpent.
"My Lord, a cat has nine lives."
"And besides..." She extended her tongue and flicked Frieza's earlobe. "I'm very agile. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
"Oh-ho-ho-ho..."
"In that case, let Your Emperor thoroughly examine your work capabilities!"