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Dante woke to something wet and rough dragging across his cheek and found himself face-to-face with a lavender-furred cat perched on his chest, licking his face.
She was larger than any housecat, somewhere between a well-fed domesticated pet and a small wildcat. Maybe fifteen pounds beneath that thick, plush coat.
The cat paused mid-lick when their eyes met, and let out a rumbling purr.
Dante moved Death's arm from where it draped across his chest and lifted the peculiar creature in both hands as he sat up.
"What a cute cat."
The cat didn't struggle, only gazed at him with intelligent amber eyes. "Warm human. Is cold outside. Let Catseye stay."
A look of recognition crossed his face. "You must be Sharon."
She must have been drawn to the warmth generated by his Helio Reactor, the same warmth that made him such a desirable "heater" in Felicia's eyes.
She cocked her head. "Sharon Smith. Emma named Catseye that. Emma thinks Catseye is human." Her tail swished uncertainly. "Catseye is a cat."
Dante remembered her story from the comics, at least what little had been explored. Abandoned by her parents at birth in some alley, she had been raised by feral cats. The experience had fundamentally shaped her psychology, leaving her convinced she was a cat, and her human form merely a secondary shape she could assume. She was found by Emma Frost, who brought her home and made her a member of Hellions.
She still believed she was a cat.
He put her down on the bed, but she climbed on his lap, settling comfortably.
"Catseye stay here."
Amused, Dante channeled just a trickle of solar radiation into his legs, raising the surface temperature of his skin by several degrees. Sharon purred as she pressed herself more firmly against his thighs, soaking up the warmth.
"Is this better?"
"Catseye likes," she said, eyes half-closing. "Sleepy…"
Smiling, Dante grabbed his phone and realized he hadn't turned off the silent mode after the heist. The screen lit up with a flood of notifications—messages from nearly every person in his recent contact list except Emma. Even Silvija had broken her code to send worried texts about him staying at Emma's place.
[Ava: Come back soon.]
[Ava: I'm going to kill you.]
While everyone else had asked if he was okay or wished him goodnight, Ava Ayala had sent a straightforward death threat.
'She probably found out the truth.'
The Felicia situation was bound to come out sooner rather than later. The real question was how Ava would respond when they saw each other in person. If she went overboard with the protective-sister routine toward Silvija, well... his hands were always ready to deliver a spanking to that feisty Latina ass of hers.
One by one, he replied to everyone's messages. He deliberately left Ava on read.
A finger poked insistently into his back. "When did you adopt a cat, Companion?"
Death's voice carried lazy amusement as she propped herself up on one elbow, black hair cascading over her bare shoulder. Her dark eyes focused on Sharon with curious interest.
Sharon's nose twitched as Death extended a hand toward her. She leaned forward, sniffing delicately at Death's fingers, and her ears flattened slightly in confusion.
"Smells nice." Sharon looked around the room with increasing bewilderment, unable to locate the source of the scent her enhanced senses detected. "Catseye can't see this human."
Death chuckled. "Her nose is sharper than her eyes."
"Shouldn't she be instinctively afraid of you?"
"Wrong, Companion." Death looked up at him with a patient gaze. "There is a reason many mythologies depict cats as messengers of death and bad omen. Some outright call them creatures who escort souls to the afterlife. Many witches still have cats as familiars. Even ordinary housecats can smell if a person is dying."
"So that's why Sharon can smell you."
Death nodded and put a hand on Sharon's head. The sudden appearance surprised Sharon, but she still didn't jerk away. Sitting quietly and obediently, she let Death caress her head.
"Sharon likes the black human girl."
Dante caressed Death's hair just the way she caressed Sharon's. "She isn't human."
"Ohhh?" Sharon cocked her head. "Black human girl is mutant?"
Death poked Sharon's cheek. "Call me Death."
"Death?" Sharon purred, leaning into Death's palm. "Catseye likes Death. Reminds Catseye of old friends."
Death ruffled Catseye's fur before glancing up at him. "Companion, you've improved a lot in one night."
"Just trying to close the gap between us."
He had done two attempts to completely master Shang-Chi's martial arts. The muscle memory felt completely integrated now—he was confident he could take on Ava's White Tiger form in hand-to-hand combat without relying on solar radiation enhancement.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't rush your growth. You'll rarely find competition when you're on a cosmic entity level."
"That's great," he replied wryly. "Means no one will mess with me."
Sharon directed what seemed to be an angry frown up at him. "Someone bullying warm human?"
"Even your Queen doesn't want to bully me." He couldn't help but smile. "Rest here. I'm gonna take a shower."
"Shower is coming to you, pal!"
The door slammed open and banged loudly against the wall. A young man with carefully styled brown hair burst into the room, wearing a vibrant magenta heavy winter coat adorned with white fur and black pants. He carried a plastic bucket sloshing with water and emptied its contents across Dante's lap.
Sharon yowled indignantly and leaped away to the safety of the headboard before the water touched her fur.
Dante could've easily reacted as well. Instead, he welcomed the ice-cold bucket of water with an easy smile.
"You got more?"
The young man—Manuel de la Rocha (codename Empath)—blinked in confusion. "Did the Queen's mind control make him dumb or something?"
"Manuel, our guest clearly lacks common sense," another sarcastic voice came from the doorway.
A blonde woman stepped into the room, wearing an identical magenta coat, looking quite amused by Dante's response. Roulette, Jennifer Stavros, the probability manipulator and the meanest girl of the group.
Her eyes swept over his bare chest with open appreciation before she shook her head in disappointment. "Such a waste of a face."
"Roulette," Empath said through gritted teeth, clearly annoyed by her distraction. "What do we do with this nutcase?"
"Queen Emma commanded us to bring him to her. We'll do just that..." She revealed a predatory grin. "After we have some fun with him first."
"Can you two stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Dante pointed at his dripping wet shirt. "By the way, I can't go to your queen like this."
Roulette crossed her arms beneath her chest. "Oh. What exactly do you want us to do about that?"
"Are you lowering your IQ on purpose?" Dante asked with a puzzled look. "Get me new clothes."
Roulette stared at him for a few seconds then burst into laughter. "Did you hear him, Manny? He wants us to fetch him clothes! Like we're servants or something!"
Empath's expression darkened. He stepped forward and placed one boot on the bed arrogantly, looming over Dante in what was probably meant to be intimidating.
"I don't know which sewer you crawl out of, pendejo," Manuel said coldly. "But this is our territory. Stop making demands like you're a prized guest, or you'll leave this place in an ambulance—dead."
Dante's smile didn't waver. "You know what's funny, Manuel?"
"Don't call me—"
"You're obsessed with Emma Frost." The statement dropped into the room like a bomb. "It happened after you tried to manipulate her emotions with your powers. You wanted to make her desire you to control her. Instead, she destroyed your little attempt."
The color drained from Empath's face.
Roulette looked at him in surprise. "If you ever try that emotional manipulation shit on me, Manny, I'll fucking kill you. I swear to God."
"Give him a break." Dante shook his head. "Poor guy hasn't experienced genuine friendship or love. Even his parents' love was fabricated by his mutant power. What a pitiful guy…"
"Manny is a real work of art." Roulette shook her head pitifully. Seeing that shaken expression on her "friend's" face made her switch targets of her bullying. "I thought Sharon had lived a pitiful life, but you weren't any better than her."
Empath clenched his fists, seething. "You bastard. How dare you—"
"Manuel, no!" Another figure appeared in the doorway—a young woman with distinctive red hair. She wore more simple jeans and a warm sweater rather than the team uniform. "Miss Emma will be angry if you cause problems with her guest."
Angelica Jones. Firestar. Dante recognized her immediately since she was the only redhead around Emma with a kind personality—one of the few decent souls among the Hellions, and the only one who would eventually escape Emma's influence entirely.
Empath's face twisted. His eyes glowed as he took control of Angelica's emotions. "Stay out of this."
Angelica's legs stilled at his command, and she nodded slowly.
He shoved her aside roughly, sending her stumbling, then grabbed Dante's collar with both hands. His eyes began to glow again as he attempted to manipulate Dante's emotional state.
"Apologize," Empath commanded, believing himself to be already in control of Dante. "Get on your knees and apologize for insulting me, you filthy sewer rat—"
Dante flicked Empath's forehead. The casual motion had a devastating effect. Empath flew backward like he had been shot from a cannon, sailed through the doorway, and slammed into the hallway wall. The plaster cracked behind him, then he collapsed on the floor.
"Oh my god!" Angelica pressed both hands to her mouth. "Manuel!"
Even now, she was under Empath's order.
Roulette, on the other hand, stared at Empath, then at Dante. Her face had gone full pale.
"I promised Tarot to train with her." She backed toward the door, forcing a laugh. "Catch you later, maybe."
She turned and fled down the hallway, her magenta coat swishing behind her. She was sharp enough to see they had picked on the wrong person this time.
Dante ignored her departure, examining his hand with fascination. Beyond the enhanced muscle control, he had learned techniques to concentrate his strength into a single point of impact. This move was a combination of what Shang-Chi called Fā Jìn (Explosive Force Release) and Yī Zhǐ Chán (One Finger Zen). The results were frankly terrifying when combined with his solar radiation amplification.
He stood up calmly, water still dripping from his hair. He walked over to Angelica and extended his hand. "You okay?"
She stared at his extended hand for a moment, then took it hesitantly to stand up. Her palm was noticeably warmer than normal human body temperature. She was using her microwave generation powers to keep herself warm.
"Thank you."
He released her hand before stepping past her. Empath was shakily trying to push himself upright, one hand clutching his forehead where a red mark had already formed.
All the fight had drained out of Empath. His eyes were wide with fear now. He hadn't realized Dante would be so strong. Not only had Dante resisted his mutant powers, he was also strong physically to casually swat a grown man like an annoying fly.
Dante shook his head, disappointed but not surprised. All the bullies became cowards the moment someone stronger showed up to check their behavior. Empath was especially childish because he had been manipulating everyone's emotions since the moment his powers awakened. He had never faced real consequences before.
"Listen, kid." Dante crouched down to eye level. "Get me new clothes, or I'll take off yours and throw you in a river."
Manuel's mutant powers were mental. He would certainly die in a cold river.
Empath glared up at him, trying to summon some last shred of pride. His eyes glowed. "Angelica, fry this cunt."
Dante grabbed his head with one hand and slammed it back against the wall. He had used just enough force to give the young mutant a terrible headache. "One word and your head will explode. Do you really want to test whether I'm joking?"
Intimidated, Empath completely lost willpower. He slowly shook his head, eyes squeezed shut.
"Clothes and breakfast in twenty minutes. I'll kill you if you cheap out on anything." Dante released his grip and stood up. "And don't forget the underwear."
Empath scrambled to his feet and bolted down the hallway, nearly tripping over his own boots in his haste to get away from Dante.
"Make sure they're clean!" Dante called after him before whispering, "Emma, you magnificent bitch."
The White Queen had absolutely known this would happen when she sent Empath and Roulette to "fetch" him. She had probably orchestrated it to knock down Empath's ego while simultaneously annoying Dante.
Two birds, one stone.
He turned back to find Angelica still standing there, looking torn between terrified and a bit satisfied at seeing Empath get his just deserts. Empath's emotional control had a distance limit.
He gave her an apologetic smile. "Can I get a towel please? I need to shower."
"Oh! Yes, of course." She seemed eager to help. "I'll fetch one from my room right away."
She hurried off, and Dante returned to the bedroom. Death had watched the entire encounter from the bed, looking thoroughly entertained. Sharon jumped from the headboard and landed in Death's lap.
"That was restrained of you, Companion," Death whispered. "I would have claimed his soul for that offense."
"He is just a kid." He poked Sharon's back. "Why didn't you help?"
Sharon curled up. "De La Rocha is creepy. He makes Cateyes feel strange. Catseye not like him."
The Hellions were exactly as dysfunctional as the comics had portrayed. Maybe worse since Emma was a bit more emotional in this world, thanks to Psylocke's presence.
He rubbed Sharon's back. "You should stay away from him."
"Catseye does!"
"Here!" Angelica appeared at the door, tossed a fluffy white towel at him, and ran away before he could thank her.
Emma had isolated Angelica to the point she couldn't even properly interact with strangers. It was even worse in comics, where Emma had only let herself be Angelica's emotional support. Her life only had one horse and one bodyguard while a hallucinator fed her images during her dreams to make her hostile towards the X-Men. While at the same time, Emma had reinforced the belief that Angelia's powers were hazardous to be near anyone but herself.
The White Queen he interacted with was quite kind compared to how she had been at the start of comics.
'SHIELD is the biggest factor mitigating hostility between mutant factions.'
Dante headed for the bathroom, grateful to finally wash off. A bit of tweak from Biokinesis temporarily removed the need to brush his teeth.
Midway through washing his hair, a rich, savory aroma wafted through the bathroom door. His stomach growled loudly in response.
His feast was here.
Dante hurried through the rest of his shower, dried off quickly with the heat of solar radiation, and wrapped the towel around his waist before emerging back into the bedroom.
Death and Sharon weren't there. Instead, a young woman with shoulder-length black hair stood in the room. She was wearing a deep pink skirt and stockings, unlike the rest of Hellions team.
Tarot. Marie-Ange Colbert. The mutant with precognitive powers through a mix of tarot card reading and her own powers. She could also materialize and animate tangible images of the tarot card avatars like Lover and Devil. Once materialized they were completely under her control to do her bidding.
Her dark eyes studied him intensely. "Manuel sent these."
On one bed, a plethora of bags had been stacked, containing clothes.
On the other bed sat enough food to feed a family. The row of crispy bacon nearly made him salivate.
"Empath chickened out?"
"He sends his apologies," Tarot said in a soft voice. "Manuel can be... a jerk sometimes. But he does not truly mean harm."
"He wasn't trying to harm me when he threw a bucket of cold water on me." Dante raised an eyebrow. "Using his mutant powers to manipulate people's emotions. Right, no harm at all."
A flicker of shame crossed Tarot's face. Her lips parted as she tried to say something, but she couldn't find an argument to defend her teammate's behavior.
Finally, she seemed to give up entirely.
"Emma is waiting for you in the academy building. Third floor, east wing, staff room 3-E…" she showed a hesitant expression. "Don't hurt Manuel again… or the Queen won't respond kindly. He is still her student."
"I don't care as long as he doesn't cross me again."
He wouldn't have minded Empath if the kid just minded his own business. After all, his own ally used her telepathy without any restraints. But Empath just had to try abusing his powers on him.
She nodded and slipped out, closing the door softly.
He turned his full attention to the feast laid out before him. "Death, you can come back."
Sharon and Death materialized in the room. As expected, they had gone somewhere when Tarot had entered the room. He knew his lover had taken a liking to Sharon. Otherwise, she wouldn't be hugging Sharon so close to her chest.
"Food!" Sharon jumped on the bed and bit into a piece of roasted fish. "Catseye likes fish!"
"Hey, that's mine," he said with a laugh, joining her on the bed.
"Catseye share," she mumbled with the fish in her mouth, ears twitching. "Warm human share with Catseye. Is fair."
"Slow down. There is plenty for everyone." He gestured to Death to join them before grabbing a piece of bacon. "Sharon, my name is Dante. Use that from now on, okay?"
"Warm human Dante," Sharon confirmed, already tearing into another piece of fish. "Catseye like warm humans."
"..."