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Dante returned to Silvija's room after leaving Natasha. He didn't have to go looking for Emma. She had claimed a seat on Silvija's bed. Her legs were crossed at the knee as she talked to Silvija, who sat by her side.
They both looked at him when he walked in.
Emma had that lazy, predatory confidence in her gaze again, the same one during their first encounter at the Hellmoon Club, when she had evaluated him both as an asset and a troublesome individual.
Silvija's gaze, on the other hand, held a naked desire for him.
"Oh dear, you look terribly…" Emma said, giving him a slow once-over. "Fine."
Silvija smirked at Emma. "His ass is perfect, like it was handcrafted by gods themselves."
"Really?" Emma asked, intrigued. "I'll need evidence for… academic reasons."
He stared at the two women sexually harassing him. It felt like—no, he was definitely being undressed and subjected to many unsavory acts under their heated gazes.
"Should I take these off?"
"Please," Silvija whispered, taking a deep sigh. "I'm begging you—"
Emma pinched Silvija's cheek without looking away from Dante. "Let's ignore your horny girlfriend for a moment."
"Done."
Silvija folded her arms and actually pouted. "It works when Felicia does that."
He was a little proud to see Silvija not carrying a cold expression all the time. Felicia, and now Emma, had influenced her quite a bit. And also for a fact she enjoyed her life every moment rather than moving from one task to the next.
"Dear." The voice Emma used was stripped of playfulness, completely direct and serious. "I want to know our next move against Selene. I won't risk my children's lives again."
For Emma Frost, that was as good as saying she would be willing to take orders if it meant Selene died. The Hellions' death had scraped away her pride and armor.
"Has she contacted you?"
Emma reached into the fold of her jacket for her phone and swiped a few times before handing it to him.
A message from two days ago, on the afternoon of the day he had fallen asleep.
[Selene: Come to the Club. I'll provide an explanation for my actions.]
"Did you reply?" He asked just in case she had called Selene.
She shook her head. "I was waiting for you to wake up."
"Then we—"
The familiar footsteps coming from the hallway stopped him. He tossed Emma's phone back at her, turned, and got his arms up. Sharon, in her cat form, rushed into the room and leaped into his open arms.
"Daddy!" She licked his face. "That Laura girl stopped Catseye from seeing you. Ask her to train with you and hit her a few times. Spank her butt!"
He found the soft patch under her chin and pressed his fingers in. "Stop asking me to beat others up. I'm not your henchman."
Sharon's eyes fluttered and a deep purr rolled out of her chest. "But you're my father…"
Silvija watched him with narrowed eyes. "Did you time travel to find another lover?"
"Stop making weird assumptions." He lowered himself onto the edge of the bed and let Sharon sit comfortably on his lap. "Sharon, I told you not to call me dad until we get Emma's permission."
"I refuse." Emma stood before him and pointed a finger in his face, using a firm, serious voice that she rarely used. "You aren't taking Sharon away from me."
"No one is taking anyone anywhere."
"Is that so?" She said sarcastically. "Then you won't object to me being her adopted mother."
Silvija looked between the three of them. Her expression took a slow journey from observation to that of a woman who had glimpsed the truth. "I knew she wasn't in it for the business alone."
Emma conveniently ignored Silvija's whisper. She kept her eyes trained on Dante, watching him affectionately pat Sharon like he was the only one in her world.
"Emma—"
"Don't Emma me. Give me a clear answer. Yes or no?"
He looked up at her, noticing the complicated emotions in her eyes. This matter wasn't just about Sharon. "Death wants to be her adopted mother."
"Yes!" Sharon cheered. "Catseye loves Death. She smells like home."
Emma's composure cracked as she took a small step back, completely unprepared for his answer. "Why would she..?"
Her lack of knowledge, her ignorance, so to speak, was absolutely a good sign. It meant she hadn't been snooping through Sharon's mind.
She straightened her shoulders and cleared her throat. Her composure was recovered quickly, perhaps from the experience of doing it many times in front of an audience. "Dear, I'm afraid I can't yield on this."
"You are saying no to Death?"
"I did not say that!" Emma swung her arm and took a step forward as though declaring her final stance. "I'll let Death be her adopted mother. Provided that I'm also one."
Sharon's eyes glittered with undisguised joy. "Two mommies?"
Emma's expression became soft and warm. "Yes, Dear. If your daddy can have three girlfriends, then Sharon is allowed to have two mommies."
"Yippee."
He brushed a hand along Sharon's tail as it swayed happily back and forth. "I don't mind. Sharon deserves all the love in the world."
Sharon purred in agreement. After a small while, she tucked her nose under her tail and fell asleep. Only when her breathing fully evened did he quietly and carefully pass Sharon to Silvija. The queen didn't question anything. She knew he had to deal with Selene.
Taking Emma's hand, he teleported to the parking lot. The space appeared cleaner than the last time he'd been here. The sentinel wreckage was sorted and stacked near the furthest wall. Emma had clearly put her diamond form to use.
"Where are we going?"
"To Selene." He gestured to the white-colored SUV parked near the exit. The luxury of its design hinted to its owner as much as the FROST on its plate. "I want to hear her explanation on killing my daughter."
Teleportation could save time, but it also wasn't as fun as driving or flying. The Club wasn't that far from their current location so he chose to drive.
Emma was stunned for a second before she cheerfully led him into the SUV.
He held out his hand. "Keys."
She hesitatingly dropped the keys on his palm. "Are you sure?"
"If anything happens to it, I'll buy you a new one."
"No need." She waved it off and slipped into the passenger seat. "I doubt your girlfriend can willy-nilly afford this model."
"Who said I'll use her money?"
Just a normal object from Asgard would fetch a high price on Earth since they were far more advanced in technology. Not to mention the other source of income from the merch sales.
She gave him a skeptical look. "You don't have to lie."
He shook his head and started the engine. In a few seconds, they drove out to the street.
"Why isn't Psylocke back? I miss my lovely sparring partner." He let out an exaggerated sigh. "Her ass is the reason I open my eyes everyday. The shape and size washes my depression away. It's the only light in my dark, cruel world—"
"Ask her yourself."
"What's that response? Don't tell me you're jealous?"
Her expression shifted, becoming more… cold. "As if I'll catch feelings for a faithless man."
"But I'm so honest." He smiled at her. "Am I not?"
She turned and stared through the passenger window at the buildings going by as though the sight was more interesting than talking to him.
The silence was annoying, so he turned on the music, but Emma quickly turned it off, her eyes telling him to get a read on the room.
"Emma dear, you're acting like a teenager on her period."
She gave him a flat, expressionless look before turning to the front. Her pride was simply too high to admit her feelings.
"So how did you get involved with Selene?"
The comics storyline regarding Emma's Hellfire Club had been a convoluted mess involving brainwashing and many other fucked-up events. He was curious if that held true in this alternate timeline.
Emma leaned her cheek against her hand, elbow propped on her palm. "I wasn't invited back then. I snuck in..."
Her eyes became distant as she retold her first encounter with Selene.
Years ago she had been at the Club for a business party. The usual meeting of the rich with terrible secrets and worse taste. Her telepathy had picked up malicious thoughts bleeding through the walls. She had followed them down, leading herself into a castle-like structure built entirely underground.
Selene was inside a massive chamber, surrounded by kneeling worshippers whose devotion was endless. She offered them power and immortality, and in return, they gave her their wealth and undying loyalty.
The evil witch's psychic guard had been completely down in her domain.
"I brute-forced my way into her mind," Emma said with a proud smirk. "I read a memory of thousands of years in an instant. Selene… was plotting to sacrifice thousands during the Roman Empire era."
Dante had been accustomed to the idea of people living for that long through Death herself, but it must have been quite the shock for Emma.
"What happened after?"
"She thought I was useful and appointed me as the White Queen."
Emma became the public owner of Hellmoon Club and gained access to a lot of resources from the Club.
Selene became the one running everything from the shadows and benefitted immensely from having the CEO of Frost International sponsor the Hellmoon Club.
Both of them profited from the alliance.
This also told him that the Club didn't have as many original members as the original. Otherwise, Selene wouldn't have spared Emma.
She met his gaze. "You look… disappointed. Were you expecting some blood sacrifice or some elaborate long game?"
"I thought you'd have had to fight harder and suffer a bit for the position. Turns out Selene handed it to you on a silver platter."
She snorted a laugh. Reaching into the backseat, she grabbed a pillow and threw it at his face. He didn't even flinch at her attack.
"Who needs enemies with friends like you?"
He smirked. "You know I'm right."
"This is the destiny of gifted individuals. Life is smooth-sailing for most of us." She picked up the pillow and put it on her lap, stealing small glances at him. "What about you? How much did you suffer to become Death's boytoy?"
He laughed. "Fuck you."
"You know I'm right." She threw his words right back at him. "No, seriously. Would it kill you to reveal more about your life?"
"Didn't you already dig through everything?"
"None of that tells me how you become Death's lover." Her voice dropped, sincere in a way she rarely allowed. I want to know the truth. "I want the truth. The real you."
"Some other day maybe. We're already at the club."
Emma looked out to see they had already arrived at the Hellmoon Club. She glanced at her wristwatch. "Twenty minutes flew by."
"It happens when you're with someone you love."
She threw the pillow back at him. "Narcissist."
"Not as much as you, White Queen. I bet your bedroom walls are covered in your own posters."
The silence that followed made him laugh. She took the pillow and began beating him up with it, venting her frustration. If she was truly angry, she would've assumed her diamond form.
He pulled into the parking lot.
***
"The world's first seventeen-thousand-year-old introvert lives here."
Emma seemed a little on edge to be entering the Club as an enemy. So he said something lighthearted to take her edge off.
Her mouth curved up. "I thought it was strange Selene feared Laura. Those futuristic machines are the real trouble for mutants."
"Why didn't Xavier tell you?"
"A non-hostile relationship doesn't mean we have to cooperate." She hooked her arm around his as they walked toward the entrance. "He must've wanted me to develop my powers without pressure."
"Pressure is sometimes needed."
She agreed with a nod. The second mutation was a phenomenon not many went through. Her Diamond Form came entirely because she broke under emotional pressure.
The guards at the entrance noticed Emma's face and moved aside, letting them into the main hall. The Hellmoon Club was warm and dim with the moonlight. People from every circle greeted Emma, offering congratulations and praise.
He leaned toward her. "What is that about? The merch?"
"Not quite, Dear."
"Then what?"
She pressed one finger to her lips, smiling. "I'm not saying."
"Aren't you too old to be acting like that?"
The joy on her face was undisguised. "Scared of an experienced woman, little boy?"
"Too cocky for a crybaby."
She laughed under her breath as they moved deeper into the Club. Perhaps it was her trust in him or new powers that Emma had stopped caring like they were walking into the base of one of the most powerful mutants.
They turned around a side hallway and stopped. A woman in a brown dress stood blocking the way.
Emma showed a brilliant smile, despite the fact her arm tightened around his, bringing her closer to him. "Lady Tessa, are you here to escort us?"
"Naturally, Lady White Queen," Tessa said with a polite smile and bowed slightly. "Mistress has been expecting you for two days."
"Forgive the delay. I needed proper time to grieve for my dear students. Those poor kids."
The slight shift in her expression was hard to catch for anyone. Dante saw the guilt clearly in her eyes. Tessa was a spy set up by Xavier, and she wasn't here for her personal goals. But it wouldn't change anything. If she contributed to the Hellions' death, she would pay for it. His motto was simple and clear.
Tessa pushed her emotions away and crossed her arms. "I'm very sorry for your loss. Trevor's madness caused a terrible tragedy."
"Don't act like you weren't protecting Trevor's mind." Emma lost her composure and growled. "Trevor himself confessed he was acting on Selene's orders."
"Please calm down, Lady Emma. You're reaching for conclusions based on a misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding?" Emma let out a condescending laugh. "You and your mistress are spineless cowards. I will make you pay for it."
"Lady White Queen, you should discuss this matter with Mistress Selene in private." She bowed. "Please follow me to her chamber."
She began walking ahead slowly, hell-bent on sticking to her lie.
Emma watched her turn the corner and grinned at him. "How was my acting?"
Selene didn't know he had resurrected Emma's students. Tessa wasn't there to see him reverse their deaths. She had left before even Dante's arrival. Emma's diamond form awakening had terrified her.
"Your acting is great. But, you know, I could've just killed her."
She was struck speechless for a moment. "You went along with Felicia's act. This is unfair."
"She is my girlfriend. Of course, I'll play along with her."
She stared at his face with a blank expression, and then quietly hooked her arm around his. After a few more corridors, she whispered, "Let's see what Selene has to say first. I trust your... ability to act, if it comes to that."
He never thought Emma would openly say the word trust, much less associate the said trust with a man who had threatened to kill her during their first meeting. "We're probably walking into a trap."
"I'm counting on your protection." The smile she gave was small, but that sincerity was too shiny for his eyes. "Dear."
He averted his gaze. "I got you."
She chuckled at his reaction. "You're always reliable."
They followed Tessa into a dead end, a section of wall that seemed ordinary. Tessa paused and pressed a black card to the wall, making it vanish like it had been an illusion. Beyond the doorway, stone stairs led down and torches burned in brackets along the walls.
The medieval dungeon-esque architecture stood out against the modern looks of the club.
"Selene's castle," Emma whispered and revealed a solemn expression. "Be prepared for anything."
"She should be prepared for me."
***
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