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Dante found room 3-E without difficulty, and the door was unlocked.
The first thing that hit him was the overwhelming smell of meat. Logan sat hunched at a long conference table, and he was destroying plates of food. Steak, eggs, and what looked like an entire loaf of crusty bread. He barely paused to breathe between bites.
His Healing Factor burned calories at an insane rate. After that performance last night, he was devouring food like a savage.
Emma Frost sat across from him in a high-backed white leather chair, which coincidentally matched her white blazer and pencil skirt. Her finger tapped against the tablet in her lap. Dante had a feeling she wasn't actually paying attention to the screen.
"Emma?"
Her ice-blue eyes flicked up when Dante entered. "New clothes, Dear? They don't look half bad on you."
Dante crossed the distance and flicked her forehead. The gesture was quick, almost playful, like something an older sibling would do to a younger sibling. But there was weight behind it, just enough to leave a red mark.
Emma's hand rose to touch her forehead. "Did you just—"
"Why did you send that loser?" Dante interrupted, pinning her down with a cold gaze. "Do you know how hard it was to stop her from erasing him from existence?"
Her eyes shook. "What did he do?"
"He threw a bucket of water on me and her. Then he tried to get me on my knees to apologize."
"He went that far?" Her eyebrows rose in disbelief. "I told him to wake you, not sign his own death warrant."
"He thinks he can get away with anything. You and him aren't that different. You're just smarter."
"My ego is far worse than Manuel, darling." She grinned as if he had just complimented her. "You're not exactly a saint yourself. Why else do you think I chose you to humble my dear student?"
"The lesson came at a price for both of you." He pointed at the red mark blossoming on her forehead with a smirk. "Anyway, don't try something like that again. You're their teacher. Start acting like one." He paused. "Or just ignore me. Those students mean nothing to you anyway. Just tools to consolidate your power in the Inner Circle."
She winced, a brief expression of pain in her eyes, which was quickly masked with a cocky smirk.
"Dear, I'm the telepath, but you're the one with all the knowledge. Seems rather unfair, doesn't it?"
He pulled out a chair and dropped into it. "Life is never fair. You should know that better than anyone."
Logan glanced between them, a piece of steak halfway to his mouth. "Looks like Emma found her sunshine."
"Who in their right mind would fall for a man who's already taken by three?" Emma's tone was dismissive, but Dante noticed the way her eyes flicked to him, waiting for some reaction. "I have some standards, Logan."
Dante's expression remained the same calm and collected, giving her no satisfaction.
He saw the disappointment flicker across her face. "You'll take those words back in the future."
He was half-joking. There was maybe a ten percent chance Emma would develop feelings for him based on what they would go through in the future. Stranger things had happened. He wasn't hoping for it, frankly. Having Emma's affection was such a double-edged sword.
Emma looked rather pleased for some reason. "I like confident men, but unfortunately, you…"
"It's your loss." Dante turned his attention to Logan, who was wiping his face with a napkin. "Logan, let's talk about how you were caught by the Hand."
"Thanks for the concern, bub, but I don't answer to you or Emma. You both can fuck right off with the interrogation."
"So tough. Does it have anything to do with Laura?"
Logan's eyes flickered, a reaction so subtle most people would've missed it, except both of them weren't ordinary. Dante had enhanced senses and Emma had become used to reading people without her telepathy.
"Just cooperate, Logan. I'm really trying to help you here."
Unbothered, Logan grabbed a glass bottle of water sitting beside his plate and drained it in one go. "Nobody asked for it."
"So you won't mind if something happens to Laura?" Dante asked. "She's right here with us, you know. In this building."
The bottle shattered in Logan's grip. "What the fuck did you just say?"
"Emma, show him."
Emma rolled her eyes, still annoyed by the way he ordered her order. Still, she didn't choose to voice her dissatisfaction. She tapped a few times on the tablet and then turned the screen to Logan.
The video feed showed a dimly lit small room with only two metal chairs, a small window, and a table like it was an interrogation room. Laura was having a feast, much like Logan. But unlike Logan, she was in a fresh set of clothes—a dark grey woolen jacket and black pants. Her hair was still damp from a recent shower.
Psylocke had taken a liking to Laura, otherwise, she wouldn't have given such luxury to their "hostage."
The ninja woman stood nearby in her distinctive purple bodysuit, keeping a strict eye on Laura.
Logan rose from his chair in surprise. "Why the hell is she here? How do you know about our relationship?"
"Are you sure you're in any position to question us?" Dante leaned back in the chair with a smirk. "Emma and my friends saved you from the Hand. I stopped SHIELD from arresting you, and I took Laura hostage to reunite you two. So maybe show a little gratitude and answer our fucking questions, Logan."
Logan's claws erupted from his knuckles with that distinctive SNIKT sound. Six adamantium blades still stained with dried blood from yesterday's violence.
"This is my answer, bub."
He launched over the table, showing the speed and ferocity which made him one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet. His claws were raised high, he was aiming to drive all six blades through Dante's chest in a killing strike.
Emma could've stopped Logan with one thought, but she didn't show the slightest desire to help. If he couldn't handle Logan, he wasn't worthy of being her ally. Such was her reasoning.
Dante calmly extended his right arm. A perfectly placed palm struck Logan right in his sternum.
The impact sounded like a thunderclap.
Logan flew right over the table he had just vaulted and slammed into the far wall. The force was so strong that Logan's three hundred pound body made a hole in the wall and landed in the next room. Thankfully, it was a spacious classroom on the other side, not the room where Laura was contained.
Emma stared at Dante with unconcealed shock. "How the hell did you do that without Death or Symbiote's powers?"
Dante was honestly a bit surprised himself. He had channeled solar radiation in his right hand, as much as he could cram in there. That alone wouldn't have generated this much force.
'Shang-Chi's techniques are just... broken.'
This was him merely replicating Shang-Chi's moves through Photographic Reflexes, copying the physical motions without truly understanding the complicated intent and philosophy behind each strike. He didn't have enough time to cram every bit of knowledge in such a short time.
If he actually took the time to complete the Shang-Chi Resonance Link and truly make those skills completely his own, he would reach a completely different level of combat effectiveness.
The realization was both thrilling and slightly terrifying. The recent days just had been so jam-packed with events that he felt like it had been a month or two, but he was still in his first week here.
'How strong will I be during the Chitauri Invasion?'
He just might be strong enough to casually kill every alien invader.
Logan groaned and pushed himself upright, shaking his head to clear it. His Healing Factor had already repaired the damage, but the shock of the impact clearly rattled him.
Dante politely gestured to the empty chair. "Violence won't solve anything, Logan. Why don't we all sit down and talk like reasonable adults?"
He had already accomplished his goal to show his strength so Logan stopped underestimating him.
Emma was utterly speechless. "Your shamelessness is impressive."
She had seen him provoke Wolverine into attacking him by threatening what he cared about, then punched him through a literal wall, and now he suggested a peaceful method like it was all Logan's fault.
She turned to Logan, revealing a serious expression. "Logan, just tell us the truth. I can probe your mind, but I'm choosing not to. For Charles's sake, if nothing else."
Logan's expression stilled at the mention of Professor Xavier. Some of his rage disappeared.
Dante leaned forward. "SHIELD is coming today. Cooperate if you don't want them to take back Laura."
"Let them come," Logan growled at the threat. "I can handle them chumps."
"Are you dumb?" Dante asked with a frown. "You can't even defeat me. What makes you believe you can fight the entire organization on your own?"
He was getting a bit fed up with Logan's stubborn nature. If not for his desire to get back at SHIELD, he would've handed the two over. Right now, these two were his only reasonable chance to piss off Nick Fury.
Logan clenched his fist. "I'll knock some sense into Laura. We'll leave."
"She didn't even know you were her father until I told her. Can you convince Laura?"
"How do you know I'm her father, pal?"
"I just do."
Emma looked between the two and relayed most events that took place yesterday. It helped Logan catch up.
"Logan, we're on your side. Us mutants are all united right now."
Logan walked slowly back to the table and dropped heavily into his chair. The grave expression on his face spoke of the emotions he was suppressing.
"What do you want to know?"
Dante tapped Emma's thigh to compliment her, which prompted her to slap his hand away. "How did the Hand get you?"
"I don't bloody know." Logan put a hand on his temple. "Last thing I remember clearly was in New Jersey. I was butchering a whole lot at a SHIELD facility. Someone said Laura was there. I just wanted to talk to her."
"Wait, what?" Dante exchanged a surprised look with Emma. "You were fighting SHIELD, and then you ended up as the Hand's prisoner? Did they sell you to the Hand?"
"I don't know what those motherfuckers did to me." Logan looked confused beneath the anger. "It's all blank after that."
"That's bizarre," Emma said. "I've never heard of any rumor about SHIELD and the Hand colluding."
"Maybe it's just one higher up with ties to the Hand." Dante didn't have much information to go by, so he asked the next most reasonable question, "Who told you Laura was held there?"
"Got a text with Laura and Sarah's images, and an address." Wolverine rolled his shoulders. "Xavier said it's a trap. Had to take the matter in my own hands."
"What's the deal with Sarah? How do you know her?"
Logan had no significant relationship with Sarah in comics. He probably didn't know who Sarah was until he met Laura—this was clearly not the case in this timeline.
Wolverine showed an annoyed look. "What's that got to do with anything?"
"She was his lover about twenty years ago," Emma leaned closer and whispered her telepathy findings in Dante's ears. "She broke up with him after two months. He still has her portrait framed in his room. He caresses it whenever he misses her."
Dante was only more confused. Did Sarah deliberately get together with Logan to be pregnant with his child? If so, what happened to Sarah? Was she still in Weapon X Project or with SHIELD?
Wolverine groaned, "Is it over, Bub? Can I see Laura now?"
"Let me get some answers first."
Logan's claws slid out again. However, this time, he kept them pointed at the table instead of Dante's chest.
Emma smiled. "Progress."
***
Laura was feeling energized after the extravagant breakfast. The energy gave her many, many ideas. One was to stab her claws in the swordswoman's throat, exit the door, and disappear somewhere to contact her organization. Maria and Natasha would retrieve her as long as she relayed her location.
"You don't have to return." A deep voice came from the outside as soon as she made up her mind to execute the plan.
The door quietly opened as a tall, black-haired visitor walked through.
Laura gritted her teeth. "It's you."
He had already ruined everything yesterday. Without his interference, Natasha could've handled Psylocke while she could've maneuvered around the slow, beat-up Piotr to take care of Emma before handling the steel giant.
Her mission would've been a complete success.
Instead, she was captured.
All because of him.
Dante gestured to Psylocke. "Leave her to me."
Psylocke stepped directly into his path, blocking his approach to Laura, as though she didn't hear him. Her violet eyes looked at him sharply.
"You're different from yesterday."
Laura also noticed the difference once Psylocke pointed it out. The subtle changes in his posture, breathing, and form added up to make him seem more disciplined and trained than Psylocke.
"Wanna spar later?"
Psylocke's eyes glowed with desire. "Let it be the deciding factor for whether I show up to the negotiations."
The corner of his mouth curled up. "Deal."
Laura would be lying if she said she didn't want to see a battle between the borderline arrogant Dante and monstrously strong Psylocke. She would be able to study their techniques and incorporate parts into her own style.
"I'll be outside if something happens," Psylocke murmured. Her hand rested on her katana sheath as she walked toward the door, disappearing with barely a sound.
Something about Dante suddenly shifted. He went from calm to being dangerous, or so she sensed. Her guess proved right when he waved his hand, and dark, shadowy arms stretched from his silhouette. They surrounded the table and it… vanished. The wooden frame, the planters, and everything completely erased from existence.
"This is better."
Satisfied, Dante grabbed the metal chair, flipped it around backward, and straddled it. He crossed his arms over the top of the backrest, settling in like someone preparing for a long conversation.
There was barely any distance between their chairs.
"Laura, we're going to change your citizenship."
***
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