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Dante waved at Jean, who was on the other side of the portal. She waved back eagerly and accompanied Ororo into the mansion. They stopped for a moment at the door and glanced back at him. Ororo had a softer smile and Jean with a bright grin.
He waved again, watching them enter the mansion.
'That's one problem solved. I'm free for the night now.'
After closing the portal, he pulled out his phone and quickly translated the words Ororo had whispered against his chest.
'Thank you very much, for your grace.'
She could've said it in English, but the native tongue made it feel more sincere… or maybe he was just overthinking it. He hadn't done any of this expecting thanks in return. Ororo had helped out against the symbiotes. It was only natural he lent her a hand.
He checked the time on his phone and grimaced. Three past midnight. He had sworn to Felicia he would be back tonight. She was probably asleep by now, or worse she was pissed and cursing him in her mind. Still, he should check in. Even if she was mad, knowing he was finally there might soften her anger.
He let out a sigh. Quite unfortunate he might never know what "exclusive surprise" she'd been saving up for him.
He teleported outside her building and floated up to the bedroom window. Felicia was surprisingly awake. She sat at her desk in a loose white shirt and shorts, her hair pulled back in that messy ponytail she only wore when she was deep in focus. Her hands were moving over a piece of PCB on the table.
She stopped and suddenly spun her chair around to him. Her cat-like senses had alarmed her of someone watching her from the shadows.
"Dante."
She shoved the chair back and blurred across the room using her acceleration ability. A flick at the window unlocked it.
He slipped inside the moment it opened. "Hey."
She leaned back against the sill with her hands behind her on the frame. Her eyes sparkled with that mix of sass and affection he loved. "When did my boyfriend become a stalker?"
"Uh… tonight?" He smirked. "The better question is, why are you still awake?"
"I made a promise to someone." She pouted, pretending to be annoyed. "But he doesn't give a damn."
He moved closer and slid his hands down her waist and then lower. Cupping her ass, he lifted her off the floor. "I'll show you how much I care."
Felicia locked her legs around his hips and hugged his neck for support, resting her chin on his shoulder. "How exactly?"
He gave her ass a firm squeeze and carried her to the bed, setting her down gently. His fingers went to his shirt buttons. Felicia's hands were faster and undid his belt in seconds. Just as her fingers tugged at his zipper,
BUZZ. His phone began to vibrate intensely in his pocket.
His hand froze halfway through pulling off his shirt. Felicia's Black Luck had struck again.
She gave him an annoyed glare that had one simple message: "Not again."
"I won't go anywhere now," he promised, pressing the phone to his ear without even glancing at the screen. "Who is it?"
"Illyana."
"Ah, Illya. What's up?"
She went quiet at the nickname, which her brother used all the time. Dante wasn't in the mood to care if she permitted him or not. Felicia's gaze was growing noticeably colder with every second he stayed on the call. If the call dragged on for a few minutes, the whole room might freeze.
"Well.. it might or might not be urgent," Illyana said. "Depending on how much you cherish this world."
He frowned, finding this roundabout way of speaking not very like her at all. "I think you already know the answer."
"Right, I do!" She laughed, but it was more nervous than anything. "Better if we talk face to face. I've got… a lot to say about the fate of this world."
"Can it wait till tomorrow? I'm too beat up after that fight."
Dante didn't want to brush Illyana aside, but he'd rather not upset Felicia when she made that face. Besides, he was quite eager to take their relationship to the next stage.
"Ah, yes, absolutely," Illyana said, catching the fake exhaustion in his voice. "Tomorrow works."
"Good night, Illya."
He threw the phone on the nightstand and cupped Felicia's cheek. "Are we—"
The phone buzzed again, the screen lighting up a moment later.
Felicia raised an eyebrow, daring him to take the call. He almost ignored it until he glanced at the screen. Emma Frost, who was in Europe at the moment. This could be an urgent call that might dictate her life or death.
He tilted her jaw up and leaned in for a quick, apologetic kiss. Only then did he answer the call. "Emma."
"I woke up after a long day and saw you trending on every international news station," Emma said in an exasperated tone. "Causing that much chaos is one thing. Reversing it like you're some kind of time god is another. What the hell happened?"
"I thought you'd be more worried about me than the news…"
"I am, dear. Why do you think I'm calling instead of texting?" She explained with a rather tired voice. "Which is why you have to tell me why were you two fighting?"
"Turns out Charles and Teresia were lovers. Professor sent Magneto for revenge."
"What?!"
"Don't worry. Charles is dead. Erik choked him to death."
Emma was speechless for a long moment, taking her sweet time processing the death of a nuisance. "How much of that was your contribution, darling?"
"Wow, I should sue you for defamation."
"Darling, I know how petty you can be. Xavier sent a nuclear weapon for you. There is no universe in which you leave Xavier without some punishment."
Emma knew his petty side too well. She had experienced it herself and then with Selene and Teseria.
"One hundred percent me," he admitted, trusting Emma to keep it between them. She had earned all they had been through. "Mag needed some trauma."
Emma laughed out loud. "God, only you can say that about a Holocaust survivor."
"I'm amazing, right?" He rubbed Felicia's head affectionately. She was being remarkably patient with this call, probably because she was on good terms with Emma now. "Tonight got me on a lot of people's bad side. Think the great and beautiful Emma Grace Frost can handle the PR storm for me?"
He knew for a fact JJJ would air the footage as the main evidence for his hate campaign against Skullfire. But Emma might be able to cook up something to lessen the overall impact.
"Piece of cake, darling. But you have to take me out for dinner next week. Any place would do."
"No problem. I'll talk to you later. Going to sleep."
"...Good night."
He gently put the phone on the nightstand and took off his boots. Next came his pants and shirt. Left in only his boxers, he turned back to Felicia.
Felicia licked her lips. "What are you waiting for? Take them off."
BUZZ. They both glared at the phone, but the four bold letters completely erased their annoyance.
Felicia quickly handed him the phone. "She won't call without reason."
"I know," he said, taking the call. "Jean."
"Dante, it's Ororo."
"Oh, Ororo. How are things over there?"
"I have something to share about that. But before I do, I have to let you know." She paused as if considering her words. "Jean and I… we trust you more than we trust the X-Men at the moment. You've been a reliable friend."
He knew whatever she was about to say would be heavy. Otherwise she wouldn't have prefaced it like that.
"We just had a conversation with…" Ororo trailed off, drawing out the suspense. "Charles Xavier. He isn't dead."
"How is that possible?"
Dante was prepared for anything but the professor to still be alive. He had watched the old man die with his own eyes. Xavier wasn't some immortal who could still be alive without breathing for minutes. Despite his mutant powers, Xavier was still a normal human.
Something definitely happened when he left the mansion to help Ororo.
"It's real," Jean cut in to support Ororo. "Same voice, mannerism, physique… even the same psionic waves. There are no doubts about his identity."
Felicia's arms slipped around his waist. She pressed her cheek to his abs, silently reminding him she wanted him right here with her, not chasing another crisis.
He stroked the back of her head. "I'll be there tomorrow."
Something told him Mister Sinister was behind this "revival." Nathaniel Essex had always been obsessed with forcing Jean and Scott together to create the ultimate mutant offspring for his own twisted plans. Killing Xavier would've ruined that. So maybe the bastard had made a personal move to put things back together.
'But why is he oppressing mutants? Is he taking orders from someone else?'
The second potential mutant was Xavier's sister, but she would be celebrating Xavier's death. She would never bring him back to life.
"Take us with you tomorrow," Jean said. "It'll be better if we're there with you."
"Alright. Want me to open a portal back?"
"We'll grab a cab. Thanks for asking though."
"Take care then. Make sure Scott isn't stalking you."
Desperate people do desperate things. Scott, after having his heart broken, might cross the line.
"My telepathy can cover the area around us. I'll know it right away."
"Still call me if you run into any trouble."
Jean laughed softly on the other end. "Jeez, stop treating us like kids. We can take care of ourselves."
He shook his head with a smile and hung up. After a moment's thought, he powered the phone off. No more calls would disturb him tonight. If anyone he loved was truly in danger, Death would warn him.
He gripped Felicia's shoulders and gently pushed her back onto the bed, reaching for the button on her jeans. With all these distractions, he wasn't in the mood to create any mood.
"Wait." She caught his hands and sat back up. "Let me get the surprise ready first."
He nodded, even though it physically hurt. He had made her wait long enough. She deserved to keep him waiting for some. She blurred to the closet, grabbed a bag, and disappeared into the bathroom. The door clicked shut.
He sat on the edge of the bed in nothing but boxers. The rustling sounds behind the closed door made his imagination run wild. When the door opened, all the wait was worth it.
"Hey, darling."
Her surprise was quite simple—donning the complete Black Cat suit with the classic domino mask. But he would be lying if it didn't make his heart slam against his ribs. She wanted to have her first time looking her best, which was her signature suit.
As he admired her figure, he felt a gaze on his back. He turned toward the window and caught a shadow outside. The horns on the head made the silhouette far too recognizable.
He sighed and put on his Skullfire appearance. "Lady Loki, I didn't know you were a voyeur."
Even Asgard, it seemed, had decided he wasn't allowed one peaceful night with Felicia.
***
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