Chapter 65 : Dawn of a new era (An easy day)

 

Manhattan Mall, Koreatown, Manhattan, New York, 5th of May, 14:47

 

Our respectives sundae in hand and already a few shopping bags that may or may not have been filled with clothes hanging from our arms, Gwen and I are wandering through Manhattan Mall's cluttered and crowded hallways while chit-chatting excitedly.

 

When Gwen had asked me if we were supposed to take a bus or a subway, I merely winked at her before asking her to ‘hold tight’. Then it was barely an affair of a few minutes of increasingly bold teleports to cross the distance between Whitestones to Koreatown.

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Turns out aligning Iris and I’s minds increases our range quite dramatically as long as they are living beings nearby.

 

It had been the first time I teleported with Gwen along and the blond had been very wide-eyed at the casual display of ‘fucking with physics’ I’ve done.

 

So here we are, casually chatting while roleplaying a duo of hummingbirds jumping from flower to another as if clothings brands and pop-up stores had suddenly started to produce nectar. Even the constant buzzing of the nearby minds that trickles through my accelerated minds is noticeably happier and upbeat than usual.

 

We aren't apparently the only ones who enjoy looking for the perfect outfits on this nice Saturday afternoon.

 

We do turn a lot of heads though and not only me. Gwen either remains splendidly oblivious about it or is just having too much fun, but I can feel, and hear, the judgmental gaze all around us.

 

For a city that will celebrate the Pride in a little more than a month and a half’s time, I’m a little bit disappointed by the apparently rampant homophobia and bias against women being a little too cozy with each other.

 

I may have to do something about it as my hero persona just because I can.

 

Yet so far, our little outing has gone extremely well.

 

Yes, Gwen is still stuck to my arm like a baby koala to her tree when she isn't trying another dress or pair of pants for the nth time, but aside from it, we’re just having a fun and relaxing time after months spent studying and training like madwomen.

 

Plus, it’s kind of cute and she’s not pushing things further.

 

I can indulge her for a day without overthinking it, after all, like Harrison said.

 

Granted, he may not be the most pertinent role model out there but having another adult telling me that I'm just torturing the both of us by keeping things impersonal when there's definitely something between Gwen and I helped me relax a lot about it.

 

“What do you think about those?” Gwen asks me as she slows us down near a shoe-filled showcase, trying awkwardly to point toward a particular pair while simultaneously not giving up her hold of my arm nor letting her purse and shopping bags fall.

 

Blessedly, we just finished and discarded our sundaes, or it would have been an even more perilous ordeal.

 

I ‘hmm’ for a beat, my eyes darting between the pair of shoes and her own feet.

 

My eyes narrow.

 

“I’m not sure Gwennie,” I start, “The cut is a bit too serious for you, I think, especially in this color.”

 

Polished black low pumps tend to.

 

She tilts her head, considering.

 

“What style would suit me, do you think?” Gwen asks, side-eyeing me while still looking at the display.

 

“Either flat shoes or one inch heels, nothing in between.” I reply instantly, “Low pumps literally screams office worker and you aren’t lame enough to stoop so low.”

 

She giggles at my offhand compliment.

 

“As for a particular model of shoes beyond that, you’ll have to coordinate it with your outfits and the shape of your feet and the length of your legs.” I explain further.

 

Her head turns back to me, freshly armed with an elegantly raised eyebrow.

 

I splendidly repress a gulping motion.

 

Her makeup is discreet, but that little touch of eyeliner is doing something to me that the butterflies in my stomach keep reminding me of.

 

Iris giggles in my mind, [Cooing] in full force.

 

“The shape of my feet?” Gwen repeats interrogatively.

 

“It’s important.” I assure her.

 

“Really?” She asks mischievously, “I could have sworn it was a made up excuse to take a peep.”

 

I look at her archly, an amused smile on my lips.

 

Her eyes leave mine first, a light blush on her cheeks.

 

“Please forget I said that.” She blurts out precipitously, eyes shifting.

 

I chuckle, pulling her a bit closer against me.

 

“It’s fine Gwennie.” I tease, “I’m sure they are as lovely and dainty as your hands, but I regret informing you that my intentions are pure.”

 

 She blushes harder, her eyes still avoiding mine.

 

I gently turn her head toward mine with the help of one of my fingers under her chin.

 

For a moment that stretches very dangerously, we stare into each other's eyes.

 

I note absentmindedly that she's lightly biting her inner lip as her mint green eyes glaze over a bit.

 

So cute… 

 

"[Mirth, cooing, love] : Careful, you're falling." Iris teases.

 

Which instantly breaks the moment, prompting me to drop my finger as I grin at Gwen.

 

"It's ok, really." I assure her, trying to look anywhere but her mouth that looked dangerously inviting a few seconds ago, "I'm not one to begrudge some flirty banter from time to time."

 

Gwen hides it well, but her relief is clearly visible.

 

Her attention snaps back toward the showcase.

 

"So, which one?" Gwen redirects a little quickly.

 

I suppress a chuckle as I mull over my answer.

 

"Really, it's more up to you," I answer with a half-shrug, "But I think those would suit you best. Especially with that dress you’re wearing right now."

 

My finger points toward a pair of one inch heels, in leather look-alike polished red, with a design reminiscent of some open sandals that would show her toes if she was to wear them.

 

She raises once more an eyebrow.

 

"Are you sure you're not…" She starts amusingly.

 

I pinch her without any strength at all while mock-scowling at her.

 

"Manners, young lady!" I chide her.

 

Gwen giggles under her hand, her shopping bags perilously hanging there for a beat.

 

We trade an amused smile.

 

Yet again, our moment is stolen by events outside of our control.

 

"[Concern, excitement, anticipation] : Blood-sister!" Iris mentally exclaims, her mind suddenly very focused in one direction.

 

“Yeah, I just noticed.” I answer my symbiotic half’s warning.

 

There’s another telepath nearby, their minds stretching and ‘tasting’ foreign thoughts around them strangely evoking an octopus in my mind-eye.

 

I scowl openly, stopping in place.

 

Still riveted to my side, Gwen is also promptly stopped.

 

Her head jerks upwards and she tenses as soon as she sees my expression.

 

My favorite blond’s eyes narrow.

 

“What is happening?” She asks, her head starting to swivel around as discreetly as she can.

 

Good instincts.

 

“A moment, Gwennie.” I answer absentmindedly, “I’m not sure.”

 

The telepath’s shield is a little shody and so I try a discreet probing.

 

“Bolster our defenses just in case, Iris.” I ask my blood-sister mentally as I start reaching for the mental cord linking the unknown telepath and I.

 

"[Acknowledgment]." She answers immediately, her own shield growing to encompass Gwen, me and herself.

 

I reach and I’m easily inside.

 

Wanting to stay as low profile as I can, I just do a quick surface scan.

 

I immediately groan as I retract.

 

“For fucks sake.” I bemoan aloud, “It was supposed to be an easy day.”

 

I childlishy kick an imaginary ball off the ground as Gwen looks at me funny, not really knowing if she should chide me for my crude language or asking for what is happening.

 

Her reason wins over her quirk.

 

“Report?” She clips, her war face apparently on as she keeps looking around.

 

I start to slowly walk again, still keeping an eye on the telepaths’ tendrils as my one-way TK privacy screen flickers on.

 

“There’s five mutants coming in a group on the grounds’ floor, they’ve just entered the lobby.” I answer.

 

The issue is that we’re smack in the middle of the mall right now on a floor that doesn’t have any exits.

 

Gwen’s eyes widen.

 

“Hostile?” She immediately double-checks with me.

 

“What does your sense tell you?” I ask back, directing us toward a window at a walking pace.

 

Sadly, there is a building just in front of us blocking the view and I don’t really want to teleport in blind.

 

“It’s totally silent.” She answers.

 

“That checks it.” I admit easily, “Those belong to Xavier’s posse, their telepath’s presence alerted me, she’s a little flashy even at rest.”

 

Since I took the time to explain to our little team what the major players in the hero field were, Gwen immediately relaxes.

 

“That’s fine then,” She says casually, “It’s not like we’ve done anything wrong.”

 

I wince a little.

 

Her eyes narrow.

 

“What did you do?” She asks a little accusingly.

 

“You never wondered how I managed to find that many DNA samples in one day?” I ask a little awkwardly.

 

She pauses for a beat.

 

Less than three seconds later, her eyes widen once more.

 

“You stole them from the X-Men?” She blurt- hisses.

 

“It’s a little more complicated than that,” I start while side-eyeing her, “but in short, yes.”

 

“Are you insane?” Gwen berates me, “What if something had gone wrong?”

 

“I was pressed for time,” I answer, a little annoyed, “I had reasons to think that a certain spider girl I knew would get in trouble the day just after. I had an entire careful and well laid out plan that I had to scrap, so I had to think on the fly.”

 

That makes her pause.

 

“You took that risk for Cindy?” She asks.

 

“And you too, of course.” I carry on, “Even if you had been the only one getting bitten that day, I would have risked it too. The probability of some bullshit happening was way too high for my taste.”

 

I hesitate for a beat, mulling over what to say.

 

She has the right to know.

 

“I was almost certain that Anansi’s chosen would be Parker.” I admit, “ Cindy and you getting bitten derailed everything, forcing me to commit myself way more than I’d planned.”

 

Her eyes widen in shock as her mouth goes slack.

 

“Parker as in…” She starts.

 

“Peter, yes.” I answer, my mind-eye still riveted on Jean’s tendril who are getting dangerously close, “Him or his alter-egos usually are Anansi’s predominant choices for that particular time period. Frankly, you getting chosen floored me because you’re usually set up in a low-power universe, where your potential antagonists usually don’t even reach the heights of Dr. Doom’s ankles.”

 

“Yet here we are, mucking around in an universe whose doomsday clock is ticking forward at an alarming pace and you’ve drawn the short end of the stick.” I conclude.

 

Could be worse, obviously.

 

After all, if it had been Parker, the probability that Gwen died for some contrived reasons would have skyrocketed.

 

Yeah, better not reveal her that.

 

I side-eye her.

 

Gwen is as pale as a ghost, her head downcast.

 

I squeeze her arm a little.

 

“Relax, Gwennie.” I tell her with an easygoing smile, “We’ve got time and you and the others are way more prepared than you should’ve been. Our odds are good, not stellar, but good.”

 

“That’s not it.” She answers as she raises her head to look me in the eyes.

 

Her mint green orbs are full of anguish and guilt.

 

“You took that risk for us, for me,” She babbles, “You said nothing and now they’re here.”

 

I blink a little, halting my steps.

 

Damn.

 

I gently catch her face in my hands, stopping a tear from falling with my thumb.

 

“And it was worth it.” I assure her, my eyes locked into hers, mustering as much steel and determination as I can, “Given the chance, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Bringing the team together and training with you all has been one of the most fun I ever had in my life.”

 

Heavily tampered by almost daily sessions of my accelerated thought streams second-guessing myself, but they don’t have to know that.

 

Everything worked out in the end despite the himalaya sized pile of doubts I had over our preparations so I have to show a strong front.

 

“[Worry, anxiety] : Aria!” Iris urges me.

 

But it’s too late.

 

One of Jean’s mind-tendrils connect.

 

In my mind-eye, the octopus stills for a beat, before going on a frenzy, probing Gwen, Iris and I’s shields as fast as it can without getting in.

 

I close my eyes as I exhale slowly.

 

The five X-Men start to beeline in our direction.

 

Okay, change of plans.

 

“She’s on us,” I inform Gwen calmly, “Do you have your mask on you?”

 

Gwen startles, before nodding mutely, one of her hands drying her eyes rapidly.

 

“Perfect, plan B then.” I say while turning us around, remembering having seen a Tea House on the floor.

 

“What is it?” She asks, her head back in the game.

 

“A chat between our two factions as peaceful as we can manage.” I answer, “We objectively have nothing against them and I even promised Jean’s patron to do her a favor if I ever met her.”

 

“Jean?” Gwen asks archly, still a bit misty-eyed.

 

“The telepath, one of whose DNA is partially responsible for my abilities.” I answer machinally, still keeping my mind-eye on the five rapidly approaching mutants and counting my blessing that Kurt still hasn’t teleported onto us, “Her patron mistook me for her when I got stranded in the Astral Plane after overdoing it to save Cindy. Since he’s a bit of a piece of work, he strong-armed me into a promise to help her develop her abilities if we crossed paths.”

 

“We have roughly the same telepathic and telekinetic potential give or take a few details but she has an absolutely terrible mindset for what he expect her to do in the future,” I carry on, “I have an idea of what he intended me to help her with and it’s gonna be an herculean task, trust me on that.”

 

As we cross the threshold of the Tea House, I start blasting around us a suggestion for every patreon to go away while beelining for a table in the back.

 

“Do you trust me?” I ask Gwen while side-eyeing her, the clients around us starting to vacate the premise.

 

“Always.” She answers instantly.

 

My heart skips a beat at her admission and a smile blossoms on my face.

 

“Awww, don’t sweet-talk me like that.” I answer lightly.

 

Gwen sputters, her cheeks reddening as she throws me a this-is-so-not-the-time! look.

 

Iris covers my face in our Heroic Battleform mask as I sit myself back against the wall, gesturing for Gwen to do the same to my right.

 

She fumbles for a bit with her mask but still manages to put it correctly by the time the X-Men reach the floor.

 

I exhale softly one last time, one of my hands squeezing Gwen’s under the table to calm her and I’m a bit grateful when she mirrors it.

 

“Alright, showtime.” I mutter under my breath for the both of us.

 

In our shared-mind, Iris radiates [Expectation, excitement].

 

At least, that makes one of us.

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