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Laura appeared at his side immediately, looking at Psylocke's face. "She dead?"
"You wish. I thought you'd interfere."
"I almost did. But then I saw how she was running on pure instinct." She glanced at Psylocke, whose face was concealed by her purple bangs. "I can't stop that without killing her."
"So considerate."
She gave a knowing smirk. "I don't wanna see you mad. I wanna see you happy. Killing Psylocke would do the opposite."
Her solution certainly would've angered him.
"You don't believe me?" Laura reached for the hem of her top, but he caught her hand. "I'm giving you the proof of my trust."
"Can you go a minute without trying to seduce me?"
"I want to be more intimate with my boyfriend. Is that a… sin?"
"I'm busy right now."
"So later. Noted."
He shook his head. Rather than using the water or external stimulants, he woke up Psylocke with his Biokinesis.
She stirred in his arms and looked up at him. Pushing weakly against his chest, she tried to stand on her own, only to sway and fall back into his embrace.
"I feel… dizzy," she whispered. "What happened to me?"
"Just glucose deficiency. You pushed your body way past its limits."
He explained everything that had occurred. Hiding it would be pointless since it was directly related to her new ability. From his own observation, the awakened genes had removed the gap between her neural intention and physical response. In simple terms, her brain had stopped "commanding" her body. The cost was a rapid drain of glucose and a temporary loss of her sense of self. But the benefits were ridiculous. Five times strength, speed, and an almost inhuman reaction time. The complete lack of emotions during the state turned her into a near-perfect warrior.
She could become a killing machine even before he properly trained her. With enough training, she might be able to enter this flow state at will and be in control of whom her body targets.
Psylocke looked at the wooden sword, which had cracks all over its length. "I shouldn't use this state without reason."
"That would be true if I wasn't here," Dante said with a light chuckle. "Come on. Let's start your training for real now."
"But I can't—" She paused mid-sentence and frowned. He already fixed her exhaustion and the lack of glucose with Biokinesis. "Thanks."
"No need."
Stepping back, she tested her balance and found she could stand on her own again. "Is that the only ability?"
'If yes, it might be a bit disappointing' was written across her face.
He recalled the interlinked gene and shook his head. "There should be one more."
"Oh."
"We won't know until you push further." He picked up a fresh wooden katana from the rack and tossed it at her. "Which means we should get started."
The training started. Though he called it "training," it was mostly him standing there while she went ballistic on him. He had even stopped using his solar radiation entirely, relying purely on raw speed, reflexes, and technique, and she still could not find a way past his guard.
For the entire session, he didn't see any sign of her mysterious flow state or the new ability he had awakened in her. She was fighting purely as a highly skilled martial artist, trying desperately to breach the defenses of an obscenely powerful trainer.
By the time the hour ended, Psylocke was completely spent. She was not Hela, who could swing a blade for days without tiring. She was human, with human limits, and one solid hour of high-intensity combat against an opponent who outclassed her in every measurable way had pushed her to the brink of collapse.
'She has to work on her stamina.'
He could've used Biokinesis to make her recover for another round. Instead, he sent her back to her room to rest. Her training would increase at a steady pace. Making her fight to exhaustion won't achieve results without proper recovery.
Next was Laura's training, which would require an entirely different approach. Not only was she his lover, she also had an entirely different motivation to seek strength.
"Laura," he said, once she had taken her position across from him. "Do you know why I am training you?"
She raised an eyebrow, staring at him for asking such an obvious question. "To make me stronger?"
"That's the result, not the reason."
"Let me think…" She frowned, tapping her chin. "You want to find a strong training partner?"
"No."
"You want to be dominated by a strong woman?"
"NO."
"Uh… You have a new enemy?"
"The man controlling SHIELD in the palm of his hands. He is going to target people around me, which includes you."
Laura crossed her arms in an X, adamantium claws sliding out with a metallic shing. "Let them come. I'll cut through all of them."
She had become absurdly confident since her telepathic weakness had been addressed, and while Dante appreciated the attitude, he also knew that confidence alone would not stop Sinister from devising a plan to disable her claws.
"Also," she said, retracting her claws. "Can you give me some new abilities?"
"I can try."
She excitedly dashed into his arms. Honestly, it felt like an excuse to get touchy with him. He wrapped one arm around her waist to hold her and reached into her genetic structure with his Biokinesis, searching for her dormant genes. Anything that might offer a new avenue of growth.
He found… none.
The scientists over at the Weapon-X had fully excavated her potential through pain and experimentation. He performed some minor optimizations and left it at that for now.
"I can't," he told her honestly. "They already unlocked everything."
It would have been surprising if it were otherwise, given the sheer amount of work that had been done to her.
Laura looked up at him with a pout that should not have been as effective as it was. "You help a stranger, but you don't help your girlfriend. Unfair."
"...There is still one way, but I don't know if you'll be comfortable with it."
Her eyes shone with hope. "You know I'll do anything for you. Even if you asked me to die, I won't say no."
"How romantic," he said with a wry smile. "Did you read that in one of your books?"
"It came straight from my heart."
"You definitely read it somewhere."
"..."
"The second option is gene implantation," he explained. "It would be a significant amount of work. But with the right genes, you might become stronger than Darkchylde."
In his previous life, it wouldn't have been possible. But with his current mastery of Biokinesis and careful experimentation, he could precisely implant new abilities through genes. He just needed to find suitable targets first. Dragons or similarly powerful creatures.
Laura bared her teeth in excitement. "Why not share your powerful genes with me?"
"The only way I'm doing that is through sex, not direct implantation," he said with a shrug. "Unless you want to never be in a relationship with me."
Sharing genes through an implant might create biological conflicts later if they ever wanted to have a child together. His genes also might not be suitable for her since he had cosmic energy and a connection to another universe. His body had a lot going on.
Laura separated from him and began stretching her arms for a warm up. "I don't want anything."
He rubbed her head affectionately. "You're such a good girl."
She gave him a deeply unamused look. "I'm a woman."
"You're such a good woman."
Taking his arm, she guided it to her face. "Do you love me?"
"I do."
A smile bloomed on her face. She moved closer and wrapped her arms around her, pressing her face in his chest. "I love you too."
He patted her back, wondering how the training session had turned into this. If he wasn't careful, this was going to turn into an hour of spoiling her. Which was exactly why he had invited Psylocke to join them earlier. Left alone with his lovers, he had a habit to lose track of the original purpose.
"Dante, I have a question," Laura said, suddenly serious. "Will this implant stop me from… having a child?"
"Nope. Your child might be born stronger."
"Really?"
"We'll leave it for later," he chuckled. "Let's train first."
"Okay!"
Unlike Psylocke, he only had one clear path for improving Laura's overall strength. That was by making her better in close combat. Weapon-X had trained her to be a lethal assassin, someone who killed quickly and efficiently and then vanished. SHIELD had tried to train her in this, but they lacked the experts to get her skills past elite-level.
He'd have to teach Laura how to fight prolonged battles against more durable opponents, how to chain aggression into sustained pressure. Also, he intended to teach her martial arts that integrated with her adamantium claws.
There was a practical benefit beyond combat, too. She would be attending university soon, and she could not exactly extend her claws if some bully decided to pick on her. Knowing how to handle herself with restraint would be useful.
On his command, Laura charged at him with her claws out, but stopped halfway. "I don't wanna hurt you…"
"..."
She withdrew her claws and assumed a fighting stance. "Can we do it like this?"
He sighed and flicked her forehead with enough force to make her yelp. "Stop treating me like a princess. Your claws can't even scratch me."
"It's not about that," she whispered with a pitiful expression. "I… I just don't want to hit you."
As adorable as he found her hesitation, he could not let it derail the entire session.
"Then let's make this interesting," he said with a smile. "If you land a clean hit on me, I'll fulfill one of your wishes."
She swallowed audibly, her eyes wide with surprise. "Any wish?"
"Yes. Even that."
Her claws snapped out again. The ambiguity of the offer had sent her imagination racing into territories that had very little to do with combat. He was impressed by how quickly the incentive had worked.
Now he simply had to make sure none of her attacks actually connected, because Laura with motivation was an entirely different creature than Laura without it.
Laura pounced at him and stabbed her claws at his ribs. He stepped back, dodging her attacks. With a chance to fulfill her wish, she no longer felt uncomfortable attacking him. Her eyes were filled with hungry determination. He couldn't tell if this lust was driven by romance novels or if she was born horny. Most likely it was both, working together in perfect, terrifying harmony.
***
Gwen's POV
Gwen, Felicia, and Jean met at a café near Silver Sable International just as the sun had started becoming paler. Jean had rushed over after having a quick shower, not even bothering to eat anything beforehand. Felicia wasn't letting Jean leave on an empty stomach, so she brought Jean to the cafe to have something light.
"Alright, ladies," Gwen declared. "Let's get justice for Dante!"
Felicia and Gwen exchanged a look across the table. Felicia was on a tight deadline with her promise to Dante, but Gwen seemed even more eager to solve this mystery.
"We're catching this evil mastermind today," Jean said in a pleasant mood. "I feel very positive about it."
Felicia raised a brow and pointed at Jean's plate. "You feeling confident, or just sugar-happy?"
Jean paused mid-bite, then smiled. "Both. Don't forget who is mentoring me."
"That guy who left my lovebites on my tits," Felicia grumbled under her breath and took a bite out of a strawberry cupcake.
Gwen could only sigh. Felicia had already made her relationship physical. Meanwhile, she had only touched the kissing stage. After finals, the portal would be the easiest way to attack him at night and seal the deal.
After Jean had her fill, they paid the bill and moved outside to the parking lot, where Gwen and Felicia had parked their bikes.
Jean looked at the two motorcycles with undisguised envy. "I'm applying for a license next week."
Gwen pulled her helmet on and adjusted the strap. "You know how to drive?"
"A little. I'll take classes."
She nodded and glanced at Felicia. "Where is the location?"
"Just follow me," Felicia said. "Jean, hop on."
Jean settled onto the seat behind Felicia without complaint, and the three of them rolled out one after another, engines roaring as they weaved through busy Manhattan streets.
Gwen realized they were heading toward familiar territory only when they turned onto the street where she had been before. Her confusion grew even more when Felicia pulled to a stop outside a particular mansion and gestured Jean to get off.
She removed her helmet slowly and stared up at the building where she had spent every high school summer vacation. "This is the Osborn family mansion. Why are we here?"
Felicia's gaze moved to the nameplate beside the metal gate, then to her phone, then back to Gwen's face. "Natasha traced the caller to this address."
"Someone must've used it as a misdirection." The words come out more defensively than she intended. "I don't believe Harry would order a hit on Dante. He—"
"Gwennie, it's alright," Felicia interrupted gently. "You don't have to vouch for him. I know he didn't do anything."
"Yeah."
Felicia put her helmet back on and mounted the bike. "This is a dead end. I'll leave the rest to Dante."
Gwen stayed where she was, unwilling to let the case close when the trail had led directly to her friend's door. The friend she had been growing increasingly suspicious of. Whether it was her own Spidey-sense, Felicia's comments in the mall, or Dante's sudden insistence on handling the Green Goblin problem for her—everything was making her more and more uneasy.
She noticed Jean quietly staring at the mansion. "Did you find anything?"
Jean flinched at the question and stiffly shook her head. "It just reminded me of the X-Men mansion. I had some of the best memories of my life growing up there..."
Felicia restarted the bike. "Jean."
Jean climbed on behind Felicia and whispered, "I don't like lying to my friends."
"Me neither… but Darling wants it this way."
Their voices were muffled, meant to be for each other rather than Gwen. But her enhanced hearing had picked up every word. After all, all of her senses had been sharpened by the spider bite, which included her hearing.
'What are they hiding from me?'
She shook her head and mounted her own bike. They split up near her neighborhood. Felicia and Jean headed in one direction while Gwen drove back home and parked in the garage.
She took off her helmet and stood there for a moment, staring at the glossy finish of her motorcycle.
"It can't stay like this. I have to know."
She put the helmet back on, fired a symbiote web line at a button to open the garage door, and revved the engine hard enough to leave tire marks on the ground. The bike screamed out of the driveway and back onto the street. She didn't slow down until she pulled up outside Silver Sable International.
It was 6 PM when they met up with Jean. Now it was already 8 PM. The status had been tagged with 'No visitors allowed'. Gwen still pushed through the door. She believed her friendship with Silvija allowed that much privilege.
The receptionist was picking up her things, getting ready to call it a day.
"Gwen," the blonde woman said before Gwen could introduce herself. "Visiting Dante?"
"Yeah. Wait—how do you know me?"
She had never come here as Gwen Stacy. Every previous visit had been as Ghost Spider. The receptionist shouldn't know her.
The receptionist chuckled softly. "I'm familiar with Mr. CEO's girlfriends. He is training on the fourth floor, by the way. You can take the elevator."
Gwen's anger evaporated, and she blushed hard. One of Mr. CEO's girlfriends—was that going to be her title for the remainder of her relationship with Dante? It was quite embarrassing.
"Thanks," Gwen said, glancing at the nameplate on the desk. "Anna."
"Tell him to shower. I'm going to order dinner. Gwen, you should stay and eat with us."
"Thanks again."
Gwen headed straight for the elevator after that strange encounter. Anna definitely wasn't a normal receptionist. Dante and Silvija wouldn't trust an ordinary employee with their secrets.
The elevator doors opened onto the fourth floor, and Gwen immediately heard Laura's aggressive growls. She broke into a run and followed the sound to the training room, where she stopped in the doorway and stared at the sight.
Laura was furiously unleashing an onslaught of claw attacks at Dante. She was covered in sweat from head to toe, growling like a wild animal. Meanwhile, Dante, who was only wearing shorts, barely looked like he was breaking a sweat.
"Get her, daddy!" A lavender-furred cat was cheering on from the side.
"This is training?" Gwen whispered. "You look like you want to kill him."
Dante heard her and turned with that always charming smile. "Gwen, what's up?"
"What are you hiding from me?"
He opened his eyes wide. "What am I—"
Laura, who had been circling behind him during the distraction, struck. Her claws swiped across his back. The sneak attack had succeeded.
"I did it!" Laura cheered like she had won a lottery. She jumped onto his shoulders, locking her thighs around his neck triumphantly. "I won!"
Sharon dashed into the sparring area. "Sharon saw Gwen distract Daddy! It doesn't count!"
"It does," Laura snorted. "There was no rule about distractions."
"It's fine. I lost," Dante said with a helpless sigh. "Gwen, I blame you for the distraction."
Gwen didn't believe that for a second. His eyes had flickered toward Laura for a split second right before the attack. He had more than enough speed and reaction time to dodge, but he hadn't. He had basically handed Laura the victory on a silver platter.
To him, winning or losing was less important than Laura's happiness.
Gwen stayed quiet and let Laura have her moment. Laura was having too much fun hugging Dante's head and rubbing her chin against his hair. Gwen felt a tiny spark of envy at how close they were.
"Hey," Gwen said. "Can I have him for a minute?"
Laura jumped down right away. "Sure. I'll go shower."
Dante took Sharon in his arms and rubbed her chin. "I'll see you in the room."
"Okay, daddy!"
Gwen watched them leave until the door closed behind them with a thud. She turned back to Dante with her arms crossed across her chest. "Boyfriend, you've been hiding things from me. What exactly are you protecting me from?"
He remained silent. The silence was a sign of his guilt.
"And how is it related to Harry?"
***
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