Frozen Heart

"I can't believe he left, that bastard. He's so inconsiderate! He could have left a note or something! It pisses me off!".

'We were supposed to go to my place afterwards, but how come he squeezes out now? I swear if he went on a date with that girl... she was being so touchy and blatant–'

Emma tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, driving down Manhattan from the Bronx towards Brooklyn. Admittedly, she was thrilled by how fruitful today's encounter had been but still upset at Ray for ditching her after they had already promised to go somewhere together. 

"It is eleven in the evening; I don't blame them. Gosh, my parents are going to be so worried; I have dozens of missed calls. Can you drive any faster?" Jean requested anxiously, making a call.

Emma didn't say a thing; she watched her new telepath 'friend'.

'She's strong and has potential, also that phoenix... she made me undergo another mutation. I'm capable of telekinesis now; what exactly is she? It wasn't an illusion.

Telekinesis and telepathy didn't go hand in hand, but were still manifestations of power in the same field: the mind. She always loathed, incapable of performing it, and today... that barrier that stopped her crumbled like it had never existed. All thanks to this redhead

"Yes, Dad... I was just with some friends; I'm heading back now. You don't have to worry about me".

"..."

"No, I'm not with Ray! I-I am... I'm with another friend, yeah. Alright, talk to you in a bit, tell mom she doesn't have to worry".

"Why so much insistence?~" Emma smirked.

"If I tell my dad I was with Ray, he will think Ray is irresponsible for taking me back this late; it will leave a bad impression", Jean fidgeted.

'This girl is so innocent I almost feel disgusted...' Emma groaned inwardly, recalling the time in her past when she also used to be this innocent before everything crumbled.

"How girly of you, protecting your lover".

She stopped at some traffic lights and glared at Jean, a vicious comment that served as a trigger for the elephant in the room, which they had been avoiding.

"... I won't give him to you", Jean almost growled, but instead of retorting with her usual remarks, Emma drove off when the lights turned green and shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not trying to take him away from you. If you want to be his girlfriend, by all means".

"Huh? Then why have we been fighting!?"

"You can be his girlfriend. As long as you don't get in my way. You're the girlfriend, I'm his lover, that's how it works, got it? I'd rather be the lover." Emma licked her lips.

"... you're joking", Jean gasped in disbelief, the respect she had gained for Emma decreasing by the second.

"I'm totally serious, darling... if you want to be a housewife, that's up to you. I don't care. But he and I have a business to deal with, and after that's sorted, I want to fuck him every morning before I go about my day, then I'll fuck him again in the evening while we take a bath. We can take turns to see who sleeps with him; I don't care about that. We will have a date thrice a week, or maybe four, depending on my mood".

"Why would I accept such a stupid arrangement!? Even if I did, when is there room for me in that schedule?".

"Is that my problem? After his balls are empty, you can go and play housewife, cook for him, have kids, or do whatever. I don't know. You're the girlfriend, do your job~"

Jean didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she laughed instead at how utterly ridiculous that proposition was.

"There is no girl in this world who would accept that!"

"Darling, he's got a lot of money, he's a powerful mutant... you have no idea how many widows would slap you for saying that. If you're not happy with that-"

"Of course, I'm not!"

"Then we have to fight because I'm not giving it up".

The mood soured; Emma watched Jean at the window but still watched her through the reflection.

"I thought you were a cool girl, driving a cool car, living a free life. But you're just some slut. How could you be happy with that? Love yourself a little".

Emma gasped, resisting the urge to slap Jean there and there.

'Living a free life? You don't know shit... you're just an innocent fifteen years old girl. Ugh, I'm just getting worked up over nothing'.

...

The Ferrari parked in front of Jean's house; Emma didn't stop the engine. 

"Practice what I taught you. As you go out the streets, I want you to access as many mindscapes as possible. See memories, try to inflict memories... test your limits. The more you do it, the more comfortable you feel. After you're comfortable dealing with common people, I'll teach you how to deal with other telepaths and control the frequencies of the psionic waves".

"..."

"We will train thrice a week. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I'll pick you up from school, and on Saturdays, I'll pick you up here at midday. Got it?"

"Got it, thank you" Jean opened the door to leave, but then she thought about it twice and closed the door, confusing Emma.

She glared at the blonde with fire in her eyes, "I won't give up on him, I like-".

Emma had it; she pulled Jean by the collar with wrath.

"Listen, ginger. There is more in this fucking world than just liking someone, than a high school crush, than fun, than happiness, than a family and friends eating barbecue during summer! There is need, poverty, pain, humiliation, disgust, hate, vengeance! It is not a matter of just 'liking' for me!"

Jean gasped; she gasped at the tears rolling down Emma's pretty face, tears that shouldn't be there. 

"For me, it is about survival! I'm not as free as you think I am! I am shackled. I want to be liked and spoiled, I want to be able to like someone without consequences, and I want the right to achieve my ambitions; what's so wrong about that?! I don't want to be anyone's dog anymore!"

"I'm sorry..."

"Grow up, Jean. You're a mutant with a lot of potential. If you keep that naive way of thinking, you'll die early or become someone's plaything... whichever you think is worse".

*VROOM!*

Emma drove off, the Ferrari woke up the neighbours, she crossed the street, and Jean finally lost sight of her, feeling like shit.

'Maybe... I was talking nonsense, we don't know each other that well'.

**

**

After my impromptu date with Annie, we took the train to Brooklyn. I'll have to ask Emma if she has some training grounds that are closer to our home.

I dropped her off and greet her father before embarking back home. I went by the super to get some groceries and crashed by the pharmacy to get some acetone too before heading back home. At about eight o'clock I called Jean and Emma but neither of them answered.

I assumed they were still deep in their trance; they should be alright.

Annie texted me to see if I had reached back safely, and just in time when she did, I saw Veronica enter the parking lot.

'So today went without a hitch…' Sebastian Shaw didn't make a move. I was actually quite expectant to retaliate.

"I'm back".

"Welcome back… everything okay?"

"It was busy…! I'm so tired" Veronica removed her heels and collapsed on the sofa next to me.

"I prepared you some tuna salad for dinner if you fancy. It shouldn't go against your diet. Also, I left the Acetone on the dinner table".

"Thank you, Ray. I'll have what you prepared for me~"

She served a small portion of tuna salad with some orange juice and sat back on the sofa with me, "Do you want to watch a movie? We've got plenty".

"Not a terror movie, please".

"You're such a scaredy cat, is it that frightening? Don't worry, I'm here".

'You're the one that cries with every jumpscare'.

In the end we watched the terror movie, she hooked her arms around mine, cried and screamed every time a violent scene popped up in the screen.

'Why…? Just why?'

She fell asleep just like that before the movie was even halfway through. I carried her to the bed and only removed her jacket before putting on the blanket because the weather was a little hot.

After that, I went back to my room and logged in to do a bit of research about SHIELD. I didn't find much. There is very scarce information, most of it articles from conspiracists that stated SHIELD was a secret worldwide human-controlling organisation that kept us all shackled and yadda; it didn't sound like credible information.

SHIELD was listed as an official governmental organisation but had no website, phone number, or similar.

Then I looked for General Candace Phillips and didn't find much either. She had some accomplishments in Afghanistan during her time as a general in the military. She was forty-two years old and ranked up quite quickly.

While doing that research, I found another article, Breaking News.

'Multimillionaire CEO of Stark Industries and main provider of the US Military Weaponry, Tony Stark, held hostage in war-torn Afghanistan by the terrorist group Ten Rings'.

I didn't understand it.

I killed Obadiah Stane and the delegate from the Ten Rings at that party to prevent this from happening; how come he still got ambushed?

My phone rang at that moment, it was Emma, who I had just been thinking of.

"Hello?"

"How are you going to make it up to me?" She asked coldly, so much so the phone almost froze.

"Make what up?" I assumed she dropped Jean successfully.

"You and I had an accord. How dare you leave early?"

"Look at the time. Did you expect me to make Annie wait that long for you two?"

"Hmph, whatever. I'm downstairs; come see me".

"Ah?"

I looked out at the window, and there it was. Her white Ferrari was parked outside. I didn't bother dressing up, it was midnight with no one walking about except a few beggars here and there. I knocked on her window lightly, and she pulled it down.

"So, what's good?" I asked her.

"What are you standing there for? Get in".

I sighed and got in the car; then she started it.

"Where are we going?"

"I haven't eaten anything all day while training your girlfriend. The least you could do is get me some dinner. It's on you this time... and I know that you're a millionaire so be ready to put a few grand on the table~"

"..." This woman will consume all that money before I do. 

I held her hand, which was about to switch from neutral into first gear.

"If the issue is your belly… then come upstairs with me, and I'll make you something. Veronica is sleeping already; it will be just the two of us" It will be cheaper and way more enjoyable, or so I thought. 

Her reaction was instantaneous, immediate thrill and emotion, her pokerface dropped for a few seconds. 

"Hah?~ do you think you can cook something to soothe my palate?"

"I can try," I caressed her hand with a smile. Her palate would be difficult to soothe, but I could satisfy vanity, at least.

"…"

Emma bit her lips and stopped the engine.

"It better be good, or I don't know what I would do~"