Redhead & Blonde II

The Ferrari was parked in front of a vast, ominous storage unit in the Bronx on a sunny afternoon in April –it looked abandoned.

The obnoxious people around peeked left and right, looking like zombies. Eventually, they set their gazes on the car. Such a jewel is not parked in those dirty corners every day. 

Emma opened the gates and drove the car inside; she had access keys. Annie clutched Ray's shirt; she didn't like the aspect of the whole place and didn't even know why they were there.

"I thought you were going to park outside~" Jean mocked. 

"You must be mad. Do you know how much this car is worth? Let's get in and not waste time." She tied her hair up with lace and pointed at Annie, 

"We're going to train in here. Does she know?" 

"She doesn't, but she's our friend anyway," Ray said, holding Annie's shoulders. 

"What are you talking about?" Annie was confused from the moment we arrived. Jean and I decided to bring her here, so we decided to disclose it to her. 

"Annie, the three of us are mutants… we're here to train". 

"H-Huh?" 

She wasn't some unknown girl; she was Jean's friend, and Ray also liked her quite a bit; if they continued pushing her away, she'd grow suspicious anyway.

Emma approached Annie and put her finger on her forehead. Annie suddenly became dreamy and collapsed on Ray's body. He held her, but Emma didn't put her finger away. 

"What are you doing to her?!" Jean asked, afraid for her friend. Ray, too, awaited her explanation.

"This girl is well connected. Don't worry, I'm just letting her know how heroin feels like~ now that's about it". 

"Heroin? t-the drug?"

"Yeah~ you're a telepath and can't do this much?~"

She released her finger, and Annie returned to normal, blushing and dropping some sweat like she had worked out.

"W-What did you do!? That felt nice..." 

"I just gave you a healthy taste. Don't ask for more, or you will get addicted. My name is Emma Frost, and I'm a telepath and Ray's partner," Emma boasted.

"Partner?!" Both girls immediately got on guard.

"She meant colleague. We work together," Ray clarified, much to Emma's distaste. 

"I can tamper with people's minds; that's my power. Nice to meet you, Annie. The daughter of General Candace Phillips~" 

Ray and Jean were surprised at how much she managed to learn from Annie with just a touch on the forehead. Jean knew that she wasn't yet capable of such and felt deeply intrigued.

"Mutants… my mother told me to be careful" Annie went as far as to break free from Ray's grasp, nervous at being outnumbered in such an ominous-looking place. 

"Why didn't you tell me, Jean?" 

"You were going to react exactly the way you're reacting…" Jean sighed. I'm a telepath, too, and I can move stuff with my mind. Isn't that cool?"

"But you never told me. Have you read my mind before like she did!?" 

Annie was starting to get a bit worked up. A layer of confidence had been broken, and for personal and familial reasons, contact with mutants was very important to her.

"I haven't… I promise! I didn't even know your mom was a general; you told me she was a police officer!". 

Emma brushed past the two girls and looked at Annie with a neutral gaze, "So, we don't have time for dramas here. What are you going to do, girl? Are you going to give us away? No mutant legislation exists in this country, as you must know if you're related to that woman. All reported mutants are captured and used for experimentation purposes. What's your answer?".

"... I thought reported mutants were taken to custody, and that was it".

"That's bullshit. They're taken to secret facilities where they're categorized, experimented on and eventually used for either scientific purposes or military purposes... whatever your mom has been telling you is just a huge load of crap" Emma seemed particularly spiteful regarding this topic.

"I didn't know that..." she frowned and looked at Ray, holding his hand. 

"What is your mutation, Ray?" 

"I can phase through things. Intangibility would be a better word?" 

He did a mild test, phasing through her, and she gasped in marvel; it was like magic. 

"S-So that's how that time… the car didn't do anything to you" She recalled the incident where Ray saved both her and Jean from a possible death. He nodded. 

"You're both my friends. I wouldn't give you away. In exchange, please don't reveal my mother's identity," she requested Emma. 

"You got yourself a deal. You see? You're way easier to deal with than this chubby ginger". 

"I would be easier to deal with if you didn't behave like a bitch with me all the time!"

"Hehe, you just have this punchable face; I can't help myself~"

Before those two got back at each other, Ray asked a question. 

"Who is Annie's mother?" He hadn't met her parents personally. He knew the father was a salaryman but hadn't heard anything from the mom or her name. Annie always avoided that conversation, and he thought that was unintentional.

"Her mother is a prestigious military general who got promoted to division chief in a prominent about five years ago in an American secret security, espionage, and counter-terrorism organization called SHIELD; they're a pain in the ass", Emma groaned.

"Are they that secret?" Jean frowned.

"They're not. If you look for them on the internet, you will find a few articles and names, none of which depict the true depths of the organization. American FBI and British MI6 are way more common and famous despite the fact that together they don't account for even a third of the funding that SHIELD receives; in a way, both of them keep SHIELD in the dark." 

Emma glared at Ray severely uncharacteristically, "SHIELD is a big deal. Especially for us mutants."

"Got it".

"You said you wouldn't reveal it!" Annie cried fake tears, inwardly prideful of her mom's job.

"But you know our secret, isn't it only fair if we know yours?~ so yeah, that's how it is. Annie, you're an exciting girl".

Emma held Annie's cheeks and played with them. Ray frowned and clutched Emma's wrist to separate them. 

Ray sent her the 'look', hoping she didn't plan to use Annie like some card under her sleeve. 

"Trust me a bit more, darling. Now, since introductions are done-" 

"I haven't introduced myself…" Jean pouted. 

"Who cares about your name?" Emma shrugged her shoulders. 

"I'm telling you, Emma! You're looking for it!" 

"…"

"…"

"Are you going to release my hand?" Ray asked Annie.

"Do I have to? Why don't you use your powers and release yourself?" The short-haired beauty pressed, holding his hand tighter.

"... do whatever you want". 

'New York girls are quite aggressive, Lana. Not that I dislike it' he thought. 

Eventually, Annie released his hand when she got Emma's murderous gaze.

'Aggressive, not stupid'.