Felicia sat in the cafe, staring at the magazine. Dante's words echoed in her mind like a favorite song on repeat even after the couple departed.
Were they con artists? No, they knew too much for that. They couldn't be undercover cops as they'd just throw her in prison without any of these mind games.
'Maybe Death is what she claims, Felicia. What if the greatest heist you've prepared for years will kill you?'
Felicia slapped her cheeks to shake off the thought.
"Get your head out of there."
She'd worked too hard to stop now. She had to see this through, even if there was a chance of death.
The barista arrived at her table. She was no longer in her uniform, which signified the end of her shift.
"Hey… were you and that guy… uh, acquainted?"
Felicia noticed a great deal of adoration in the young barista's eyes, probably a university student like herself. What baffled Felicia was the eagerness, as though the girl didn't see the gorgeous woman at the guy's side. Although the barista was pretty, she couldn't match Death.
"We're acquaintances, kind of."
The barista girl's eyes lit up. "Oooh! Do you have his contact?"
"Nope."
All her excitement deflated away. She scratched her head. "Please tell me if you meet again! He was... wow, so fine. But kinda... out of his head?"
"What do you mean 'out of his head'? He looked normal enough."
The barista gasped. "How did you not see him talking to himself?! He was right beside you!"
"No, wait!" Felicia jumped up in shock. "He was talking to a woman in black."
The question earned a puzzled and rather concerned look from the barista. "Are you sure you didn't party too hard last night?"
Agitated, Felicia scanned the cafe and questioned those who'd been around since her arrival. The barista wasn't lying. Nobody saw Death. Nobody except herself.
It'd be one thing if Death was invisible to everyone, but Death showed up to her and Dante.
'I have to get to the bottom of this!'
Heart pounding, she dashed out as fast as an Olympic sprinter. The mall was crowded but finding those two shouldn't be too hard.
Felicia put on her charming smile and asked around. The leads took her around the mall and then through other shopping centers in Manhattan until the sky turned orange.
"Shit, I fumbled my chance at something insane." She clutched her hair, her left fist clenched. "How do I find them? Wait."
She took out her phone and sent a text to an acquaintance. Someone who dealt in murky dealings around the area.
[Get me information brokers around Manhattan.]
Soon, a list of contact cards arrived in her inbox.
'Sleep peacefully tonight. Bad luck will knock at your door tomorrow.'
She took a cab to her dorm before the curfew started. Voices drifted from inside, which was odd since the room belonged to Felicia alone.
'Intruders?'
Her curiosity wrestled with caution until curiosity won. She pressed her ear to the door to eavesdrop.
"Say, Psy, did you attend university?"
"No, the Hand never let me..."
"I feel for you. You know, I was a top student, thanks to Telepathy," the confident voice continued. "Back then, I may've been a dumb girl humiliating others for pleasure. It was fun though, it always is."
"As if you don't do it now," the other voice replied dryly. "How long will we wait here?"
"We don't have to, anymore. Felicia, you don't need permission to enter your own room."
Felicia's heart slammed against her ribs. That last line was heard directly in her mind, or was it just her imagination? Regardless, her cover was blown. She had the skill to wipe the floor with two ordinary women. Things might get tricky if they carried firearms. As quick and agile as she was, bullets moved faster than her reflexes.
She was at a complete disadvantage.
The calm voice whispered again,"Your fears are useless. We didn't bring any guns."
"Did she read my mind?" Felicia shook her head. "No, just a lucky guess."
"It's not a lucky guess. Felicia, be a good girl and greet us."
The correct move would be to bolt the hell away from the University and never turn back. She wasn't trained to fight psychic mindreaders who could worm their way into her mind. Hell, she didn't even know such powers could exist outside of books and movies.
'Finding three people with supernatural powers in one day. Classic Felicia luck.'
"Run, and the NYPD gets all your recent evidence by morning. By all, I mean all of the crimes you committed last year."
Faced with such a threat, Felicia had no choice but to open the door even if it meant walking into a trap.
Inside, the luxury incarnate herself sat on a chair like a queen. Her face was gorgeous, enhanced by dramatic makeup. Blonde hair spilled over her white fur coat. The expensive jewels around her neck winked at Felicia.
She exuded wealth and luxury. So much wealth that Felicia's fingers tingled with greed even in this situation.
The blonde wasn't alone, however. A black-haired woman stood guard right next to the blonde, wearing a sleek deep navy bodysuit with a high-cut leotard style bottom. The red flowy sash around her waist nicely contrasted with her black. A similar sash was wrapping the sword's hilt on her back.
'A high-class blonde and a Japanese bodyguard with a katana. Who did you piss off this time, Felicia?'
Felicia twirled a lock of her hair. "Why would a rich lady invade my dorm room?"
The blonde's lips painted in rusty red showed a confident smile. "Composed and a sharp thinker. As expected from Manhattan's rising star."
Heart beat rising swiftly, Felicia barely kept her poker face on. "Listen, I've had a long day today, and I'm not in the mood to entertain some weirdos. Why don't you get the hell out before I call the cops?"
"A thief calling the cops," the blonde remarked sharply. "Do you see the irony in that, Daughter of Walter Hardy?"
The words slammed into Felicia hard. In one day, no less than half a day, two people spat her secret to her face. The first person was mysterious but still friendly, and the second person had an unknown background and a mysterious bodyguard by her side. Even so, she was so ready to reveal her claws, or she would have if a certain someone's warning wasn't still fresh on her mind. The two intruders didn't come in peace.
'He warned me.'
Now, she was half-assured that she would die here as there was no beating someone who could read minds and a swordsman whose gaze alone sent shivers down her spine.
Felicia plopped down on her bed and crossed her arms. "Who are you? What do you want?"
The situation might be salvageable. They came with a purpose. Otherwise, they'd have struck already. If her death was set in stone, she'd just have to steal it back from the God of Death.
"Emma Frost," Emma introduced herself with a business-like smile. "Before we talk business, do something for me, Darling. Think back to your meeting with Dante. Think clearly. I may be able to find them."
Felicia thought twice before focusing her mind on the scene. As scary as Emma Frost was, she held no candle to the mystery couple of Death and Dante. The best case scenario would be that Emma bothers them and gets taken down.
"Oh, I won't, Darling. I fear what you met isn't the manifestation of Death but a mutant like us."
"A Mutant?"
"I'll tell you more later." Emma crossed her legs and rested her chin on her palm. "Listen, Felicia. Walter Hardy has been diagnosed with ALS."
Felicia froze for a good moment, reasonably so. "No, how could it be…?"
"Tragic, I know. I'm afraid your father will be celebrating the next New Year in the afterlife." Emma shook her head, showing a look of sadness, which was clearly fake. "You can't cure him, but you can do one favor for him still—let him pass away at home with his loved ones by his side."
Felicia clenched her fists, eyes blazing with resolve. Consequences be damned. Death be damned. She'd get her father out at any cost.
Emma shared a glance with Psylocke, who returned a nod. "The good news is, you don't have to scheme a prison break for him. I'll bring him out. You'll do something for me in return. A fair trade for both parties, right?"
Felicia took a deep breath and pushed down the wreck of emotions. "Why not use your mind-reading powers?"
"Telepathy isn't unbeatable. There are powers above monitoring my movements," Emma said with a sigh. "You have to do it for me."
Death, Mutants, telepathy, and greater powers above—the black cat realized she'd stumbled into a dangerous new world. Despite the dangers, she felt her heart beating excitedly. The cat loved a thrill.
"Fine, I'll do your dirty work," Felicia said, spreading her arms. "Don't make it too dangerous. I'm just a small-time burglar with no superpowers."
A radiant smile bloomed on Emma Frost's face. "The job is well within your expertise, Darling."