X-Force: Beyond Omega

"Sonar, huh? That's useful."

"Yeah, well, you can call is extra sense and it's not perfect. Anyway, why aren't you wearing your ice mask?" Ghost Spider asked, gesturing to my face.

I laughed. "Ice mask? Is that what people are calling it now?"

"Hey, it's a good name. I mean, you do wear an ice mask when jumping into a fight, don't you?" She threw a Dorito into the air and caught it with her mouth, grinning.

"Yup! I guess teleportation gave my identity away, huh?" I said, remembering the lizard incident when I used teleportation. She caught on quickly.

"Pretty much," she agreed.

I sat down beside her, feeling a little awkward. "Let's do a proper introduction. I'm Aron. Which by the way, you already know it. I was mumbling back then..." Man, I am babbling like a stupid.

She held out a hand. "I'm Ghost Spider. Nice to meet you, Aron."

I took her hand, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my fingers. "Nice to meet you, Ghost Spider."

"By the way, are you the one busting Hammerhead's operation around the city?" She asked.

"Yup!" I nodded, looking at her.

She smirked, giving me an appreciative look. "Nice work. They were running guns and drugs, along with some other nasty stuff. It's so hard to cover the grounds alone. It's nice to have a hero buddy."

"I do try to help out here and there whenever I can. By the way, what about that Scorpion guy? Any news?" I asked, curious. I saw the news last night, someone caught a sight of a guy in scorpion suit, robbing a bank.

She shook her head. "No. No sign of him since that day, but I've got a feeling he'll turn up soon."

I nodded, my gaze shifting to the city skyline. The city bustled below, sunlight glinting off skyscraper windows, casting long shadows over the streets. Ghost Spider squinted against the brightness, adjusting her hood slightly to shield her eyes.

"So, you saw my face. I wonder how you look under that mask," I said, leaning back on my hands.

"Aren't you the curious one? Showing my face kinda defeats the purpose of a secret identity, doesn't it?" Ghost Spider replied, grinning.

"Didn't you say hero buddy? And I did help you out when we fought the lizard and Rhino together. Come on, I promise I won't tell anyone." I joked.

Ghost Spider chuckled. "I'm pretty sure your girlfriend would want to kill me if she found out I showed my face to you and you fell for my pretty eyes."

"Oh, not to worry. My girlfriends are understanding."

"Girlfriends?! Plural?" She asked in surprise.

"Yes. As in, more than one," I explained with a smirk.

"Wait! More than one? How many?" She asked. I could tell she was curious.

"Just two for now," I answered, smiling at her.

"Ha! Now, you are just bragging," She said with a laugh.

"Am I? So, what about you, Ghost Spider? Boyfriend or girlfriend?" I asked, trying to turn the conversation around.

She shrugged, tossing another Dorito into the air and catching it with her mouth. "Single."

"Really? I mean, your voice is so sweet and you must look beautiful too. I don't get how a pretty girl like you is still single," I said, honestly.

"That's what everyone says when they find out I'm single. I guess I just haven't found the right person yet," She said before flipping up on her arms with her legs up in the air, a perfect handstand.

"Saturday, 2 PM, lunch?" I asked suddenly.

"I hate expensive restaurants..." She flipped back on her legs and stood on the ledge.

"Stan's burger place?" I asked, looking up at her.

She pulled her mask down, "See you there. But just so you know, I won't be easy. You'll need to work for this."

"I do enjoy a good challenge," I replied as she jumped down the rooftop.

She threw weblines and swung off into the distance.

'Hahaha... I am not letting this girl go away. I am going to have a lot of fun with her.'

...

[3rd person POV]

It was nearing noon, and Psylocke sat in her room, her gaze fixed on the clock. Her fingers tapped rhythmically on her desk, betraying her nervousness. She had called Aron earlier, asking for another sparring session. It was a casual invitation—or at least, that's what she told herself.

But now, sitting alone in her room, she couldn't ignore the restless flutter in her chest. She replayed their last encounter in her mind, cringing at her accidental slip and how Aron had teased her.

"Why am I letting him get to me like this?" she muttered under her breath, shaking her head. "He's just another teammate... a very good-looking, infuriating teammate." She huffed, standing abruptly and pacing the room.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. "Hey, Betsy, you in there?" came Aron's voice, his tone casual but carrying the faintest hint of mischief.

Psylocke froze for a moment before schooling her features into calmness. 'You've got this, Betsy.' She opened the door, meeting his familiar smirk.

"You're early," she noted, stepping aside to let him in.

He shrugged, his casual confidence filling the space. "I figured I'd give you some extra time to prepare. Last time, I think I caught you off guard."

"Hardly," she replied, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe. "If anything, I held back so I wouldn't bruise your ego."

"Is that so?" he teased, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Then I guess I should be grateful. Ready to back up that talk?"

"Always," she shot back, grabbing her gear and heading toward the training room with him.

[Training room]

Aron stretched lazily while Psylocke adjusted her gloves, stealing occasional glances at him. She tried to focus, but her mind kept drifting to his words from their last session. "Without dreams, we cannot live. You are already living in my dreams." Her cheeks warmed at the memory.

It was kinda cheezy but the way he said it, made it sound so genuine. She had been thinking a lot about it lately, trying to figure out what exactly he meant by that. 'He probably meant as friends or teammates.' She thought. But the more she thought about it, the more confused she got. Aron has Jean and Kitty, they are probably having a blast in the romance and sex department. And then, why is he suddenly hitting on her? It just doesn't make sense.

She sighed in frustration.

'Wait! Why the hell am I thinking about this?! He's just a teammate! He's not interested in me like that, and I'm certainly not interested in him! Yeah, I'm not.' She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. 'I've got to focus. I can't let him distract me like last time.'

"Something on your mind?" Aron asked, noticing her distracted expression.

"Just planning my strategy," she replied smoothly, tightening her gloves.

"Right," he said, stepping onto the mat and adopting a relaxed stance. "How about we make a bet?"

"A bet?" she repeated, curious.

"Yeah," he said with a grin. "The loser has to follow one request from the winner."

"Oh, that's interesting!" She smirked, stepping onto the mat and mirroring his stance. "What kind of requests?"

"Anything within reason," he answered. "Something like... a kiss, for example."

Psylocke's breath caught in her throat, her mind reeling. 'Is he serious? Does he want to kiss me?'

"You serious?" She asked, trying to keep her tone light.

"Of course," Aron said, his eyes locked on hers. "What do you say? Are you afraid you'll lose?"

"I don't think I have to worry about that," she shot back, her competitive streak kicking in. "I've been training you see."

"Well then," he said, his smirk widening. "Let's see what you've got."

...

Psylocke took a deep breath trying to calm her nerves. But Aron's casual confidence and teasing smile were making it harder for her to focus. She shifted her stance, ready to strike.

"Hope you're ready to lose," she said with a sly grin, her purple psychic blade appeared in her hand.

"So, we are using powers this time, huh?" Aron chuckled, flexing his fingers and phasing slightly out of sync with reality. "Well, let's see if you can even keep up."

'What was that?! Did he just flicker?' She wondered.

The sparring match began.

Psylocke lunged first, her blade slicing through the air with precision. Aron dodged effortlessly, his phasing ability making him an elusive target. She pressed forward, feinting left before striking from the right. This time, he countered with a smooth sidestep and grabbed her wrist, attempting to disarm her. She twisted out of his grip, her agility allowing her to flip over his head and land gracefully behind him.

"Not bad," Aron admitted, turning to face her. "But you're going to have to do better than that."

"Don't worry," Psylocke retorted. "I plan to."

She launched a psychic blast in his direction, forcing him to teleport away. He reappeared behind her, but she'd anticipated the move and spun around with a kick aimed at his midsection. He phased just in time, her leg passing harmlessly through him. However, the moment he solidified, she was already on him, her blade aimed for his shoulder.

"Gotcha."

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