章 7: Connection
Emma had not been expecting that. Most of the men she'd been with over the years barely managed to pleasure her at all. That a Japanese teen she'd met not even an hour ago had so thoroughly claimed her left her stunned.
She wasn't in love with him or anything so banal, but she couldn't deny their near perfect physical chemistry.
She turned her attention to the mental connection that they still shared, confused as to how it could exist when they were both still in their diamond forms. When she peered into his mind once again she was shocked.
Before he copied her power, Emma had barely felt his presence in the astral dimension. He had about as much psionic energy as a normal human. Now, his astral presence was equal to hers, but without her tempered control that she'd forged over a lifetime of honing her skills.
He wasn't only equal to her, he was identical to her. His psionic energy was a perfect imitation of hers. Any other psions would be unable to tell the two of them apart if they were searching for them from afar.
Emma couldn't believe what she was seeing in Ryuu's mind. Whereas before she couldn't read his mind at all, now that they essentially shared the same power, she could see everything. It didn't matter what he did to hide his thoughts. He was an open book.
Emma was an experienced telepath and could tell that she and Ryuu were connected deeply through their psionic energies. Their bond was compounded by the mental connection that existed between them when he awakened his telepathy. It was essentially a backdoor through their diamond form's mental barriers, made semi-permanent by the indistinguishable natures of their psionic energies.
They blended seamlessly. It made sense that there was no rejection when Emma herself couldn't tell where she ended and he began. Defenses like theirs didn't fight against attacks that came from within, so the connection was never cut off or rejected. Rather, it solidified. She also sensed that it was more than that. It had an air of rigidity and she instinctively knew that it would stay strong no matter the distance between them.
The human mind was very complicated and for telepaths, even more so. Their psionic energies were intimately entwined with their minds and souls. That was why it was possible for powerful enough psions to exist independently from their physical bodies, even to the extent of living on after death.
This also meant that Ryuu's psionic energy was nearly a part of Emma herself, as it was unmistakably born from her essence. She'd wondered why she submitted to him so easily. No matter how good the sex was, Emma was a damn Frost. She was no love-struck little girl.
Now she understood. She was so vulnerable before him because he was inside her mental barriers, even if he didn't know it yet. Her subconscious had come to that conclusion before the rest of her, leaving her scrambling to catch up.
Emma's awareness flowed into Ryuu's mind and she lost herself in a sea of bliss. It felt so comfortable and familiar in his mind now, like she was coming home for the first time in her life. Most minds were hostile and unfamiliar, naturally resisting the intrusion of her psionic energies. On the other hand, Ryuu was practically a part of her. Born from her. There was no disharmony between their powers.
Unbeknownst to her, when Emma entered his mind, Ryuu was sucked into hers in return. They were both trapped and their perceptions twisted as they became lost in each other's mind.
Emma saw Ryuu's past life, his death, and his rebirth. She saw his foreknowledge came from novels, comics, and movies, of all things. What a trip.
He most certainly wasn't a virgin, although technically his current body was one, up until their coupling. She scoffed at the cheekiness of her man. He was quite the manipulator and schemer, though that didn't turn her off. If anything, it made her feel like they were meant for each other. She had been excessively cold-blooded as she rose through the ranks of the Hellfire Club. She stopped at nothing to get what she wanted, just the same as Ryuu.
She saw his tentative plans and was shocked at their scope. She had underestimated him. She also learned about the true scale of her universe and understood his desire for more power.
Emma smiled ruefully. Learning of the infinite multiverse also meant learning about infinite danger. For all of her power and success, she now had a good understanding of just how small and insignificant her life was in the grand scheme of creation.
On the other hand, Ryuu was lost in an endless sea of rage and pain. Emma's entire life wasn't tragic, but most of it was. She was betrayed by her family and preyed upon when she was at her weakest, time and time again.
Even after she freed herself from the shackles of her oppressors, she was still seen as a villain and a threat by many. Especially after she systematically destroyed her father and older sister. Their fates painted a grim warning to anyone who sought to mess with a Frost. The circles she interacted with didn't allow for weakness or restraint. She lived in a world of survival of the fittest. Failure often met with death and she very rarely failed.
Most of the people who had wronged her had already met grisly ends at her hands, but Ryuu noted that some of her enemies yet lived. One of whom he recognized. Sebastian Shaw was still alive. This was surprising because Ryuu could see everything that Emma had suffered under his hands. Her hate for him was searing in its intensity.
At that moment, Ryuu made a decision. At some point in the future, Shaw would die by his hands. Preferably, with one of his vibrating hands rammed straight through his black heart, Reverse Flash-style. Say what you want about the man, but the Reverse Flash had flair. Maybe Ryuu could do some cosplaying to cover up some of his more extreme crimes?
With his understanding of Emma, he knew that she was a person who took what she was owed with her own hands, but Ryuu was a selfish man too. He wanted to kill Shaw personally and take all that he'd built. Ryuu imagined he could accomplish quite a bit as the new Black King.
Ryuu didn't fully understand what was going on as Emma's life unfolded before him. Every scene that flashed before him left a mark on his heart. He had never been particularly close with anyone, even in his past life, and getting an instant download of his lover's history was jarring. His emotions were an absolute mess.
The feeling of soft, dainty hands cupping his cheeks helped draw him out of whatever trance he was trapped in. They stroked his face comfortingly and helped ground him, letting him break free of the vision.
Ryuu came back to awareness and was met with a vision of beauty. Emma's crystalline eyes bored deep into his own, conveying a surprising depth of emotion that left him breathless.
What on Earth was all that?
"We saw the entirety of each other's mind, you little rascal," Emma told him fondly. "We have a mental bond and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere soon. I've never seen anything quite like it to be honest. I'd be more upset if you weren't such a stud."
She felt better knowing Ryuu was actually a little older than her between his two lives, although the majority of those years were spent as a child. The downsides of reincarnation. Being a baby again sucked.
"By the way... you know me from a comic book?" she asked teasingly, knowing exactly how he used that specific comic.
For the first time in a while, Ryuu himself blushed. He tried to bury his face in his hands in embarrassment, but Emma grabbed his hands and held them tight. "Hey now, it's okay. You were a young man exploring his sexuality and that artist did put a lot of emphasis on my assets."
Ryuu was mortified, but quickly shook it off. So she knew that he jerked off to her. That would hardly be a surprise. Hell, he bet every last one of her male students had fantasized about the real her at one point or another. That thought sent a surge of possessive jealousy tearing through him. It was hard being involved with a beautiful woman. He had lots of pests to swat away.
He had Emma's memories of her masturbating in turn, so it's not like things weren't fair. Although when he remembered those scenes he didn't think he could say anything to her. In fact, he wasn't thinking much at all beyond a desire to push her up against the wall and ravish her again.
Emma growled and slapped him playfully on the chest. "I don't think I can take much more of that right now, lover boy. Cool it. You can use those memories of me when you're alone, if you want," she smirked.
Ryuu laughed at her playful nature. He could see a long-term partnership with this woman. Although what form that relationship would take specifically was yet to be seen.
It was a strange feeling to be connected to someone at all times. The intensity faded when he took his focus off of it. He sighed in relief that they would have some measure of privacy. They could still hear each other's thoughts when they concentrated, but they could tune in and out, thankfully.
Ryuu wasn't sure how to feel about sharing something so intimate, but he and Emma did know everything about one another already. It would take some time to get there, but they would soon start to trust each other. They were pretty much bound together at this point anyways. If nothing else, the amazing sex would keep them on the same side.
Ryuu let his diamond form fade, but still felt the defenses around his mind. Was that how that was supposed to work?
"No," Emma said, stunned. "It is most certainly not meant to work like that. My mental shield only activates when I shift forms."
Ryuu concentrated on Emma's gleaming body in his arms. Now that he was back in his original skin, Emma's body felt cold and hard. When he felt the ridges of her fingers with his entwined hands he gasped. Their hands were lethal weapons with razor sharp edges. It wouldn't take much force for them to pierce trough soft human skin.
"We're like walking unsheathed blades..." Ryuu murmured.
He shifted back into his diamond form and the changes left him dazzled. Her body felt perfectly at home in his arms. It was like they were made for each other.
Emma rolled her eyes, trying not to let on to the fact that she had similar thoughts. Unfortunately for her, Ryuu was exploring their connection himself for the first time. Stretching out his new mental muscles felt strange, but oddly pleasant. While he wasn't happy that Emma had access to his mind, he loved that he could see to the truth behind her ice queen mask with little effort.
Hey, he never said he wasn't a hypocrite. Ryuu didn't think there was a human in existence who wasn't at least a little hypocritical. It was just a part of the human experience.
Ryuu honed his senses, reached out to Emma and promptly dropped his diamond form. To Emma's shock, she involuntarily followed him and shifted back as well. However, there was one key difference that stunned her. Just like Ryuu, her mental shield remained intact. How fascinating.
"It looks like you received a bit of an upgrade as well, professor." Ryuu murmured.
"Interesting," she hummed, "You really are just full of surprises, aren't you? Don't think I didn't pick up on all of your little half-truths, either." she admonished chidingly. "At least 100kg of vibranium? That was what you said, right?"
Ryuu adopted an innocent look and brought out his top-tier puppy dog eyes, looking at her earnestly. "Now, now. No need to nitpick. We're in this together. Our situation is a little different from before, no?"
Ulysses Klaue had way more vibranium than a mere 100kg, but at those volumes finding the right buyers was actually a problem. This is why Klaue had sat on his hoard of pilfered vibranium for over a decade. It would have been impossible to unload all of it at once back when he acquired it. There wasn't a person or organization on the planet that could've afforded all of it at its exorbitant prices! Even if they all banded together, they might not have had a chance!
Klaue kept the price at a premium by slowly letting out his product into the market. After all these years, he still had quite the hoard. Ryuu was looking forward to dealing with the branded man. He would go from a pauper to a prince in an instant.
Emma snorted at him, unimpressed. From what she now knew of Ryuu, he would probably give her more than he had promised eventually. So long as she remained by his side, she would be relatively safe and secure. That hadn't been a priority for her an hour ago. She was a rich, powerful and well-connected woman who had carved out her own territory in the world. She hadn't needed anybody since she was a child.
Even just the knowledge of a few of the dangers to come made her perspective change drastically. Between what Ryuu dubbed the Marvel Universe and the Arifureta Universe, the two timelines had an endless number of threats.
A Celestial living beneath the surface of their planet that had been patiently waiting since the birth of their planet, ready to devour them? Japan wasn't an island at all, but actually the sunken corpse of a long-dead Dragon God? A giant purple thumb wanted to give them all a coin toss to determine whether they would live or die?
Emma hadn't been scared of much for years, but she was properly frightened now. Hell, even the Bifrost could destroy their planet in minutes if someone turned the great artifact on them like Loki had against Jotunheim.
Tortus, while filled with danger, was a goldmine of opportunity. If Ryuu managed to milk it for all it was worth he would be able to move the heavens with a single thought. Even 1000kg of vibranium was nothing compared to the vast resources of an entire planet. Frost International would have a massive advantage so long as she and Ryuu were favorable towards one another.
If they actively worked together... Emma wanted to see just how far this young man could go, so she decided to provide whatever support she could, within reason. After all, they were two of the few who knew of the threats to come... Well, maybe the Ancient One did as well, but neither of them wanted her to come knocking.
Emma trailed her hands down Ryuu's chest, lightly tickling him. She was enjoying the intimacy and didn't want to get up. She wished she could fall asleep here, but it was a miracle they hadn't been disturbed already. In her lust, she hadn't even used her powers to dissuade people from coming near her office.
"I know you don't have much time, but I do know where a certain someone is living... You could take the long way home and it will be right on your way..." she trailed off.
Ryuu stared into her eyes, picking up on her thoughts. Telepathy sure was neat.
"I like the way you think, beautiful. I've always wanted to meet Sherlock Holmes."
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