Chapter 055 – Black Snow

[2009 – June]

"So, you are a Super Soldier now?", Jean asked quietly with a curious tone, gently drawing circles on my chest with her fingers, she herself laying pressed against my side.

"Physically, yes. Everything else though is still the same.", I remarked lightly, my own fingers caressing the bare skin of her back while I enjoyed the way her soft chest pressed against my own muscled ribcage, her legs entangled with mine.

I had told her some of the things I had knowledge about, including the real-life examples for my enhancements.

"Was it painful?", she questioned, looking at me with worry and tender affection in her beautiful eyes.

"No.", I answered as I stole a soft kiss from her rosy lips.

"Liar.", she whispered against my lips, caressing my cheek tenderly.

…

[Next Day]

"Well, this is certainly something.", Emma stated as she looked at me.

I had come to her office the next day after gaining the complete form of Peak Human Condition because I had something to ask of her. Though the morning had been spent shopping for some new clothes with Jean, my new physique making it necessary to acquire a new wardrobe.

"It's my Secondary Mutation. But yeah it does feel incredible.", I answered her lightly, sensing the incredible power hidden inside my form.

"I think it's is for the best that we make some comprehensive tests to see how much you have really changed. I wanted you to do that anyway, as mutant physiology often differs greatly from normal humans. It's best that we know as much as we can, in case you get injured and need medical treatment.", Emma explained.

"I'm fine with that, but no drawing blood.", I stated seriously, not wanting to risk any cloning shenanigans.

A small frown on her face, Emma sighed as she relented: "Fine, you have your own considerations."

"But what are you here for? I guess you didn't come here just to show off your new body?", she continued.

"Maybe a bit.", I joked, "Though I wanted to ask about the Martial Arts courses you offer your students."

"You want to learn Martial Arts?"

"Yes, though I am not really the type for group training. Do you have an instructor at hand that can give me private lessons for some time?", I stated.

Tapping one of her perfectly manicured fingers against her cheek while holding up her chin, Emma thought for a moment before she answered: "I have. It's our newest instructor Araya Nguyen, she just joined us last week and nobody has yet signed up for her Muay Thai classes. If you want I can arrange for her to tutor you privately?"

Muay Thai. A very aggressive fighting style that involved elbow and knee strikes that aim to severely injure the opponent. It wasn't a Martial Art for subduing opponents, but to strike them down even if that involved fatal consequences, which suited my needs very much.

I didn't plan to 'fight' others but to beat them, and ruthlessly at that.

"Sounds perfect.", I agreed easily enough, "Thanks, Emma."

"Well, you can thank me by coming to a family dinner tomorrow night. Christian and Cordelia are back from their trip to Europe and are eager to meet you.", Emma voiced out, a graceful smile on her face that could as well belong to a devil.

She knew that I wouldn't deny her request after she helped me out, as she had a pretty good grasp on my personality after spending some time with Jean and me, so she was really only asking to tease me.

"Fine, I will be there. So quit smiling like that, you she-devil.", I sighed as I rose from my seat.

"I don't know what you are talking about.", she smirked back.

"Whatever. See you, tomorrow, Emma.", I answered, as I moved towards the door.

"Six pm. You can bring Jean if you want.", Emma added.

"Will do.", I stated, before I closed the door behind me.

…

[Next Day – 17:55]

"Oh my, would you look at that bone structure, and that spark between you two, it's- … It's simply perfect! You simply have to represent my new autumn collection!", a quirky blue-eyed beauty with shoulder-length black hair exclaimed as soon as she saw Jean and myself enter the living area of Emma's quarters.

"Cordelia, don't go groping our new half-brother and his girlfriend.", a blonde man with a crew cut and the same blue eyes voiced out with a sigh, as he held back the black-haired woman by her scruff, before introducing himself to us with a friendly smile, "You must be Elijah and Jean. I am Christian and this is Cordelia. Forgive her antics, she can't help herself."

"Nice to meet you, Christian. And you too, Cordelia.", I greeted, shaking the hand he had extended, giving the wide-eyed black-haired woman a nod.

Jean did the same, as she shook his hand and voiced out shyly: "Nice to meet you."

"Hey, Elijah. I see you brought Jean.", Emma called out, as she entered the living area from the kitchen, a casserole dish in her hands which she set down at the dining table.

"Hey, Emma. You need any help?", I asked, helping Jean take off her jacket.

"It's alright, that was the last plate. So let's all just relax and take a seat, then we can start dinner.", Emma replied with a smile.

We were currently in a small cabin at the lake on the Academy grounds, which also doubled as Emma's personal residence.

Taking Emma's advice, I guided Jean to a seat at the table and helped her with her chair, before sitting down next to her.

"Ahh, you're so sweet together! So how about it, wanna help me out with my collection?", Cordelia voiced out, eagerly looking at us from across the table as Jean's cheeks gained an especially rosy tint.

"What collection are we talking about?", I asked curiously, as Emma hadn't really told me anything detailed about Cordelia or Christian.

"Ah, of course, Emma didn't mention it.", Cordelia said, throwing the gorgeous blonde a stink eye before she explained, "I design clothes for Black Snow, which is more or less my company. Though Christian helps me manage it as its CEO."

"You are the designer of Black Snow?", Jean asked in surprise, obviously knowing the brand unlike myself.

"I am.", Cordelia stated proudly, before she continued, "And you two would be the perfect models for my autumn collections, so how about it? In exchange, you will never have to pay for a single piece of clothing from Black Snow."

Cordelia's words obviously achieved the intended effect, as Jean looked at me with an enchanting smile and bright eyes while saying: "You don't mind modeling a bit, do you, my love?"

Feeling a headache incoming as I found it hard to deny her when seeing the earnest joy behind her request, I tried to divert the topic as I turned to Emma and asked: "You made that yourself? I didn't take you for a cook, Emma."

Giving me a knowing smile, as she had clearly realised my predicament being the perceptive woman that she was, Emma answered: "I did. It helps me relax and clear my mind."

…

In the end, I didn't manage to escape Cordelia's persistent plea and agreed to do one photoshoot with Jean, so that she would stop pestering me about it.

I wasn't too worried about public exposure, as I knew that most organizations who were interested in me already had me on their radar, while this would be an opportunity to gain some positive PR for an eventual future where my identity as a mutant may be exposed to the broad public.

I didn't plan to ever reveal my face while committing a crime or using my power in public, but just in case this might work in my favour. The main reason I agreed though was that there were practically no negative consequences to being a model for one afternoon.

In the end though, I also found it hard to say no to Jean, especially so when knowing how much she wanted to do this.

Jean was an outgoing and lively girl, something she couldn't really embrace before due to the terror her power inflicted upon her when being surrounded by large crowds. Most situations and activities that were normal for others had been impossible or simply highly taxing and painful for her before she met me.

This was also an opportunity to be 'special' not because she was a mutant, but because she was incredibly beautiful, and I knew this gave her a sense of normalcy that was foreign to her.

Denying her all this simply wasn't something I was capable of, not with how much she meant to me.