"Sonar, huh? That's useful."

  "Yeah, well, you 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 ughed. "Ice mask? Is that eople 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 i 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 introdu. 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. o meet you, Aron."

  I took her hand, feeling the warmth of her skih my fingers. "o 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 alo's o have a hero buddy."

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

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

  I nodded, my gaze shifting to the city skylihe 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 uhat mask," I said, leaning bay 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. e on, I promise I won't tell anyone." I joked.

  Ghost Spider chuckled. "I'm pretty sure yirlfriend 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 uanding."

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

  "Yes. As in, more than one," I expined 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 ugh.

  "Am I? So, what about you, Ghost Spider? Boyfriend irlfriend?" I asked, trying to turn the versation around.

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

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

  "That's what everyone says when they find out I'm single. I guess I just haven't found the right perso," 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 ba her legs and stood on the ledge.

  "Stan's burger pce?" 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 o 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 get 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 fiapped 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 ighe restless flutter in her chest. She repyed their st enter in her mind, ging at her actal 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 aeammate... a very good-looking, infuriating teammate." She huffed, standing abruptly and pag the room.

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

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

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

  He shrugged, his casual fidence 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 yo."

  "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 zily while Psylocke adjusted her gloves, stealing occasional g him. She tried to focus, but her mi drifting to his words from their st session. "Without dreams, we ot 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 tely, 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 fused she got. Aron has Jean and Kitty, they are probably having a bst in the romand 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 ied in me like that, and I'm certainly not ied in him! Yeah, I'm not.' She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. 'I've got to focus. I 't let him distract me like st time.'

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

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

  "Right," he said, stepping onto the mat and adopting a rexed 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 iing!" She smirked, stepping onto the mat and mirr his stance. "What kind of requests?"

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

  Psylocke's breath caught ihroat, 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 petitive streak kig 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 fidend 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 bde 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 even keep up."

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

  The sparring match began.

  Psylocke lunged first, her bde slig through the air with precision. Aron dodged effortlessly, his phasing ability making him an elusive target. She pressed forward, feinti before striking from the right. This time, he tered with a smooth sidestep and grabbed her wrist, attempting to disarm her. She twisted out of his grip, her agility allowio flip over his head and nd gracefully behind him.

  "Not bad," Aron admitted, turning to face her. "But yoing to have to do better than that."

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

  She unched a psychic bst in his dire, f him to teleport away. He reappeared behind her, but she'd anticipated the move and spun around with a kick aimed at his midse. He phased just in time, her leg passing harmlessly through him. However, the moment he solidified, she was already on him, her bde aimed for his shoulder.

  "Gotcha."

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