After leaving the casino, Jean and I were still excited about our successful heist and decided to find a nearby cafe for lunch. We were pretty hungry. We entered a local cafe. The smells of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. It's been way too long since I had some expensive coffee. We chose a corner booth, away from the main crowd, and sat down comfortably.
Jean leaned back in her chair, smiling happily. "Everything went really well. Maybe a little too well."
I chuckled, glancing around to ensure we weren't being followed. "Yeah, I guess our luck held up today."
The waitress came by to take our orders, and we both ordered sandwiches and coffee. Jean added an extra chocolate cake. As she left to get our drinks, Jean leaned forward with a serious expression. "You did well back there. Not many people could pull off what you did, especially on their first real mission."
"Thanks," I replied, feeling a rush of pride at her compliment. "I owe a lot of it to your guidance and those telepathic nudges."
Jean waved it off modestly. "It's all about timing and keeping a cool head. You did both."
Our food arrived soon after, and we ate in comfortable silence for a while, both lost in our thoughts. It was surreal, sitting here like any other pair of friends after what we'd just done.
"So, what's next?" I finally asked, breaking the quiet.
Jean took a sip of her coffee, considering. "Next? We lay low for a bit, let things cool down. Casinos don't like being robbed, even if they don't know who did it yet."
I nodded, taking a bite of my sandwich. "Makes sense. Lay low and enjoy the spoils?"
"Exactly," she agreed with a grin. "And maybe start planning our next adventure. Can't let you get rusty, can we?"
"Definitely not," I replied with a smirk. "I'm hooked now. Ready for whatever comes next."
After finishing our meal we paid with some of our newfound cash, left a generous tip, and left the cafe.
[Outside]
Jean glanced at her phone. "Looks like we've got some time to kill. Want to walk around the mall? It's just down the street."
I shrugged, feeling relaxed after our little heist. "Sure, why not?"
The mall wasn't far from the cafe, and as we walked over, the streets were bustling with last-minute shoppers. The festive decorations—twinkling lights, fake snow, and oversized candy canes—gave the whole area a cozy holiday feel. When we entered the mall, it was like stepping into a whirlwind of Christmas chaos. Families were darting in and out of stores, people were struggling with armfuls of shopping bags, and the air was filled with the sound of cheerful holiday music.
Jean smiled, glancing around at the holiday buzz. "Three days left until Christmas and people are still scrambling."
I smirked. "You're one to talk. We're about to join them."
She laughed. "Fair enough. Let's grab some gifts while we're here. You know, for the team."
I paused. "You mean you forgot to get gifts too, huh?"
Jean gave me a playful shove. "You caught me. But, hey, better late than never."
We strolled through the mall, scanning store windows for inspiration. First stop: a high-end electronics store. Jean's eyes lit up as we passed a display of sleek gadgets.
"I'm thinking something techy for Hank," she said, stopping to inspect a set of noise-canceling headphones. "He's always tinkering with machines or reading in that lab of his. Might as well make it easier for him to block out all the distractions."
"Good choice," I agreed, picking up a box and nodding toward the checkout counter. "What about Scott?"
Jean raised an eyebrow. "Scott's easy. I'll get him some new aviators. His sunglasses always seem to get broken or lost during missions."
"Can't go wrong with the classics," I said, as we left the store with our first round of gifts.
Next, we wandered into a bookstore. Jean browsed the shelves with a thoughtful look on her face. "What do you think Logan would want?"
I stifled a laugh. "Whiskey and cigars?"
Jean rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Be serious. It has to be something he would actually appreciate."
I sighed. "Okay, okay, in all seriousness... How about engine oil for his bike? Or a tool kit?"
"Ooh, good ideas," she agreed. "Logan loves to fix things, and his motorcycle is his pride and joy. A bottle of oil and a new wrench should put a big smile on his face."
"I was joking actually," I admitted. "Let's get some limited edition cigars. He'll be in heaven."
And so, before we knew it, we bought enough gifts for everyone, but the fun fact... How the fuck do we carry them back to the academy? Then when the Professor asks, how we got so much money, what do we say? We gambled?
"We might have bought a little too much, huh?" Jean asked, looking at all our shopping bags.
"Maybe," I agreed, with a chuckle. "But it's worth it, right? Nothing like buying gifts for your friends and family to show you care."
"So... Who's gonna take the blame for gambling?" Jean asked.
"That would be me," I said. "You had nothing to do with it, just being the moral support. Besides, considering I'm a clone, I can always use that clone card to get out of trouble, right?"
Jean laughed. "Thanks for taking the bullet for me. But let's not say anything if he doesn't ask."
We both laughed together and then hired a taxi to drive us to the academy.
However, who would have thought that our fun day would be ruined by a freaking Rhino?!
As the taxi turned a corner, the driver was mid-sentence, telling a story about the holiday traffic when we heard a deafening roar and the unmistakable sound of concrete shattering. The ground shook violently, and before I could react, Jean's hand instinctively shot out, grabbing my arm.
"What the hell was that?" the driver blurted out, slamming on the brakes.
I looked out the window just in time to see the hulking figure of Rhino, barreling through the street like an unstoppable wrecking ball. Cars and pedestrians scattered in every direction, trying to avoid the chaos as he plowed forward. His horn-tipped helmet gleamed under the city lights, and his massive frame sent cars flying like toys. And then, to our horror, he made a beeline straight for us.
"Move!" I yelled at the driver, but it was too late.
The taxi jerked violently as Rhino's path of destruction came hurtling toward us. I was ready to free that fucker on the spot. Jean's eyes flared with telekinetic energy, but before she could act, a streak of white and black shot past our car, fast as lightning. A web stretched taut in front of Rhino, and a figure swung through the air, flipping gracefully above the chaos.
It was Ghost Spider. There's no doubt about it.
With perfect timing, she snagged Rhino with another web, pulling herself towards him in one swift motion. She kicked off a nearby building, spinning around in midair as she used the force of her momentum to slam into Rhino's back. He staggered but didn't stop.
"Get out of here!" Ghost Spider shouted. She was trying to slow Rhino down, but the guy was a tank on legs, barely fazed by her assault.
Our driver, panicking, floored the gas pedal and swerved to avoid the debris. Jean and I braced ourselves as we sped through the chaos. Behind us, Ghost Spider kept dodging Rhino's wild charges, her acrobatic flips and web-swinging the only thing keeping her out of his deadly reach.
Jean turned to me, her expression serious. "We need to help her."
Before she could finish speaking, I covered my body with ice. This should be enough to hide my identity. I opened the door and jumped out, creating an ice block under my feet, I glided forward while continuously freezing the moisture in the air. "I'll take care of it."
I glided forward where Ghost Spider and Rhino were fighting. She was barely dodging that armored freak and her webs weren't that effective.
"I got some new upgrades since our last fight, bug," Rhino said with a large grin as he slammed his metal fists together, creating a massive shockwave, that threw back everything around them. Ghost Spider flipped up in midair and threw multiple web bombs, trying to pin down his legs to the ground, "Arggg!" He ripped through the web easily, "This suit is specially made to squash you!" He leaped forward, tackling her at high speed.
"Fuck!" Ghost Spider shouted as she tried to dodge his tackle, but she wasn't fast enough.
But, hey, I'm fast enough... I froze the moisture around Rhino instantly. That metal freak froze in midair within a second and fell to the ground with a loud crash. He tried to move, but his legs and arms were frozen to the ground.
Ghost Spider landed on the road and rushed to me. "Thanks for the backup! This guy is a pain in the ass."
I glanced around. There were too many people around, the cops, reporters... Need to get out of here.
"No problem. You should be careful next time," With that, I glided out of that area. I went into an alley and jumped over to the other side, after turning back to my human form. Phew! That was close. Jean was already waiting on the other end with the cab.
"Let's get out of here." She gestured with her head, and I nodded, jumping into the back seat.
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