Edward stepped deeper into the Frost estate's main reception hall. Crystal chandeliers cast rainbow light across polished marble floors. Dark wood panels covered the walls from floor to ceiling. Expensive paintings hung in gold frames.
The place screamed money and power. Old money that had been growing for generations.
His mental interface flickered as he spotted familiar faces across the room.
Queen Medusa, Edward thought. I need you to start the memory scrambling now. Create as much noise as possible.
INITIATING COGNITIVE DEFENSE PROTOCOL
GENERATING MEMORY CHAOS...
STATUS: ACTIVE
Suddenly Edward's mind filled with random images. Childhood birthday parties mixed with scenes from action movies. Math homework from high school blended with cooking recipes. The AI was creating a storm of fake memories and scattered thoughts.
"Edward!"
A warm voice cut through his mental preparation. Christian Frost walked over with confident steps. Tall guy, athletic build, light brown hair and blue eyes. He wore an expensive black shirt and dark pants.
"Look who finally showed up," Christian said with a grin. "Nice ride out there. That BMW suits your family."
Edward felt Queen Medusa feeding him response suggestions through the memory chaos.
"Thanks," Edward replied. "Dad wanted to make a good impression."
"The Boston family always does things right." Christian's smile looked genuine. "How are you holding up? I know family stuff can be intense."
"I'm managing," Edward said. He kept his voice calm while his mind churned with artificial memories of playing video games and solving algebra problems.
Christian nodded toward the crowd. "Everyone's here today. The whole Frost circus."
"Speaking of the circus..."
A new voice joined them. Cold and sharp like broken ice.
Edward turned to see Adrienne Frost approaching. Platinum blonde hair fell past her shoulders. Sharp blue eyes that seemed to see too much. She wore a black dress that probably cost more than his family's car.
Queen Medusa, Edward thought quickly. Increase the memory scramble. This one's dangerous.
COGNITIVE NOISE AMPLIFIED
GENERATING ADDITIONAL FALSE MEMORY STREAMS
"Adrienne," Edward said with a polite nod.
"Little Edward." She studied him like a scientist looking at an interesting bug. "You've grown up quite nicely. Still the same shy boy who used to hide behind Emma?"
Edward's cheeks got warm. He remembered those childhood games. Adrienne always pushed things too far.
"I learned to handle myself better," he said carefully.
Christian laughed. "Give him a break, Adrienne. Not everyone enjoyed your twisted version of hide and seek."
"I was teaching valuable lessons about boundaries," Adrienne replied. Her smile got sharper. "Don't you miss those days, Edward? When we were all so... close?"
Edward's mental defenses kicked into high gear. Images flooded his mind: grocery shopping with his mom, watching TV shows, doing laundry, reading comic books. Queen Medusa was creating a wall of boring, normal thoughts.
"Childhood was childhood," Edward said. "We're all adults now."
"Are we?" Adrienne tilted her head. "I wonder about that."
Before the conversation could get more uncomfortable, another voice interrupted.
"Stop terrorizing our guest, Adrienne."
Edward looked up to see a younger woman approaching. She had the same platinum blonde hair as her sisters, but softer features. Mid-teens, wearing a simple black dress. Her eyes held less calculation than Adrienne's.
Queen Medusa, Edward thought. Who is this one?
SCANNING... CROSS-REFERENCING DATABASE...
TARGET: CORDELIA FROST
POWERS: UNKNOWN/VARIABLE
THREAT LEVEL: UNCERTAIN
"Cordelia," Christian said with relief. "Perfect timing."
"I could hear you three from across the room," Cordelia said. She looked at Edward with curious eyes. "You must be Edward. I'm Cordelia, the normal one in this family."
Edward felt some tension leave his shoulders. "Nice to meet you, Cordelia."
"Don't let her fool you," Adrienne warned. "There's no such thing as normal in the Frost family."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Ignore her. She thinks being dramatic makes her interesting."
"It does make me interesting," Adrienne replied.
Christian shook his head. "You're both weird. But at least Cordelia doesn't try to read people's emotional histories through handshakes."
Edward made a mental note to avoid physical contact with Adrienne at all costs.
"Where's Emma?" Cordelia asked, looking around the room.
"Holding court near the main entrance," Christian replied. "Playing the grieving family member for the important guests."
Edward's stomach dropped. "She's... here?"
"Of course she's here," Adrienne said. Her eyes glittered with amusement. "This is Winston's funeral. The whole family has to make an appearance."
Queen Medusa, Edward thought desperately. Emma Frost is the dangerous one, right? The telepath?
CONFIRMED. EMMA FROST: OMEGA-LEVEL TELEPATH
RECOMMENDATION: AVOID DIRECT CONTACT
AMPLIFYING DEFENSIVE PROTOCOLS
The memory chaos in Edward's mind got stronger. Now he was thinking about grocery lists, homework assignments, TV commercials, and his grandmother's chocolate chip cookie recipe all at the same time.
"She's been asking about you," Christian said with a knowing look.
"Asking about me?" Edward tried to sound casual. "Why?"
"Why do you think?" Adrienne's smile turned predatory. "Emma's developed quite an interest in her childhood playmate."
Cordelia looked between her siblings with confusion. "What are you two talking about?"
"Nothing," Edward said quickly.
"Nothing?" Christian laughed. "Emma's been asking Mom about you for months. When you're visiting, what you're studying, if you're dating anyone."
Edward felt his face get hot. "We're just family friends."
"Sure you are," Adrienne said. "Just like Christian is 'just friends' with that tennis instructor."
Christian's face turned red. "Hey! Leave Marcus out of this."
"Ooh, Marcus," Cordelia teased. "Is he cute?"
"This conversation is getting weird," Edward said.
Queen Medusa, he thought. How long can I keep this memory scrambling up?
CURRENT COGNITIVE LOAD: 73% OF PROCESSING CAPACITY
SUSTAINABLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 2.7 HOURS
WARNING: MENTAL FATIGUE WILL INCREASE OVER TIME
"Don't worry, Edward," Cordelia said kindly. "We're always weird. You'll get used to it again."
"Or you'll run away screaming," Adrienne added. "That's also a valid option."
"I'm not running anywhere," Edward said. Though part of him wanted to.
Christian checked his expensive watch. "We should probably mingle with the other guests. Mom will be upset if we spend the whole funeral talking to each other."
"Edward should meet everyone," Cordelia suggested. "It's been years since he's been to a family gathering."
"That's a wonderful idea," Adrienne said. Her tone made it sound like a threat. "We can introduce him to all the important people. Show him off."
Edward's mental defenses worked harder. Queen Medusa filled his thoughts with memories of doing dishes, folding clothes, and organizing his school notebooks.
"Maybe later," he said. "I should find my parents first."
"Of course," Christian nodded. "But don't disappear completely. Emma really does want to see you."
"We all want to spend time with our dear cousin," Adrienne added. "It's been far too long."
As Edward started to walk away, he heard Cordelia's voice behind him.
"Be careful, Edward. This family can be... overwhelming."
He glanced back to see her watching him with concerned eyes. Of all the Frost siblings, she seemed the most normal. Maybe the most trustworthy.
But in a family of telepaths and manipulators, Edward wasn't sure he could trust anyone.
Queen Medusa, he thought. How am I supposed to survive this day?
RECOMMENDATION: MAINTAIN CURRENT DEFENSIVE PROTOCOLS
AVOID PROLONGED CONTACT WITH EMMA FROST
SEEK EXIT OPPORTUNITIES WHEN POSSIBLE
Edward took a deep breath and prepared to face whatever came next.