Located at 1939 Kane Street, Wayne Tower stood tall in the heart of Gotham's Financial District. Truthfully, Gotham's modern financial district had been built up around Wayne Tower as most of the city's industry was driven by the wealth and ambitions of the Wayne Family. The Wayne's weren't selfish in their ambitions, Wayne Enterprises and its subsidiaries; WayneTech, Wayne-Manufacturing and Wayne-Electronics have employed thousands of Gothamites for decades.
In addition to the contributions of Wayne Enterprises, the city's elevated rail system was centered at Wayne Tower as well as the city's water supply. In all the ways that mattered, Wayne Tower was the center of Gotham City.
The building was always busy, people coming and going at all hours. This was especially true recently, two months earlier Gotham City suffered a terrorist attack. The League of Shadows organized a mass breakout at Arkham Asylum and attempted to unleash a poison gas on the whole city by striking at Wayne Tower. The Tower and surrounding buildings were damaged when the Batman and Gotham City Police collapsed a section of track to stop the attack.
But, construction wasn't the only cause for increased traffic. After going missing for seven years, twenty-seven year old Bruce Wayne returned just prior to Wayne Enterprise's initial public offering. Bruce managed to buy controlling interest of the company. Since then there had been a flurry of activity as the company reorganized and started new projects.
Bruce had made his first action re-launching the Wayne Foundation, the charity his mother ran when he was a boy. Under Bruce, they had made the Foundation's primary mission helping orphaned children they also helped fund many other organizations.
In the past, one of those organizations had been the Charles Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, and it was Xavier's hope that might be the case again. It was the reason Emma Frost sat gracefully in a comfortable chair outside Bruce Wayne's office on the top floor of Wayne Tower. She wore a custom made and impeccably tailored white suit with a knee-length skirt that cost as much as some cars. The suit's cut was conservative yet still hinted at a body of which she was quite proud. Her nearly-platinum blonde hair was gathered in a bun and her make-up was subtle. She sat with her legs crossed and looked both beautiful and unapproachable.
Not that she wished for conversation. Emma was a mutant, she had an active gene that not only held her apart from the average person but gave her abilities that set her apart as well. Specifically, Emma was a telepath and a very powerful one at that. She could read the average person's mind casually; she knew that every person on the floor was intimidated by her except for one.
Her eyes settled on the woman sitting at the receptionist's desk outside Wayne's office. Just as she was about to take a more focused look, the young woman's phone rang and she spoke briefly before she hung up and stood. "Miss Frost? Mr. Wayne will see you now."
Emma stood and after she smoothed the lines in her skirt followed the receptionist into Wayne's office. She found Wayne sitting behind his desk with Lucius Fox sitting across from him. The receptionist led her across the large office and introduced her, "Emma Frost, Mister Fox and Mister Wayne."
Both men stood and offered a handshake to her, she took their hands in turn before sitting down. Bruce gave the receptionist a smile and spoke, "Thank you, Miss Rushman."
Emma noticed the woman smiled bashfully but didn't blush, her eyes narrowed and she tried to pull something from Miss Rushman as she exited the office. What she pulled surprised her…
What surprised her more was what she pulled from the two men still in the office. Not Fox, what she found was an organized mind. He was mentally reviewing the proposal Charles had sent to Wayne as well as considering some of the things he still had to do today before returning home to his wife.
On the other hand, Wayne was a blank slate. Most men with Wayne's reputation would be an open book to her, a rather perverted open book at that. She'd expected to find him contemplating her legs or her bust while engaging in some sort of fantasy. She was almost insulted until she realized his thoughts weren't just disinterested, they were muted. It seemed Bruce Wayne had some training in repelling a telepathic probe.
She was intrigued as she spoke, "Thank you for seeing me, Mister Wayne. Mister Fox. I'll try not to take too much of your time."
Bruce smiled, "Nonsense, Miss Frost."
She nodded, "I trust you've reviewed Professor Xavier's request for funding?"
Fox smiled, "Oh yes, Miss Frost. In fact, it all seems to be in order."
She was unsurprised; she'd written the proposal herself. "Be that as it may, Mister Fox. Professor Xavier felt it best if someone from the school spoke with you about the funds considering last week's…" She frowned and searched for a proper term to described Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants terrorizing a Congressional hearing on Mutant rights. She finally settled on, "Unfortunate events."
It was then that Wayne spoke, "I assume Xavier also felt that it should be someone other than himself to sooth any ruffled feathers we might have. Considering that when he started the Xavier School, Eric Lensherr was on the staff and last week he declared himself in charge of a rogue nation."
Emma had enough poise not to grimace; it appeared to be exactly as Charles feared. Wayne had been spooked by Magneto's display. "Mr. Wayne, I assure you that Mr. Lensherr's days of influence over the Xavier School are over. Professor Xavier's philosophy has at its core a belief in peace between Humanity and Mutantdom. We teach our students to work towards a better world for all."
Wayne held up his hands, "Miss Frost, you misunderstand. I didn't ask to speak with you today to retract our funding. Xavier's goal is noble. Many of his students have been orphaned have they not? He takes them in and tries to give them a home as well as an education, correct?" She nodded and he continued, "I know all too well how it feels to think you are alone in the world. That's why I reintroduced the Wayne Foundation.
"I asked you here to make an offer. Wayne Enterprises is looking for the brightest scientific minds to take over our energy and technology initiatives. The first name on our list was Henry McCoy."
Emma felt a weight lift from her. Between her fortune, Warren's and Xavier's they could run the school but with the money from Wayne they could run it well. Not only would that help but Wayne being a prominent non-mutant hopefully gave them an advantage in sentiment from the public.
She'd read about how he'd outmaneuvered the Board to claim his parent's company, taking a loan from his Butler (as technically his wealth still belonged to Pennyworth as a result of Wayne being legally dead) and buying up Wayne stock. This caused her to assume Wayne would be a shark.
That he would stand with Mutants ran counter to that impression. She took a chance and tried to get a look into the man's thoughts again and found that same muted sensation she felt when she ran across someone with mental defenses.
She schooled her features, "Mr. Wayne, as you may or may not be aware, Dr. McCoy is on the Xavier Institute's staff. While I can't speak for Professor Xavier, I'm not sure he would be interested in sacrificing one of our best teachers simply for a check from the Wayne Foundation."
Bruce replied with a genuine smile. She was not above admitting to herself that it was a rather charming smile as well. "Nor would I ask him to do so. The work we'd like Henry to do could easily be done via e-commute."
Lucius spoke next, "Mr. Wayne and I are personally committed to moving forward our research into cold fusion. We've read Henry's work on fusion and are willing to give him the tools and colleagues needed to make his theories reality. We're also not above offering incentives." He passed her a folder, "This is our proposal for the Thomas and Martha Wayne Scholarship. This is a four year, full-ride scholarship to be awarded annually to a student who shows aptitude in the sciences. In addition, that student will be awarded a ten-week internship in our research and applied sciences division under my direct supervision."
She thumbed through the proposal as she replied, "This is extremely generous, gentlemen. However, mutants are faced with considerable discrimination from many colleges and universities. Their opportunities are very limited."
Mr. Fox chuckled, "Ms. Frost, the Wayne name carries with it considerable weight. If any school wishes to tangle with us over a qualified student, they're welcome to try."
When she started to speak, Bruce cut her off. "Ms. Frost. None of this is conditional. Please take our proposals to Professor Xavier and Dr. McCoy respectively but know that you have an ally in Wayne Enterprises."
She nodded, "Well gentlemen, I will return to my hotel room and relay your proposal to Professor Xavier. Hopefully they will have an answer soon. Again, thank you for your time."
Bruce smiled again and rose to his feet; he then extended his hand as he circled around his desk. "Of course, Ms. Frost. Will you need a driver?"
It was with a sense of relief that Emma rose to her feet. She took Bruce's hand and answered, "No thank you. I have a suite at the Royal Hotel across the street." An important fact about telepaths is that with physical contact, enough ability and a little finesse one can slip past defenses. She may not have had reason to normally but she felt a strong impression from him when she mentioned the Royal Hotel. She followed that impression and found detailed blue prints and floor plans, an image of what she assumed was a drug deal on the Gotham Docks and two words she knew very well; Hellfire Club. Then she saw a very clear image of a black armored suit and cowl.
The images combined to form a very clear, if rather surprising, picture. Bruce Wayne, a man who had traveled the world only to return to reclaim his wealth, had also returned to act as a costumed vigilante. It actually made some of her impressions of the man fit together properly for the first time; why he could be so shrewd a business man and at the same time show such incredible compassion. Why the man could put on the air of a drunken playboy and still have mental defenses.
The Bruce Wayne the press and most people had been presented with since his return was a well-crafted façade. A façade that hid that Bruce had taken on the herculean task of bringing order to a city that thrived on chaos.
There was also a problem: The Hellfire Club was in Gotham and it seemed they were even in her hotel. She was going to have to look into the actions of her former colleagues tonight. She was about to take her leave when she thought of Wayne's receptionist. She quickly decided that with all the good will Bruce Wayne had extended to the school he was owed some in return. "Did you know Miss Rushman was a government agent?"
The grim look that formed on Wayne's face all the answer she needed.
#&#
The Hellfire Club had come to Batman's attention not long after the League had attacked Gotham. Ra's al Ghul's body had not been recovered from the wreckage and he had spent the next few days trying to either confirm his former mentor's death or confirm his worries that he was still alive.
Unfortunately, he had found no evidence either way but at Alfred and Lucius' urging he had resumed his Mission. When he turned his attention back on the Falcone family's operations they retaliated by hiring an assassin that went by the name Warhawk. He subdued the man and upon interrogating him learned the Falcones had been so desperate to defeat the costumed crime-fighter that they offered a percentage of their operation to the Hellfire Club.
It had taken Bruce several days of research but he'd tracked to the Royal Hotel through a drug trafficking ring they were setting up.
He stood on the roof of Wayne Tower, scanning the Royal with a pair of experimental multispectral binoculars. Finally, he found his target in a penthouse on the upper floor. He focused in and found six armed men in the room, as well a considerable amount of equipment and weaponry.
He secured his binoculars before stepping off the edge of the roof. He gripped his cape, which ran a charge through the material allowing him to glide through the air all the way to the roof of the Royal. He crossed the roof and found a skylight down into the suite he had identified and pulled a trio of items from his belt then attached them to the skylight. He pressed a control on his belt which activated the com-unit in his cowl. "Penny-one, I'm in position."
The voice of his life-long butler and friend came through the speaker, "Stand by. Accessing Gotham Power Backdoor… Three… Two… One." At that moment, the Royal went dark.
"That did it, Penny-one." Below him, the six men began to search frantically for both their weapons and flashlights.
He could hear Alfred typing in commands on the computer before he spoke, "Expected window is ninety seconds."
"Understood." He then gripped his cape and used it to shield his face as he pressed another button on his belt.
All three devices he attached to the window detonated at that moment. Two were small shaped charges that shattered the window while the third was a modified flash grenade. This left the men blinded and showered in glass.
He dropped into the room and dispatched the two men closest to the flash before they were even able to see so much as purple blobs. One of the men tried to aim his gun but Bruce threw a pair of his shurikens. One struck the man on his hand while the other hit him between the eyes, Bruce had recently blunted the weapons but he could still throw them with enough force to daze the man. He charged forward and levered a front kick into the man's chest which sent him flying into the wall behind him.
He heard the distinctive sound of a Heckler and Koch MP5 being cocked and a man yell out, "I can see enough to gun you down!"
He dove forward and reached into his belt, this time he produced a smoke bomb which he threw just before the man opened fire. Bullets whizzed over his head even as the room filled with smoke. He skirted the edge of the room, choking out a fourth man as he passed. He then dove at the gunman, he gripped the still firing weapon with his left hand and forced it upwards while he level the man with a right cross to the jaw. In a smooth motion, he gripped the gunman's shoulders and hurled him into the final man as he started to scramble out from behind the couch he had taken cover behind.
By the time the ninety second window had passed and the lights in the Royal had flickered on there were five subdued and bound men in the room awaiting the arrival of the Gotham City Police. Notably missing were the sixth man and the Batman.
#&#
The first thing Tommy felt as consciousness began to assert itself again was that his feet were swaying. The last thing he'd remembered was Ricky opening fire on the room as it filled with smoke. Just as he tried to figure out where he was it had felt like a vice was around his neck and then the room went black.
He then felt his arms, they were being held painfully above his head. It felt like his shoulders were already out of socket. His eyes fluttered open and he saw a strangely clear view of Wayne tower, when he looked up he found his hands cuffed together then he looked down…
Then he screamed.
Below his feet was a still busy Kane Street a twenty story drop and nothing but air separating them. He felt a hand grip his shoulder and he was wrenched around until he was face to face with the Batman.
He screamed again.
Batman's lips peeled away from his teeth in a sneer before he growled out, "You're Hellfire Club. You're importing drugs. Talk. NOW!"
He shook his head back and forth and tried to speak. All that came out was a stammering sound and then he managed to force out, "Not saying-" He didn't get a chance to say anything more before he was falling with a wordless cry of complete terror.
He jerked to a sudden stop, which caused both of his shoulders to become dislocated before he started to rise slowly. He came to a stop in front of Batman, the vigilante gripped his lapels and yanked him forward, he was dimly aware of his feet hitting the ledge, "TALK!"
"Excuse me, perhaps I can help." Both men turned towards the new voice, it was a woman's voice with a cultured northeastern accent. When Tommy saw her he was nearly stunned. The blonde was absolutely gorgeous. She was dressed head to toe in white, her heeled-boots stopped just below the knee, giving way to skin tight white riding pants that hung low on her hips. The skin of her midriff was perfectly toned and tanned. She wore a white bustier which advertised her generous bust quite amazingly. Her ash blonde hair framed her face and as she crossed the roof a smug smile teased her scarlet-painted lips.
As though the rest of her appearance wasn't attention grabbing enough, she wore a long white cape that was held together by a circular brooch in the shape of a red and black "X."
She looked both men over in a cold and appraising fashion before she spoke to the Batman. "Put him down, I don't need him dangling off the roof to get you everything."
Now it was the black-clad vigilante's turn to look between the other two people before he spoke. It was still a growl but it wasn't nearly as harsh, "How?"
The woman smiled at Batman, and Tommy was pretty sure it was a flirtatious one. "I'm a telepath, darling." She turned to Tommy, and her expression quickly turned artic. "If I wanted, after getting your information I could convince our friend he was a German shepherd."
Tommy then sailed out of Batman's grip; he crashed into the roof-access door in a heap. He managed to right himself just as the woman came to a stop before him. She was casually removing one of her elbow-length white gloves as she spoke to him, "With the way you've been screaming every thought in your head I can already tell you have no mental defenses, Thomas. Should you even attempt to stop me you could severely damage your mind."
He managed to stutter, "Lady, if word gets out I snitched I'll be in a diaper and drooling anyway."
She reached out with her now bare hand and gripped his chin roughly… Everything went black again.
#&#
It took a matter of seconds for Emma to take what she needed from the Hellfire thug, she was almost disappointed. During her brief time with the Hellfire Club, she had made sure that even the lowest level muscle had some telepathic defenses. The only way she would have missed what she had wanted in this man's mind would if she had been careless.
She started to pull her glove on as she turned to the black-clad man sharing the roof with her when she noticed the glint of police sirens approaching. She looked over the edge of the building and found several patrol vehicles in front of the hotel already. She then heard the door of the suite below them crash open, that's when Batman surged towards her. She stifled a noise of surprise as he gathered her up with one arm while firing a grappling gun with his free hand and quite suddenly the pair of them launched into the air.
They landed softly on the roof of Wayne Tower moments later and Batman let her go. She could see the rooftop access door to the Royal Hotel open and several officers securing the roof. Behind her she heard Batman speak, "Miss?"
The intimidating growl he'd used on Thomas was gone but it was clear he was still disguising his voice. She felt an amused smile pull at her lips as she turned towards him, "If you're half as smart as I suspected you were when we met earlier you'll know that I already know who you are."
He scowled for a moment before he replied in the same disguised voice, "You read me?"
She felt slightly sheepish as she replied, "In my defense and to your credit it was something of an accident. When I mentioned the Royal Hotel you had a strong reaction and the impression I received was of your mission." She paused then took a step towards him, "Your passive defenses were impeccable. Where did you learn?"
His eyes were still narrow, but she felt some of his hostility abating, "Nanda Parbat."
She nodded, "I have no intention of telling anyone and at the risk of boasting there are only two people on Earth with any hope of taking that knowledge from me. Both of them are at the school."
After a long moment he spoke, "What did you learn?"
She took another step towards him, "They may have been Hellfire Club but it was almost in name only. This was for all intents and purposes a probationary team trying to earn their way in, and they have just failed. The biggest crime family in Gotham was only barely worth the Hellfire Club's time, which should tell you how successful your crusade has been already."
When he said nothing she continued, "Their plan had been to draw you out by consolidating the drug trade under their leadership, and then kill you." There was no outward change but she finally felt the wariness tinged with hostility abate. She gave him a smirk, "It seems the 'classics' never go out of style."
She saw the barest hint of an answering smirk and he replied, "I see style is something you appreciate, Miss Frost."
She couldn't help but laugh, "So the monster that half this city checks under their beds and in their closets for before bed each night has a sense of humor?" She closed some more of the distance between them.
"Why were you interested in the Hellfire Club?"
She frowned for a moment before she answered, "Mutant abilities often come about during puberty, when my powers bloomed my relationship with my family fell apart. When I was a freshman in college I met a fellow mutant named Sebastian Shaw. We subverted a plot to destroy our kind and Shaw saw use in my power. Over time, he brought me into the Hellfire Club. By the time I graduated I was named the White Queen, Shaw had used the power of the Club to maneuver my father's business and even his fortune into my control.
"I was twenty-two and drunk on the wealth and political power Shaw fed me. He played into my resentment of my father and rewarded all the petty revenge fantasies I entertained. All the while, he exploited my telepathy for his gain. When I learned that, I… I was rather unkind in my resignation. Eventually, I met Xavier and he offered me a chance to teach instead of control and I took it."
They were still as he took in her story and she silently admonished herself for telling him as much as she did. There was still a part of her that used information as a weapon and she'd handed this man a lot of ammunition.
When he spoke, she felt comforted that he didn't seem inclined to attack. "I can understand the allure of revenge." Of course he could, he'd seen his parents murdered as a boy. Emma had no doubt that the Batman was born that night behind the Monarch Theater. He pinned her with his gaze, "You've risen above it. That's what matters."
In the sky above them a search light struck the clouds, she could make out the vague silhouette of a bat in the light. Batman frowned, "Lieutenant Gordon must have questions about those thugs." He pressed a button on his belt and the access door popped open behind him revealing an elevator. "That express elevator goes directly to the lobby."
Emma took another step towards him, just inside the edge of polite distance. "Haley's Circus is performing tomorrow and Professor Xavier would like me to speak with one of their performers. I would hope that Bruce Wayne would like to celebrate his partnership with the Xavier School by attending with me."
She noticed that smirk teasing the corner of his mouth again and he spoke, "He'll pick you up tomorrow at seven." He stepped off the roof and dropped out of her sight. Emma left the roof as well. Tomorrow she'd meet with Kurt Wagner and offer the young man a place at the Xavier School then take in a performance of the Flying Graysons on the arm of Bruce Wayne. It was very likely she was going to be on the front page of every paper in Gotham come the morning, she would have to buy a new dress in the morning.
She was beginning to like Gotham City.