Disclaimer: I do not own these characters

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Bishops move diagonally, you never know where they'll turn up. Kings move so little and are thus useless fight-wise, but worth a lot. Queens, now, Queens move everywhere in every direction and cause havoc.

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A guard led Emma through the compound. It was made of stone and metal. Not that it mattered. As long as there was not technology, the woman they held here could not escape. They stopped before a heavy iron door. The guard slid a grate aside and yelled into the room beyond.

"You have a visitor!"

"Password?" came the slightly annoyed voice.

Emma smirked. The guard was about to yell something – abuse most likely – when Emma laid a hand on his shoulder.

"If I remember correctly, it's" Emma coughed a laugh. "Cornflakes."

Suddenly the woman in the other room was at the grate. Her dark blue –almost black – eyes sparkled. They were framed by a sweeping black side fringe.

"Emma Grace Frost. To what do I owe the pleasure?" her voice was mocking, but there was an edge of desperation.

"Tessa," Emma began in a light voice. "Or is in Sage these days?"

"Tessa will do."

"Step back and let the nice guard open the door. Nothing you're doing could be half as interesting as me."

"And they say you're no longer the White Queen." Tessa cackled and moved deep into the room. "The day you stop being the White Queen is the day you die, Emma."

The guard opened the door and Emma entered the large room that Tessa now lived in.

"Hush dear. They don't know that."

The room, though large, was bland. Everything seemed to be in a light brown. Despite her four month's imprisonment, Tessa only looked slightly worse for wear. Her prison uniform had been altered to her sense of style. The Hellfire Club was good like that. Emma gave Tessa a disapproving glance. Both women knew that the White Queen would never look anything less than immaculate, no matter the situation. From her white leather corset, to her tight white leather pants and thigh – high white leather boots. Emma had left the cape at home today.

"What ever could bring the Queen down from her palace to talk to a lowly servant? It can't be anything good, I'm sure." Tessa's words hung with distain and sarcasm.

"Whether it's good or not, depends on your point of view really. As with all things." Said Emma, ignoring Tessa's tone.

She lifted a wooden box and placed it on the table that stood in the centre on the room, taking up a large amount of space.

"Up for a game of chess, Tessa. I seem to recall you being quite good at it."

Tessa steered at the box for a second before setting the board up. The two women sat at the table a silently played the strategy game.

"Why are you here, Emma?"

"Is this not reason enough?"

Tessa paused to look at Emma. "No."

She captured one of Emma's white pawns. Emma was always white.

"In the Hellfire Club you were the closest thing I had to a friend" Emma said softly. "We went through a lot under Shaw."

Tessa nodded in mutual agreement. If it was said she had had a friend in the Hellfire Club, it would have been Emma.

"But that's not enough for you, is it?"

Again. "No."

Emma took one of Tessa's pawns. She held the stolen piece carefully in her fingers. Slowly, she picked up one of her own taken pawns.

"I look back on it now, and I realize how strange it really is."

"Strange? What are you talking about? Snapped Tessa.

Emma placed the two pieces on the table, side by side.

"We were so horribly similar. Except one of us was white and one of us black. Though we changed out colours, we were never the same colour at the same time."

Emma flicked the two pawns over and the rolled off the table making a dull clinking sound as they hit the ground.

"We were both pawns once, Tessa."

Tessa nodded. "True. We're not anymore though."

She moved her queen.

Emma responded by moving her own queen.

"Yet, you still haven't answered my question, Emma. What are you doing here?"

Emma grinned evilly. "Call it a technical move to insure my victory."

She moved her queen again. "Checkmate."

Emma stood up as Tessa steered at the board, trying to figure a way out of Emma's call.

"Queen's are such useful pieces. I find they are quite handy in helping other pieces out. But remember dear, there is only one true queen. Then rest are just pawns that got far enough. Keep the board. No doubt you'll find it infinitely more interesting than me. I find chess an excellent way to escape everyday life."

Emma walked to the door and knocked once. It was quickly opened and she was ushered outside.

Tessa waited until she was sure she was alone. She tipped the board over, scattering pieces. Tucked securely into the bottom of the chess board was a mobile phone. Tessa clicked it on and grinned. Internet, Bluetooth, GPS tracking. More than enough.

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Three days after her visit, Emma was questioned about an escape at Harlem Prison for Mutants. How would she know how Tessa/Sage had escaped? It was the truth too. She didn't know how the cyberpath used her powers, she just supplied the means.