" To Mistress, With Love..."
All recognizable characters and settings belong to Marvel; I am using them without permission but mean no harm and am making no profit. The plot and original characters, however belong to me. Any and all feedback is appreciated at dex@globalserve.net. Redistribution of this tale for profit is illegal. Please do not archive this story without contacting me first to obtain my permission.
" And what was this doing in my shower?" asked Emma, glaring down at her charge. Jubilee defiantly met her gaze, trying not to let any thoughts slip on the subject.
" Swimmin'?" she replied, looking at the bedraggled and puzzled looking squid in Emma Frost's hand.
" I don't care what it's actions were, I want to know how it got there, and who is responsible." Emma snarled. She was in a foul mood of late due to the extra work put on her from Sean's absence from the mansion. He had left to spend the week with his daughter, and that left Emma with the full responsibilities of the school on her shoulders. Her relaxing shower had ended when a terrified mollusc had dropped from the ceiling and square on her back.
" Why are you blamin' me? I've got better thing ta do then put slimy fish on the top of your shower, Miz Frost. Geez, some of us got lives, ya know."
" How did you know it was on the ceiling?" said Emma softly, savoring the sudden panic in the thoughts of her student.
" Well, I..uh, well...."
" As I thought. Well Jubilation, I must spend some time working on a suitable punishment for you, since manual labor, household chores and confinement have proved uneffective on you as of late. Something that will end these ridiculous pranks you seem determined to play at my expense." Emma smiled, yet it lacked any warmth or humor. " Come to my office this afternoon and I shall let you know your... fate."
" Fate?" Jubilee swallowed hard, suddenly wondering if she had finally overdone it.
" Yes Jubilation, you finally have." said Frost as she stormed off to finish her shower. Jubilee stuck her tongue out at her teacher's back. Telepathic teachers just weren't fair. Jubilee allowed herself a smile as she returned to her room, knowing that she was in deep trouble any way, and that Frost had missed the two crabs still in her washroom. A brief startled scream echoed through the hall.
" Heh, got' ya!" said Jubilee.
* * * *
" Hello Emma."
" Hello Scott. What brings you to the school?" asked Emma as she stepped aside to allow the leader of the X-Men into the foyer. Summers was dressed in heavy clothes, not suited for the relatively warm fall weather.
" Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something." Scott smiled and removed his jacket.
" Of course, Scott. You know I am always available for... anything." Emma said, the last word dripping with innuendo. She was not really interested in Scott, but it was fun to sense his anxiety levels jump.
" Uh, yes..... anyhow,.." sputtered Scott, slightly taken aback by her manner.
" Would you like to stay for lunch?" Emma asked sweetly. " I had prepared crab salad, but I can get whatever appeals to you." She practically purred the last sentence.
" No, er.. I wanted to ask you about the students."
" The students?" Emma snapped out of the she-cat mode and returned to her normal business-like self. " What did Jubilation do this time?"
" Nothing like that." Scott said, smiling. The duel between the White Queen and Jubilee was well known. " We are going to Muir Island for a week to help with a series of Moira's tests. I thought it would be a good idea to bring the students. It would be good to familiarize them with the facility and give them a chance to see some of Scotland."
" It would be a good opportunity for them. Let me let them know and they will be ready in an hour or so."
" Great. We'll swing by with the Blackbird to get them."
" Mr. Summers, if you would like to wait here for the plane, I'm sure we could find something to occupy you." Emma's voice dropped to a low, throaty purr, heating the recipients blood.
"........."
" Mr. Summers?"
" Uh, no. I have to go and...er, I have to go." stuttered Scott as he left quickly, nearly running down the steps to his car. Emma closed the door and leaned on it, laughing softly. She got control back after a few minutes and walked into her office, an idea forming in her mind. This was the perfect punishment for Jubilee. Cut off from her friends as they went off for a holiday in Scotland. It was perfect and would drive home the message once and for all. Smiling evilly, she leaned back and opened her powers to the students.
{{ Students, I would like you all to gather in the main foyer immediately.}} Emma felt the thought processes click over to the affirmative, and she broke the connection. She isolated the individual waves and clicked on Jubilee's.
{{ Jubilation, I require your presence in my office now.}} Emma added emphasis to the final word, the equivalent to a telepathic shout. She rose and left the office, watching her students pile into the room. She gave them time to arrive before addressing them. Jubilee stood with the group, confused with her own place. Emma let her stew for a moment before addressing her mentally.
{{ Jubilation, please go into my office. I will speak with you in a moment.}} Emma saw the flash of anger and defiance in Jubilee's eyes before the young girl shrugged and slouched off to the office.
{{ And close the door behind you, Jubilation.}} A slam echoed in the foyer. Emma smiled as she turned to the rest of her charges.
" Well, a marvelous opportunity has been offered to you by Mr. Summers." Everett stuck up his hand.
"Yes?"
" Is this Cyclops, Cable, Havok, or Corsair?" He said, the others laughing.
" Cyclops, Everett. But rest assured, if Havok does show an interest in one of you, I will be certain to send you to him." Emma said, her words an icy spray.
" Yes, Ms.Frost."
" As I was saying, Mr. Summers has offered to take you all with the main team to Muir Island, where a series of experiments are being conducted by Dr. MacTaggert. It will allow you to meet and get to know some of the former X-Men, New Mutants, and others. It will also allow you to see Scotland, as a sort of vacation." A collective cheer went up.
" However, I do have several assignments for you to complete during your absence." Emma smiled as the assembled teens groaned.
" Ms. Frost?" Paige stuck up her hand.
" Yes, Ms. Guthrie?"
" How long ah we gonna be away?"
" Not more then two weeks. Most likely Cyclops will return you with the rest of the X-Men."
" What about Jubilee?" Said Angelo.
" She is not joining you."
" Que?"
" I was clear the first time. Jubilation has been remarkably resistant to all forms of authority of late, and I have no interest in dueling with her. Hopefully, a week alone with me will teach her a certain amount of respect."
" If she survives." Muttered Everett to Angelo.
" Very well, Cyclops shall be here with the hour. You have some packing to do." Emma dismissed them and turned back towards her office. She stopped as she noticed Everett still standing in the middle of the room.
" You don't have much time till Cyclops gets here, Everett. Shouldn't you be packing?"
" I kind of wanted to wait for Jubilee, Ms.Frost. She is going to be pretty annoyed about all this, and I thought if I was here, that she might..well..." Emma smiled and put a hand on Everett's arm.
" As much as you may doubt this, I am doing this for Jubilation's own good. Do you think that a week alone with her isn't punishment for me as well. Please go to your room and get ready. It might be better for you all to be gone when she stops fuming. It will help her to realize that her actions have repercussions."
" Yes, Ms.Frost." Everett said, still looking doubtful but agreeing. Emma watched him go and rubbed her hands together. No student had ever challenged her for long, and Jubilation had finally come to the limit.
* * * *
Emma's office bore silent witness to the wrath of Jubilee. Books lay strewn over the floor and desk, the water cooler was forming its own lake in the corner of the room and a bust of Hugo now sported a black beard and mustache. Emma surveyed the wreckage in silence, not at all disturbed by it. Jubilee sat in the high-backed leather chair behind the desk, her arms folded across her chest.
" Ah, I take it you heard your punishment then, Jubilation?"
" My name is Jubilee, you sneaky, under-handed, gutter-spawned..." Jubilee snarled back at the smiling Frost. She failed to notice the smile grew brittle and Emma's eyes narrow slightly.
" Your name is listed as Jubilation Lee."
" Yeah? And your name should be listed as The High Queen Bi-ack!" Jubilee's retort was cut off sharply by Emma reaching over and lifting the young student up by her shirt collar.
" I have had quite enough of your tone, Jubilation. You have richly deserved this for a long time. And if I wasn't such a progressive educator..." said Emma as she tossed her student into one of the visitors chairs. "...I would not hesitate to cane you in full view on the quad!"
" Geez, ya didn't have ta choke me..." She muttered, her fury crumbling in the face of Emma's wrath.
" I haven't done anything yet, Jubilation. This time alone will determine whether we can strike a balance between us, as teacher and student. If not, then I will look at other options for you."
" Other options?" Asked Jubilee, confused.
" Expulsion, remittance to a normal school, careful monitoring of your abilities from afar without the benefit of training or facilities." Emma calmly replied.
" You mean, you'd kick me out?"
" It would sadden me greatly to do so, but if I must, then I will."
" You can't be...you wouldn't! Wolvie would...he'd.." Sputtered Jubilee, images of a return to her homeless days racing around her.
" Wolverine would do nothing. I am the administrator of this school, not him! You have a choice Jubilee, stay or go. But each has its own set of rewards and rules. You don't get one without the other." Emma snarled, an edge in her voice hammering the word into the young student.
" But..." Jubilee stood shakily and started towards the door.
" I don't remember giving you permission to leave." Emma said, her tone bitingly cold.
" I... you..." Jubilee turned, tears in her eyes.
" Get out Jubilation. You disappoint me this week and I will have you out of this school so fast you will leave skid marks."
" But, it's not..." Jubilee started to protest, but Emma's glare stopped her.
" Get out." Said Emma, softly and viciously. Jubilee fled from the room. Emma sat glaring as the door closed, and got up to lock it. At the click of the lock she sagged against the oak, drained. Leaning against the wood, she struggled to regain composure.
" That was the hardest thing I've ever done.." she muttered, shaking with emotion. The look on Jubilee's eyes when she threatened her with expulsion nearly caused Emma to break down. The look of pure terror and pain, unlike anything she had ever run against. Emma knew that the X-Men and the students were the only family she had now, and the thought of losing them was her worst nightmare. Emma felt sickened and angry that Jubilee had pushed her to these extreme measures. But, she wouldn't fail with Jubilee, she would make that girl into the person she was born to be, not allow her to be killed because she hadn't lived up to her potential. Emma sat back down at her desk, staring at her hands as the tears slowly crept down her cheeks.
* * * *
" Jubilee?"
" Go'way!"
" Are you okay?"
" I'm fine Ev. You've got to pack, so take off!"
" Jubilee, I could ask Ms.Frost if I could stay behind with you."
" No way you ask that witch for anything! Understand!!"
" Alright, alright... Is there anything I can do?"
" Please just go away Ev. I just wanna be mad for a while."
" Well... okay, I guess... look, holler if you need anything. Okay Jube?"
"........"
" Jube?"
" Alright already! Sheesh, like I need anything from anyone. Yeah, fer'sure. Just clear off, Ev."
" Alright... if that is what you want."
Jubilee lay on her bed, tears falling into the pillow which muffled the sound of her crying. That woman was going to get hers when Wolvie gets her, she thought. He cares about me. Jubilee heard the distant whine of the Blackbird's engines and jumped up from her bed, hastily wiping away her tears. Wolvie would sort everything out, and Miz "I Think I'm So Hot" Frost will get hers, she thought, and no one would ever threaten to kick her out again.
* * * *
Cyclops walked into the school and straight into a wall of luggage and excited teens. Slightly taken aback, he briefly wondered if this was such a good idea. But, he had been this age not long ago, and he could try to empathize. Jean followed him in, looking at the chaos with a smile. The trip was her idea, forcing Scott to get used to younger mutants, and to give him a harmless distraction. With the problems of the last few weeks, Scott had grown far too tense and troubled. A week of battling the exuberance of the GenX-er's would be therapeutic for him. Wolverine followed the pair in, loping upstairs to see his former charge. He rarely got a chance to see Jubilee these days, and a part of him missed their former comradery. He disappeared up the steps as Emma came out to face Cyclops.
" Ah, you have arrived. Hello Jean." said Emma, keeping her voice friendly and her mind neutral. Phoenix was without a doubt the most powerful telepath on the planet, but she had not learned some of the subtleties that Emma's long experience with her own formidable powers had given her. Jean returned her greeting with a slightly strained smile. Emma enjoyed the existence of their psychic rapport. It gave her a chance to indulge her mischievous side.
" Emma, are the students ready?" asked Cyclops.
" I would assume so. Students! Load your baggage on the Blackbird. You will be leaving soon." The assorted mutants began transferring their possessions over to the plane, M convincing Gambit to help her with her "few" bags.
" Good. Is their anything we can get you in Scotland, Emma?" said Scott.
" Why Scott, how gallant! But no, I have everything I desire here in front of me." Emma smiled lavaciously as Jean fumed behind her stunned husband.
" The mansion is all I ever require." she said, clarifying things for the leader of the X-Men.
" Ah, yes...well...right..." said Scott as he allowed Jean to drag him away.
" Petite! Dis are killin' Gambit. How many t'ings you need, anyhow?"
" Really, I might be able to do without the third skid, but the rest are essentials."
*groan* " Gambit, he be takin' a vacation ta recover from dis vacation."
* * * *
" Darlin'?" Wolverine opened the door to Jubilee's room and was nearly taken off his feet as she barreled into him. One sniff told him she'd been crying hard, and her body was spent and shaking.
" Wolvie..." Jubilee couldn't help the fresh rain of tears from starting.
" Hey kiddo. What's wrong?" Wolverine picked up Jubilee and walked over to the bed. He sat, cradling her slight form in his arms.
" Emma...she, she, she..." stuttered Jubilee, her sobs breaking up her sentences.
" What did Emma do?" Logan said softly, worried about the girl.
" She..she threatened to kick me out." Howled Jubilee, ashamed at her tears and her inability to stop them.
" Fer what? What did you do this time?"
" Nuthin'" she said sullenly. Logan raised an eyebrow.
" Okay, a little misunderstanding with some seafood..." Wolverine just sat and listened.
" And her shower." Jubilee finished, her crying ended. Logan gave a slight smile.
" Ah." Jubilee sniffed and wiped her face on Wolverine's shirt.
" That's all right darlin'. I never liked this shirt anyhow. So, Emma hit the roof?"
" Yeah."
" Jubes, didn't you think that after the past pranks, she was gonna hit her limit?"
" Like I did all that much! Fer sure!"
" The green dye in her shampoo."
" It washed out in a week. And she had said she liked Lorna's hair!"
" Filling her bathroom with frogs."
" A homey touch!"
" Selling pictures of her and Drake sucking face to the rest of the X-Men."
" A business deal. Purely professional!"
" And, my personal favorite, the one red sock dropped into her laundry."
" That was pretty good. The Pink Queen!" Jubilee laughed.
" And if it was me, I woulda tanned your hide in full view of the whole school, grounded you into the next century and made your life a livin' hell. But I'm not as tolerant."
" Puh-Leeze! Not an Emma-is-really-a-nice-person speech."
" Nope, cause it ain't true. Emma is about as nasty a person you're ever gonna meet. She likes being mad at things and likes being harsh. It drives her on. But, she ain't unfair, kid. If she was, then Prof woulda never made her in charge o' you kids." Wolverine said. " Now as for kickin' you out, you've always got a place with me, but I can't make her take you back. You're hurtin' her ability to teach the other kids and she won't let anything keep her from helpin' them."
" But Wolvster!"
" No buts, kiddo. You've got to learn to deal with Emma yerself. Ya don't have to be her friend or her slave, jus' her student. You tole me that you wanted to learn how to use your powers and how to be the best X-Men you can be. This is something you got to learn." Wolverine got up and headed to the door.
" So I'm stuck with Frostbite alone all week! That just ain't fair!" Jubilee said.
" Nope, but life never is. Tell ya what darlin'. Show her that you are too good ta lose, and she'll keep you without a problem." Logan hugged Jubilee and reached into his pocket. " Almost forgot. Here."
Jubilee took the slim package from him and tore away the wrapping.
" Wolvie!" she squealed.
" Twenty-seven shops in Manhattan for that watch. Hope ya like it." Jubilee buckled the watch on, looking at Bullwinkle keeping time. Jubilee hugged him again as he left.
" Alright Miz Frost. You ain't seen nuthin' yet."
* * * *
Emma and Jubilee stood on the back porch, watching the Blackbird climb into the depths of the blue sky. The plane quickly became a dot, lost in the swirls of snow-coloured clouds and the blue expanse in which it traveled. They watched in silence until the ship was out of sight, and stood for a moment past.
" So." It was a flat, unemotional statement.
" So." The response mirrored the original.
After a moment, the two women turned back into the house, moving in opposite ways.
* * * *
" Jubilation! Dinner!" Emma called from the stairs. She knew that it would be easier to use her telepathic powers, but Sean had informed her that the students felt uncomfortable with it. The least that she could do this week was to put Jubilation at ease.
" Comin'!" Jubilee rolled off her bed, into her shockingly clean floor. Wolvie had made a couple of suggestions to impress Emma, and cleaning her room was the least demeaning of them all. Still, she wished she knew what that thing in her closet that she had thrown out was. Jubilee headed down the stairs and into the kitchen. She stopped dead, her face going pale as she saw Emma at the stove.
" Ah, sit down Jubilation. Dinner is almost ready."
" Yer cookin', Miz Frost?"
" Yes."
" Ah. Um, what are we havin'?"
" Chicken... at least I think it is chicken." Emma sounded puzzled as she looked into the frying pan. Jubilee groaned and sank down in her seat.
" Miz Frost, didn't we have some meals left for us?"
" Yes, but I enjoy cooking every now and again. And here we are." Emma turned with the pan and split it between two plates. Jubilee tried to distinguish what the contents had been before Emma's culinary skills had gotten to them. She didn't have much success.
" Eat up, Jubilation." said Emma, picking up her own fork. Jubilee took a bite of the unknown matter in front of her. Shaking slightly, she forced herself to swallow it. She gave a shaky smile to Emma and took a second bite.
" Uh, it's... good, Miz Frost." Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, as she lied to the White Queen.
" Good, it is a new recipe that I..." Emma stopped speaking as she took her first bite and nearly gagged. Lord, this is awful, she thought, and looked at Jubilee, eating like a machine. Emma shook her head and picked up her plate.
" Jubilation."
" Yup?"
" Take your plate. We are getting rid of this."
" Why?"
" Because it is terrible, and you know it."
" Yes, Miz Frost. It was a good effort." Said Jubilee hopefully. Emma looked at her for a moment before chuckling and scraping her plate into the garbage. Jubilee obviously had decided that she wanted to stay in the school, and even her own cooking wouldn't make her risk it.
" So, would you care to order dinner? I'm going to wash up in here."
" Yes, Miz Frost."
* * * *
" Yo, Miz Frost! Mail!" said Jubilee, leafing through the stack of letters. " Hmm, 'Rolling Stone' for Jono, 'Playboy' for Angelo, ...wow, a 'Playgirl' fer Paige. Go Hayseed! Letter, letter, junk mail, junk mail, oh..'Penance, you may have already won One Million Dollars!? How do they do that? Letter from Everett's parents, letter from Irish, and, what's this?"
" That is a letter from the Hellfire Club." Emma plucked the letter out of the hand of her startled student.
" Geez, you'll give people heart attacks sneaking up on them."
" How strange."
" Yeah, I know. But I figure that Paige used her brother's credit card to order the mags, so that..."
" I was referring to the letter from the Hellfire Club."
" Oh, right. Very weird."
" Quite." Emma looked at the seal. It was not the signal of the Shaw line, rather the coat of arms of the Club itself. This meant that Shinobi had either been killed or removed as Black King. She cracked the seal and swiftly read the letter.
" So?" Emma turned to face her student.
" What's the letter say?"
" Apparently, there has been a shift in power at the Hellfire Club. Shinobi has called a meeting of the inner circle to discuss his new 'order' or some such."
" New order?"
" I agree. Something strange is going on. Shinobi didn't seal this letter, which is completely out of character for him. And the message refers to me as the 'White Queen' only, not Emma. Shinobi always liked to be as familiar as he possibly could."
" I thought you were out of there when he came in."
" Shaw is his father's son, and attended many sessions while I was in power. He harbored an adolescent lust for me, as to be expected."
" Sure, don't wanna bruise yer ego." Jubilee muttered. Emma, absorbed with the letter, failed to notice the comment.
" This has been forwarded here from my apartment in New York. That means that Shaw only knows that I am alive, not that I have resigned or that I have taken over this school. Interesting."
" So, what are we going to do?"
" We?"
" Sure. Can't bust up the Hellfire Club without backup. Well known truth and such."
" Jubilation, if I decide to respond to this letter, it will be alone. I have no intention of risking a student in a dangerous situation such as this. It is a job for trained professionals, which you are not." Emma said.
" Well geez, I did mix it up with Priece and such before, yer know. Savin' the Wolvesters butt in the outback. I know these mondo dweebs and how they think, or some such. I could be useful."
" No, Jubilation. I can not expose you to a potentially lethal situation. It would be irresponsible of me as an educator."
" So, you'd go into a trap on your own, without any help and chance of rescue. And you call me irresponsible. Hah!"
" I will inform the X-Men of the problem at the Hellfire in a week's time. They can handle it."
" But Miz Frost! In a week, this could all be over! We gotta act now."
" I don't mirror your concern, Jubilation. And this debate is over." Emma said, with an edge of finality in her voice.
" Yeah, yeah." Muttered Jubilee, disappointed.
" What the Hellfire Club has planned can wait." Emma said.
" 'Course."
" Any scheme will surely take weeks to come to head, at which point to X-Men can deal with it."
" Hey, no arguein' here." Jubilee smiled as she watched the White Queen debate herself.
" In fact, we can drop the whole business right now." Emma said, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
" Yup. Hey, the X-Men are the only ones who could do it any ways. Like, what is one pre-hero and her out of date teach goin' do, I'm sure."
" Out of date?" Emma looked slightly startled.
" Hey, people like Jeannie and Betts are the ones for the job. They are, like, the mad, phat villain-busters these days. We'd just get in the way."
" Oh, would we?"
" Yep, jus' gum up the works."
" And is that what they think! Well, Jubilation, we are going to the Hellfire Club tonight." Emma said, eyes brazing.
" Got it, boss." Jubilee smiled. After a year of dealing with Wolvie, it was easy to play on Frost's pride at times. Make her mad, and she will ride that anger to the edge and beyond. Jubilee dashed upstairs, as Emma fumed in the foyer. After a few minutes of expletives and a series of imaginative extrapolations on the biological ancestries of several X-Men, she stopped. Slowly she turned to look at the stairs which her young charge had just bolted up.
" Why, you little..." Emma smiled, and broke into soft laughter. Shaking her head at her student gaining the upper hand, she left for her office. Perhaps Jubilation has more ability then I've credited her with, she thought as she closed the door and began preparing for the evening. Whatever was going on at the Hellfire Club, it would not catch Emma Frost unprepared.
* * * *
" Jubilation!" Emma called from the bottom of the steps. " Come on. We haven't much time."
" Yo, what's up?" Jubilee came around the corner and looked down at Emma, somewhat puzzled.
" We have to get ready for the evening."
" Yeah, so? My suit is up here and I got those chocolate stains outta my coat."
" Jubilation, this is one of the most exclusive and prestigious private clubs in the world. Your attire is highly inappropriate for it. We wish to blend into the crowd, not announce ourselves from it. Thus, a change of clothing is needed." Emma sighed.
" Wait, I think I detect... yes, that is diffidently it! We're goin' shopping, aren't we?"
" Jubilation, I don't shop. I tell them what I need and they procure it."
" Bonus. Let's book!" Jubilee tore down the steps, rushing past Emma. Emma chuckled and followed her out. She mused briefly about who would win the battle between Jubilation and the top clothing shops in New York. Emma decided that her money sat on the girl.
* * * *
" No, nothing in bright yellow!"
" But Miz Frost, sir! It is the most."
" Expensive that is. Jubilation, price is not an indication of taste."
" How about the mini red one?"
" Not bloody likely!"
" Oh, excuse me, Miz White Lingerie As Daily Dress."
" Would Madam be interested in our new fall line?"
" No, but do get me a cup of coffee."
" And a Jolt!"
" Maybe something in black."
" That is not black. That is black on a holiday."
" I guess the rhinestones are a bit much."
" Emma, ma chere! Comment alle-vous? Ca va?"
" Hello Henri. I need something for the child."
" A replacement one?"
" Don't tempt me. What can you do for her?"
" First, stop her from dribbling cola all over my fabrics. Second, make her into beauty itself."
" I did not ask for a miracle."
" Hey!"
" Pas de problem, Madam Frost. It will be my greatest challenge!"
* * * *
The street in front of the Hellfire Club was packed with expensive cars and fascinated onlookers. As the oldest and most exclusive club in North America, the Hellfire Club's soirees drew crowds of celebrity hunters, aggressive photographers and curious onlookers from all walks of life. A limousine the size of a small house pulled away from the front entrance way to allow Emma to pull her white Jaguar up. A slight hush fell on the crowd, eagerly anticipating the next media hero to appear. A slight sign of disappointment ran through the crowd as Emma stepped out. That disappointment changed as the men took the sight of her in. She was not a movie star or singer, but she was an extremely beautiful woman, and drew appreciative stares from the onlookers.
Emma's dress was a delicate white silk, drawn up in a deceptively simple looking wrap across her body. It left the majority of her left leg uncovered, and her slim arms bare in the night air. The silk clung tightly to her form, defining it in a subtle way which nudity could not do. Her blond hair was drawn up in a simple sweep, ending beside her right ear. It used her looks to their full advantage, while disguising her micro-headset which was her contact with Jubilee.
" Jubilation? You can get out of the car."
" Miz Frost... look at all the people."
" Yes, I know. It is unsettling at first, but you get used to it."
" They're all starin' at me!"
" That is because you are holding up the line. Come along, Jubilation."
" Yes ma'am." Jubilee took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. Her short black dress was like Emma's, deceptively simple and elegant. Her short black hair had been slicked back, and a short jacket suggested more curves then were actually in existence. The effect had given Jubilee the illusion of an extra six years, three inches, and several very strategically enhanced measurements. She hurried out of the car, and rushed to join Frost. The catcalls and whistles unnerved her while Emma seemed completely calm.
{{You seem a little rattled}} Emma asked her young charge.
{{ Sheesh, with the crowd and everything, how can you not be? Hey Miz Frost, why do we need the headsets with yer telepathy?}}
{{The Hellfire Club has devices which can make telepathy extremely... uncomfortable. If they use them, then I want an additional method of communication}}
{{Right. Okay, let's rock the club!}}
{{I think not}} Emma handed her invitation to the doorman and entered into the main room. The Victorian setting of the main hall of the Hellfire Club was lavishly decorated, and full of the movers and shakers of high society. Emma felt a slight wave of nostalgia as she remembered her first few visits to the club, in her rise to power and wealth. The same waves of worry, jealousy, hidden secrets and power plays washed over her. She quickly shut out the majority of the mind waves, isolating a few for scrutiny later. Jubilee came up behind her.
" Wow! Pretty slick. This place has more millions in it than Switzerland."
" You are closer to the truth then you know, Jubilation. I am going to approach the old guard of the Club and get some answers. Try to listen in to the staff. See if anything odd has been going on."
" Right boss!" said Jubilee, as she plucked a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.
" And don't do anything without my say so!" Emma said, deftly snatching the glass from Jubilee's hands and taking a sip. " Quickly now."
" Yeah, yeah... lousy, tight, anal retentive so and so..." Jubilee fumed as she drifted away from Emma.
" Emma! How lovely to see you again." Emma turned to face the man who addressed her.
" Why Senator Kelly. This is a pleasure." Emma shook the politician's hand.
" Quite so. Where have you been, Miss Frost? You company has a new chairman and you seemed to have dropped off the face of the Earth."
" Well Robert, I suffered a rather deliberating illness, and decided to take an extended leave from the world of finance. I am teaching part time at the Xaiver academy now."
" Ah, working with Charles. Interesting. How are you enjoying the evening?"
" I just arrived. I did want to have a word with Shaw."
" He is supposed to be making an announcement in a few moments." Kelly gestured towards the top of the staircase.
" Really? About what?"
" Something about Sebastion, I think. And a new direction for the club. He was quite cryptic when I spoke to him." Kelly looked slightly worried.
" I'm sure it is nothing." Emma started as a ripple went through the crowd. A young Eurasian man stepped to the top of the staircase, waiting for quiet as he surveyed the crowd. Emma looked up at Shinobi, and opened her mind. A vise of psychic energy was clamped down on Shinobi's mind, of great strength and power. A haze of energy, pinkish to an astral viewer flowed over the crowd, making them suggestible and pliant. Emma was surprised at the method of control. The wave of energy didn't enter or modify the thoughts of the crowd, like a telepath would. It was closer to the abilities of empathic control. She had worked with her own empathic student many times on his techniques, and found the similar energies here. Yet, telepathic control was definitely being used. Emma wrapped a psychic shield about herself, causing the probes to slide off around her like a ghost. She watched as Shinobi addressed the crowd.
" Gentlemen. Ladies. Esteemed members of the Hellfire Club. I have asked you here with a great purpose to instill within you. For hundreds of years, our Club has served as a meeting place for the great and powerful leaders in this country. Political, industrial, and financial leaders have met here and made deals that influenced the world, we shall do no different. A new order is coming for this country, and we are its leaders and heralds..." Emma turned her attention away from Shaw, watching the crowd nod with his words, enhanced by the empathic suggestions.
" Jubilation. Where are you?" Emma said softly into her headset.
" Miz Frost. What's going on?"
" Are you safe?"
" Hey, I'm scrounging in the kitchen here! They have got, like, a whole cow in the freezer!"
" Yes, fine. Have you gone anywhere near the main hall?"
" Nada."
" Good. I want you to go out the back and contact anyone. In the car is a list of numbers. Try SHIELD first. They would be most likely to have appropriate measures to deal with this." Emma said.
" Uh, deal with what?"
" A high-range telepath has pierced the inner circle and taken over."
" Yeah? And what are you goin' do?"
" I think I can break his control."
" Alone?"
" I can't risk you in this conflict. Go Jubilation."
" Not likely, Sir. I can't jus'..." Emma cut Jubilee off in mid sentence.
" Yes, Jubilation, you can. I will be upstairs. Hurry." Emma broke contact and waited for Shinobi to finish his speech. He was talking about power and the responsibility of those who possess it to control others. Emma watched the area behind him carefully. Using her powers at an extremely low level, she could avoid detection by the unknown Psion. At the very back, hidden by his psionic powers stood a tall, gaunt man. His hair was long and flowing, the colour of ink. His narrow nose and chin were pale and his hollowed cheeks made his face a death mask. Dispute this, he was a handsome man, more aristocratic then anything. His eyes were slightly narrowed in concentration as he used Shinobi as a puppet.
"...and as such, I will be meeting with you later to discuss the transference of control to the Club itself. Please, return to the party." Shinobi finished and with a expansive wave, disappearing into the rooms on the upper floor. Emma threaded through the stunned crowd and headed up the staircase. Shinobi's procession was gone, along with the man controlling them. Moving quietly, she edged along to the end of the hall and touched the hidden panel in it. Stepping into the passageway, she breathed a sigh of relief. If he had known about them, the man could have sealed these halls off. This gave her an advantage, and she was determined not to waste it.
* * * *
Jubilee left from the kitchen and stood near the back door, trying to make a decision about what to do. Should she follow Emma's orders and leave her here? Jubilee closed her eyes and wondered what Wolvie would do. After a moment she turned and ran back to the kitchen. Plucking two bottles of champagne off the table, she hurried off to the dumbwaiter that Wolvie had told her about. It didn't go past the first floor, but the shaft continued up to the top. Snatching an apron and a hat from a startled maid, she searched down the halls for the dumbwaiter. Finding it, Jubilee tied the bottles with the apron and slung the pack over her shoulder. Wedging herself into the small space, she began crawling up the narrow shaft, using her legs and back to brace herself.
" Heh, Bruce Willis, eat your heart out!"
* * * *
Emma looked through the pinhole in the wall at the strange display in the room. Tessa sat, a metallic band wrapped around her eyes. Shinobi stood with his supposedly dead father, dancing a slow waltz while the man laughed from his seat. A number of the wait staff were spread around the room, locked in various positions of grotesquely parodied lust. At the center of this twisted pantomime sat the man Emma had viewed earlier, a twisted smile on his face. Emma checked the release on the door and hefted the musket she had taken from one of the wall displays. The Hellfire Club kept several such weapons scattered around the premises in case they needed to surprise a foe with a sudden burst of firepower. She took several breaths and held the weapon at ready. Twisting the opening mechanism, she leapt into the room as soon as the opening was large enough. Moving on pure instinct to prevent him any warning, Emma rolled and came up from the door, discharging the musket with a cloud of acrid, black smoke. The ball burst through the back of the chair, a fatal wound to anyone sitting in it. As the smoke cleared, she realized that her target was standing beside the chair, casually leaning on the arm. Emma gave a moment for shock, and gasped as the psychic block slammed down, barring her abilities from her. With ease, the man brought her to her feet and forced her to march over to stand in front of him.
" Ah, Miss Frost. At last we meet."
* * * *
Jubilee crawled out of the tiny space and collapsed on to the carpet. Carefully, she set the two bottles beside her and drew on the apron and hat. With the black dress, it made a passable imitation of the waitresses of the Hellfire Club. With the bottle tucked under her arm, she set out to find Emma. Sneaking down the numerous halls of the Club, she paused to listen at the doors, hoping to hear the voice of her teacher. At the end of the hall sat a bored guard, reading a magazine, occasionally turning it to the side and whistling. Jubilee stopped short of the man, but he looked up before she could duck back around the corner.
" Hey there. I see they're sending along a little bonus for us hired help." The man grinned, revealing bad teeth.
" Uh...Yeah, that's it." Jubilee held up a bottle and waved it. " I'll just leave this with you. Well, I have to be going."
" Just hang on. Hiring them a little young, aren't they?" The guard had snatched Jubilee's wrist and pulled the girl to him. " Still, you're pretty enough, fer a Jap."
" I've..uh...I've really got to be going. You know, stuff to serve and such."
" No hurry." The man trailed his free hand down the girl's back, resting it on her rear. " In fact, I have something for you to serve right here. So, be good and maybe you won't get hurt after..." His words trailed off as he felt the end of a bottle pressed against his crotch. His eyes met Jubilee's narrowed ones.
" This a magnum of Dom Perignon, 1927." She said softy. " One of the most expensive bottles of champagne in the world. The cork explodes out of it at nearly one hundred miles an hour. You have to ask yourself this question. Do you feel lucky, punk?"
".........."
" Do you?"
* * * *
" Sorry, I'm afraid I haven't introduced myself formally. Anton De'Flurasque, of the Paris branch of the Hellfire Club." The man sketched a bow. Emma nodded coldly, fighting against the psychic barrier in her mind.
" Well, I would say I was honoured if I didn't hold you at the same level as a maggot. Is this your own little power trip, or is someone holding your frightened, little hand?" Ice formed on Emma's words.
" Dear Emma, you underestimate me. This is entirely my own plan, and has worked extremely well so far. Wouldn't you agree?"
" If it had worked well, I would have never had a shot at you, you amateur. By the way, how did you know I was going to fire. I was shielding my thoughts."
" I could feel your anxiety from the moment you came into range."
" An empath then. Interesting. How have you managed to stop my telepathy? There are few more powerful then me in that capacity."
" Dear Tessa is unwillingly funneling her telepathic powers to augment my own. A psychic drain exists between us, increasing my own powers ten-fold. And now, what shall I do with you, Emma Grace Frost?"
" Accept the fact that I am a thousand times better then you can ever hope to aspire to and give up this ridiculous farce."
" No, I think not. We have met, you know. During one of the international meetings. You snubbed me, and walked away like the haughty snob you are. And now, you are mine to control. And Emma, I do have plans for you." His eyes glinted madly.
" Does it have something to do with me dressed like your mother, beating you with a bra while you fondle a chicken?" Emma said archly. Anton snarled and backhanded Emma. It the moment of his impact, Emma could feel his barrier slip slightly. If she could make him distracted or mad, she could pierce his barrier and regain control.
" Watch you tongue, you foul bitch. Or, I will have it removed."
" I doubt you have the courage."
" You won't in a moment." Anton moved to Emma, violence in his eyes when the door burst open. "What is this?"
The guard marched in with Jubilee being held in front of him. Her one arm was trapped in his large hand, her other arm around her waist as if she was hurt.
" Found the girl wandering around the halls, sir. What should I do with her?" The guard said, sweat dribbling down his face.
" Take her to the cells below." Anton looked at the pair, worry in his eyes. With his mind focused on Emma's psi-shield, he couldn't read their minds. However, the guard was radiating extreme fear and desperation, while anger coursed through the girl.
" Wait. Bring her..." Anton was cut off by the girl's shout.
" Have a drink, you prick!" Jubilee lashed out with the bottle of champagne tucked around her back. The side of the bottle connected with Anton's shoulder, sending him sprawling and spraying champagne all over the room. Jubilee dove for the carpet, fireworks exploding into the room. The guard turned and began frantically digging down the front of his pants. Anton snarled and grabbed Jubilee by the throat, forcing her up against the bookcase.
" You little bitch! I am going to pull out your heart and eat it raw!" He raged.
" Gross! You are one sick..ack" Jubilee's words were choked off by his hands.
" Excuse me!" Anton turned to the source of the comment and found himself looking Emma Frost in the eye.
" If anyone is going to kill Jubilation, it will be me. Now, I think I owe you this." As Emma caught Anton under the chin with a vicious right. A fine spray of blood misted the line of his collapse, and he snarled obscenities through his broken teeth as he struggled to his feet. He took a seat towards Emma and stopped dead, his eyes blank. Emma smiled as she psionically took control of Anton.
" And it ends."
" Damn right! That was totally, Miz Frost. Uh...Miz Frost, what are you going to do to him?"
" What do you think I'll do?"
" Uh, don't take this the wrong way, but I think you are going to ice the dude."
" Capital suggestion, but unfortunately I can not." Emma smiled ruefully at her charge. " Because it wouldn't be right to do that. As much as this piece of slime deserves it, I can not. Not without sinking to his level. No, I will let him live."
" Good, 'cause you know, I didn't want to hav' ta like, stop you."
" No, I plan to do something far better." Emma said, and Anton began screaming. He crumpled to the ground, howling like a wounded animal, tearing at his hair.
" Geez! What the hell did you do!" Jubilee said, stunned at the display on the floor.
" Do not use that language with me, Jubilation. I merely stripped away the protective explanations and excuses he has used to do his twisted mind games. He has been shown his actions in a cold, objective light. You see, sometimes the right thing is more cruel then death." Emma said softly.
" Man..."
" Come Jubilation. We should be leaving." Said Emma as she tore loose the mind control device from Tessa. The occupants of the room had collapsed at the same time as Anton, and some were stirring. " I would rather be gone when they awaken."
" No kiddin'." Said Jubilee, as she grabbed an object off the floor and followed Emma out, leaving the Shaws to explain what had happened. Emma led Jubilee through the back of the building, coming out into the car lot. Taking her keys from the valet, Emma climbed into the car. Jubilee scrambled in beside her, and tossed the apron and hat out the window as Emma gunned the motor. The car shot out of the lot in a white streak and sped along for several minutes in silence from within. After a pause, Emma spoke to Jubilee.
" Jubilation, how did you get the guard to bring you into the room. You have no psionic abilities."
" I told him I was an agent of SHIELD."
" And?"
" And I stuffed my Bullwinkle watch down his pants, telling him it was a micro-bomb, and that if he didn't work with me, I'd detonate it." Jubilee started giggling and Emma smiled.
" That was quick thinking. I'm proud of you."
" Does this mean you're cool that I stayed?"
" No, I would have rather you escaped and found help, but given what happened, I can't blame you for what you did. Thank you, Jubilee."
" Hey, no prob. I... what did you call me?"
" Jubilee. It is your name, is it not?"
" Yeah, but...geez."
" Oh hush, child. Let me drive in peace."
* * * *
" Da, ah dinna see the worry of this?"
" Terry, if we're verra lucky, Jubilee will be inna one piece when we get home. Dinna you know 'bout the lass' feud with Emma. They'll kill each other!" Sean said, racing the car up the driveway. He had received a letter from Emma that day detailing that she was staying home with Jubilee while everyone was in Scotland. He had immediately grabbed Terry and hit the road. The car skidded to a halt in front of the door, and Sean leapt from the car, using his sonic powers to fly to the door, Terry close behind. He flung open the door and raced into the living room, expecting a scene of carnage and destruction. He found Emma sitting on the couch, munching a bowl of popcorn and watching the television.
" What have ye done with the wee girl, Emma!" He exploded.
" Hello Sean, Terry. What are you doing back so soon?"
" Answer my question, woman!"
" Geez, Irish. What's with the hollering? I mean, like more then usual?" Jubilee walked into the living room, a bottle of cola and two glasses in her hands. She nodded to Terry as she went past.
" Jubilee, ye're okay?" Said Sean, dumbfounded.
" Yeah, what were you expecting? Miz Frost, how does "Drew Carey" sound?"
" Your choice, Jubilee." Emma turned to her stunned associate. " Sean, would you care to join us?"
" Nae, I...well, I..." Sean shook his head and stumbled out of the room, Terry following him. Emma settled back on the sofa and turned to the television, pleased with herself. Jubilee grabbed a handful of popcorn and flicked the channels.
" So, Miz Frost. Does this mean that I am exempt from the assignments for this week?"
" Not at all! In fact, I want a report about how to handle a situation such as the Hellfire Club using the entire team from you by Monday."
" But, I...?"
" Quiet Jubilee, the show is on." Emma settled back with the sounds of Jubilee's muttered curses drifting over to her. Sometimes life is good, she thought, and sometimes she got to amaze even herself. With a smile she turned to the television, and watched with content.
FIN