Rise Again
.: Chapter Two:.
X Girl's Best Friend X
*Flashback*
Location: Bayville, New York; Xavier's School for Gifted Students~
Date: Five Years Ago
A white limo pulled around in front of the Mutant School erected by Professor Xavier. Stepping out of the car in a white business suit, a blonde quickly and nervously made her way up the steps and to the door, the clicking emitted from her white heels echoing throughout the area. She knocked three times, each one short yet carried by strength. The blonde's blue nails dug into her arms as she waited in anticipation.
Kitty opened the door, smile fading. "Yeah, how I can I help you?"
Emma smiled cordially. "Um, yes. I'm here to see Professor Xavier. I have an appointment. My name is Emma Frost."
*Flashback End*
Storm & Emma Frost~
Location: Boston, Massachusetts; Marvel Wonders Gentlemen's Club~
Date: August 6th, 2015. 5: 11 PM~
"Thanks for making me lose out on some big bucks" Emma Frost said sarcastically, picking her white bra up off of the couch and putting it back on. Grabbing a white fur coat off of a nearby hanger, the woman slipped it on like she wasn't wearing racy lingerie. The blonde brushed her hair behind her shoulders, but it was for nothing as she went around the VIP room picking up hundreds and fifty dollar bills in stacks.
Not to be intrusive of the blonde's promiscuous lifestyle, but it didn't look like she was too far off when it came to making money. Ororo couldn't quite believe how much green was just littered around the room. She was sure she only saw that type of money in the movies after someone robbed a bank. After seeing this, she couldn't judge the young woman for partaking in her line of work. When big bucks came at the sway of your hips, morals were thrown out the window, right along with financial worries.
"So, I'm guessing you want me to come work for you? Join the X-Men?" Emma stated, applying her make-up with a small mirror. Blue eyes, blue lipstick, and blue eyeliner. This woman was like the Ice Queen.
"Yeah. Jean must have already spoken to you." Ororo said. The woman froze, no pun intended, at the mention of the red-head's name, but Storm didn't push.
"Uh...no... I just don't know a lot of decent looking black women with white hair." Emma said nonchalantly. She had actually remembered the woman from back when she went to see the Professor for help. She was glad he helped her out, otherwise, she might be doing the same job on the streets but with less money... and less respect.
"Oh." Ororo said. What could she say to that? It kind of felt like a compliment but then again. "Well, um, are you willing to accept the position. I'm not sure that your paycheck with be anywhere near the amount you're making hourly, but it's free housing... and..." Ororo couldn't think of anything else to say that would sway one's mind away from the luxurious lifestyle Emma had so obviously got accommodated to.
"Is that all you have to offer, Storm?" Emma said, applying another blue coat of fingernail polish. A quick wisp of Storm's mind and Emma was able to get basic information. Being a powerful telepath, Emma made sure to conceal her presence when she dug through Ororo's mind. However, Ororo had been trained by the world's previous strongest telepath as well as being able to teach the world's current strongest telepath. She was a talented woman who knew when an outside source was inside of her head. She made sure to give Emma the access she needed by clearing her mind of the static clouds that otherwise drifted there.
"Let's not play games anymore, Ms. Frost." Ororo said, getting to the point. When talking to a telepath, you couldn't beat around the bush. If they wanted to know something, they took it mentally. Ororo didn't want to be put in that awkward position of having someone think they could dig in your mind whenever only to be stopped. That was like walking in on someone taking a flat screen TV out of your house through a small window.
"Okay." Emma responded, smirking slightly. "Let's hear it."
"I need a permanent stable member for the X-Men who is powerful enough to use Cerebro. Very few know about its existence but I'm confident in my belief that you have the utmost basic understanding of the machine, but have yet to experience its ultimate prowess. It's a rare opportunity to be able to use this machine and I would like to have you on my side, especially since a friend of mine recommended you."
"Scott?" Emma blurted, sitting forward. Ororo frowned. What did Scott have to do with anything? And how far was Emma acquainted with the man? You would think that Jean would be the first name that jumped into her head since she brought it up earlier.
"Scott? No. It was Jean. Jean Grey." Storm said. Emma sighed, staring at the ground for a few seconds.
"So this is how it feels..." she said, rather to herself. "Alright. Fine. I'll help you." Emma gathered herself and looked around, checking to see if she left any green around.
"Really?" Storm was expecting her to put up more of a fight. This just seemed to easy. She wondered if the fact that Scott or Jean had anything to do with her sudden change of mind, but she didn't find it necessary to ask. One thing at a time. Now, she just needed to find something to eat. Her stomach was killing her!
*Flashback*
Emma Frost & Charles Xavier~
Location: Bayville, New York; Xavier's School for Gifted Students~
Date: Five Years Ago
"Please, Ms. Frost, take a seat." Charles motioned for the woman to sit in one of the two chairs settled in front of his oak desk. She did so, and crossed her legs, clasping her hands together and putting them in her lap. She took a few deep breaths, calming herself.
"Let's start with simple things. Like, how's work coming along?"
Emma held her eyes closed a second longer before clearing her throat, now ready to form the right words. "It's coming. I think I've finally moved from under my daddy's shadow, but I still can't get the money to open up my own law firm." She chuckled a bit, thinking about the countless hours spent hopping from bank to bank. While some may have called her crazy for enjoying the struggle, to her, it was a brand new experience she never really had to use due to her heritage. "I've managed to secure a position at a decent firm though. The money is good and the overall success rate is pretty high too so that's always a plus."
Charles' wise eyes smiled along with his mouth. He was very proud of the woman. When he had first met her, she was a struggling rich brat, to put it nicely, who used her powers for granted. She was definitely making progress and he didn't even have to consider reading her mind to reach that conclusion.
"And, is there anyone special in your life yet? Any weddings I'll be attending soon?" the man pondered. The two both laughed a bit, but Charles laughed longer, allowing some time for Emma to recuperate with an honest answer.
"So far...no." Emma said. Charles sighed playfully. "But I'm working on it! I'm working on it." To be honest, Emma hadn't really had time for dating... or the luck. Every man that she was remotely interested in was taken, an actual douche, or something else she didn't feel like tolerating. When it came to relationships, her luck was worse than a deer in headlights on a foggy night.
The two chatted about various things. The conversation was even more enjoyable than usually thanks to none of it being forced. Emma had easily evolved form a patient of Charles to a young and independent woman who he could treat as his daughter and friend.
Thanking the Professor once more, Emma waved a goodbye before she closed the large wooden doors to his study. Making her way through the halls of the school, she paused when she got to the foyer of the mansion. Leaning against the stairway talking to a Jean on the phone was Scott. The two's eyes met instantly and Scott had to hang up on Jean with a lame excuse.
He strutted over to Emma, his biceps proudly bulging from his shirt. He was secretly thanking God he had decided to start working out. He smiled. "Hey, I haven't seen you around here. I'm Scott" he said, holding out his hand.
Emma hesitantly took it and smiled at the warmness. Maybe her luck was turning around.
*Flashback End*
Storm & Emma Frost~
Location: Boston, Massachusetts~
Date: August 6th, 2015. 5: 34 PM~
The two women drove to Emma's loft to get some things she would need if she was staying at the mansion for now on. Emma insisted that she could just buy new clothes but Ororo told her to save her money and for some reason, the blonde listened to her. After fitting all that they could in Ororo's Lexus, the drove to find some place to eat.
"Know any good restaurants." Ororo asked, stopping at a red light. Her stomach was seriously eating itself from the inside out. Why she didn't eat breakfast or lunch was a mystery she couldn't solve.
Emma thought for a bit about the perfect restaurant. She wasn't in the mood for Mexican and she already had Chinese for lunch...and she didn't have any taste for exotic foods...so that meant only one thing. "The Iron Man Kitchen has good American dishes. It's on the corner of Stark Street*."
Emma put in the information into Storm's GPS and they made their way to the food place. Storm could eat anything at this point.
The Iron Man Kitchen was at least a 4-star restaurant and it looked like it was booked for the next few months. Ororo wasn't sure how Emma had managed to get them a table, but she said she knew the owner. Now, Storm wasn't dumb enough to believe everything she was told, but the possibility of Emma and the owner running into each other at the gentlemen's club was certainly out there. The weather sorceress also thought that Emma had pushed the waiter to give the two a seat, but she had since learned that not every telepath used their powers to get what they wanted...for the most part. It also could have been the fact that Emma's coat was the only thing protecting the children from a lesson from the school of hard knox with Stripping 101 being the featured course.
Taking their orders, the waiter promised to be back with their drinks and later with their meals. To pass the time, Storm thought it would be good to make conversation with her new co-worker. After all, they would be effectively living with each other, albeit in separate rooms in a large house, but under the same roof all the same.
"So, Jean mentioned that you and the Professor knew each other. I don't mean to pry, but I'm curious. What did the professor help you with?"
Emma unrolled the silverware from her napkin, placing it in her lap. "Well, not to be rude, but what else does Charles help others with besides their gifts." Emma personally thought the Professor's use of the word 'gift' to describe a mutant power was a little bit out there. They were more like abilities than anything The blonde simply didn't see the point of softening people so they could cope with mutants easier. "My telepathic abilities had awakened at a young and I never had issues controlling them. I was a very selfish girl who abused my telepathy. About five years ago, my powers started acting up on me. And I say that lightly. I'm talking about everyone in a two mile radius-all their thoughts coursing through my head. It was torture."
Storm nodded. That she could understand. She remembered Jean's struggle with her powers through out high school. It wasn't easy watching her in pain, but seeing the professor help was something worthy of a lucky few. But a two mile radius? That was certainly nothing to joke about. Just how powerful was Emma?
"I got recommended to see the Professor by...who was it...oh! By Warren! Our parents were well affiliated. Anyway, once I started seeing the Professor, he taught me how to relax and control my abilities. He taught me things I didn't even know I was capable of. It's extraordinary what a teacher can do for a student."
Storm could tell Emma would make a good teacher for the future students at the school. Even though Storm was what most considered young, she knew she was getting old. She often wondered how Professor Xavier could do what he did back in the day. It was tiresome work, but the payoff was worth it.
"Emma, when I mentioned Jean earlier, you hesitated. Also, you volunteered Scott's name earlier as well. If you don't mind me asking, what is your relationship with either of them."
"My...relationship...with Jean...and...Scott..."
*Flashback*
Location: New York City, New York; Loki and Thor's (Bar)~
Date: Five Years Ago
"Alright, everyone!" A man shouted, standing on top of a bar table. A few dozen or more were crowded around him, holding glasses full of alcohol. Emma stood away from everyone at the bar, shaking her head slightly. Her co-workers at her new firm Ant-Men Lawyers were some crazy people..
"As you know, this was a very busy and stressful week for our firm. We had at least two A-List clients who needed our help and their demands weren't exactly plausible. And yet, we were able to accomplish their needs and then some. We even got on the front cover of the Boston Daily!" The man shouted and the crowd clapped. "And none of this would have been possible without our newest member, Emma Frost!"
Emma's eyes widened and a light blush rose on her cheeks as the crowd turned towards her in the bar. She waved sheepishly, a strange new feeling she'd never felt rising in her chest.
"So, without further ado, let's give a warmer welcome, our thanks, our gratitude, and most importantly, our toast to the woman who saved our skins this week, and hopefully more weeks to come. For Emma!"
The crowd cheered and once the group had dispersed, several workers she hadn't even seen before at the firm came up and complimented her. When one group of people left, another group came. Never before had she had so many people wanting to talk to her without her pushing them through the use of her powers. She thanked the people gratuitously, glad she was finally starting to have a semi-normal life.
"Congratulations, stranger." Emma hated when someone tapped her shoulder, but the voice sounded awfully familiar and she didn't want to be rude in front of all these people. Turning around, her blue eyes were shocked to meet... red shades.
"Scott? What are you doing here?" Emma said, almost defensively. Scott certainly didn't work at the firm and it wasn't like anyone could have invited him, after all, she had only introduced herself to him at the mansion before leaving.
"One of the people you firm helped was the owner of my real estate division so he forced everyone to come here to thank the people involved. If I would have know that you were responsible for us winning the trial, then I would have thanked you personally"
Emma pondered over his words, watching Scott take a tip of his beer. Se was about to respond when-
"Hey, Scott!" Jean shouted over the loudness of the bar, walking over to him. She paused when she saw Emma, frowning like she was trying to remember something. "Oh, are you the same Emma the Professor has been seeing? That's such a coincidence" Jean held out her hand and Emma shook it.
Woah, Emma thought. Apparently everyone knew of meetings with Charles. She guessed Jean must have been a mutant, and that obviously included Scott as well, for them to know the Professor so well.
"I'm Jean. Scott's wife" she said kindly. Scott's...wife...wait...Scott's married? Emma spared a quick semi-angry glance to Scott who somehow looked like he'd been caught, but it wasn't the first time Emma's mind had played tricks on her. Look at her, thinking she had a chance with a married man. She didn't want to be a home-wrecker like the few too many she'd caught her father with.
"Well, anyway," she said, turning back to Scott. "I just got a call. Something at work I have to take care of. Don't stay out too late." Jean pecked him on the cheek and waved a goodbye to Emma, who did the same and turned around.
Scott opened his mouth to say something...but instead, she turned around and walked away. Emma took a deep breath, holding back the tears that had come out of nowhere. She didn't know why he had affected her like this... and she didn't care. She was doing the right thing. Scott was married. She would just have to find another to spend her days with. It wouldn't be too hard, after all, she'd been with so many men she knew exactly what she was looking for.
Someone like Scott.
*Flashback End*
Storm & Emma Frost~
Location: Boston, Massachusetts; Iron Man Kitchen~
Date: August 6th, 2015. 5: 44 PM~
"Emma. Emma. Em~ma!"
Emma widened her eyes as she quickly looked at Storm. "Huh?" She uttered.
"After I asked you about... well, you zoned out. Is everything alright?" Storm asked. Emma felt like telling her the truth. About everything. About Charles. About Jean. About Scott... But she couldn't work up the courage. It was ironic how she put on the front that she was confident when really it was her only way of hiding her insecurities.
At this moment, the waiter walked over with their drinks and placed them down. Emma had ordered a cocktail while Storm settled for a pink lemonade. She was the designated driver, of course. Besides, even with a hint of alcohol in Storm's body, her powers were out of control and unstable weather was not something to be taken lightly.
Emma stared at the glass in front of her. Condensation had formed little droplets of water on the outside. Gravity pulled the heaviest one down, sliding ever so slowly down the glass. Emma's vision faded in and out.
*Flashback*
Location: New York City, New York; Loki and Thor's (Bar)~
Date: Five Years Ago (Past Midnight)
Emma gasped when she saw the time. It was a little passed midnight. She couldn't believe how long she'd stayed out. Surprisingly, she didn't drink as much and lord knew she needed some. Waving goodbye to some of her co-workers, she turned down the offer to get driven home. Emma was a night person and she needed the cool New York air to wake her up. Moreover, her loft wasn't too far. And the best thing was, if she ran into trouble, she could use her powers to defend herself.
Scott was talking with his friends at the far end of the bar when he saw Emma leave. He quickly excused himself.
When Emma said cold New York air, she wasn't kidding. Every time she exhaled she could see her breath. She took amusement in that. Her last name was Frost and she liked the cold. It made her feel warm ironically enough.
Halfway to her loft, she noticed that a small group of men, about three, had started following her. Now, it was late at night, and in New York no less, so she could have just been over reacting. But Emma wasn't stupid. She had been deeply involved in the criminal world before and she had developed the ability, an extension of her telepathy, to sense the intentions of people. The group behind her had sinister auras that could be sensed a mile away.
Emma spared a glanced at the men behind her and as soon as they saw her looking, they sprinted after her. Emma screamed and ran. She was a decent runner in heels but the men were seemingly catching up. All Emma had to do was get around the corner and she could find some help.
About twenty feet away, her heel caught a crack and she fell. Hard. She cried out in pain, but it didn't seem like anyone could hear her this late at night. The three men surrounded her and picked her up, carrying her to the nearest alley and throwing her on a pile of garbage.
Emma tried to blast them mentally, but it wouldn't work. She didn't know if it was because she was scared or something else, but it wouldn't work. That's when she noticed the bald man in the back had his hands on his temples.
"What's happened to my powers" she yelled. The two men in front laughed at her.
"That's West. He has the ability to negate Mutant abilities. Fancy that?" the blonde said with a British accent. He wore a wrinkled over-sized gray suit. How did they know she was a mutant? Or were they simply covering their bases?
"Now," the black haired man said. "Why don't you be a nice little angel for us?" he howled, barring his fangs that glistened off the moonlight. His chest grew bigger and his shirt was torn off of him. Gray fur began to cover the man's chest.
"Save some for us, Hyde." The blonde said to the wolf-like mutant. Hyde grunted in acknowledgment.
Hyde stalked over to Emma who screamed again. She hated New York City for this very reason. Everyone was too busy minding their own busy that the didn't bother to help.
"HEY!" Scott screamed, blocking the alley with his car and illuminating it with his bright headlights. Hyde howled and covered his eyes. He charged at Scott who took off his glasses. Except, nothing happened.
The werewolf tackled Scott to the ground, knocking the breath away from him and started clawing at his face. Scott tried his hardest to block the barrage of attacks, but he was still a bit dazed from the fall. Why didn't his optic blasts work?
The British fellow had turned to watch the show, and so did West who was the reason Scott was unable to use his powers. Emma grabbed a nearby steel rod and quietly sneaked up behind West. Swinging with all her might, Emma brought the metal rod across the back of his head, knocking him out cold.
The British fellow turned to Emma and charge her, pushing her back against a brick wall. She coughed as the rod slid from her hands.
"Thought you could take us all, eh?" specks of spit littered Emma's face and she grimaced, turning her head away. His terrible breath could of been enough to knock anyone out.
Scott blasted the werewolf full power, shocked that he had gotten his ability back. Hyde flew on top of West, practically crushing him. The blond aimed a punch at Emma but Scott blasted him away from her, knocking him out. Emma ran up to Scott who barely had time to put his glasses back on. She cried into his shoulder and he led her to his red Ferrari.
*Flashback End*
Storm & Emma Frost~
Location: Boston, Massachusetts; Iron Man Kitchen~
Date: August 6th, 2015. 5: 49 PM~
The smell of a Boston styled Hamburger snapped Emma out of her trance. Storm was already chowing down on her burger like it was her life support. When Emma zoned out again, Ororo figured it was something Emma had to solve within herself. Plus, she got tired of asking questions she didn't want answered.
"Did they not have hamburgers in Africa?" Emma said, catching Ororo off guard. Emma hoped the question didn't sound racist or anything like that. The weather sorceress wondered how long Emma was watching her while she devoured the greasy goodness.
"No. They didn't, as a matter of fact. How-"
"I heard about your marriage to T'Challa. Actually, the world did. You wedding made world wide news. I'm surprised most people don't recognize you, being legal queen of Wakanda. " Emma took a bite out of her burger and the two ate in silence
"Why would you leave your husband and come back to this hell hole of a country? I'm sure Mutants weren't a big deal in Wakanda." Emma said. She was right, but Storm felt like she had an obligation to protect the country she once lived in. The Professor would have wanted it as well.
"It does not matter where one is in the world. If one of your kind is being mistreated, you must feel a powerful urge to help them."
Emma reflected on Storm's words. Did she feel the urge to help mutant kind? She wasn't so sure.
"Your husband must be really supportive of you to have just let his beautiful bride go." Emma said, shoving some fries in her mouth. Yeah, let her go, Storm thought. That was one way of putting it.
"You have no idea"
Marriage must have been nice. Emma remembered how when she was a little girl and she used to dream of having a big fat wedding with her high school sweetheart. Well look how that turned out. Through out her life, Emma had come to realize some people weren't meant for marriage.
And she was one of them.
*Flashback*
Location: New York City, New York; Emma's Loft~
Date: Five Years Ago
Scott stepped out of Emma's shower, towel wrapped around his waist, and wiped the fog off of the mirror. He had a few long scratches on his cheeks and on his chest. Jean would ask questions but he doubt she would even notice with her work schedule. Stepping out of the bathroom, he shivered as the cool air met his wet skin.
Emma was wrapped under her covers in her queen sized bed, presumably sleep. Scott didn't have any clean clothes so figured he could make it home using the cover of darkness as his savior. Grabbing his pile of clothes off the floor, he walked over to the door when Emma called his name. He turned his face, slightly looking over his shoulder.
"You...you're leaving?" Emma asked, voice trembling. She couldn't believe how helpless she sounded. But she also couldn't help it. She had never been placed in a situation where she was helpless to defend herself.
"Uh," Scott cleared his throat, trying to sound more manly. "Yeah. Thank you for letting me use your shower."
"Thank you for saving my life."
The room was illuminated by a gentle blue light emitted from the moon that shone perfectly through the large glass windows that allowed one to over look the city. It was like a movie.
"It was nothing." He reached for the handle.
"Scott..." Emma started. She wan't sure what she doing. It was like it wasn't even her talking anymore. "Could you...Would you stay tonight? With me?"
Scott hesitated. He was married... but that didn't stop him from trying to flirt earlier. "I don't have any clothes."
"It makes no difference"
Scott turned and trotted towards the bed. Whatever mistake he was making, it would be set in stone now. No going back. For either of them.
*Flashback End*
Storm & Emma Frost~
Location: Boston, Massachusetts; Iron Man Kitchen~
Date: August 6th, 2015. 5: 51 PM~
"Hello?" Storm answered. Emma was finishing her meal when Storm's phone rung. "Yes, this is her. What? Oh my God...Please send them our wishes" She hung up the phone and began quickly organizing her trash so the waiters would have an easier time cleaning up.
"What is it?" Emma asked. She mimicked Storm and began cleaning up her mess as well. When Storm reached for her purse, Emma swatted her away and slapped a hundred dollar bill on the table. Ororo eyed her. What? She didn't have any change.
"It's...Magneto and Scarlet Witch just passed." Storm said, walking out of the bar with Emma following closely behind.
"To what?" Emma wasn't a fool. Magneto and Scarlet Witch were in the top twenty of the most powerful mutants in the world. To hear that they both died, father and daughter, would come as a shock to the entire world. Some would be relieved to have finally gotten rid of a man like Magneto, someone who has caused much pain, but then there was the other side of the coin. Magneto had founded a mutant safe haven on the island of Genosha, off of Africa. To a lot of people, he was viewed as a savior, perhaps even a god.
"There's not really a name for it, but it originated from the original mutant Apocalypse. Not much is known about this sickness except for the fact that there is no cure. It's almost like a virus, except it is unknown how one obtains it. It's believed to corrupt your mind over time, slowly killing you off. Some believe it's alien in origin." Storm started the car and put in the directions in the GPS.
"What do you believe?" Emma asked. Storm looked her in the eyes and she was sure the temperature dropped several degrees.
"The Professor, Magneto, and Scarlet all had contact with Apocalypse in some way or another. Coincidentally, they were some of the strongest mutants on the planet who happened to die from it. I'd hate to jump to wild conclusions, but something bigger is going on than what we humans, we mutants, can truly understand."
Storm put the gear in drive and made way to her destination. Halfway through the car ride, Emma realized she didn't know where the two were traveling. She glanced at the GPS screen, reading it out loud.
"Bayville, New York"
Rise Again
.: Chapter Two:.
X Girl's Best Friend X
How did Emma go from lawyer to stripper? Why was Scott in Texas? What happened between Storm and T'Challa? What is the Apocalypse Sickness that's killed Professor X, Scarlet Witch, Magneto, and more? All those questions will be answered in future chapters of Rise Again.
*Ant-Men Lawyers
*Iron Man Kitchen on Stark Street.
Take note: So far, there are two important parties. X-Men and Genoshans. There will be at least two more added (I believe). Many previous characters in the Evolution Series will be returning in some way shape or form so keep an eye out.
Stay tuned for more! (And submit ideas for OCs!)