Chapter 49

Hellfire Club, New York...

Sebastian Shaw sits upon his throne and looks down at the 3 women in his presence. He looks upon the White and Black Queens and Selene's daughter as they inform him of what has transpired...after the fact. That he is not happy about and it shows through with the stern, heavy set expression upon his face. "I do not enjoy hearing of major events that affect us all after they have already happened," he tells them bluntly.

Selene rolls her eyes in contempt. "The world does not revolve around you Shaw. Never forget to whom you speak. I choose which of my affairs are to do with you and which aren't. You should be grateful I'm here at all," she says in a manner very like Sebastian should be grateful to be granted the great boon of being graced with her presence.

Emma chooses that a more conciliatory sounding line might serve her better. "Time was limited. We needed to act immediately and may I point out, my King, we succeeded."

"At the price of revealing yourself to the X-Men to be their enemy," Shaw casts the downbeat assessment, the downside of what has transpired as it ruins days, if not weeks, of planning and preparation.

"It was better than the alternative," Isobel says in her defence.

"Which would have been?" Shaw asks of her.

"Superman in possession of enough power to sweep us all away."

Shaw strokes his chin. That was a good point he supposed. "And where is Superman?" Shaw wants to know since he has now been told of the hero's defeat and capture.

"Restrained," Selene answers.

"Securely?"

Selene looks insulted. "It's one of my best spells. It suppresses all of his unnatural power."

"Down in the dungeon," Emma expands on Superman's whereabouts and yes it is an actual dungeon. It's a motif. Puts panic into the Inner Circle's 'guests'. "He has not yet awakened," she informs Shaw.

"He won't for awhile. Not after what I drained from him," Selene points out, a sinister little grin on her face as she remembers the joy of draining Jor-El's spawn.

Shaw looks at Selene carefully. "And what is he Selene? You've been very vague about answering that."

"A creature not of this world and beyond your understanding," Selene continues her evasiveness. In other words, as far as she is concerned, it is none of their damn business.

"You said you knew his father," Emma reminds Selene of what she said.

"I did...and for what his father did to me that boy will come to understand a new level of suffering," Selene vows.

"It's always the same with you isn't it," Emma accuses. "Always with inflicting the pain. There are other options."

"Such as?" Shaw inquires.

"Turning him to our way of thinking."

Selene throws her head back and laughs mockingly. "Ha! You're a fool Frost. You have no comprehension of the power that boy will wield one day. He will be akin to a God. Take my advice; get whatever information we need from him and then let me finish him. Don't and we will all regret it."

"Your daughter seemed quite confident she could help me get inside his mind," Emma mentions.

Selene's coal dark eyes fixate upon Isobel who shuffles nervously.

"It was all for the sole purpose of getting what we need from his mind. Nothing more," Isobel insists.

"And what is it we need?" Shaw asks.

"The location of the stone he already possesses," Emma guesses.

"Yes. That. Tell me of this," Shaw decrees.

Isobel sighs. She has no choice now. "It's a story. Of Gods who visited Earth and left behind an object of vast power. To keep it safe it was broken into 3 pieces, 3 Stones of Power, scattered and hidden across the world. When reunited they can bestow upon you the Gods' power. Superman has one. We now have another."

"I had it placed in the vault for safe-keeping," Emma informs Shaw. This was only because she can't think of a reason it should be in her personal possession. This way at least it is in a place she has access to but is not in the hands on any one person.

Shaw nods as this being acceptable.

"The trick is that you only require 2 of the stones and when joined they will lead you the the 3rd and final piece," Isobel explains.

"So if we can make Superman tell us where he has hidden his stone the power can then be ours," Shaw summarises, his expression one of deep thought as he considers the possibilities of what this power can bring him and by extension the Inner Circle.

"Precisely," Isobel confirms.

"I can make him talk," Selene promises with dark intent about what she'll do to him to make him talk.

"I have no doubt," Shaw says. "However I am amiable to allowing Emma to attempt what she proposes first."

"WHAT!" Selene screeches.

Shaw raises his hand as a gesture for Selene to stop before she starts. "But should Emma fail then Superman shall becomes yours to do with what you wish, Selene."

Selene glares. She doesn't have to take this from any of them. She could kill them for this insolence.

"Mother," Isobel speaks softly. "Think about it this way. If we succeed we will turn Jor-El's son to our side. Won't that, in its way, be payback on Jor-El to see his son standing at your side," she makes a case.

Selene's eyes narrow. "It won't work," she dismisses her daughter's idea. " Trust me. I can see too much of his father's stubbornness and insubordination in him and that doesn't even take into account Frost's incompetence."

Emma shoots Selene a deadly glare.

"My decision is made Selene," Shaw states firmly and stares at her, to demonstrate his seriousness.

Selene relents a little. "So be it," she accepts for now. "Now if you will excuse me I have my torture implements to sharpen for when Frost fails. Call me when she's finished making her sorry excuse at an attempt," Selene continues her insulting of Emma, already assuming her fellow Queen will fail, before she turns and leaves. She'll let Frost try only because she knows Emma will fail and that'll give Selene all the more ammunition to deride Emma over with.

Emma glares with a deep scowl at Selene all the way as the dark-haired sorceress departs.

Shaw clears his throat to draw the focus back on him. "I meant what I said Emma. If you fail he is Selene's and I'll be adding a permanent demerit to your record," he says in jest with a small laugh at himself.

"You pander too much to her," Emma accuses Shaw in regards to Selene.

"You don't show her enough respect," Shaw retorts, his tone sharp to make sure Emma listens to him. "You vastly underestimate her power."

"He's right. You do underestimate her and it is a grave misjudgment to not at least appear to show her respect," Isobel adds her two cents. "You cannot begin to imagine what my mother is capable of when enraged," she cautions and Isobel knows only too well what her mother can do.

Emma doesn't feel why she should. Selene doesn't show her any respect.

"The point, Emma, is that I am only willing to oppose Selene's wishes for as long as I see merit in your proposal," Shaw lays down his position. "A Superman turned to our side would be a great boon."

"That's why I proposed it. You heard Selene. Power akin to a God. That is why the Inner Circle exists. To have such power for ourselves," Emma makes her argument.

"I am giving you a chance am I not?" Shaw points out, showing he agrees with her. Sooner or later they would have to have dealt with Superman in all likelihood and there's no time like the present when he is relatively young(judging from his appearance) and easier to mold into what the Inner Circle desires. Shaw turns his gaze to Isobel. "This raises a question. What is he that even your mother calls him capable of being akin to a God?"

"I don't know. She won't tell me," Isobel says in rather sullen tones.

"What is he not?" Shaw turns the question around.

"He's not an actual God. He..." Isobel struggles for an appropriate descriptive term before deciding on, "...feels wrong. He is also not a mutant nor a sorcerer nor a demon. This I know with certainty," she rules out entities she is familiar with.

"So why does he let everyone think he is a mutant?"

"Why do you let everyone think you're just another rich industrialist?" Isobel asks back.

"Of course," Shaw says in understanding. "He's projecting an image to hide his true self."

"Everyone has secrets," Isobel points out.

"True," Shaw concedes. "He's an enigma. A being we cannot classify. I believe this is where you come in Emma."

"I'll get your answers Shaw and then I'll have him standing here pledging his loyalty to the Inner Circle," Emma vows.

"Bold promises."

"You expect less from me?"

Shaw smiles. "Never."

"I'll need time," Emma states. "I do not know the strength of his mind."

"Time, Emma, is one thing you have a limited amount of. Selene's patience will end and when it does I will not even attempt to restrain her. Clock's ticking," Shaw informs her as a boot up her backside to get moving on this.

Emma turns and departs and Isobel leaves with her.

"You can do what you said about getting me into his mind?" Emma asks Isobel to confirm once more.

"Yes. Magic works on a slightly different level and in a different fashion to normal telepathy. I just need to gather a few items for the spell."

"Then do so quickly."

Isobel heads off to her private chambers to do so while Emma retires to her chambers to mentally prepare herself. She is...close. So close to gaining vast power to elevate herself. She'll turn Superman. She does not doubt her own ability only she'll be turning his loyalty solely to her. He'll in turn deliver these stones to her and then, then who is going to stop her from obtaining whatever her diamond heart desires.

As Emma and Isobel depart another woman steps into the corridor watching where they went. She has long dark hair tied up in a bun and blue eyes below which are a couple of tattooed lines. She is dressed in the traditional female garb of the Hellfire Club; corset, thigh-high boots, thing, cape, all in dark blue. Her name is Sage and she is Sebastian Shaw's personal assistant. An assistant who has been kept out of the loop a lot recently.

Sage is also a spy for Charles Xavier and this...none of this sounds very good for many reasons for not just Charles. She better set up a meeting with Charles and let him know what is going on and she can set her computer like mind the task of coming up with a solution to this issue that gets the best result possible.


SHIELD Hellicarrier...

Fury had managed to get them off the hook with the Chinese authorities although it cost him several favours he had with certain members of the Chinese leadership. He had sold them some story where Magneto, basically, took the blame and that SHIELD, along with some assistant of the X-Men, had taken advantage of some intelligence on Magneto's movements and were simply trying to take him by surprise. Hence the lack of time to inform the Chinese authorities beforehand of their presence.

The price Fury extracted from the Professor for this was the X-Men returning with him to the Hellicarrier with him where they would have a 'talk'.

In a conference room the Professor, accompanied by Logan who insisted upon being here, sits opposite Fury who has brought Black Widow with him. The other X-Men are in the 'guest' suites.

Fury looks the Professor over, gauging the man's mood. "So shall we skip all the cloak and dagger games today and get straight to it?"

"I have always tried to be as honest as possible Colonel," Charles says.

"We both know why you, I and Magneto were there. How about you tell me about the other group?"

"The same reason."

"And who are they?"

"Like you don't know," Logan accuses in his gruff tones.

"Humour me."

"The Inner Circle," Charles just comes out and says it.

"Yeah. That's what I thought," Fury says in a tone like he doesn't like that answer because he doesn't. "Didn't learn your lesson last time Professor that Sebastian Shaw is not someone you get involved with."

"Isn't he the type of person you lock up?" Logan asks back.

"Been trying for 20 years since Division X ran afoul of him. Shaw always manages to come out smelling like a household air-freshener. It hides the scent but never really makes the stink go away."

"If I had a choice Colonel I would not get involved. It was Shaw that has decided to restart what he didn't quite finish 20 years ago," Charles says.

"And now he has one of the stones and Superman."

"Superman will tell him nothing," Charles says with total faith in Clark and as soon as they can finish this and get home he will be contacting Sage to see if she knows Clark's whereabouts and then they can begin planning a rescue.

"I wouldn't bet on that. Shaw has his ways," Fury takes the more pessimistic standpoint.

"Then stop wasting our time and release us!" Logan demands, barely holding in check his frustration. Not only did he not get to finish Creed off one of his kids has been taken. Someone is goin to get a serious hurting.

"You must learn patience Logan," Widow criticises him. "You're thinking only with your anger."

"You're damn right I am!" Logan barks.

Fury slams his hand down on the table to draw attention. "No-one is going anywhere," he decrees. "Because unless we resolve this now we're just going to end up fighting each other again over these stones."

"The position Superman stated to you has not changed Colonel," Charles states calmly. "No-one but him can have the stones."

"You're so sure of that, why?" Fury asks, suspicious of the Professor's motives.

"Because have you even begun to think through the consequences of possessing them. Magneto will not lie down and accept you having possession of them. It will push him to instigate an immediate war before you can make use of their power. Now I'm betting you've done some simulations of that scenario. What was the outcome?"

"He'd lose," Fury states with deadly seriousness.

"At what price though?"

"A high one," Fury states gravely. "But how does Superman possessing them change that?"

"Because he does not want to use their power for anything. He just wants them safe, away from where they can do harm, leaving us exactly where we are now."

"You seem so sure of that."

"Of Superman's intentions? If only you could get to see him as I do Colonel then you would see what a kind, gentle spirit he is. He only wishes to help and to protect and it is his desire to protect, above all others, that fuels his desire to gain possession of the stones."

"You're avoiding details," Fury points out.

"If you expect me to betray the trust Superman has placed in me by revealing his secrets you gravely misjudge me Colonel."

"Then we still have the same problem don't we. My orders are to retrieve those stones."

"And what are they worth to you?"

Fury blinks a little surprised by the implication in those words. "You offering a deal?"

"Perhaps," Charles says, not confirming he is but not denying it either.

"What have you got to offer?"

"20 years of insider information on the Inner Circle."

Fury looks at the Professor curiously but cautiously. "How?"

"I have an informant within the organisation who has spent 20 years learning how it works, its secrets and a complete list of its membership. Now what is that worth to you Colonel?"

Fury is surprised and intrigued. That sort of info is almost priceless. It still wouldn't probably be enough to take the Inner Circle down completely but he could cripple it for years.

Charles gazes at Fury. It may seem out of the blue he made this offer but he needed leverage and that is close to the most valuable he has.

"Why are you offering me this now?" Fury wonders. "If you have had someone inside for 20 years..."

"Because last time I assisted the government they tried to kill me. Can you blame me for not trusting them?"

"I'll give you that," Fury concedes and by the way that wasn't anything to do with him. He wasn't in charge of that whole Division X project. If he had it would have probably all turned out differently.

"Time is not something we have a lot of Colonel," Charles says in haste, eager to leave and trace down Clark. "Is it something we can make a deal over, yes or no?"

"You're asking me to disobey orders."

"I'm asking for a head start and while I sympathise this would be seen as a failure by your superiors you can offer up what I am offering on the Inner Circle as compensation."

Fury would love to get that information. He's been wanting for years to nail that slime-ball that is Sebastian Shaw.

"Come on Fury," Logan says. "All we're asking is that you look the other way for awhile."

"One other point Colonel," the Professor says. "This issue in regards to the stones is the main area of dispute between us. Once it is gone there is the possibility for a better, more productive relationship between SHIELD and my X-Men," Charles makes a case.

Logan plays a hunch to try and push Fury to agreeing. "What were your exact orders? To gain the stones or to make sure Magneto didn't get them? Letting us go and do what we need to will guarantee Magneto doesn't get them."

Fury rises to his feet and walks away a little while he thinks. "Go," he allows. "You can have your head start but be warned it won't be that big."

"Thank you Colonel," Charles says in some relief.

The Professor then rolls to the door with Logan before Fury stops them with one more, somewhat dire, warning. "One final point Professor. Should Magneto get those stones we will be the ones declaring war on him and the entire mutant race and the first people I'll be coming after are your X-Men."

"Magneto won't get them Colonel," Charles promises. That is the one thing he knows he must not allow.

"And if you do come the first person you'll have to go through is me," Logan vows.

"Is that suppose to be a threat?" Fury asks back, with a odd smirk.

Logan growls.

"Consider this a favour Logan. One I'll be calling in some day," Fury suddenly adds about the price for his latitude.

Logan growls deeper and gives Fury a stern 'I'm going to kill you one day' glare before he leaves with the Professor.

"Was that wise?" Natasha asks Fury about the decision he just made.

"Probably not. It's a gamble. It's also an opportunity."

"In what way?"

"They now owe me a favour. Superman now owes me a favour."

Natasha blinks. "This is about Superman? Why?"

Fury moves back to the conference table, built into which is a touch screen. He brings up some video footage. "This is data we pulled from the wreckage of the Sentinels in New York. Their mutant sensors managed to get a good long look at Superman...or the Bayville Blur as he was known back then."

Natasha watches as the Sentinel makes its assessment of Superman.

UNKNOWN BIOLOGICAL SIGNATURE DETECTED. SCAN FOR MUTANT DNA...NONE DETECTED. SUBJECT POSSESSES NO RECOGNISBALE GENETIC PATTERNS. ERROR...ERROR...NOT LOGICAL.

"Unknown?" Natasha questions, puzzled. "He's not a mutant," she can make the assumption.

"No," Fury confirms something he suspected for awhile before he knew for certain.

"Another Asgardian?" Natasha asks using the term they had come up with to designate the one who called himself Thor. They had Thor under surveillance and were still trying to learn more about him. They had made some progress on that front after he had taken an...interest in a female paramedic called Jane Foster and had told her about where he was suppose to be from and SHIELD had been listening in on their conversations.

"Can't say without doing a genetic comparison. It's a possibility but there has been no evidence of any contact between the two. It also wouldn't explain Superman's connection to these stones. The writing associated with them is not Norse but native American. So if I was to hazard a guess I would say Superman is something else entirely," Fury gives his judgement.

"The writing is also similar to the one from the ship," Natasha remarks. The ship she is referring to being the alien one that was shot down a few months ago and is currently in a SHIELD facility being studied. The writings they have discovered in its database is in a similar form to the language linked to the stones.

"Similar but there are distinct differences," Fury emphasises what he feels is an important distinction.

"Close enough to indicate a connection," Natasha argues and making certain implications about what Superman may in actuality be.

"I'm not jumping to that conclusion just yet."

"Any luck cracking the translation yet?"

"No."

"I'm guessing Superman might be able to help which brings us to that favour he now owes you doesn't it?" Natasha works out the game Fury is playing

"If we can't crack the language I'll use it but we're not at that point yet. Until then we keep trying to find the ship's pilot because it obviously is not Superman. He showed up before the ship did."

"Still doesn't rule out a connection," Natasha argues.

"I never said there wasn't one. I said I wasn't jumping to that conclusion. Something about all of this doesn't feel right," Fury says, going on a gut instinct. "I want you and Carter on the hunt for the ship's pilot. He or she or it has to be on this planet somewhere. Find them," he orders because by the time they recovered the ship the pilot was gone and without his ship he obviously can't have left. He, she or it has to be on Earth and they have to find them and discover their purpose in being here. As for Superman...he may be not of this world either and that is as far as Fury is willing to go in believing there is some kind of connection.

"Yes sir," Natasha replies to her orders.

"I'll keep on top of the stones and Luthor issue," Fury decrees. He'll see it to its end, whatever that is now. He just hopes he isn't making a mistake with what he has agreed with Xavier. On the plus side if he does what he agreed with Xavier he essentially has signed Lionel Luthor's death warrant so to speak. Lionel's pardon is dependant on SHIELD gaining that stones. That fact alone may make this deal worth it to see the end of Lionel Luthor.


With Fury's permission to leave the X-Men are soon back on the x-jet and heading home.

"So what's the plan Professor?" Cyclops asks.

"Home to regroup. I need to contact Sage and see if she knows where Clark is located. If she does we'll get a layout of where he is and then plan a rescue. I will also see about contacting Stephen because if we are to rescue Clark it means, no doubt, confronting Isobel and her apparent mother and I would like to do that on more even terms."

Scott nods in agreement. It was all perfectly sensible sounding. You don't rush in to a situation like this. They needed a plan.

"Do we really think that woman is Isobel's mother?" Domino asks because that seems hokey. No-one can live that long right?

"Sage's information on Selene is sketchy at best. Honestly I know next to nothing about her...but I think I know someone else we can ask about her," Charles replies.

"Who?"

"Selene Gallio is the name of the founder and former ruler of Nova Roma."

"The Princess?" Logan queries about who it is they ask in reference to Amara.

"Yes," Charles confirms.

"Is that it?" one irate sounding voice raises her objection. "Is that all we're going ta do? Just sit around and plan?"

"Rogue," Charles says gently.

"They took Clark!" she cries out, extremely agitated.

"I know Rogue," the Professor assures her. "And we will get him back, I promise you, but we need information. We don't even know where he currently is being held."

Rogue's face is pinched with emotion. How can this be happening to her again?

"Can zhey even hold him?" Kurt asks what he thinks is a pertinent question considering Clark's power. He was also deeply worried about his friend's well-being.

"We know Clark has some vulnerability to magic so I'm afraid more likely than not, yes they can." Charles says, his assessment grim.

"What will they do to him?" Kitty asks, deeply worried about her friend.

"Isobel wants the stones. That we know. My guess, therefore, will be they will try and make him tell them where the one we have is," Charles makes a little bit of a leap but makes sense because of Isobel's presence. It also explain why Emma was in China. Isobel being the Black Queen's daughter used that connection to get Emma and her students' aid. Again makes logical sense.

What doesn't is why Sage never mentioned Isobel to him in any of their recent correspondences is a question he will ask Tessa when they meet. Given the situation they are now in Charles moves on to addressing the issue of the security of the stone in their possession. "When we get back, Logan, I would like you to retrieve the stone from its hiding place and move it. We have to be sure it can't be found."

Logan nods although he hates going down into that cave they hid it in a few miles down the coast. He also hates the thought of what they might do to the Space Boy to make him talk. Telepathy doesn't work so that leaves, more likely than not, some form of torture. Logan is going to inflict a lot of pain of these Inner Circle scum when he gets his hands on them.

"You don't think Clark will tell them do you?" Jean asks.

"He won't," Rogue says with absolute certainty.

"From what we experienced today of Selene's power he may not have a choice," Charles gravely cautions.

"He won't," Rogue stubbornly repeats her insistence on Clark's resistance.

"We'll find him before they get a chance to try," Charles says more as a hope than anything. "But I must err on the side of caution. We'll move the stone just to be safe."

"Uh, who's telling Mr and Mrs Kent about Clark?" Evan asks, dreading having to drop this bad news on them.

"I will," Ororo volunteers herself for the unpleasant task. Martha's her close friend. The grave news about Clark should come from her. Ororo just worries how Martha will take it on top of everything else recently.


Author's Note: At some point, some arrangement with SHIELD would have to be made, otherwise it could only end with the X-Men's arrest or attempted arrest anyway. As for the alien ship that may or may not have a connection to Clark that's just dropping a thread for later. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; The X-Men return to the mansion and a catch up with Volcana and Magneto.