Chapter 45

Bayville…

"You seem distracted," Scott remarks over the table at the restaurant he and Emma were having a date at tonight. It wasn't the 1st time she had seemed distracted lately.

"Oh it's nothing," Emma waves it off with that fake smile of hers plastered on her face. Her distractions are what they always are. What is going on with the Hellfire Club and what has Sebastian been using her students for? Doesn't he realise she has specific plans for her students he is putting at risk.

Behind his red glasses Scott's eyes narrow. Being with Emma can be amazing but incredibly frustrating at the same time. Jean was never this closed off. A part of his mind winces at the fact he just thought of his ex-girlfriend when he is out at dinner with his current girlfriend. He sure hopes Emma didn't pick up that stray thought or this night could be coming to a very quick end...along with his physical well-being. Scott looks up at her and waits and sees if she reacts. Nope. Seems he got away with it. "Are you sure?" he decides to ask.

Emma decides she better give him something. "Well I don't know if you noticed how Angelica hasn't been at school lately."

"Firestar?" Scott queries. Yeah he's noticed. "She ill?"

"No. She had...an unfortunate incident with her powers. They suddenly evolved and she couldn't control it. She was on a date with her boyfriend at the time."

Scott grimaces as he pictures that. "Is he alright?"

"Not really. As you can imagine she's feeling pretty bad about it. She needs time to recover."

Scott gets the impression Emma isn't telling him everything...probably because she's not really telling him anything beyond the vague facts of the situation. As a leader you have to notice these sort of things. He also has to wonder where this relationship is heading if they can't really open up and talk to each other.

He means Emma was always someone who kept her real feelings hidden from what he can remember when she attended the Institute when they were younger but since then she's gotten more secretive. Then again she is the White Queen of the Hellfire Club. Another little wrinkle in their relationship he's been trying to pretend isn't there.

"Well if there's anything I can do," Scott offers in relation to Firestar.

Emma smiles at him. "I'll let you know," she says in return. Course she has no intention of ever doing such a thing. What happened to Firestar...well lets just says that's a secret to keep inside her head and nowhere else.

And so that is how the rest of the date goes really. Small talk mostly. They talk a little about the situation with Jonathan Kent winning the Mayoral election last week but it's mostly superficial on how it is an opportunity for mutants in town. Beyond that there is nothing and it leaves Scott cold. Feeling as if dating Emma Frost isn't as wonderful as it should be…

...or how good he had it with Jean.


The next day at the Academy of Tomorrow…

Outside Boston is where you find the school Emma set up with its elegant, chic, white buildings set in well appointed and maintained grounds. It's a place she hasn't been able to focus on as much as she would wish to lately. It means for the most part the running of the school has been left in the hands of Emma's much loathed sister Adrienne.

Does that mean it hasn't been run well?

Not at all.

What it means is that Adrienne has used her position to bring in people loyal to her and not her sister to aid in the running of the school. She's built herself a power base from which her sister will find it very difficult to shift her from.

Anyway the machinations of the Frost sisters will play out soon enough.

Right now as Autumn falls ever deeper and winter approaches a certain olive skinned Princess of Nova Roma is striding through the grounds seeking solitude.

Amara chose to leave the X-Men and join the Academy for varying reasons.

Mostly due to 2 reasons. Her unhappiness with the attitude and actions of the X-Men in relation, particularly, to the Hellions. Amara thought they were being obstinate and pig-headed in having already set opinions that the Hellions were 'evil'.

Ok that is probably an exaggeration. Not evil per say. More...more...well Amara's not sure what the description is. Amoral probably.

Anyway that was 1 reason.

Reason 2 was that her boyfriend Manuel chose to join the Academy and Amara followed him and it's been great...or it was great.

Lately it seems...flat. There's no spark. It's going through the motions.

Not that Amara plans to break up with him you understand.

Hades no.

She couldn't imagine doing that.

It's just a small part of her mind is nagging at her that this is all wrong somewhere. Almost like it's...it's...hollow.

Hollow?

Amara frowns. Where did that thought come from?

"S'up girl?!"

Amara blinks. That voice sounds like…

...yep, floating down into view is Clark, in his Superman costume. To her people and herself he is a God so she can't feel the feeling of reverence that bubbles up inside of her. More profound because it has actually been quite awhile since she has seen him in person.

"No?" he queries at his joky greeting. "Not street enough?" he asks, quirking an eyebrow and giving her that lopsided grin that makes many a heart do a flip-flop. Hers included. He taps his chin in thought. "Ok. I got it. Joey from Friends." He flips his slowly lengthening hair back, looks Amara up and down and says, "How you doin?"

Amara's response is to put her hands on her hips and give him a haughty looking down upon you stare only a Princess can give.

"Well there's goes my efforts to lighten the mood," he complains with an over-the-top weary sigh.

The corner of Amara's lip quirk in amusement at him.

Clark catches it and he smiles genuinely. "Ok. How about the more traditional, Hey Amara! Been awhile. How are you?"

"Better," Amara declares it, getting into the spirit.

"Well thank you, your Highness," Clark says with a theatrical bow for good measure.

"Oh you are most welcome, my Lord Kal-El," she says in return, bowing back, smirking.

Clark makes a face. "Oh don't do that. You know I hate that," he complains. He hates being thought of as a God.

"Oh I know," Amara assures him with a cheeky grin.

Clark narrows his eyes at her. "I'm on to you," he warns her, jabbing his finger in her direction.

"Well in honour of Tabby I believe the appropriate response would be I'd rather you be on top of me,"Amara responds, all necessary suggestiveness added.

"Ok two issues. One I have a girlfriend who you do not cross if you value body parts and/or your soul."

Huh. That 2nd part was an odd thing to mention Amara thinks.

Clark continues. "Two. Last I knew you still had a boyfriend and since dear ol' Ma and Pa raised a good little boy I don't go around cheating. Not even for someone as beautiful as you are."

Amara blushes vividly at Clark's compliment of calling her beautiful.

"What?" Clark asks at her silence and blushing.

"You called me beautiful," Amara says in a shy voice.

Clark rubs the back of his neck in his awkward gesture. "Guess I did. Well it's the truth. You are," he points out. Perhaps he didn't mean to just say so but Amara is beautiful and getting more so as she ages and her body matures. "So before I make this more awkward you never answered; How are you?"

"You know that was going to be more my question for you."

Clark blinks. There's something in her tone. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

Oh honestly how can he be so thick. "Apocalypse," she just says it. It wasn't like she didn't know what had happened. She and Tabby still talked over the phone.

"Oh. That," Clark says, deflating. Clark sighs and sits himself down on the grass.

Amara joins him. She must admit to wanting to know more. Like Clark himself, to her Apocalypse is a God of her Pantheon. The God of Death and Destruction. There is a lengthy silence. "Clark," she says softly, hoping to prompt him to say something. "I've gone too far haven't I. Asked something inappropriate," she starts to realise. "I'm..."

Clark stops her there by touching his finger to her lips. "Don't apologise. It's ok. It's natural you'd be curious. Just don't expect me to say much Mara. It's difficult to describe to anyone who didn't go through it. Was it terrible? Yes. Did I, am I still trying to recover? Yes. The Professor and I have regular sessions. To summarise I was turned into a weapon of mass destruction and you don't get over that. Not really. Not ever probably but I refuse to buckle or be broken. If I did that Apocalypse would win. So I get on with my life, doing what I think is right. Doing the best I can to use my abilities to help people. It helped that I went through an experience shortly after that gave me some perspective on it all. Plus as an added bonus got myself a girlfriend into the bargain who...understands what it means to be touched by such darkness. And with all due respect Mara that is as far as I'm willing to go into detail."

"That's ok. I understand," she sympathises. The fact he said anything to her at all is pleasing. It shows he still has some level of trust in her despite her leaving the Institute. "So can I ask about this girl? Is she nice?"

Clark splutters into laughter. "Nice? Wow I don't think even I've used that word to describe her. Must remember to do so. Her face will be priceless," he says with glee at the thought of teasing Yana.

Amara is very perplexed at his reaction. Why would he have never used he word 'nice'? "What's her name?" she asks.

"Yana...err, Illyana. Illyana Nikolievna Rasputin. She's Colossus' sister as matter of fact."

"The one who went missing?"

"I guess it's been awhile since you and Tabby last talked," Clark can assume from what she doesn't seem to know

"Yeah. It has. I've been meaning to call..." she can only shrug as she doesn't really have a decent reason why it has been so long since she last talked to Tabby.

"Yes. I found her. And no she's not 9 any longer. I found her in another dimension where time moved faster. She's closer to 19...we think. It's hard to know exactly since it's nearly impossible to measure the passage of time where she was."

"So things have gotten less crazy since I left I see," Amara says in a perfectly serious sounding tone.

Clark gives her a look. That was a joke.

Amara's façade cracks and she laughs and Clark joins in with her.

It's good to laugh, Amara must say. She hasn't laughed much lately.

"I can't help but notice how you seem to be avoiding talking about yourself," Clark points out.

That soon stifles Amara's amusement. "What is there to say about me? It's nothing compared to what you've been through."

"That doesn't mean it is not important," Clark dismisses her attempt to dismiss and deflect his question. "It's important to you. That does mean something. Everyone is important. Everyone is special. I will confess that that is something Apocalypse can never and is probably incapable of understanding."

Amara chews over his words for awhile before she speaks. "There's nothing really bad you understand."

"Hmm hmm."

"It's just...things with Manuel seems...flat."

"Flat?"

"Sterile. Going through the motions."

"Have you spoken to him about it?"

Amara chews on her lower lip.

Clark can take that as a no. "From someone whose relationship once failed for this reason if you can't communicate with your significant other something is very wrong," Clark offers advice from his experience with Rogue.

"I've tried once or twice to raise it..."

"But can't quite follow through."

Amara nods. Now someone has said it it sounds kinda cowardly and pathetic.

"I can understand the need to not get hurt...and that even a less than adequate continuity is better than an unknown but if you're already unhappy...you know my mom is way better than at this than me. I could get her here in like a minute."

Amara chuckles at that. "I think you're doing fine," she tells him.

"Thanks. I still don't know exactly what to advise you beyond choosing what makes you happy and if this guy isn't making you happy then drop him faster than Logan downs a beer."

"That's the metaphor you're going for?"

Clark shrugs.

Amara brings her knees up and rests her chin on them. "Part of me knows what you're saying makes sense."

"But it's not easy. I know," he says with complete empathy for her predicament.

No. It's not easy at all. Amara frowns. "It just occurred to me."

"That I'm roguishly handsome?" Clark quips.

Amara slaps his arm. "No. That I never asked why you are here."

"I can't just drop by and say hello to a friend?"

"No...well yes you can. Argh, you're making this more difficult than it needs to be,"she gripes at him.

"Aren't Gods suppose to be cryptic?"

"Except you hate that. Now be a friend and answer the question."

"Honestly. I was in the neighbourhood, flying overhead and spotted you."

"In the neighbourhood? In Boston?"

"I'll admit it wasn't my original plan for the day but like so many other days recently I don't always get to do what I originally planned."

"Huh?" Amara just says it.

Clark opens his mouth to answer...when the answer roars overhead. SHIELD jets. They had been chasing him...again and that is why he was over Boston.

Clark sighs and gets to his feet. "Sorry Mara. Have to cut this reunion short," he apologises. "You take care of yourself, ya hear."

Amara nods somewhat dumbly.

Clark flashes her a smile as he pulls his little crystal device from his pocket and speaks into it. "Agent Danvers, so good to see you again...and in your own home town of Boston if I'm not very much mistaken. I do believe I picked up a hint of a Boston accent all those times you have ordered me to surrender," he says, his tone light and deliberately annoying. "I welcome you, Agents of SHIELD, to the very secret school of Emma Frost, White Queen of the Hellfire Club."

Amara's eyes go wide. He so did not just do that.

Clark winks at her to show, yep, he just did do that. Hey why should his life be the only one to be harassed. Besides the busier Emma is the less likely it is she'll find to cause trouble with the Hellions. Not that that has been much of an issue as of late, what with them keeping themselves to themselves even at school but in Clark's experience this period of calm will never last. Not with Shaw and his grandfather sniffing around, trying to reconnect to Claire or something along those lines.

He speaks to his eternal pursuers again. "So any chance we can not do this again today. I do have an appointment for a mani-pedi booked. You know nails this lovely take a lot of work," he claims jokily showing them off to Amara.

"Well you should visit Nova Roma," Amara suggests cheekily. "My parents would employ an army of experts to help you."

Before Clark can respond they get interrupted.

"SUPERMAN. BY ORDER OF SHIELD YOU MUST SURRENDER YOURSELF INTO OUR CUSTODY FOR QUESTIONING!"comes the directive from above.

"I believe the only appropriate response to that is 'Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!'" Superman stabs the words back and then sticks his tongue out. "Well see ya Mara," he waves goodbye before he vanishes with his usual gust of wind.

"See ya," Amara waves him off after he's gone. Well...that was...interesting. And it has given her some things to think over in regards to her relationship with Manuel.


Elsewhere…

"Oh that is truly delightful!" the blond haired mystic known only as Luna proclaims gleefully after hearing Wanda's tale of her encounter with Avalanche as the two sit in her lavishly decorated sitting room at her secret hidden home.

The details of what Wanda did aren't too important beyond she pretty much guarantees that what Avalanche told her father about the night of the election result was as far away from the truth as you could get.

Yes, it occurred to her later that he probably has many other ways of hearing about what transpired but considering the fact, that to her knowledge, her hasn't retaliated yet means she thinks she did a good job.

Or she would if she hadn't been wrestling with her guilt.

She thinks she might have crossed the line. Essentially taking away someone's free will like that. Even if that person was a stooge of her father.

Luna finally notices her student's glum expression. "Ah. You don't think it so delightful I'm assuming."

Wanda shakes her head.

Luna sighs. "No doubt this is Strange filling your head with nonsense about what is right and what is wrong. Remember what I have been saying about his curtailing you. What he said is what he deems to be 'right and wrong'. All in the name of restricting your potential and holding you back. Now answer me this. Did you do anything permanent to Avalanche? Hmm? Well?"

Wanda shakes her head. No. It was nothing permanent.

"Then what does it matter. He's fine and lets face it you may have saved many lives by preventing your father's inevitably violent response. Is that not worth violating a few of Strange's self-determined..." Luna snorts derisively here, "...'rules, morals and so-called ethics?"

Wanda is torn. Luna has a good argument yet part of her can't help but think what she did was wrong.

Luna sighs. "You know what I think Wanda. I think we need to have a field trip."

Wanda looks up, confusion in her blue eyes at what Luna means. "Field trip?"

Luna nods, her face bright as if she has just has the most brilliant idea...which not to toot her own horn...oh lets toot it. It is a brilliant idea!


Fortress of Solitude…

So a large part of Clark's day was once again spent playing tag with SHIELD.

By now he's torn about it.

On one hand it's what he wanted. For them to focus on him. Chase him. Leave mutants for the most part alone. The fact his dad won the election is proof positive that his plan has more or less worked.

On the other hand he's sick to the back teeth of spending his days trying to shake SHIELD off his tail. He's kinda dismayed a bit that they can't see past the fact he's an alien and look at his actions and the fact he only ever uses his powers to help people.

You know judge him on his actions.

Then again a part of him would point out that they probably haven't forgotten what they saw him do as War. They got a first hand sight of just how terribly dangerous he could be. That's probably what drives them. What he could do. Not what he does.

Damn it's annoying that it's in his nature to be understanding.

So why is he up here?

It's the one place he knows for certain SHIELD can't find him.

Plus it's nice to get to the one place where there is utter silence. The Fortress shields out all the extraneous noise.

And a third thing is, of course, he needs to continue studying the ways with which he can disable Brainiac once and for all.

And there's a 4th thing too. It's a place he can spend quality alone time with Yana.

Speaking of whom he finds her asleep in the bed...in her Darkchylde form today, horns and all. Not the 1st time he's found her up here...he really should get around to finding a way to block her unique form of teleportation. Well that's for another day. Normal people would ask why is she here. Clark knows why she is here. Even apart from the obvious of not wishing to be seen as she currently is. If she was just her 'normal' human self...sadly it's her way of avoiding people. They still haven't overcome Yana's issues with forming connections and friendships. In her mind she's protecting them from herself. The dangers of her nature...and Clark couldn't completely dismiss that as untrue but on the other hand part of it is Yana's own fears of getting hurt. Like him she's been used, lied to, manipulated, betrayed...you get the idea. It makes it hard for Yana to allow people to get to know her which is necessary if they are ever going to get over the other part. Allowing people to see the real Illyana. Demonic side and all.

Still seeing her there asleep Clark can't help but smile serenely at the image. It's rare to see Illyana completely at peace. In fact most nights she doesn't sleep peacefully at all, her mind tormented by her demonic side and the terrible things she has seen and done.

Clark quietly walks over and pulls the silver sheets up over her form. He takes a moment to lean down and kiss her bare shoulder. She's not a big fan of clothes. Even now, after all these living at the Institute she tends to wear them because it's expected of her. Not that she enjoys wearing them. He really must find a way to get that little girl out of her who loved to dress up. He's talking about the 9-year old girl she use to be he has seen inside her mind. That Illyana loved clothes. That Illyana was like every other girl. Full of undirected enthusiasm for the world around them. He's positive it's still within her. He just has to get her to re-embrace her human side.

Well he'll let her sleep. He turns to leave...only to find a tugging on his wrist. He looks down to see a red spaded tail wrapped around his wrist.

"Yana," he says her nickname plainly.

She pretends she's still asleep.

"You can't fool me you know," Clark points out to her. "I recall you faking being knocked out back when you were hunting me through Limbo."

"I recall you falling for it," she retorts cracking open one eye.

"And I never fell for it again. A lesson learned."

"You should never have lived long enough to learn it. Ach, I was so sloppy," she complains.

"Hardly," Clark scoffs. "You almost took my head off."

"Yeah. That would have been a pity. Not having to listen to your taunts," she grumbles sarcastically. That really got her goat...so to speak. The way he would mock and taunt her.

"In my defence I did have another personality trying to take over my mind. I wasn't quite what you would call 100% sane."

"You're still not."

"Brat."

"Idiot."

Clark leans down and captures her lips. "And yet idiot rocks your world," he whispers to her huskily.

Illyana's eyes glow deep red and she emits a low lust-filled growl.

"So what happened today?" he asks her, stroking her blond hair. He means in reference as to what has brought out her darker side today.

Her face goes sullen.

Clark sighs as she sits next to her. Going to one of those days he can see. "Limbo related or Institute related?" he tries to get to the bottom of it.

"Piotr related," she rumbles, her voice having a rasping echo to it.

Clark closes his eyes for a minute. "Ok skipping the exact details. He annoyed you in some way so much you couldn't keep this side of you back any longer," Clark guesses. "That somewhere close?"

Illyana snorts.

Clark takes that as a yes. "So you came up here before anyone could see that."

"It was that or I ripped his eyeballs and more particularly his tongue out and used them in a new necklace."

"Yana...you love your brother," he reminds her.

"It wouldn't have killed him. Only left him blind and mute," she sorta defends herself.

"You love your brother," Clark repeats.

"I..."

"Yes?"

"I suppose...I...do," Illyana admits.

Ok that's good. Getting her to admit her positive feelings is the 1st step to allowing her to regain full control back.

"And when we get back he'll apologise and you'll accept it."

"Can I make him grovel for awhile?" she asks with an almost child-like enthusiasm for the idea.

"I'll consider it," he gives himself some wiggle room.

"Why am I asking for your permission?" she suddenly realises what she is doing.

"Because a good girlfriend knows her place," he teases her, flicking her nose.

Illyana's eyes narrow and the demonic red glow within intensifies. "I've warned you what happens when you do that."

"Perhaps you have but as someone asked me today about how nice you were it occurs to me you are too nice to do what you threaten," he challenges her.

"Nice?" Illyana snorts in fury. "Did you just call me nice?" she asks him, her voice icy cold, unable to believe what he just called her.

"I do believe I did," Clark says, more than pushing his luck.

"Ok, now I'm going to show you what happens when you not only flick my nose but call me nice," she vows.

Huh. Last time all Clark remembers is the two of them ending up in a happy, messy pile of sweaty tangled bodies. And funnily that's what happens this time too.


Author's Note: There needs to be a little bit of an introduction to this arc, getting all the players in place before we get to the meat and drink of it so a little of Emma and Scott and catching up with Amara. Not to mention Luna's continual negative influence on Wanda. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Hellfire Burns Eternal part 2 as we follow Wanda's field trip.