Part 11

Emma Frost better known as the White Queen of the Inner Circle watched the fire and sipped her brandy. It had been Sebastian's idea to team with Magneto but Emma had only agreed because she wanted a way to change those that had the tendency and make them mutants.

She wanted to get them when they first come into their powers. Charles Xavier had the right idea but not the vision. To Charles these were young people to take under his wing and mold to the betterment of mankind and to truly help them control their powers.

Emma on the other hand wanted to help them control their powers but in the service of the Inner Circle not mankind. Her idea was to get them when they first come into their powers. Teach them how to achieve power through economic domination. The world doesn't revolve around politics and philanthropy but through economics. Those with the money control the world. You just had to look at the oil cartels to see that.

Like Magneto she believed that mutants were better than humans but unlike Erik she didn't confront. While Magneto and the Brotherhood declared war Emma declared assimilation.

She used her telepathic talents to mold minds and make others bend to her will. That was how Frost International had become such a major player in the short years since she took over.

Being headmistress to the Massachusetts Academy let her pick and choose from a host of young mutants but she soon learned there weren't enough. Usually Xavier got there before her as was the case in Kitty Pride but with what she had learned from Magneto she didn't have to wait for mutants to come into their powers. She could make mutants.

It had been her idea to use Frost International as a cover for recruiting those that had mutant tendencies. Her two experiments outside the Hellfire Club had been a success. Charles had spotted them with Cerebro and sent Pyro and Storm to pick them up.

She had turned them to see if Cerebo would pick up her new mutants and to add a little danger to the pot. Now Charles was in the mix though she had no doubts he was more concerned with Magneto than with her. She doubted he even knew she was involved. Just some mysterious other person.

She smiled slowly, at the thought of Charles trying to figure out who was helping Magneto and how.

She credited Sebastian with finding the geneticist that came up with the mutant gene enhancer. Just a little syringe prick and voila new mutants. Much better than the whole magnetic field thing Magneto used.

Yep, world domination through economics. Without the financial backing of the Hellfire Club they wouldn't have been able to bribe the geneticist from his job.

~~~~

Willow knocked on the Professor's door.

"Come in, Willow."

Willow smiled as she entered the room. It was as she remembered it but this time the memories were pleasant and not her parents sitting stiff with disappointment.

"Good morning, Professor."

"Please have a seat and tell me how the research is coming."

Willow's eyes lit up. "Dr. McCoy . . .Hank is wonderful. I really think he's very close to a way to reverse Magneto's enhancements." Willow looked down at her hands for a minute before looking up at the Professor, "I don't think we'll be able to reverse what Emma Frost did. According to Hank and Jubilee Maya and Ivan's mutation was genetically enhanced by natural methods. Meaning a very brilliant geneticist developed a way to introduce the enhanced DNA. I think someone may have found the gene that causes mutations and introduced it to those with a pre-disposed tendency. With that kind of discovery I don't know why the Medical and Scientific community hasn't heard about it."

Willow continued after a moment, "Kitty hacked into all the places she could think of and I hacked into the ones I could think of and there was no mention of a discovery. With the egos of some scientists I can't explain the lack of rumor of anyone working on mutation genetics."

"Mystique as Senator Kelley made an appearance today in Massachusetts. I agree with Logan that I do not believe in coincidences.  Emma is headmistress at a college preparatory school in Massachusetts."

"Do you think she's there for the meeting that Maya saw in her vision?"

"I don't know if it's that specific meeting but yes I believe they will meet."

"Would it help to find out what they were planning? An insider so to speak."

Charles smiled kindly at Willow, "I appreciate your offer but I think Remy and Buffy wouldn't look too kindly on letting you be bait."

Willow got stubborn, "Buffy has used me as her big gun in battles at Sunnydale and this isn't any more risky than that. So what if maybe Emma turns me into a mutant. It's not like it's the end of the world. Right?"

Charles chuckled, "Right. I've heard they're very friendly. Most of my friends are mutants."

Willow had the grace to blush, "Sorry, but you know what I mean."

"And what about Giles? He sent you here for protection. How am I going to explain to him that I let you be taken by one of Magneto's helpers and you're turned into a mutant?"

"I'll talk to Giles. As a Watcher he should understand the meaning of the 'greater good'."

"You're mind's made up?"

Willow showed her 'Resolve Face'. "Xander calls this my resolve face. Once I've made up my mind I'm gonna do it. I'm scared I'll screw this up and more people will get hurt but I have to try. How could I live with myself if I thought I could have helped but didn't?"

Charles rolled his chair until he was beside Willow and gently took her hand. "Willow, you turned out to be a very remarkable young woman. I would be honored to call you friend."

Willow blushed deep and tears formed in her eyes, "Thank you. I would be honored to call you friend, too." She paused, "So you'll let me be bait?"

Charles smiled, "You are stubborn. Yes, but on one condition. Remy goes with you and Buffy poses as another candidate. I'll have Kitty hack into other schools to see if she can find a likely candidate for Buffy to be."

Willow laughed. "S-sorry. I was just picturing Buffy in a scientific lab. How is Remy going in? Won't they know he's part of the X-men?"

"Remy actually has an open invitation to the Hellfire Club because of his connections with the Thieves Guild in New Orleans. He'll just take them up on it since his girlfriend Willow is accepting their offer of summer internship. That will explain why he attacked Sabertooth and Mystique saw him at your school. He was protecting you."

"Now all I have to do is convince Giles, Buffy and Remy to go along with the plan."

The Professor smiled, "I have no doubt that your powers of persuasion are just as effective on them as they were on me."

Jean quietly entered the Professor's mind, Sorry to interrupt, Professor but John's missing. I can't locate him at the mansion and no one has seen him since he returned with Storm. No one remembers seeing him in the meeting either.

Thank you, Jean. I'll meet you by Cerebro.

Charles rolled his chair toward the door, "Pyro's missing. Jean and I will try to locate him through Cerebro. Why don't you call your Mr. Giles and let him know what we have planned."