Through Hellfire and Back,

Part 12

Disclaimer: X-men Evolution is the property of Marvel and Kids WB. All the characters in this story are the property of Marvel. I've got nothing save an (admittedly very cheezy, even if it does fit) code name, that's all.

Hao de yuedu!- in 3ed, 4th and 2nd tone respectively with nothing on de, means (or should mean) "good reading" in Mandarin. Who says you don't learn anything from Fanfiction?

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Sebastian Shaw regarded the open briefcase on his desk for the tenth time that afternoon. Inside lay hundreds, thousands of dollars; greenbacks in mint condition, wrapped and collected for his eyes only. He'd counted it all several times to be sure, but the proof was sitting right in front of his eyes: over three months of the Hellfire club's average revenue collected in three nights.

Most impressive. The White Queen, it would appear, was due for a raise. Apparently, her foresight was more commendable then he'd originally thought. The Hellfire club was one of the biggest power players on the globe, and, the more money brought into the club, the more power they could attain. Yes, had they been alive today, Shaw had no doubt the original founders would be smiling right about now.

But, as he picked up one of the wrapped bundles and started flipping through it with his thumb, he couldn't help but think, best of all wasn't the money......

A vicious smirk traced the corners of his lips.

No, best of all, this was only the beginning......

To the Hellfire club, Shadowcat was a godsend.

Oh, perhaps he might have been a apprehensive when Frost informed him it would take nearly a month before her theory could truly be put into play. Oh, maybe he was a little bitter that her new pet wouldn't be able to go out on her first mission days after capture. After Frost's full report and predictions, he wanted her out and under their control right away; not sitting away somewhere, still as a statue while the White Queen 'worked her magic'!

Unfortunately, Frost had been very stubborn on the point, and in the end, Shaw was forced to give in. Not that he would ever admit it, but Emma could put up a very persuasive argument when she wished, with or without her powers.

Besides, as he flipped through another bundle, he wasn't about to argue with her results.

Psychic surgery was a delicate thing, Emma had assured him; more so in the girl's case due to all that she'd been through, all the times she'd been in contact with other telepaths. Professor Charles Xavier, whom the Hellfire club was now much more aware of thanks to the recesses of Kitty's innocent mind, had obviously placed minor mental barriers to prevent others from tampering with her psych too much. That, or possibly to keep open an easy access connection, for whenever he needed to reach her. Regardless, whatever his reasons, by the White Queen's hand those barriers had to be severed, and quite delicately, least the other telepath receive a signal they were gone.

Worse, that had only been the tip of the iceberg.

Along with removing any and all other traces which Xavier or his protégé Jean Gray had in Kitty's mind, memories had to be fixed... altered, to suite the Hellfire club. Some memories had to be faded, some highlighted, some all but cut out and others, specifically designed by Frost and meeting with the approval of the rest of the inner circle, had to be copied and pasted right in. It was like hacking into a large super computer, which in many ways Emma reminded him the mind was, and reprogramming half the system files. All it would have taken would have been one slip-up, one wrong move, and the Hellfire's newest 'special project' would have been lost forever. If the mind became conscious of what was taking place, it would have attempted to rebel. Thus, all the work was done slowly and subtly, all while Kitty herself remained in a state of mental sedation.

To her (fortunately very few) local friends and teachers, Emma Frost used her position to come up with plausible alibis. Currently, half the Academy thought during her absence Kitty Pryde had caught a terribly contagious flu, having fainted dead away in Ms. Frost front office suddenly. It had required her, according to Miss Frost, to be taken away immediately, placed in the Academy's private medical infirmary for isolation, observation and proper aide.

Unknown to the regulars however, once Kitty was listed there, she was moved to the even more exclusive med-lab hidden deep below the buildings foundation, below the public's eye or the casual observer's notice. There the Hellfire club could keep her under lock and key, with the most sophisticated machinery money could buy, as cat scans were processed and life signs monitored. It was the machines which kept her going, for even Emma could not watch over her and hold her mind 24-7; that would have arouse suspicion at Ms. Frost's absence. Fortunately however, if there was one thing Emma Frost knew as well as the mind, it was machines: by her own design Kitty was kept, safe, sound and quiet.

All was done quickly, discreetly, but in the end, the gamble paid off. Shadowcat, or Phantomclaw as the White Queen renamed her, was assuredly 100% loyal to the Hellfire club, and well on her way to becoming the inner circle's most valuable underling; the White Queen's personal protégé.

Xavier had been a fool. Phantom Claw's abilities made her a natural thief; she could literally walk in and out of any safe she came across, security be damned. With additional training of the blade, she had the potential to become the society's best assassin as well- it was simply a matter of finding someone skilled enough to teach her how. Her previous training with the Wolverine was an asset, but his known..... attitude made members weary of attempting to try and persuade him into further tutoring. There were some minds one simply didn't tamper with, particularly if, as Kitty's had suggested, they had been touched deeply before, without the aide of other telepaths. That might mean his memories had a higher chance of coming back at the worst possible time. Perhaps, Shaw mused, it was time to strike a new deal with one of their Japanese allies overseas; the man known as Ogun in particular would probably take delight in having someone like Kitty under his wing.

For now, she would remain where she was at the Academy, complete with continued education and perfect cover. If suspicions arouse and others started to sniff around, well, then there might need to be a few..... accidents, so to speak. If that weren't enough, she might need to be taken underground, but Shaw doubted this. The Hellfire club kept close tabs on all it's angles- if there was a problem with Miss Pryde's secret, they'd use their resources to keep her covered, one way or another.

The briefcase closed with a click. Kitty Pryde was, after all, a priceless asset.

Sebastian Shaw gave a cruel smile and started to chuckled under his breath, as he picked up the case and slipped it under his desk once more. He loved it when things came together his way.