Emma Frost: Queen of Diamonds
By Nate Yoshida

PART 3
Second Edition - October 20th, 2003



"Spill the blood of Miss Emma Frost and our alliance will be sealed forever," Matilda Brant announced to the members of the Kazama clan.

The students and I stood helplessly at the shore of Flushing Bay, with our telepathy weakened by Matilda's cold metal-shelled collars. I designed the collars' original technology a few years ago to function as a telepathic enhancer. Matilda clearly took pride in the fact that she modified my own design to create a device which not only weakened my telepathy, but somehow prevented me from assuming diamond form as well. On top of it all, she was even able to call my former ally, Sebastian Shaw, a supporter of her regime.

The Kazama clan members, on the other hand, kept their loaded rifles aimed at Matilda despite her offer of a truce. After all, they had just witnessed her murder their boss, Sho Kazama, in cold blood only moments ago. They weren't about to join her cause so readily, even if her offer of an alliance with the new federal government sounded good to them. Maybe it sounded too good.

"With Sho Kazama dead," Matilda persisted, "your clan owes no debt to Frost International."

"She's right," Esme stepped forward fearlessly. "You owe nothing to Frost now."

"Esme! What's wrong with you?" I interrupted.

"Shut up, Miss Frost," Esme replied coldly. "We're not in Boston anymore, and I've had enough of your gutless so-called alternatives. You brainwashed Sophie with your passive garbage, and she nearly got her own boyfriend killed. If she listened to me when we got off the plane, we wouldn't even be in this mess!"

"Stop it! This is no time for your petty selfish arguments, Esme!"

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," Esme turned to the Kazama clan members, "you owe nothing to Frost. But you do owe one thing to Miss Matilda Brant. She's the woman who shot your boss at point-blank range, right here in front of you. For the honor of your clan, and the respect that you demand, you owe her death in return."

"What?!" Matilda exclaimed.

"Matilda offers you a truce with the Van Helden movement," Esme continued, "but your clan members are already the only ones allowed to walk the streets of New York without carrying that ugly HVH symbol! I've seen the way those patrol cars pass by and conveniently ignore your members. They're already more afraid of you than you are of them. You have nothing to gain if you accept Miss Brant's deal by spilling Miss Frost's blood, but you gain fear and respect if you spill Miss Brant's blood right here."

Matilda fell silent. Slowly, Sebastian returned into his limo and departed peacefully from the scene. The Kazama clan members made no effort to stop him. They simply spoke amongst themselves in Japanese and kept their guns pointed at Matilda.

After a pause, the clan's gunshots pierced through the brief silence. Their bullets made impact with Matilda's body, tearing holes through her brown coat, and sending her backward into Flushing Bay.



The students of New Massachusetts Academy, together with Ian Kendall, Doctor Henry McCoy, and myself, were taken to safety at Club Kazama in the Hartsdale area of Westchester County, New York. The gang-populated block had ironically become the safest place for those of us who had been branded enemies to Heinrich Van Helden's New American Revolution. In the evening, all efforts were made by the clan to ensure that every student was safely in-doors. We decided to stay overnight. My ulterior motive, however, was to find a way for my school in Boston to be safe to return to.

In the smoke-filled environment of the club's main floor, older men in dark suits gathered at tables and engaged in hushed conversations, accompanied by young women who giggled at every comment. It was far from a traditional school environment, but our hormonally-charged teenagers had little trouble occupying themselves. A purple-haired boy drooled at the dancers on the stage like a hungry puppy.

Sitting at a table near the back of the room, I let Henry treat the wounds on my abdomen and shoulder from the duel with Matilda Brant.

"Maybe you should apologize to Esme," Henry mumbled.

"Mm. I'm not sure what bothers me more about that girl, Henry," I responded, "the way she contradicts me, or the fact that she's becoming more and more like me in the process."

"Even you have to admit she was quite clever this morning, not to mention fearless."

"I just couldn't help feeling like she's driving down the same road I once traveled. The road that led me straight into my darkest days. It's not a part of my past that I'm proud of, Henry." I looked around the room. "I can't even say I'm proud to have brought the children here, but it's all we can do to survive right now."

"You've always been a survivor, Emma," Henry looked up at me for a moment. "I've known you on both sides of the fence and I can testify to that. Men like the Charles Xaviers and Erik Lehnsherrs of the world were driven by dreams, misguided or otherwise. But people like you and Esme are the ones who keep us alive out in the real world."

"That's the problem, Henry. I'm not sure that's what I want for my students. Sometimes I think there's a place for idealism, even in today's world."

Sophie approached our table holding an exotic drink.

"Was it always this much fun when you worked in Manhattan, Miss Frost?" Sophie asked. "I could just picture Doctor McCoy running around in some kinky spandex tights or something."

"Henry did wear spandex in those days," I replied. "He didn't work at the Hellfire Club though. He was part of a government crime-fighting unit down the street from us."

"Wait, you had crime-fighters running around in spandex? And you say our generation is messed up?" Sophie took a sip of her drink.

"Where are your sisters, Sophie?" Henry asked her.

"I haven't seen Esme since we came to the club, Doctor McCoy. But the other three are over there talking to that Ian Kendall guy." Sophie pointed across the room at Ian's table. "He keeps telling us how we remind him of Miss Frost when she was our age. He's a strange man if you ask me."

Henry finished working on my wounds and lightly tapped on the collar that Sebastian locked around my neck. "We should get these collars off of you and the students before we run into Van Helden's people again, Emma."

"Yeah, they're such a pain in the butt," Sophie added. "I miss steering people around."

"I agree, but we should unlock the first one somewhere with less distractions," I said. "Matilda could have easily added some sort of trap, so we should be careful if we want to keep our heads intact."

"Unlock that purple-haired boy first," Sophie pointed to the boy drooling at the dancers. "We won't miss him if you screw up and blow his head off."

"Speaking of boys, dear, how is Eddy doing now?" I asked.

"He woke up a few hours ago but he started acting so... different. He said he felt everything even with the collar on him. And after he talked to those Kazama clan guys, he went upstairs to drink with a guy called Funaki or something."

"Kane Funaki?"

"Yeah, that's it. You know him, Miss Frost?"

"We were acquainted. He was Sho Kazama's number-two man when I did business with him."



On the second floor, Henry, Sophie and I stood at the open door of a dimly-lit room with traditional Japanese decorations. It was located directly across the hall from the late Sho Kazama's office. We observed quietly while Eddy sat face-to-face with Kane Funaki, and other men ceremoniously mixed their beverage.

"What are they doing?" Sophie whispered.

"Those are guarantors, they're mixing salt and fish scales into sake," Henry answered. "I read about this ritual some time ago. It looks like Eddy's being initiated into the Kazama clan."

"Initiated?!"

"Shh," I held Sophie back, placing my hand over her mouth for a moment to keep her quiet.

The guarantors poured the mixed beverage into Funaki's cup, filling it to the top, followed by Eddy's cup, which they only filled part-way. Slowly, Funaki and Eddy proceeded to drink as they faced each other in silence. Eventually, the two exchanged their cups and began to drink from each other's. Their symbolic bond was formed in a calm atmosphere of simplicity, which echoed the elements of an ancient culture that Henry and I had only really experienced through the literature prior to this day.

"That exchange symbolizes their new father-and-son relationship," Henry explained to Sophie, but there was only a look of concern on her face throughout the entire ceremony.

Afterwards, Eddy casually lit a cigarette and walked past Sophie as if he hadn't noticed.

"Miss Frost brought us here to keep us alive, Eddy," Sophie told him boldly. "She didn't bring you here to get you killed!" He didn't respond. "Eddy! What's wrong with you?!" She shouted after him and followed him downstairs.

"Ahh, Miss Frost," Funaki greeted me with a polite smile as he approached Henry and myself. "It has been many years since we last spoke."

"Mister Funaki, this is my head researcher, Doctor Henry McCoy," I presented the doctor.

"Your reputation precedes you, Doctor McCoy." Funaki shook Henry's hand and bowed. "Eddy and I will be in the basement level of the club. You are both invited to join us, of course. An associate of the clan is prepared to demonstrate his latest work for us, and I am confident that his skills will be of great interest to Frost International."



I changed into a white evening gown and poured myself a glass of red wine before joining the others in the club's basement.

The entire underground level was a large brightly-lit room, with its walls covered by racks of computer networking equipment. Upon entering the room, I noticed a young red-haired man wearing jeans and a ragged old t-shirt, sitting at a computer terminal next to the door. Looking toward the far end of the room, I saw a leather couch and a number of elegant chairs facing a large plasma-screen television. I was immediately approached by Kane Funaki with an overt enthusiasm.

"Miss Frost, allow me to present our clan's associate, Mister John Doe," Funaki introduced the red-haired man. "John, this is Miss Emma Grace Frost. Her company's relationship with our clan dates back many years."

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Miss Frost," John shook my hand. "I'm sure you'll enjoy the show."

"John Doe?" I repeated curiously.

"My real name's Doug," he responded. "But don't call me that. Doug is dead to the world now."

"Doug?... Does the name Billy Doran mean anything to you?" I asked.

"Yeah, he was my best friend in school. Why?"

"Billy seems to think you're dead, dear. In fact, he held a gun to my face at Shaw headquarters and told me you died in the Washington incident. The one Van Helden pinned on us."

"Well it'll have to stay that way for a while now, unfortunately. I've been helping my new friends expand their business into the Internet age, so I got my name added to the first list of terrorist attack victims that came up. I needed the anonymity. Sorry about the thing with Billy, he always had a few loose screws if you ask me."

"It's not your fault, darling."

I followed Funaki to the far end of the room with the big screen and took a seat on the leather couch next to Sophie and Henry. Eddy and Funaki sat separately on chairs to our right, with four bodyguards wearing dark suits standing behind them.

"Emma, I've read medical text books cover to cover," Henry remarked, "but overhearing your conversation with John Doe back there made my head spin. Who is Billy Doran and when exactly did he hold a gun at you?"

"It's not important, Henry," I answered.

The screen showed live footage of Heinrich Van Helden speaking at a podium. It was only business as usual, considering that neo-fascist fool had been monopolizing the airwaves since the assassination in D.C. But hearing the clicking sounds of John frantically typing on his keyboard, I already knew it was all about to change, and not a moment too soon.

"The first phase of the New American Revolution was an unwavering success," Van Helden told the nation with his typical smug confidence. "The former authorities of the United States have retreated to their final remaining base of operations: the testing facility popularly known as Area 51. For decades, the very existence of the facility demonstrated the former government's lack of trust and respect for the citizens of America. Now, in the dawn of a new era that will bring true safety to the hard-working citizens, it represents the final retreat of the weakness that endangered our way of life."

"Okay, show's over!" John Doe announced to us as he entered one last keystroke. "Van Helden's monopoly on American television ends here!"

Abruptly, the HVH video feed was replaced by a still photo of a scantily-clad blonde woman posed on a beach.

"This is only a demonstration of what I can do, of course," John reassured us. "I can intercept their video feed with our own announcements, evidence footage, whatever."

"Well, it's already looking a lot more attractive than Heinrich's face," Henry commented on the choice of imagery. He turned to look at me. "Unfortunately, not quite as elegant as Emma looks in this gown." I patted him on the shoulder lightly and cleared my throat.

"As you can see, we've got their propaganda under control now," Eddy began. "But they've already created an army of mindless followers, and it won't be so easy to turn them all around. The war is only beginning, and I believe Matilda Brant is still alive. As far as I'm concerned, both Brant and Van Helden are responsible for my father's death. I will see to it personally that my father's murderers are destroyed."

"Eddy, you're just going to get yourself killed!" Sophie stood up. "I'm sorry about what happened to your dad, but look at yourself. You've changed. You went ahead and joined your father's clan, and now you want to die for his name! I'm not going to sit around and watch you commit suicide!" She stormed out of the basement and angrily slammed the door on her way out.

"I'd like to speak with Miss Frost alone," Eddy stated with an aura of authority. He leaned back on his chair calmly and lit a cigarette.

"I'll go blow up a few heads and see if I stumble onto the safe way to unlock the collars," Henry told me with a devious smile and made his way out of the basement. Funaki, the bodyguards, and John Doe soon followed.

With only Eddy and myself remaining on the underground level, I moved to the seat at the right end of the couch to sit right next to him.

"I didn't want to get involved, dear," I took a sip of my wine.

"Sophie will never understand what this means to me," Eddy said flatly while he smoked.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me," I responded. "It's between you and Sophie, it doesn't matter if I agree or not."

"That's not the point, Miss Frost. The instant that Brant woman pulled the trigger in the name of their so-called New America, both Brant and Van Helden became my sworn enemy. They plan to take full control of this country and there's no way I'm going to allow that to happen. They pulled you and your company into their conflict for their own convenience, so you're involved now whether you like it or not."

"You've grown up so much since I first took you in," I sighed and looked at Eddy caringly, recalling the day his mother first brought him to the New Massachusetts Academy.

"Don't try to change the subject."

I leaned back on the seat and took another sip of wine. "After your brother died in New York, your mother brought you to my school and told me you were suffering from persistent headaches, hearing voices. She insisted that it was some kind of punishment for things your father did. I knew it was your telepathy in its early stages because I went through the same thing at your age, so I wanted to help you develop your gift into something you could use for your own good. Just like I did."

"And your point is?" Eddy asked impatiently.

"The only reason your mother agreed to let me help you was because she didn't want you to get involved in your father's business. She didn't want you to get killed like your brother."

"I'm sure you've noticed that these collars only weaken our telepathy, Miss Frost," Eddy responded. "My telepathy wasn't disabled when I was lying in Sophie's lap at Flushing Bay. The moment Matilda Brant shot my father, I lived his dying moment. I experienced my father's life as it flashed before his eyes, and saw his memories, his thoughts, the things he felt... the people he loved. I received it in my head like a photo album, and I have to live with that for the rest of my life."

"It's all my fault, darling," I said regretfully and looked down. "I went to your father for help because I thought no one else in their right mind would've helped us. I thought it was the only way to save you. Instead, I ended up getting your father killed, and breaking your mother's trust, all in a single morning... The only reason I even went to Washington was to sign a defense contract to fund the school. Every time I try to do the right thing, I just end up hurting the people I care about." I tried to retain my composure but a tear rolled down my face and even took a little mascara with it. As unusual as it is for me, however, I really didn't care how I looked at the moment.

"You only did what you had to do to save my life, Miss Frost," Eddy gently lifted my head with his hand under my chin, wiping the running mascara off with his thumb. "Just like my father did what he had to do to keep his family alive. And just like I will do what I have to do now. People like us are forced to face reality, nothing is black and white.

"I don't expect you, Sophie, or anyone else from the school to fully understand what this means to me," Eddy continued, "but I know I can offer you a deal that can benefit all of us. You always said that all you ever wanted to do was teach, right?"

I nodded.

"John Doe can help you clear your company's name," Eddy continued. "He can even provide you with long-term financial assistance if you need it."

"I don't do that kind of business anymore, Eddy." I shook my head.

"It's your choice. You can use him however you like. Either way, he's of greater value to you than he is to the clan now. The Internet was built to withstand a nuclear war, Miss Frost. Without someone like John at your side, Van Helden will have you in a strangle-hold forever, and you'll never be able to teach again."

"What can I possibly offer you in return?" I replied.

"Three of the regional bosses under Funaki have already agreed to help me launch my war against Van Helden. We already have the people, all we need is the equipment. Your company still manufactures electronics, ships and airplanes, and I think we can both agree that the defense contract you wanted in Washington isn't going to happen any time soon. So all we ask in exchange for John Doe's services, is a supply of equipment and transportation for my war against Heinrich Van Helden. Everybody wins."



At midnight, I found Henry and Sophie in the last room at the end of the hallway on the second floor. Henry was analyzing the locking mechanism on the back of Sophie's collar, while they both kneeled on a traditional tatami mat.

"You really should've waited for me, Henry," I remarked standing next to them in my white evening gown. "I designed the technology, so even with Matilda's modifications, my presence should at least reduce the odds of killing Sophie by fifty percent."

"Not when you're wearing that gown, Emma," Henry responded. "It's very distracting."

"It's okay, Miss Frost," Sophie muttered, "I don't have much to live for anymore."

I put my hand on Sophie's shoulder. "Look, I don't agree with everything Eddy plans to do either, but he's not the child he once was when I took him in at the Academy. He's got his mind set on dealing with his father's death in his own way and we've got to respect that."

"You don't get it, do you, Miss Frost?" Sophie pushed my hand away. "I love him. I don't want him to go after those people because I don't want him to get killed. I've never felt this way about anyone before, and I know it's selfish, but I don't want him to die for some crap about honor!"

"I know how you feel, dear. But I also know Eddy feels very strongly about what he wants to do, and none of us can change his mind now. If you really care about him, maybe you should try supporting him instead of trying to stop him."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Henry spoke up, "but I'm already trying very hard to be careful with my big furry paws on this thing. You two aren't making it any easier." He unscrewed a small plate on the back of the collar, and carefully removed it to reveal a maze of circuitry beneath. He looked closely at the insides for a moment.

"Come take a look around in here, Emma," Henry told me. "Just look for anything that wasn't part of your design."

Henry stepped aside as I looked into the opening on Sophie's collar. I hadn't even seen my own design in years, but all I needed to remember was how I intended it to work to know what I would've included and what Matilda might have added or changed.

"How ironic," I remarked with a grin.

"What is it?" Henry asked.

"The traces on the main circuit board. People like to design circuit boards with the traces in the shapes of images or messages--"

"Umm, what are traces?" Sophie asked.

"Those lines you see on a circuit board, Sophie. Anyway, I designed this one when I worked at the Hellfire Club, and if you hold it at an angle, you see SS and EF. Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost. Our initials."

"And how is that ironic?" Henry inquired.

"Because Sebastian was the one who locked the collar on my neck. Matilda had no idea how the technology itself worked, so she didn't even change the layout of my circuit board."

The room fell into a dead silence as I continued to look around the insides of the collar for any apparent changes or additions.

"Just out of curiosity, how do those things work, Emma?" Henry broke the silence again. "I just don't see how it makes contact with your brain."

"It doesn't. They're like your glasses. Your lenses are almost an inch away from your eyes, but they can enhance your vision when you look through them. They don't need to make contact with your eyes, do they?"

"But light waves bounce all around us, so my eyes just pick them up through the lenses. How do you do that with thoughts?"

"Thoughts are projected everywhere too. Most people just can't pick them up. We know dogs can't see in color, but you and I can distinguish between my beautiful white coat and Matilda's ugly old worn-out brown coat. The only difference between my original design and Matilda's is that mine functioned like glasses that correct vision. These are more like windshields covered with mud."

"But it also prevents you from assuming diamond form," Henry pointed out. "So the transformation may be linked to your telepathy after all."

"This is all very interesting," Sophie interrupted, "but can we skip to the part about getting this thing off my neck without blowing my head off? I'm getting very thirsty."

"There," I pointed to a small green capsule on the right side of the main circuit. "I'm sure that wasn't in my design. It would've had no reason to be there for my purposes." I stepped aside to let Henry analyze the piece I identified.

"Clever," Henry remarked. "The locking mechanism snaps a small metal blade into place the first time the collar is locked onto someone's neck. After that, unlocking it cuts the capsule open. There's no way I can identify the substance inside of the capsule without my lab equipment, so I'll find a way to unlock the collar without moving the metal blade."

"Could you go get me a glass of water, Miss Frost?" Sophie asked. "It sounds like this'll take a while, and I feel like I'm going to collapse from dehydration."



Walking down the hallway of the second floor, I noticed a small crack on the wall between two of the rooms' open doors. It appeared to be a concealed doorway of some sort, designed to appear uniform with the rest of the walls, but caution and wisdom overtook my curiosity. I proceeded past it and made my way downstairs.

At the bar on the main floor, I asked for a glass of water for Sophie and another glass of red wine for myself. The tension was taking its toll and my lack of sleep was piling up. Standing next to me were three of the other Stepford Cuckoos. I glanced toward the opposite end of the room and saw Ian sitting alone at his table. It had finally occurred to me that I still hadn't seen Esme since our arrival at Club Kazama.

"Can I buy you ladies a drink?" The purple-haired boy approached the three Cuckoos at the bar. "I'm Quentin. People call me Kid Omega."

"Have you girls seen Esme anywhere?" I asked the three Cuckoos at the bar.

"No, we haven't, Miss Frost," they answered in unison. "We haven't seen Sophie either, for the last few hours."

"Oh, Sophie's upstairs with Doctor McCoy," I told them, "but no one seems to have seen Esme." They shrugged.

Before returning upstairs, I made my way over to Ian's table. A red-head was offering him a lap dance, but he turned it down and blushed innocently. When he saw me approaching, he made an effort cover it up. I just smiled.

"Emma, you look wonderful in that gown," he said.

"So the doctor keeps telling me," I replied. "We might be going home to Boston after all. I made a deal with Eddy Kazama."

"You made a deal with the Kazama clan? Emma, are you sure you're--"

"Don't worry, Ian," I interrupted. "It's for the good of the students, we don't have any other options right now. I know what I'm doing. I just wanted you to know we'll always have an opening for you at the New Massachusetts Academy if you're interested."

"Thanks, Emma, I really appreciate that. I don't think I want to go back to teaching though."

"You don't have to teach," I elaborated. "The clan's giving us a technician who can help us get on the air. You can work as my speech writer if I decide to make any public announcements. I'd probably insult everyone in the country within the first two minutes, and I know your writing would be more politically-correct. Besides, you seem to be out of a job now, after the Washington incident."

"Alright, I'll think about it."

"Well I better bring this glass of water up to Sophie before she dries up and turns into a prune," I started back toward the staircase in the rear of the building. "Oh, you wouldn't happen to have seen Esme anywhere, would you?" I turned to ask before I walked away.

"I still can't really tell them apart," Ian looked toward the three Cuckoos standing at the bar. "If she's not one of the three girls over there, then no, I haven't."



Back on the second floor, I walked slowly toward the room at the end of the hallway where Henry and Sophie awaited my return with the beverages. When I passed the crack on the wall, however, curiosity got the better of me and I peaked through to see what was on the other side.

It appeared to be some kind of luxurious hidden bedroom, with a red and pink color scheme and elegant drapery. Esme sat on the bed, wearing a red beret with a crimson tank top while she was putting her baggy red and pink fatigues back on. Eddy lied in bed under the covers.

It was difficult to hear the conversation clearly, even with the small opening, so I placed my head against the surface beside the crack.

"You know I would stand by your side, Eddy," Esme stated with an aura of arrogance. "Sophie doesn't even know what she's got. She's such an ingrate."

"It's not that simple, Esme," Eddy responded. "What Sophie and I have together--"

"Come on, Sophie's just a teacher's pet!" Esme interrupted angrily. "Miss Frost this, Miss Frost that. She won't even take a piss without Miss Frost's permission! How can you stand her?!"

Esme walked angrily toward the opening in the wall, and the crack became a full-sized doorway as she swung it open. She slammed it shut before Eddy caught a glimpse of me on the other side of it.

I stood awkwardly, holding the glass of water in one hand and my wine in the other, almost wishing I was invisible. Esme stopped in her tracks and looked at me for a moment, but I didn't know how to react. Frankly, I felt like a child with her hand in a cookie jar.

"Good evening, Miss Frost," Esme's defiant voice echoed down the hallway. "I see your latest alternative method involves alcohol consumption and eavesdropping on students?"

"Where have you been all day, Esme?" I asked. It was partly a legitimate question, but mostly just because I didn't know what else to say.

"You were right, Miss Frost. There's always more than one way to reach a goal. You may not like my way. Actually, let me rephrase that. I know you won't like my way. But unlike Sophie, some of us can think for ourselves, so enjoy her company while you can. I've got bigger plans for us all."

Esme walked away with an overt confidence. Normally, I just dismissed her antics as part of being a typical rebellious teenager, but I knew there was more to it now. Esme's resentment of Sophie had elevated far beyond a petty sibling rivalry, and I could only minimize the inevitable pain that was coming to everyone involved. I proceeded down the hallway back to Henry and Sophie, in the rare and ironic position of benefiting from our weakened telepathy.

"You look pale, Miss Frost," Sophie remarked as I handed her the glass of water.

"Who was making all that noise in the hallway?" Henry asked to make casual conversation, while he continued to work on Sophie's collar.

"Esme," I answered quickly. I tried to avoid elaborating on it. I didn't know how much they had heard, or if they only heard muffled voices, so I tried to play it safe.

"You found Esme? Is she okay?" Sophie asked with a genuine look of concern. "I was beginning to worry about her, I thought she might've gotten lost or something. I hate these collars but I think they're really making us understand your alternative methods lecture."

"She's fine, dear," I answered. "Esme's just fine."



End of Part 3