The young girl slipped quietly down the stairs with her sword drawn.

The stairs led strait down to her brother. He sat in his wheelchair. His thin arms and legs sat lifeless. Only his face betrayed his feelings.

"Don't worry." She told him. "I'm taking you home."

And it happened.

Emma's power banged the young girl's mind like a gong and she fell to the floor.

The boy in the chair moaned and rolled his head. Desperately he tried to indicate to his sister where Emma was standing, but it was too late.

The guards rushed over and took aim before Emma stepped out.

"Now, now." Emma smiled. "You're good. To track us all this way."

The girl looked down. She had cut herself with her own sword when she fell. Damn…

"And you'll be good enough for what I want you to do next." Emma continued.

"Go … to … hell." The girl spit back.

"Eventually." Emma smiled. "But I'll be going for a very good reason." She smiled. "You're going to kill this girl." She pulled out a picture of Kitty. "An American. And you'll do it tonight or your brother dies."

Emma leaned in close as they were wheeling the girl's brother away. "Here's everything you need." She tossed a file at her feet. "To save your brothers life."

And she walked out proudly.

"Damn it!" The girl said slowly as she forced her way up. She could still barely stand. And her eyes fell to the picture of Kitty.

She sighed. "I'm sorry." She said at last, looking in to Kitty's bright eyes. "But you … you have to die."

And she picked up her sword, speared the picture off the floor to bring it to her hand, then turned and limped out of the room.

Emma wandered out to the van. "Take him to the office." She told her men as they loaded the wheelchair bound man in to a van.

"I'm going to the warehouse." She finished.

She slipped in to her limousine and gave the order. Soon the car was underway.

They pulled up and she stepped out. "Meet me around the back." She told the driver then she went inside.

The box sat alone and removed from everything else. She could hear him breathing inside.

She opened her mind to his and he screamed.

She waited for him to run out of air and she began.

"I've brought you a gift." She told him mentally. "Freedom."

"Let me go!" He roared at her, his mind flowing and flashing with images of violence – even against her – even though he'd yet to see her.

"I will." She assured him. "But I want something in return."

There was a long and lingering pause in his mind and so she continued.

"I want you to do what your brother could not." She smiled. "I want you to kill a little girl."

And the image of X23 traveled from her mind to his and he let loose an ungodly howl of rage as he recognized her.

"SHE LIVES?" He demanded.

"She does." Emma told him.

"HERE?" He demanded.

"Yes." She smiled slightly.

"Then…" He mused.

"Then your brother is dead." She finished for him. "Dead and forgotten."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He howled and she broke the connection. There was no doubt, he would do it now.

She turned and took three steps away when she suddenly had to clasp her hand over her mouth and run from the room.

She burst out the door and grabbed a trashcan.

Images from his mind spilled out through hers like backwash from the mental connection; Wild animals, mutilated and still alive, surgery he preformed on himself without medical knowledge, the decimation of whole families over trivial matters and years and years worth of anguish.

She opened her mouth and the bile ripped from her stomach out her mouth. Her lungs emptied and her body convulsed and wretched long after it was empty.

It was a natural reaction to contact with such a dark mind. The body tries it's best to reject poison in all its forms.

She wiped at the corners of her mouth as she forced herself to stand by pushing off the edges of the garbage can.

She took a few deep breaths and turned towards the utility sink on the back wall. It was a half dozen steps later that she shoved her mouth underneath and rinsed it clean.

And then she saw her.

Illyana stood calmly in the doorway.

"Oh, please, don't stop on my account." She smiled ruthlessly.

Emma quivered with rage. Having Illyana this close to her plans was shocking.

Then, Emma smiled slightly.

Illyaya was dumbfounded for just one second.

Then it hit her.

Everything that Emma had left of the poison mind welled in her frontal lobe and she forced it like a serious punch directly in to Illyana's mind.

Illyana buckled and her legs fell out from under her. She closed her mouth and covered it to keep from getting sick, but it didn't help as her body forced it all out her nose.

She pulled her hand from her mouth and spit the nasty mess out on to the floor, half covering herself where she lay.

Emma took a breath. "Really Illyana. You should take more care in your appearance darling."

She smiled down at the woman, just as ruthlessly as Illyana had stared at her. "You look like shit today."

And as Illyana looked up, Emma was walking slowly and confidently away.