Chapter 12
Bayville High...
It was the end of a long first week back at school for the students of the Xavier Institute, all of whom, after the school-board vote, were now returned to their classes. The taunts and insults had lessened slightly, but only very slightly, as the other students had no choice but to accept mutants were allowed to attend Bayville High.
The same applied to Principal Kelly no matter how much he hated it, which he did...a lot. Kelly had tried calling every school-board member repeatedly to get them to reconsider. Eventually fed-up of his phone calls they told him to either accept it and get on with it or they would replace him with someone else. That had been enough to get Kelly to snap back into line although on the inside he was fuming. He had been, as a result, a complete tyrant. If he couldn't get rid of the mutants he could make their lives as difficult as he feasibly could get away with. If any of the Institute students stepped out of line even a little Kelly would slap a detention on them with any excuse he could think of.
One group of mutants Kelly could get rid of were the Brotherhood boys. As Mystique had predicted they had been expelled and Kelly relished that moment. The police in the end decided not to press charges after getting a guarantee from Mystique(in her human guise as the benevolent patron of the Boarding House) that they would cause no more trouble. That had been enough. Most probably because the police didn't really have any idea how to contain mutants. It wasn't like a normal jail cell could hold them.
The Brotherhood girls were still attending school now claiming to be human same as Clark. They had been in the aftermath of that night, if anything, nicer to the X-Men strangely. Haze had even, surprisingly, apologised saying the whole thing was Pietro's idiotic scheming and that Magneto had in essence chewed his son out for it. No-one could yet figure out what the game was with that or why they were now claiming to be human but the X-Men would be staying wary and on their guard around the 3 girls until they could figure out what was going on.
The publicity around the X-Men had improved ever so slightly after they had spent their free time this week helping repair the wrecked parking lot, once the police no longer deemed it a crime scene. The Professor made the offer to do the repairs to the school-board who accepted it. It was in its way a good example of how mutant powers could be used to benefit the community as by using their powers they got it finished in a fraction of the time. However despite this one piece of good PR there was still a long way to go before they could say they were getting glowing praise in the media.
Upon leaving his last class of the day Clark has one more thing to do before meeting up with the others and heading home. It had been a busy week for him as he had made a point of getting out into Bayville as the Blur and helping and being seen to be helping people as much as he could after his long absence. He was still discussing the options over with his mother about a new single costume he should wear so was still in the old one for the moment.
Clark makes his way to the office of the school paper and knocks on the door. He pops his head in to find the few students who work on the paper and his eyes scan the room until they fall upon a certain blond girl.
"Clark!" Cat says his name warmly as she stands up and walks over to the door.
Clark pushes his glasses up his nose. "Uh hi Cat. Is this a bad time?"
"Of course not," Cat dismisses that idea. "So what can I do for you?"
"It's about the proposal you made at the start of the week."
"To write about the Institute?"
Clark nods. "Yeah. Sorry it's taken so long to give you an answer. This week has been crazy."
"I understand."
"Thanks. So well anyway I know you gave me your number but I thought I should give you the answer in person. I talked it over with the Professor and he has given his permission," Clark informs her.
Cat's face lights up. "That's wonderful! I've already cleared it with the Editor," she informs him.
"Really? What about Principal Kelly? I don't know if you've noticed but he's not exactly thrilled to have mutants here and I doubt he would be happy to see anything positive about them in the school paper."
"You leave Kelly to me," Cat tells him. "I have my methods of persuasion. Besides freedom of the press is a constitutional right. If he has a problem I'm sure the school-board would correct him and considering the way they voted about your friends I doubt Kelly really wants to be on their wrong side again so soon."
"If you're sure?" Clark asks, in relation to leaving Kelly to her.
"Trust me. I'm sure. Anyway how about I come round to that mansion tomorrow morning and we can sit down with Professor Xavier and talk about what it is you will be doing?"
"Tomorrow will be fine," Clark tells her, since he has nothing specific planned and he can't think of anything going on that would prevent her coming. "I'll let it be known to expect you," he says so she can get through the gate.
Cat smiles at him. "How thoughtful of you," she praises him.
"Well I have to go," Clark says. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow," Cat confirms.
Clark then turns and makes haste to meet up with Rogue whom he finds waiting for him outside the main doors, looking a little impatient.
"Took your time," she criticises slightly.
Clark gives her cheek a quick peck. "Sorry. I was letting Cat Grant know about agreeing to that article idea I mentioned to you."
Rogue nods. Clark had told her about that. She wasn't sure if it would work but at this stage anything to try and raise positive publicity about mutants is worth a try.
Clark's arm snakes around Rogue's waist and he holds her near to him as they start the walk home. "She's coming round to the mansion tomorrow so we can talk with the Professor about the exact details," he tells her.
"Ah wish ya had said she was coming tonight instead."
"Why?" Clark asks with some confusion.
"Because it would give meh an excuse ta say no ta Jean."
Clark is still confused. "Say no to Jean about what?"
Rogue sighs. "She wants us ta go out with her and Scott on a double date," she says with no real enthusiasm for that idea when Jean had suggested it earlier in the day.
"Oh," Clark says. "But is that really a bad thing?"
"Ah suppose not," Rogue concedes. "Ah would just prefer it ta beh tha two of us. Call it selfish or greedy but ah lost ya for 3 months Clark and ah would just lahke some tahme for us 2 alone ya know?"
"I know," Clark says in sympathetic agreement. "I agree but they are our friends Rogue," he reminds her. "And it would only be one night. We'll have lots of others for just us two."
"Ya promise?" she asks him.
Clark plants a kiss on her temple. "I promise."
Rogue sighs once more as she relents in her objections to the double date. "Ok fahne. Ah'll tell Jean we're coming."
Clark chuckles lightly. "It won't be so bad. You'll see."
"Ah'll beh holdin' ya ta that."
Boston, Massachusetts...
Darkness descends. Claire Selton looks out of the broken window of the abandoned apartment block she calls home. The building she lives in was up for being knocked down and rebuilt as part of a regeneration scheme before the economy tanked. Now she guessed it was to be forgotten until things turned around.
Forgotten.
Like she had been?
Like she wished she could forget the many things that had happened to her in her life?
Losing her parents the day the meteors fell from the sky in Smallville. Gaining her fiery powers. The orphanages. Running away from the orphanages. Living on the streets of Metropolis. Lionel Luthor's men capturing her. The glass jar she was imprisoned in. Lionel offering her a way out and ending up being trained by Stryker as an elite unit for Lionel Luthor's Mutant Response Division. Facing off against the Sirens and ending up at the Xavier Institute.
At this point Claire can't help but sigh sadly. The Institute had been the first place she had ever felt like she could call home. Before she gained her powers and lost her parents...there's practically nothing she can remember. At the Institute despite her prickly and not very friendly personality no-one wanted her gone. When she had accidents with her powers no-one tried to be rid of her. In fact Mrs Kent would always give her a hug, stroke her hair and say soothing words.
Claire misses that. She can admit that to herself but she can't go back. Messing up with her powers and being forgiven for that is one thing but she killed. She can't be forgiven for that especially since she doesn't want forgiveness because she doesn't feel bad about it. Really she doesn't. She did what had to be done just like she does here everyday to protect the people here. They had no-one but her. Back in Bayville there was a whole mansion full of people to help others. Claire did not yet have the answers to the many questions she asked herself after she left. She just feels, for the moment at least, this is where she is meant to be.
With her reminiscing for the day done Volcana turns from the window. She moves to what passes for her bed and grabs a long coat of dark fiery red and slips it on. Yes she is aware of the similarity to the bright crimson red coat Clark wore...probably still wears but it looks like it might rain and she needs a coat. This one she found happened to be in her colour to match her red outfit. Claire strides to the door. It's time Volcana did her job, patrolled this area she called home and made sure she kept the people here safe.
Volcana strides out into the street unaware of the group of figures watching her from the rooftop above.
"There she is," one of them says pointing at her.
The leader of the group steps forward. A voluptuous woman, 21 years old, with long, golden blond hair, cold blue eyes, clad in tight white leather pants, white high heeled boots, a white tube top and a white cape. Emma Frost's eyes narrow slightly as she takes in the target she had had observed for the past week.
It had started as a rumour amongst vagrants of an area of Boston protected by a 'freak of nature' who could command fire. These rumours reached Emma's ears and her interest had been pricked enough for her to send a couple of her students to investigate and see if there was any substance to the rumours. There was. What got Emma's attention to the point she is here tonight was what her students found when they searched the girl's laughable accommodations. They found a picture of her with the more recognisable students of the Xavier Institute. The girl was one of the old fool's former students it seemed. Just like Emma herself is.
Emma's brow puckers slightly as she tries to get a telepathic impression of the girl's mind. Even at this distance Emma can sense mental blocks...Xavier's mental blocks keeping her out of everything but stray surface thoughts. Emma wonders if the girl even knows Xavier did that. Probably not if dear old Charles is still anything like Emma remembers him to be.
Emma turns to face the seven of her students she brought with her, all clad in red and black body suits that all on the top left had a white triangle, the symbol of Emma's academy. Xavier has his X-Men. Emma has her Hellions.
One who stands out is a massive, hulking figure, over seven feet tall, and all muscle, with short blond hair and green eyes and this is him at only 17 years old. His name is Buford Wilson aka Beef and his mutant ability, naturally, is superhuman strength.
Next to Beef is the student she sent with him to track down the girl originally. He is a tall large African American man with a bald head and brown eyes. His name is Christopher Aaronson, 18, who calls himself, arrogantly in Emma's opinion, King Bedlam. His mutant power was to be able to project a psionic interference that can disrupt thought patterns making it next to impossible for the person subjected to think coherently. The most common signature of this is that someone affected spouts gibberish. After Emma he was next in command and out in the field when she wasn't there he was the field leader.
Another who stands out is a 15 year old girl with fairly long bright purple hair. Her eyes are golden and slitted like a cat's. Her suit accents her slender feline frame and her most notable feature is a long, prehensile purple tail she possess that even now twitches and moves seemingly of its own accord. Her name is Sharon Smith aka Catseye and her mutant ability allowed her to transform completely into a panther-like creature or a half-feline 'werecat' form. This gave her the speed, agility and enhanced senses of a wildcat even in her more human form.
Next there is a short, slender French girl with long dark hair and green eyes. Her name is Marie-Ange Colbert aka Tarot. She is 16 and her power is to generate animated constructs composed of tangible psionic energy based on the two-dimensional figures of the tarot cards that even now she is shuffling in her hands. She was also always the most cheery and peppy of people.
Another girl who stands there has shoulder length blond hair and blue eyes. Her name is Jennifer Stavros aka Roulette and she possesses a relatively voluptuous body even for her age of 17. Her costume is deliberately low cut because she insisted it was as she wished to show off her body to maximum effect. Her mutant power is to generate disks of psychic energy that alter the laws of chance of anything they touch, resulting in either good or bad luck for their subjects by altering the probabilities field around the victim at whom she throws the disc. Her black energy discs create 'bad luck' while her red energy discs bestow 'good luck'. She was also, as far as Emma is concerned, a habitual flirt who would chase after anything with a Y chromosome.
Next is Fabian Marechal-Jublin, 16, aka Bevatron. He is of average height, and of lean frame, with short, sandy-blond hair and blue eyes. The French youth's mutant ability enabled him to generate bio-electrical blasts of considerable force. It is a similar power to that possessed by Bezerker.
Finally there is another 16 year old boy. He is fairly tall for his age with an athletic frame, short dark hair and cold blue eyes. His name is Julian Keller aka Hellion. He is a telekinetic and potentially could be the most powerful telekinetic Emma had ever seen. Unfortunately he is also a spoilt brat. His family is wealthy and powerful and Julian expected the whole world to see him as special and respect him as their superior. It meant that he spent his time flouting and undermining Emma's authority because he felt the rules she laid down didn't apply to him.
Now, due to Julian's attitude, normally Emma wouldn't list him as 1st choice when picking a team for an assignment but in this assignment his powers would be useful so he got picked. If he messes up though she'll crucify him. Julian is not as irreplaceable as he thinks he is. Emma's school has many students she can use. This was the 7 she chose for this mission.
And speaking of this mission it was time it got started. "Now you all know what to do," Emma says to them, reminding them of the pre-mission briefing where they planned out tonight's activities earlier this afternoon. Emma never took anything for granted or left it to chance.
"Hey chill teach. We got this," Julian says, full of arrogant self-confidence.
Emma frowns. Julian's glib attitude was par for the course but it irritated her no end. "Just remember this is only to test her. I don't want her hurt so restrain yourselves," Emma repeats her instructions from this afternoon and with that she and her team move off. They had watched and learned the route the red-haired girl took every night and knew the perfect place to ambush her.
It was time for this girl to learn, and soon Xavier would learn as well, just what a proper mutant team could do. The time of the Hellions had come.
At the Institute...
In Charles' study, himself, Ororo, Hank, Logan, Domino, Martha and Jonathan were having the routine end of week meeting to discuss any issues with the students. In truth despite everything they had been through and were still going through things could be worse. Domino had already made her standard joky opinions known much to Logan's irritation that she never seems like she is taking anything seriously.
The New Mutants were improving slowly and steadily. They were now just a little under the required level to be considered for more active use as one of the X-Men but they weren't there yet. Even though she started behind them Wanda had caught up with the other New Mutants and was making progress with both her powers and her temper.
As for the X-Men themselves their training was fine and they were performing to their usual standard but Domino had one issue. "So how long are we giving Clark off?" she asks since he still hadn't returned to training.
Charles briefly looks at the Kents before answering the query. "I wished to give him some time to adjust Domino. He was locked up for 3 months while his mind was reconditioned," he explains.
"Sure. I get that. Sort of been there myself with Stryker trying to indoctrinate me into his thinking but Clark seems alright." Dom looks at the Kents. "I mean if I'm wrong tell me," she requests of them.
"Clark hasn't talked about it much," Martha admits.
"What he does say is that he won't let Jor-El turn him into what he is not," Jonathan explains what Clark has admitted to them. "That doesn't mean he has gotten over it."
"You don't get over it," Logan argues. "You just learn to live with it."
"Hairy's right," Domino has to agree. She smirks a little when Logan growls at the fact she called him 'Hairy'. "And you learn to live with it by getting on with life."
"You have a point Domino," Charles concedes. He looks to the Kents. "Unless you suggest something else I believe the best answer is for myself to talk to Scott tomorrow. As leader of the X-Men I'm inclined to let Scott decide how to approach Clark and ask him to restart training."
Martha and Jonathan take a moment to consider it. Clark hadn't been too forthcoming to them. Maybe Clark might feel more comfortable talking to someone his age so they agree to Charles' plan. If that fails then maybe they will take a more direct approach with Clark.
Since Scott was out with Jean, Clark and Rogue on that double date everyone agrees that it can wait until tomorrow. It wasn't that urgent.
They discuss the few normal minor issues that rise up with teenagers as well as the ongoing angst of Wanda and Rogue that everyone is still clueless about. None of the adults has yet to come up with a solution that gets Rogue and Wanda to talk about it beyond giving the 2 girls some more time to realise on their own this situation can't continue and hope they voluntarily break the wall of silence.
The meeting then reaches the last topic to be discussed. Charles looks to Hank to begin this one. Hank clears his throat. "This is a sensitive issue," he begins cautiously, needing to step carefully. "Today the equipment we have been waiting for arrived. The equipment I need to run the parental tests on Domino, Rogue and Logan," he explains in a tentative manner as his gaze shifts between Domino and Logan.
"Hey hear that Logan. We get to find out if you're my father, brother, cousin, mother or sister," Dom quips.
Logan says nothing, unsure what to say.
Charles closes his hands together on his lap. "For Rogue this must be handled sensitively Domino. With her concerns elsewhere over the summer I am not sure it has occurred to her the true consequences of what Stryker revealed to her. Unless you and she spoke about it?"
Dom shakes her head. "Nope. She never raised it and neither did I...and I get it Doc I do. I ain't that insensitive."
Charles lets the 'Doc' name she uses pass this time. "First thing tomorrow I'll discuss it with her," he nominates himself to be the one. Charles then looks to Logan. "Logan whatever the outcome no-one expects anything from you," he tells his friend. "This is solely about knowing the truth. Something you yourself have been denied for too long."
Chuck has that right. Logan can't deny how much it burns at him how much of his life has been stolen away from him. He needs to know even if he doesn't know what he will do with that knowledge just yet.
Boston, Massachusetts...
Claire wanders her usual patrol route. Right now she is taking a common short-cut of hers through a narrow alley, between a couple of warehouses. It's been a quiet night but there is just something at the fringes of her awareness bothering her. She can't quite place it though. It is like...
Before Claire can complete that thought a couple of trash cans, up ahead against the wall on her left, start to rattle with no sign as to what is causing it. Claire slows her approach to slower, quieter, more cautious steps. That uneasy feeling she has had all night grows steadily with each footstep she takes. She steps up to the trash cans and sees nothing. She lifts the lids off and finds...surprise, surprise, garbage. She lets out a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding. Probably just her imagination.
"Bonsoir manquer," a cold voice says in French.
Or maybe not her imagination. Claire's head snaps to her right to spot a guy with blond hair at the far end of the alley.
"What he means is hello."
Claire's head snaps 180 to the left to spot a huge, muscled guy, again with blond hair at the other end. They have her pinned in.
Bevatron summons up an electrical charge in his hands. "This is nothing personal. It's business," he states in an even tone.
Claire's eyes narrow as she takes in the French guy. He sends what she can see is an electrical discharge at her. Little does he know she spent months hanging around and training with Berzerker who has virtually identical powers which means she knows all about the limits of electrical attacks. In her hands she still has the two trash can lids...plastic lids. Claire uses one like a shield. The force still knocks it out of her hand but it protected her enough. With the other lid she superheats the air around her hand. The lid starts to melt but it lasts long enough for her to propel it forward with a blast of fire and heated air and give it enough force that when it hits her attacker she can hear the audible 'oof' as the air is knocked from his lungs from here.
Claire then hears a roar behind her and rolls forward just in time to be missed by Beef trying to slam his fist down on top of her. The paving stones shatter under the force. Superstrength and usually that means extremely tough to hurt Claire knows. She uses the momentum from her roll to help her break into a run. The old her would have already lost her temper and turned and fought the guy but she learned a lot from her time at the Institute. This is a terrible place to fight. She needs to move this fight to a ground of her choosing.
Claire runs towards the fallen Bevatron. A new figure moves to block her path. A girl with purple hair and a tail. The girl smirks and transform into some kind of purple panther. "Great," Claire mutters. "Rahne never mentioned anything about having a long lost sister," she grumbles.
The panther roars and gallops toward Claire who surprisingly accelerates towards the cat bearing down on her. The panther leaps to strike only for Claire to throw herself to the right and through a missing window. She lands not as she quite have hoped and bangs her right side when she lands on the floor inside.
Claire ignores the pain and scrambles to her feet. She is inside an old warehouse which is a much better place for her to have this fight. She knows all the short cuts, all the ins and outs through here. This is her world. She doesn't have a clue who these guys are but she will make them sorry they crossed her.
Claire sprints forward only to slide to a halt when confronted by a boy with dark hair. He is clapping slowly.
Hellion just felt the girl needed an applause to have gotten this far. Of course if it had been him out there this charade would already be over. "You know you're kind of cute," he comments at seeing her this close up.
"You're butt ugly," Claire retorts.
Julian frowns. Fine. He tried to be nice but he can be nasty too. He holds his hands out to the side and gestures with his hands. Two half-smashed crates left behind, when this warehouse stopped being used, rise up as he uses his TK to lift them and he hurls them at her.
Claire summons up fire into her hands. She turns to the side and blasts one crate turning it to ash before she smoothly pirouettes and blasts the other one.
Julian's frown becomes deeper. She's just lucky Frost said not to hurt her.
"Two can play this game," Claire tells him as she smartly throws herself behind an old oil drum and as with the trash can lid superheats the air directly behind it sending it flying at the boy.
Julian pretends to yawn before, with a mere gesture of his hand, he brings the metal drum to a stop inches from his face. "Not bad carrot-top...for an inferior specimen," he insults her. "Now let me show you how you throw something," he promises her. He grins savagely as, at his will, he crushes the drum into a metal ball before he draws it back and throws it at the girl hard.
Claire can't get out of the way in time and the ball half-catches her sending her spinning to the floor. At this point the wall is smashed down as Beef makes his own entrance. Behind him come Catseye and Bevatron.
Claire pushes herself to her feet.
"I would stay down if I were you."
Claire looks to her right as a blond girl walks into view, her hips literally swaying in an exaggerated manner.
Roulette smirks. "No-one's luck is that good," she quips.
"I am afraid the cards don't look promising."
Claire looks to her left as a dark haired girl steps forward holding a few tarot cards in her hand as if examining a hand. They have her surrounded. Claire shrugs her coat off her shoulders and starts to spin it in the air above her head.
Hellion scoffs. "And what is that suppose to do?"
"It's suppose to make you look at it," Claire says before with a surge of heat, fire and light the coat ignites with a blinding bright burst of flame. The Hellions all have to close their eyes and by the time they stop seeing spots Claire is gone.
"Dammit!" Julian curses. "You guys are useless!" he insults them.
"Us? Don't leave yourself out Keller!" Bevatron hits back with.
"Enough!" Emma's telepathic commands shoots through their minds with enough force to make a couple of them wince in pain. She was currently outside the warehouse with Bedlam and had sensed this was heading for an argument. Honestly how unprofessional could they get arguing in the middle of a mission. "The girl is still there, upper level, 20 meters to the north. I suggest you find her," Emma mentally orders them with cold disdain at their attitude.
The Hellions head off in that direction as Emma looks at Bedlam. "This is not acceptable," she tells him bluntly.
Bedlam shrugs. "Don't blame me. You wanted me here. If I was in there I would be telling them off."
"It's just one girl," Emma argues. "And I wanted to see how they coped without being given commands every second. When we get back they are getting more training. You are all getting more training," she warns him.
"Come out! Come out! Wherever you are!" Roulette singsongs as the Hellions search the warehouse for their target. They had split into pairs and spread out. Tarot was her partner which she was happy with as Tarot was also her closest friend.
"Be careful! Be careful! What you wish for!" Claire singsongs back from an unseen location but she was close. "You know what I love in here is how the floor is made of wood!"
Roulette and Tarot look down and see that is it an elevated wood walkway they are on. "Oh shit," Roulette curses as she realises what this means. The unmistakable sound of something catching fire hits their ears. She and Tarot look behind them as the floor becomes ablaze. They both run for it as the fire chases them. The dive into what must have been an office of some kind at one point.
They hear a 'thump' from above them as something or someone lands on the roof.
Roulette and Tarot share a look and know what to do. Roulette fires a black energy disk at the roof which, as bad luck would have it, breaks under Claire's weight. She tumbles down into the room with them. Tarot grabs her favourite card. "Time to give the devil his due," she says cheerfully as the image on the card glows and the energy grows outward until a perfect 7ft psionic representation of the devil figure appears.
Roulette makes a face at the stench. "Ugh. How do you make it that he smells like brimstone?" she wonders.
"It's a gift," Tarot says proudly.
Claire groans as she gets back to her feet. Ok that did not go as planned and now she is facing what appears to be the devil. Luckily she isn't religious. No benevolent god would give her a life that has sucked as spectacularly as hers has. "Is this all ya got?" she goads her foes. "I've been to hell already. It started when I was 3 and it hasn't stopped for the last 14 fucking years!"
"Ooh potty mouth," Tarot chides in a childish manner before she commands her creation, "Get her!"
The devil strides forward towards Claire. "I don't have time for this," she complains as she runs, slides under the devil's legs, is back to her feet and throwing herself out the office window. She throws her hands forward and projects a stream of fire that slows her descent enough to make a reasonable landing. She rolls forward into a crouch before spinning round and throwing fireballs at the supports that hold the office up. The rather decayed supports. She grins as the floor creaks, gives way and the two girls scream as they plummet down to the floor.
Claire cracks a few bones back into place. This is going to hurt in the morning but she has no time to rest. She runs off into the shadows of the building. When the others come she needs to fight them on her terms and not theirs.
As Claire predicted it isn't long Beef, Bevatron, Catseye and Hellion come running. Hellion looks at the two girls groaning in pain amongst the broken pieces of wood rather derisively. These morons are ahead of him in getting picked? Frost is an idiot in his opinion.
"You know I'm really, really pissed now!" Claire's voice echoes from the shadows.
"You and me both honey!" Hellion shouts back.
A flaming object flies at him and Hellion blocks it with his TK.
"Oh but you don't get it jackass! When I'm pissed everything around me burns including your misshapen ass!" Claire's voice echoes from another location.
Julian growls, his temper rising at the insult.
"Where is she?" Beef asks as he looks around and can't see her anywhere.
"Catseye?" Bevatron queries, hoping her senses can help. He could hit her long range if he knew where to aim.
"Too much burning. Her scent is everywhere. Catseye can't see nor smell nor hear," Catseye reports with an animal purr under her tone.
"That's because I am everywhere fire is and everything burns!" Claire strides forward into view, her work in the shadows complete. The Hellions regroup and prepare to face her. Claire bends down to one knee, places her hands on the ground and concentrates. Her hair transforms into fire as she activates the full depth of her power. Fire shoots from her hands across the ground in lines in every direction into the shadows. Burning objects then start to come flying at the Hellions, propelled from where Claire left them.
The Hellions dodge, or block or shoot them down or smash them with their fists in Beef's case but it is achieving what Claire wanted. They are in a small circle with their backs to each other protecting themselves. Claire summons her fire back to directly under her and as she has been propelling objects now she propels herself into the air towards the Hellions.
Claire somersaults head over heels in mid-air and raises her hands which are consumed by blazing fire. She cries out as she lands in the middle of the Hellions and slams her hands down with everything she has. The superheated air explodes, creating a shockwave that sends the Hellions flying in very direction.
Claire is on her knees, breathing hard, sweat pouring down her face in rivers as a ring of fire surrounds her keeping her foes she blasted away back. Her fire form fades away as her hair returns to normal. Claire gasps for air. That's it. She's done. That little stunt pretty much drained her. She then hears footsteps and looks up in the direction they are coming from. A figure walks through her flames untouched by them. It's a woman who looks as if she is made of diamond.
Emma walks up to the drained girl. "Impressive," she remarks with genuine admiration of what the girl has done.
Claire forces herself to her feet despite the fact she can barely stand. "Are you responsible for this?" she demands to know.
"I am," Emma admits.
"Who are you?" Claire growls out.
"Emma Frost...and do I get to know your name since we're making polite conversation?"
"Volcana."
"Very suiting," Emma remarks with an appreciative smile.
"Why?" Claire asks the simple question.
"A test. You see I run a little school for mutants but I only accept the absolute crème de la crème and I needed to see if you were and anyone who can survive a battle with my Hellions for any length of time certainly qualifies."
"A school?"
"Just like the one dear old Charles runs."
That catches Claire's attention. "You know the Professor?"
"Like you I was once a student of his."
"How did..."
"I know that?"
Claire nods. At the very least this talking is buying her time to recuperate.
"We've been watching you for days Volcana and we may have peeked through your belongings."
Claire's face darkens at the idea someone has been touching her stuff. "What do you want?" she growls out.
"To offer you a place at my Academy."
"Why me?"
"You see, Volcana, Charles and I had a slight philosophical disagreement awhile back. In theory his 'lets all live in peace' is a wonderful ideal but not very practical. When I left the Institute I determined to prepare our kind for the day of our inevitable reveal. I would train the best mutants in the world to do whatever it took to protect our kind and ensure their survival. Charles is incapable of doing this and since you are here and not there I'm taking a gamble that you had a similar philosophical disagreement with Charles which I believe answers your question of why you."
Claire finds she can't argue with that. In theory the Professor's ideals are wonderful but she knows better than most the world is cruel and heartless and it crushes ideals like that. Besides she doesn't hold to the X-Men's philosophy. She killed. They don't. She doesn't feel guilty. They would if they ended up killing by accident. She needs to know something first though before she decides anything. "You don't work for Magneto do you?"
Emma smiles. "Ah very direct. I admire that. No. I do not work for Magneto. I am not in this to create a new world order under his tyrannical iron fist. However I am allied with those who work behind the scenes. Influencing a politician here and one there can work wonders in keeping anti-mutant laws off the statute book. In return I use my Hellions to protect my allies' interests. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement I think you'll agree."
"You're just admitting all this?" Claire asks because she doesn't get why this woman would do that.
"I don't lie to my students. That's Charles' department," Emma insinuates that the Professor isn't as benevolent as he appears to be. "Everyone who joins my academy knows precisely what it is I ask of them," she lies because they don't know everything she plans. It's better that way. "Here is my offer Volcana," Emma prepares to lay it out. "You come with me this very evening to my academy and I show you everything. At the end you can come join me or you can leave with no hard feelings. It's your choice. What do you say?"
Claire takes several moments to think on it. Emma seems to be promoting a view of doing what is necessary to protect mutants that she agrees with. To do whatever is needed to be done. She makes her decision. "I say you get one shot at making a sale."
Emma smiles. "Excellent!" she says almost sounding enthused. She then finally allows her diamond form to slip away and to resume her human one. She takes a moment to adjust her cape and dust herself down a little. "Your fire?" she requests to have Volcana lower it.
Claire closes her eyes and quenches the circle of fire until it fades away to nothing.
The Hellions, rather sooty in appearance, close in. Emma turns to face them. "You'll all be glad to know that Volcana has here has agreed to a tour of our fine academy. You'll be especially glad of this considering the defeat she has been inflicting upon you."
Hellion snorts. "She was not defeating us!" he protests, insulted by the accusation.
Emma's eyes narrow. "Silence Julian!" she telepathically commands with enough force to make Hellion wince. She will be having stern words with him later about questioning her in front of others. If he even possessed a modicum of intelligence he would realise she said that in an effort to butter Volcana up. She turns her attention back to the red-headed teenager. "Now how about we take a nice trip in my car so you can rest on the trip?" Emma offers.
Claire nods her agreement, still extremely cautious, but in the worse case scenario this is buying her time to recuperate should the woman turn out to be setting her up for something.
"Bedlam!" Emma raises her tone one octave. "Regroup back at the academy. We are done for this evening," she commands.
"Yes Miss Frost," Bedlam replies obediently as he leads the Hellions away back to their transport home.
Claire follows Emma to the road outside the warehouse where a long white limousine is pulling up to the kerb. The driver gets out and opens the door for Emma and Claire.
"This is your car?" Claire queries.
"Oh this little old thing I just use for running about town," Emma downplays it.
Claire's eyebrows rise. The Professor was a rich man too but his car was on the more modest size.
"Come now. In we get," Emma encourages Claire.
Claire steps inside taken a little aback by the space and luxurious fittings of the interior. All in white naturally. Emma steps in and the two of them are soon being driven off through Boston.
At the Institute...
Rogue will have to about concede that going out with Jean and Scott hadn't been as bad as she feared. They were just home, after Scott drove them back in his convertible, and were walking from the garage to the mansion. Clark and Scott were a few steps ahead talking while she was left walking with Jean. Rogue had never really talked with Jean about anything beyond school or X-Men stuff and therefore they were walking in silence. For once the silence was bothering Rogue. "So how long do ya think till we live it down?" she suddenly asks Jean.
"Live what down?" Jean wonders.
"Tha embarrassment of those two dancing," Rogue pointing ahead of them.
Jean was up to speed. They had gone out to a club and discovered that Scott and Clark were horrid dancers. "I could always wipe our minds," Jean offers.
"Tempting...but no."
Jean sucks on her lower lip for a moment. Now she and Rogue were talking she wanted to try and keep them talking. "So...uh...how are things with you and Clark?" she asks.
"Fahne."
Right. Rogue is never the most talkative of people. She's nearly as subdued as Logan on that front. Jean keeps going regardless. "It's a little strange you know."
"What is?"
"Clark. Never being able to read his mind and not knowing how he is."
"Ya ask him."
"I do. It's just...strange. It's hard to explain. I can sense him if he's nearby but it's just incomprehensible thought patterns."
Rogue's brow furrows a little. "Ah understand a little bit what ya mean," she admits. "It's strange being able ta touch someone and not have ta worry about draining them."
From ahead of them Clark speaks in a loud voice. "You are aware I can hear you right?"
"Stop evaesdroppin Clark!" Rogue tells him off.
"I'm not! I can't turn my hearing off remember. I can only try and tune things out."
Rogue knew that but still. She looks to Jean who taps a finger to her temple. Rogue nods in agreement to what Jean is asking.
"Does that get annoying the fact he can hear everything?" Jean telepathically asks Rogue.
"Ah guess someone could ask tha same of Scott about ya," Rogue points out in the sense Jean can, if she so chose to, read everything in Scott's mind.
"Never thought of that," Jean confesses. "Scott never complains."
"Of course not. He loves ya too much. As for Clark's hearing it has its benefits."
"What benefits?"
"Uh...forget ah said that."
"Why?...it involves sex!"
"Dang it! Stop readin mah mind!"
"I didn't," Jean insists. "It...just popped to the surface of yours and I'm kind of already in there." There is a mental silence for a moment as Jean lets Rogue's quick temper cool off. "Rogue?"
"What?"
"You know if you ever want to talk about that kind of thing I know where you're coming from."
Rogue supposed that was true. Jean was at the same level of her relationship. "We never discuss this out loud," Rogue lays down the condition.
"You have my word," Jean readily gives it.
"It's not that weird really. Ah'm pretty certain ya can do something similar with your telepathy. Clark's hearing just allows him ta hear stuff like mah heart-rate, mah breathing, so he kind of knows when he hits a...sensitive spot."
"Oh. Yeah I get it. I can sense the same thing from Scott. In fact I can link our minds so he knows what I'm feeling."
"And there's imagery ah could do without."
"Hey!"
"Ah'm kiddin," Rogue smirks and Jean can hear Rogue's mental laughter.
Jean can certainly remember a time when Rogue would never come close to even appearing to have a sense of humour. She really wasn't like that closed-off girl who was their enemy when they first met any more. Jean had decidedly not liked Rogue then but things change and that has changed for the better. By now they have reached the foyer of the mansion. Jean stops for a moment and gently touches Rogue's arm to stop her and says, out-loud now, "Rogue if you ever need to talk about...stuff I just want to say you can come to me."
"Uh...thanks," Rogue replies caught a little off-guard. "And ah guess if ya need ta talk about...stuff ah can listen."
Jean smiles before a yawn escapes her as the lateness of the hour catches up. "Well I'll see you in the morning."
"Yeah." Jean walks off until Rogue stops her. "Jean?"
"Yes Rogue?"
"This was...tonight...ah enjoyed it," she confesses the truth.
Jean smiles in return, seeing this as that moment they missed at the beginning of the summer for her and Rogue to be closer friends. She confesses the truth of her feelings about tonight. "Me too."
The Academy of Tomorrow, Massachusetts...
The Academy of Tomorrow was a very different place to the Institute Claire could see instantly as she stepped out the limo. It had the almost opposite aesthetic. The Institute was literally the Professor's family home and was an old traditional building. The Academy's architecture was decidedly more high-tech. The Academy's main building was around the same size as the Institute itself, built of silver metal, and large glass windows, with a large glass dome in the centre of the building's roof which would during the day let sunlight shine in. A few meters to the west of the main building was another, slightly smaller building, similar in design to the main one. Maybe a gymnasium or something. That's all Claire could think it might be.
It had taken awhile to get here. By Claire's reckoning they were deep into the countryside outside Boston. It was too dark to know precisely where.
By the van that was already here Claire reckons the Hellions, as this Frost woman called them, had gotten back ahead of them.
Emma elegantly steps out of the limo and brushes herself down. "Well now. Here we are," she announces cheerily.
Claire folds her arms across her chest, her expression stern. This night has already cost her a coat. She isn't here to have her time wasted as well. "Lets just get on with it," she states, almost rudely.
Emma lets the attitude wash off her back. She gets worse from Julian on one of his better days. "Very well," she agrees. She then strides purposefully towards the entrance of her school as Claire follows.
As they step inside the entrance hall Claire finds the mutants she fought lined up alongside other teenagers and adults.
"These are my students and fellow instructors," Emma explains. The instructors are of course employees of the Hellfire Club but Emma hand-picked them for their loyalty to her. Inside the Club it was important to have allies in key positions for inside the Inner Circle treachery was the unspoken constant. Emma then proceeds to introduce first the seven mutants Claire has fought tonight before they come to the ones she didn't.
First up is Sooraya Qadir aka Dust. She is a 14-year-old Afghani orphaned girl Emma's contacts found. She is wearing her traditional black robe and veil, leaving only her dark eyes and a part of her nose exposed. Her ability enabled her to become a living sandstorm of deadly force. Claire isn't overly impressed since back when she was Luthor's spayed puppy on his MRD mutant team called Alpha Squad one of her team-mates was the Sandman who basically did the exact same thing.
Next is a 15 year old Spanish boy with brown hair and eyes called Manuel Alfonso Rodrigo de la Rocha aka Empath. He possesses the psionic ability to sense and manipulate the emotions of other sentient life forms. As he greets Claire with a smile she gets a cold shiver up her spine. There is something she sees in those eyes she does not like at all. They're dark and cold.
Next is another girl. Angelica Jones aka Firestar. She is 15 with long, light-red hair, blue eyes, and a slender frame. Her ability enabled her to manipulate microwave radiation, to generate powerful heat-rays from her hands, amongst other things. She is also one of Emma's most prized pupils and Emma had big plans for her.
Claire is finding this a little tedious but she agreed to the tour so she keeps her mouth shut and holds back her complaint. No-one can ever say Claire did not live up to her agreements. The introductions continue.
Next is a 16 year old Moroccan boy with curly black hair called Haroun ibn Sallah al-Rashi aka Jetstream. He can generate thermo-chemical energy and release it from his skin. This energy is accompanied by plasma. So far Jetstream can only release this energy in one direction, beneath him. The equal opposite reaction to this thrust causes his body to be propelled into the air like a human rocket. In Claire's opinion that makes him the poor man's Cannonball and since she almost liked Sam, he was always polite to her and a gent, this guy is automatically way down in her estimation.
Finally Claire hits the Twilight Zone part of the introductions as last are 5 identical girls, dressed in identical blue dresses, all 13, with blond hair and slightly glowing ice blue eyes.
"I didn't know we had fallen into the Village of the Damned," Claire can't help but remark.
Emma smiles slightly. "Yes. That comparison has been made. The girls don't mind that joke do you girls?"
"No Miss Frost," the 5 say as one.
"It's very amusing," one says, in a flat, rather emotionless monotone.
"We find it very funny," another adds in the same monotone.
Claire's skin crawls. That is seriously creepy.
Emma introduces them as Celeste, Mindee, Phoebe, Esme and Sophie aka the Five-in-One, jokingly referred to by the other students as the Stepford Cuckoos. Claire misses that inside joke having never seen the Stepford Wives movie. It is explained that the girls are telepaths and being quintuplets this has resulted in them having a hive mind. They too are amongst Emma's most prized pupils.
After that Claire gets introduced to the instructors. She gives them, what for her passes as, a civil nod of recognition. The tour then begins as Emma escorts Claire around her academy. As they walk through the academy Claire must admit it is very impressive but it is sort of off-putting as well. All shiny, new, modern, slick lines. She preferred the mansion. That was more...homely.
Claire shakes her head. What a stupid thought. It's not home. Not for her. It can't be.
During the tour Emma is...or at least seems to be very honest about what she trains mutants for and what she expects from them. Claire can't deny the thought she had earlier tonight that this was closer in line to her own thinking. What Emma isn't is very revealing about is herself beyond admitting to being a telepath.
The tour reaches its end as they come full circle and stand beside the main entrance.
"So Volcana I have lived up to exactly what I promised and here we are," Emma declares. "Time to choose. Stay and have a vital part in the future of mutantkind or walk out that door and my driver will take you back to where we picked you up."
Claire looks at the door. "I promised to look after those people you know."
Emma cannot for the life of her understand why the girl would choose to look after life's refuse but can see it obviously matters to the girl. "Then help them," Emma says. "Amongst other things I am extremely wealthy. I can see to it they are taken care of."
"That sounds like a bribe," Claire points out.
"Lets call it an incentive shall we."
Claire looks at the blond woman who is very good at masking her true feelings behind a cold expression.
"The choice Volcana remains the same," Emma points out. "Return and spend perhaps the rest of your life protecting those few people or join me and not only will they be helped regardless you can join a bigger world and help protect all of your fellow mutants. The question is who do you see yourself to be and who do you want to be. Here I can help you achieve your true potential. Out there...well lets just put it that the chances of that are slimmer."
Claire looks back at the door and then back to Emma. It's a choice. Not the first one she has had to make. She made a similar one when she first ended up at the Institute to either stay or leave. That choice didn't work out as hoped but this place seems to offer the possibility of it being different this time round. "We'll end up opposing them as some point won't we," she comments upon a notion that struck her before clarifying who 'them is. "The X-Men."
"Well I hope that could be avoided," Emma tries to placate Volcana's concerns.
"The truth," Claire demands.
"But it is a possibility, yes," Emma concedes. "Sometimes our methods will be contrary to the X-Men's although we both want a world safe for mutants. Will this be a problem for you?"
"Don't know yet," Claire says, undecided about how she feels about the possibility of fighting her friends. "May not know until the situation arises but it alone is not enough for me to say no to your offer."
There is silence as Claire tries to make possibly one of the most important decisions of her life.
"Volcana?" Emma queries at the long silence.
Claire draws breath. Time to choose her future. "It's Claire. My name is Claire Selton."
A smile grows on Emma's face at what this reveal might mean. "Claire," she repeats the name. "What is your decision?"
Claire looks to the door for one brief moment and then looks Emma squarely in those cold blue eyes with her orange ones so Emma can see the truth of what she is about to say in them. "I'm in."
Author's Note: Claire's in...whoa wait a second. Did I write that? Why yes. Yes I did. It looks like those who bet on Claire turning evil are quids in. I showed all of Emma's students because it allows me to interchange and mix-up the Hellions as I deem fit and Emma will be actively recruiting new members. Just adds to the fun. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. My poll for who gets possessed in Spell is still open. Next up; Domino, Rogue and Logan find out how they're related to each other and how do they cope with that?