Chapter 56
Several hours had now passed since the X-Men left and it was now early morning the next day. The worry amongst those left at the mansion was growing that something bad had happened to them. There had been no word and they could not be raised over the communication channels.
Martha could only think something had gone badly wrong. It was a feeling she had but don't ask her to explain it. These last couple of weeks had brought back a lot of feelings and memories of her younger days she doesn't like thinking on. Her engagement to Sebastian...that whole world she use to be part of. It would be why she doesn't see her father often.
Don't get Martha wrong. She loves her father and knows, in his way, he loves her back but her father will never change nor leave the world he lives in. He can't see what she saw that drove her away. Since they came to this Institute over a year ago she has only had a handful of phone conversations with him at most.
After mutants were revealed Martha did have to explain her lies that she told her father when they first came here about what it was about. That wasn't the funnest conversation she has ever had with her father. It was right down there with the one they had after she called off her engagement to Sebastian.
Only that wasn't really a conversation. That was more yelling and shouting at each other.
Ditto the day she told her father she was marrying Jonathan.
Martha can honestly say that her father and her don't have that perfect model father/daughter relationship.
In fact her father will never get over the fact she called off her engagement to Sebastian and chose to marry a farmer instead. Jonathan is, in her father's wrong, pig-headed opinion, not good enough for her.
Martha, on the other hand, will never stop thanking the Lord she did call it off, especially considering what she has recently learned about who Sebastian really is. She did suspect there was more to him than the handsome, charming façade he showed...and she can admit that Sebastian was very charming. He did charm her enough to get her to agree to marry him but there was always...something. Something else that needed his attention. His 'business' trips that he always told her not to worry too much over.
Martha had no idea what they really were. Even before she did her lingering feelings for Sebastian were ambiguous at best. As she said he charmed her but having had 20 years to think on it she can honestly say she never truly loved him. She agreed to marry him because that was what was expected of her. Marrying an up and coming industrialist as him, as he was at the time, would have been a great lift for herself and her family's standing in society.
And that was all it was about in the end. That was why she came to hate it. She felt so...hollow, empty. It was meaningless. Was that all there was to life? To get ahead? It never fulfilled Martha. Not the way her so-called simpler life as a farmer's wife did. Her father, Sebastian, they would never understand because their wealth, power and influence...it was enough for them.
Martha wonders if her mother felt as she did because her overriding memory of her mother is of a smile that never quite reached her eyes as if she wasn't happy either but could see no way out of the life she was...well trapped in for lack of a better term.
It is only after meeting Sebastian again, learning who he is, that Martha has begun to think about all these things from so long ago.
However now is not the time for dwelling on the past. Now is the time for action because Martha has had enough. These last few weeks it feels like she has been buffered at the centre of a storm. Revelation after revelation dropped on her. Sebastian, Claire.
No.
Martha is not taking it any more.
She is taking control of her life back.
That would be why she currently finds herself driving through New York towards the Hellfire Club. She is a member after all. It is sort of a lifetime membership thing unless you are expelled.
This probably looks crazy and in all truth almost certainly is. It would be why she left without telling Jonathan because he would either try and talk her out of it or insist on coming along. Neither is a good idea. This is not a good idea either, what Martha is doing right now but she's doing it anyway. Just don't ask her to explain why she's doing this because she will never be able to properly explain it.
All Martha knows is that her son, friends and children she has taken responsibility for are missing after going to retrieve the stone from the Hellfire Club and as a member she can get inside the building. Truth be told she hasn't thought this through beyond that.
Martha pulls up in front of the building and sits and looks at it. It has been so long since she has been inside one of the Hellfire Club's establishments. She doesn't dwell too long lest she talk herself out of this. She gets out the car and walks round the back of it when she notices something. The lock to the trunk looks...Martha peers closer. It looks like it has been melted. A thought suddenly occurs to her and she yanks the trunk open.
"Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla," Martha says sternly, more than a little aggravated at her stowaway.
Amara has the decency to look sheepish. She grins that 'Oh crap I've been caught' smile. "Uh, hi," she says, her voice squeaky and lacking its normal royal confidence.
"Don't hi me young lady," Martha tells Amara off as she places her hands on her hips in a stern looking stance. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, uh, funny story," Amara laughs nervously. "Can I get out first?" she requests.
Martha helps Amara out of the trunk. "Start talking," she demands of the teenager.
"Well I was, you know, wandering outside thinking over what I could remember about Selene for the Professor when I saw you leaving."
"And you just jumped in the trunk?"
"Um...yeah."
"I expect this from Tabitha, not from the heir to a royal throne."
"It was...I just had this hunch I knew where you were going," Amara tries to explain her impulsive decision. "And I was right," she says in her own staunch defence.
Martha rubs her brow. "Amara," she starts to say. "This is not safe."
"Which only adds to why I should be here."
"Why are you here?" Martha asks. "And I want the whole truth this time."
"Clark's father...Jor-El."
"What of him?" Martha asks sharply, her tone letting slip her dislike of Clark's biological father.
"If he is truly the one who defeated Selene and liberated Nova Roma...then I owe it to him on behalf of my people to help rescue his son. My grandfather, Nova Roma's first king after Selene's fall, was the one who led the rebellion against her. I can do no less than he," Amara explains what she sees as the obligation of her heritage.
"Amara," Martha says in soft tones. "Always do things because it is what you want, not because it is the expected obligation of your family," she tries to offer some advice to the young princess. "If I had followed what my father wanted I would have married Sebastian and only the Lord knows what kind of person I would be now."
"But I do have obligations," Amara states calmly. "As you said I am heir to the throne. One day I shall have to return and rule."
"Answer me this. Are you here because you believe this is the right thing to do?"
Amara looks Martha directly in the eye. "Yes. Absolutely."
Martha believes Amara. Now she has to make a choice. If she takes Amara home she'll never get away again but she isn't sure they'll let Amara inside the club if Amara stays with her. Though having Amara around could be useful. Bottom line is that it is too late to turn back now and Amara's here so... "Ok Amara. Stay by my side at all times," she says, making the choice that she's come too far to turn back so Amara will just have to come with her.
Amara nods in agreement as Martha leads her to the entrance of the club.
Sebastian Shaw must admit that he had been annoyed, to put it mildly, when he learned of the unauthorised mission to China that had been taken without his knowledge or permission. However, the fates had decided to smile on him because it had all worked out in his favour. Superman had been turned. The X-Men were captive and the useful, malleable ones would be turned like Superman. He could not let them leave this time because he knew they would not give up on Superman. They would keep trying and trying to 'save' the boy, as they would see it and that just gets irritating after awhile.
Those that couldn't be turned...well as he promised they would be given over to Selene. That will placate her somewhat for awhile.
Now the priority was...persuading one of the X-Men to reveal where this stone is that they have in their possession.
How to precisely do that is the next question. It has been some time since he last met Xavier but he can remember the man's stubbornness. No doubt it is a trait shared by his students. Oh Sebastian has no doubt he'll get what he desires in the end. It is only a question of how and how long it will take. Fortunately he is a patient man.
He had finished talking to his Queens and now found himself, a little uncharacteristically, wandering through the private areas of the club. The areas only the Inner Circle had access to as opposed to the more 'public' part which was the social club front. Shaw is contemplating his next moves, how he deals with the other members of the Inner Circle and how he can use the power of the 3 stones, once he has it, to elevate himself to the pinnacle of the Inner Circle.
Sebastian passes by the security office, its walls lined by monitors showing the feeds from the security cameras. He pauses momentarily just to see if there is anything that requires his personal attention. That's when he spots her. That is when he spots his ex-fiancée trying to gain access. That is when he spots Martha.
That can't be a coincidence that she shows after he has captured the X-Men. Sebastian is certain of that because in all honesty he can't think of any other reason Martha would be here. It seems, from what he can see, the guard at the door is causing her grief. He steps inside the room. "What is happening with that woman?" he asks.
The 3 guards inside the room virtually jump out of their chairs at the surprise presence of the Black King.
"M-My Liege," one of them manages to stutter out.
Shaw fixes the man a look. "The woman there," he points at the image. "What is happening?"
"S-she has an out of date membership card."
"I see. Let her in."
"Your Highness?" the guard questions.
"Are you questioning my directive?" Shaw asks, his tone hard.
The guard shakes his head. "N-no. Never."
"Then grant her access and have her and her young companion escorted to my office. I shall deal with this personally."
"As you command, your Highness," the guard capitulates and passes the instructions on to the man at the door.
This...this is going to be a day to long live in the memory Sebastian can tell for certain. With Martha here...well perhaps the time has come to reveal that which he has been keeping secret for the last few months. Sebastian chuckles to himself. Oh yes. This is definitely going to be a day to remember.
"Martha!" Sebastian greets her with delight in his voice when she enters his office, where he has been waiting for her.
"Sebastian," Martha returns the greeting in a far more subdued manner.
"Who is your friend?" Sebastian asks, fixing his green eyes on the girl beside Martha.
"This is Amara," Martha introduces her.
"Greetings Amara. Welcome to our historic and privileged club," Sebastian says, being as warm and welcoming as he can be.
"It's an honour," Amara chooses as her response even if that may be stretching the truth to put it mildly but part of her upbringing involved training in diplomatic niceties.
Sebastian turns his focus back to Martha. "Now what brings you here after so long?"
Martha folds her arms across her chest, her expression a mask of serious intent. "Lets not play games Sebastian. Where are they?"
Sebastian admires the straight to business approach and considering their history he decides not to play games with her. "They are my honoured guests and they're...around," he gives the vague response.
"What do you want?" Martha just asks him.
"Are you offering a deal?"
"Why else would I be here?"
"Why indeed?"
Martha gives Sebastian a sour look. Amara shares it. "You're a businessman Sebastian," Martha says. "Deals are what you do."
"True...but I hate to think you're making your proposal from a false perspective."
"What's your meaning?"
"I know Professor Xavier must have told you all about me and our previous...dealings." Otherwise she wouldn't be here unless she knew and Kal may have blabbed...a lot as matter of fact about what the Professor actually knew. His betrayal has been quite thorough. It seems Sebastian underestimated Xavier a little he must confess as it turns out the man knew all about where Emma's loyalties lied. Oh well. You live and learn as the saying goes. Fortunately it all worked out.
"I don't care about your dealings Sebastian," Martha says bluntly. "I don't care what you get up to. What I care about is my friends and the students I have taken responsibility to care for. Now it's pretty pointless to think I could come charging in here and rescue them by force which leaves the only other option is that we reach a mutually beneficial agreement," she proposes and that sounds pretty good for something she just made up on the hoof.
Sebastian leans back a little in his chair and gazes at Martha with admiration. "I'm impressed. Your mind is as sharp as I remember. I'm so glad all those years playing happy families on that farm hasn't dulled your wits. You are correct that any attempt at a rescue with those...lesser students," he says with a pointed look at Amara showing he labels her as a 'lesser' student before he continues, "would fail so yes, your only option is to make a deal and it just so happens I'm in a mood to consider such a possibility."
"Which returns us to 'What do you want?'"
Sebastian rises to his feet and goes over to his drinks cabinet against the wall. "Drink?" he inquires of Martha as it is only polite to offer such a thing.
"No, thank you. Little early in the day for that is it not?" Martha asks with a critical eye. She can't recall him drinking like that when they were engaged which means it's an unhealthy habit he has picked up on top of all his other myriad of flaws.
Sebastian explains as he pours himself a drink, "As Winston Churchill was oft heard saying, I like to think I get more out of drink than it takes out of me."
Martha snorts softly in derision at the idea of Sebastian comparing himself to Winston Churchill.
Sebastian takes a long soothing drink. "You know after seeing you at Stark Tower again Martha I thought about our engagement and why it ended."
"I believe my letter was pretty clear on the reasons why," Martha says, having no wish at all to reopen that debate and in fact her reasons, which she wrote down in a letter to Sebastian at the time, have not changed one jot despite the passage of nearly 2 decades.
Lets just say Sebastian holds the belief there is more to it than that but there is no need to rush that. Martha is not leaving his life now she is back in it and they can get to that later.
"So what do you want Sebastian?" Martha asks, getting back to the point, not wishing to drag this out any longer than absolutely necessary.
The reality is, despite what he told her, Sebastian has no intention of letting the X-Men go and Martha is wasting her time although he admires her bravery. Still this is an opportunity he won't let go. "For the moment your indulgence," he says. "I have something I wish you to see. Once done we can discuss further the issue about the X-Men."
"I'm not doing anything until I know they're alright."
"I told you Martha, they're my guests and I always treat my guests well. You should remember that."
Martha glares at him sternly.
Sebastian puts his drink down and presses a switch under his desk and two guards enter shortly after. "These gentleman will escort you to the sitting room. I shall join you shortly. Please accept my hospitality," he says as a veiled warning to not refuse.
Martha glares a little longer at him before she accepts leaving and Amara departs as well.
A short time later Martha and Amara are sat together in the sitting room waiting for Sebastian to show.
"We're in trouble aren't we?" Amara asks at a whisper, her concern deep in her voice.
Martha places a reassuring arm around the girl. "It'll be fine Amara. This was never going to be safe or without risk which is why I was going to do it by myself but a certain princess just had to be impulsive for once," she teases lightly, trying to brighten the mood.
Amara smiles sheepishly.
Sebastian enters the room with broad strides and Martha is shocked by who is accompanying him. So shocked she almost blurts out 'Clark!' but manages to bite her tongue.
Kal misses a stride and almost trips upon seeing his mother. "W-what is this?" he says with an uncharacteristic unassuredness in place of his usual arrogant cockiness.
"I'll explain momentarily," Sebastian says. "We have to wait for our other guests."
"This better be good Sebastian," Selene complains, as she strides in, accompanied by Isobel, at being summoned.
"I assure you it is Selene."
Amara almost passes out in terror at seeing the subject of her worst nightmares in the flesh. Everyone on Nova Roma knows what Selene looks like. There's a statue of her kept so no-one forgets what this incarnation of evil looks like. All the colour drains from Amara's face and she goes deathly pale.
Selene, meanwhile, looks twice at the girl as her eyes fall upon the teenage princess and a strange smile starts to form on her lips as she recognises who it is. Just because she is banished doesn't means she doesn't keep an eye on her former home. She walks over and as she draws near Amara recoils as far as she can into the chair. Selene reaches out and brushes Amara's long dark hair behind her shoulder.
Amara is paralysed with fear as having the dark sorceress so close to her she can smell the fragrance of some perfume. "S-Selene," she barely stutters out.
"Oh good. You know who I am," Selene says, sounding a mite delighted at that. "Tell me, Princess of Nova Roma, do they still remember their Goddess?"
Amara finds some courage. "Only as a warning of what true evil looks like," she shoots back.
"Oh dear. Such disrespect. When I return I shall soon purge that insolence from you and one day, I promise, I shall return and you and your people shall pay the price for your betrayal of your Goddess," Selene makes the vow.
"We will never bow to you again," Amara promises Selene, reaching deep down inside herself to show defiance despite intrinsically knowing what Selene could do to her.
"Yes you will," Selene promises, her tone full of threatening intent. "Because if you don't your people will know the fires of Tartarus."
"Leave her alone," Martha says putting a defensive, protective arm around Amara.
Selene looks at the woman. She could smite her as easily as she could step on a bug but won't. "Mortal wretch, you can do nothing to stop me...but I won't harm her. After all I am not so cruel to inflict pain upon my own granddaughter."
"What?" Amara asks, her voice trembling, her eyes wide with shock.
"What!" Isobel screeches loudly.
Selene chuckles amused. "This, my dear daughter, is your niece," she explains to Isobel.
Isobel looks at the girl and knows she should not truly be surprised by this. God knows how many bastards her mother has had. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of people in this world that are related to her.
"T-That's a lie," Amara says in denial of what Selene is saying.
"Tsk, tsk," Selene chastises. "Is that what your father told you?" Selene asks Amara before she shakes her head in a disappointed manner. "And I so liked Lucius too. Such a well behaved child," she remarks in reference to Amara's father with a sort of fondness in her tone.
"No," Amara says shaking her head, refusing to accept what Selene is saying is true. "My grandfather. He...he led the rebellion against you," she uses as an argument against Selene's words.
"That he did," Selene confirms, anger and bitterness permeating her tone. "What he and your father have neglected to mention in an attempt to bury, what they probably consider the shameful truth, is that your grandfather, Julius, was my husband. Your father is my son and you are my granddaughter. After all where do you think your mutant gifts come from child?" she asks Amara. Selene holds her hand out flat in front of Amara's face and summons a ball of fire. "This is my mutant gift, not sorcery. Look at all familiar?"
Amara...no she can't believe it. She won't! The idea that...oh Gods she feels sick just contemplating it.
"My blood flows through your veins," Selene tells Amara. She then twists Amara's head slightly round so her face is clear on to Sebastian, Superman and Isobel. "Look and tell me there isn't a resemblance," she requests of them.
Everyone standing there had to say, now Selene and Amara were side by side, you could see a resemblance. The dark hair, the shape of the face, the lips perhaps as well, were all shared.
"Huh. Never saw that coming," Kal says, looking half amused by the revelation.
Martha looks at her son oddly. What is going on? He sounds...he looks off.
"It's not true," Amara murmurs a desperate prayer. It can't be true that Selene, the most hated and reviled woman on Nova Roma, is her grandmother. Just the idea that Selene's blood flows through her makes Amara want to throw up.
Selene smirks. This is turning out to be a much better day than she foresaw. She tells Amara, "In time you'll come to understand that your parents are nothing but liars who have spent your entire life deceiving you and that the true salvation for yourself and Nova Roma is to welcome your Goddess back."
"And she says I'm obsessed," Isobel mutters quietly in disparaging tones. Her mother accuses her of being obsessed with trinkets but her mother is obsessed in returning to the place that booted her out and regaining her Godhood status.
Now entering the room comes Emma, accompanied by Volcana, who Sebastian had sent Emma to fetch.
Claire freezes in complete surprise at seeing the two people who mean the most to her. "Mrs Kent! Amara!" she squeaks.
Sebastian starts to grin slyly as his plan starts to unfold. "Time for my business...if Selene may grant me a few moments," he requests of the dark sorceress. Not that Selene's revelation wasn't interesting, it is just his business takes priority in his eyes.
Selene shrugs, hardly bothered either way but she has an inkling Shaw is up to something that may prove mildly interesting so she steps off to the side.
Sebastian walks until he is about halfway between where Martha sits and Volcana stands. He notices the way Martha is looking at the fiery teenager and the expression Volcana has in response. Seems they have a strong connection. The irony for what is about to transpire but first. "You seemed surprised to see Superman by my side," he says to Martha. "You should not underestimate my White Queen. Kal was quite helpful in capturing the X-Men."
"Kal!" Martha splutters.
Kal smirks. "Yes, Kal," he confirms for her and then finds everyone looking at him with questioning gazes. "What?" he asks them. "Do you really think Emma is the first person to have ever found a way to let me out?"
"First I've heard of it," Emma mutters scathingly.
Kal chuckles. "You don't get to know my secrets just because I saw your panties. It takes more than that to get them."
Sebastian stares at powerful young man. There were many shortcomings with what Emma had achieved so far. Kal needed a lot of work but it would be worth it for the power he would bring to Shaw.
Now Martha knows what is so off about her son. She hides any worries off her face. Of all the surprises that is the one she least expected. Clark's alter ego is so unpredictable...and she has to wonder what he is really up to. He's always up to something for his own selfish wants and needs.
Sebastian returns to his main purpose in bringing everyone together here. He can deal with Kal later. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a lock of red hair that matches the colour upon Martha Kent's head. He holds it up for her to see. "Remember this Martha?" he asks her, expectantly.
Martha blinks. He still has that? "Yes," she finds her voice.
Sebastian explains to everyone else what it is. "Once upon a time Martha and I were engaged. On the day Martha accepted my marriage proposal she gave me a lock of her hair so I would always have a piece of her with me wherever I went."
"Oh how romantic," Selene mutters sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.
"I thought so too," Sebastian says back, deliberately ignoring Selene's sarcasm. "Except," he starts to say. "This isn't the lock of your hair Martha. This belongs to her," he says and points at Volcana.
Claire mimics him and points at herself. "Me? That's not my hair," she insists and since her hair is closer to fiery orange, which is a different shade from the lock of red hair in Sebastian's hand.
"It is your hair," Sebastian insists. "I snipped it off your head when you were 2, before your fated journey to Smallville the day the meteors feel to Earth and transformed you into a mutant. The genetic alterations changed your hair colour," he gives an explanation why the difference.
"You know me?" Claire asks, her face screwed up, trying to recall anything from when she was 2 that involves Sebastian Shaw in anyway. Nothing comes to mind. She can't remember him.
"I held you the day you were born," Sebastian informs her.
Selene looks at Shaw curiously and cocks an eyebrow as an idea starts to form in her mind. He can't have...
"You knew my parents?" Claire asks, the burning desire to know something of the people who she can no longer remember.
"Oh I know them very well."
"Knew," Claire corrects. "You knew them. They're dead."
"Your surrogate parents are dead. Your biological parents are very much alive."
"What?" Claire asks, now at a complete lost to know what he means.
"Gina Selton was your surrogate mother," Sebastian tells her who the woman Claire thinks is her mother actually was. "I should know, I paid her."
Martha rises to her feet. "Sebastian," she says, her tone sharp. "What have you done?"
Sebastian grins crookedly. "I remember that tone," he says with dry humour. "What have I done Martha? Well you see it goes like this. After you called off our engagement I determined I would make sure we would remain linked forever so I took that lock of hair you gave me, had some of your DNA extracted and then had it inserted into a hollowed out egg which was then fertilised with my DNA. The resultant embryo was then implanted into Gina Selton."
Sebastian walks over to Volcana who is stuck, frozen in complete shock as the foundation of her world is torn asunder from under her. He places his hands on her shoulders. "I thought you died that day in Smallville," he says to Claire, his tone sounding genuinely sad with recalled grief. "But when Emma told me your name it was as if a miracle had been delivered that had returned you to me. I've had the tests done to confirm it."
"C-confirm it?" Claire stammers.
"I am your father, Claire," he says with deep emotional attachment to that idea in his tone. Sebastian then gently moves round the teenager and walks her forward a few steps towards Martha.
Like Claire, Martha has a look of complete shock. What Sebastian just said has not even begun to sink in yet. It seems impossible to her after all she has endured for this to be true.
Sebastian says next, with the greatest delight, "Claire say hello to your mother. Martha say hello to our daughter."
Kal says, as usual totally inappropriately timed, "Huh. I guess it's one of those days."
Author's Note: In the comics Selene is Amara's alleged grandmother without it ever being confirmed so I thought I would use that idea too. I've been planning to drop it in to my story that Claire is Sebastian and Martha's daughter since I came up with the idea that they were once engaged. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Martha tries to deal with the revelation of her newly discovered daughter and Kal's true scheme comes to its fruition.