A/N: Le sigh… Playing around with OCs since canon's so shit at the moment.
Crisis on Infinite Cyclops Daughters:
Queen & Princess
For all her wariness against the Queen of Limbo, the White Queen had taken surprisingly well to the small reality-traveler and, uncannily, she with her, too.
Indeed, when the small hellspawn was neither attached to their esteemed leader nor resident the blonde demon, she was in the White Queen's presence. Occasionally, they would be seen lounging in the top-deck in the morning. Sometimes, the hellspawn would be seen wearing clothes that were unmistakably Emma, though only somewhat scandalous. There were even instances when the hellspawn would follow the White Queen's lead unquestioningly, a privilege only shared by Magik and Cyclops.
It was strange at first. Many believed Emma Frost to be deathly allergic to all beings below maturity, but proof-contrary stared them in the eyes. Needless to say, there were only two people who did not find it amiss: the hellspawn's parental-counterparts.
Cyclops only shrugged an encouragement while Magik just stared.
The Stepford Cuckoos were torn. On one hand, they were exploring their rebellious phase while on the other, they felt threatened that their mother took someone else under her wing—someone who, despite their best efforts, they could not get a read upon. In stark contrast was Ruby who remained aloof throughout it all; it was easy to forget that, beneath her Ruby skin, she was arguably the eldest among those that lived in the base.
It was only when Kitty Pryde once more ran her mouth against the White Queen, and the hellspawn decided to retaliate, did their apparent closeness made itself manifest. Cold eyes colder than ice and sword-in-hand, runic tattoos flaring with vengeful light, there was no mistaking whose blood ran through her veins.
Kitty had been traumatized since then.
More than at the hellspawn, Kitty was frightened by the thought of the hellspawn being another of Emma's hellions. She was frightened by the hellspawn's invincibility, and the White Queen's ability to wield her.
And to add to her frustration, Kitty could not understand why.
Why Emma, when the White Queen did nothing to endear herself to the hellspawn? Kitty did her best. She tried to probe her thoughts and feelings; tried to mentor her the same way she looked after the original five plus one; always made sure to acknowledge her.
That the hellspawn, Anastasia Rasputin-Summers, never took to her was an incredible blow to her ego. This, after all, was the child of Illyana Rasputin, even if from a different reality.
Kitty could not help but wonder about her relationship with Limbo's Queen.
They had made amends, of sorts. It was Illyana, after all, who had offered to house her and her squad when they had left the school. Apart from that one instance, they had never really talked. She was busy with her squad, while Illyana was with hers. They never actively sought each other; Kitty found it difficult to make the first move, while Illyana remained unreadable and nonchalant.
The hellspawn's arrival only seemed to complicate matters.
'Why did things have to be complicated?' Kitty Pryde thought with a rueful sigh as she made her way to the mess hall. She had dismissed her squad early, and they all had gone their separate ways. 'It's all Scott Summers' fault.' She repeated like a mantra.
It made her feel better.
With lighter steps, she strode through the hallway before abruptly stopping at the entrance of the library. Her eyes sobered at what she saw.
Yellow-orange afternoon light swept past the glass windows and bathed the room with a rustic shine.
At the center of the room, sat on the floor with her white dress spread around her like flower petals, was the hellspawn. In her dainty hands was a book—if Kitty were to guess, she would still draw blanks.
Anastasia's brows furrowed, and she turned to the woman behind her.
"What does this passage mean?" The young mutant asked, her voice thinly-lined with accent and filled with regality.
Emma Frost paused, her hands still holding the girl's long and golden hair mid-braid, and glanced at the passage Anastasia held up for her to see.
"Nought but the Leg remaining to disclose," Emma murmured whilst she read, "The site of this forgotten Babylon."
"Da." The young mutant nodded. "It is strange."
"It is a poem." Emma patiently supplied. "Ozymandias as written by Horace Smith. It tells a tale of the inevitable fall of everything in existence."
"Fall…" Anastasia repeated, testing the word. "You mean… death?"
Emma smiled at the young girl. "Precisely. Everything that begins will always have an end."
Anastasia shook her head. Her gaze returned to her book—away from Emma's observing blue eyes.
"I will never die for I am different." Anastasia stated. There was no arrogance or conceit in her tone; just a simple and lonely fact.
"Be that as it may," Emma patiently began, and her hands once more continued their caresses through Anastasia's golden hair, "It is your duty to live however you see fit."
"That is vague." Anastasia muttered with a frown that reflected her youth.
Emma chuckled softly, her eyes smiling more than what her lips could express. "My dear, life is incredibly vague. However, as the passage attempts to convey…" Emma's hands stilled and she observed, approvingly, her handiwork. It had been so long since she had done this, and it seemed she hadn't lost her touch. "Nothing will last; not even you."
Anastasia glanced at her with questioning eyes. "I do not understand."
"You are long-lived." Emma pointed out, giving another perspective to Anastasia's plight. "That only means you have more time to grow."
The girl processed the woman's words. Reaching a conclusion, she nodded her head and asked, "Stay with me."
Emma tilted her head slightly before reaching out to the child, "Only for so long as I am able." She stated, her blue eyes twinkling like diamonds. "Only for so long as you are here." Her words were cryptic— it could have even been construed as manipulative given that it was by the White Queen's silver tongue, but Anastasia understood.
She was a clever young girl, like that.
Satisfied, at least for the moment, Anastasia resumed reading from the poetry book, and her companion, Emma, picked up the book at her side before joining her.
At the doorway, Kitty felt her heart twist.
She could not understand—could not reconcile what she saw from what every bone in her body screamed.
The Hellfire Club's whore and the hellspawn!
She could not comprehend.
This place was more twisted than she thought.
A/N: More world-building, I suppose.
Took a couple of liberties. While Kitty and co. end up staying with Scott's crew, she hasn't made up with Illyana. I mean, the way UXM v3 handled it was incredibly ham-fisted—pandering to the extreme. Anyway, with this segment, I wanted to explore a mothering Emma as she helps Anastasia come to grips with her immortality. Sorry, not bitch!Emma here; just a teacher with a struggling student.
For those that haven't figured it out, quick bios since I'll likely never finish typing out their stories anytime soon:
Anastasia Rasputin-Summers – alternate reality daughter of Illyana & Scott from a timeline where the X-Men were united and AvX wasn't a fiasco. At the end, the P5 are able to "fix the current problems of the world", but Scott & 'Yana exile themselves to Limbo. Cue stuff, and then baby Ana pops out, a juggernaut whose capabilities make Mary Sue envious. She accidentally reality-hops during a skirmish with big bad demons, and decided that she wants a vacation away from her mum's hellish training.
Eleonora (Maximoff) Summers – alternate reality daughter of Wanda & Scott from a timeline where Wanda actually owned up to her shit during Children's Crusade and went on a pilgrimage repowering mutants that wanted their powers back. Utopia disbands for lack of need, Scott ends up traveling with Wanda as he looks for a purpose in life, sexy times happen, and Elle is born. Unfortunately, the curse hadn't been lifted since the Phoenix Force never came, leaving Elle fully human despite having the X gene. The Celestials are pissed at the turn of events, epic battle happens with numerous casualties including Scott, ending with Elle stealing a time-machine so she could figure out why the Phoenix never came. Spoiler: the child of the universe made a mistake.
Ruby Summers – I heart you. Long time.
On the horizon (i.e. up next):
Crisis on Infinite Cyclops Daughters:
- S.W.O.R.D. & S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Heretic & Damned
