The early hours of the next morning passed like a blur. Alex was way too occupied with his own thoughts to see what was happening around him. He had asked Johnny for work earlier, so he could contribute with something.

It was easy and Alex was doing it almost mechanical and without effort, leaving his mind to drown in itself.

The last night's meeting with Sophie was weird and felt like a strange dream. The Frost sister knew a lot. A lot more than he was comfortable with.

Alex believed that the physic defences installed by Professor Xavier would hold through the years, but obviously, he was wrong.

The mention of his niece last night had taken a pivotal place in his priorities.

Help mutants, continue Charles's legacy. Until now his plan was working, but now a new unknown quantity was added to the equation, making the delicate situation a little harder.

Sophie wanted him to convince the Underground that they needed them, which they did in his opinion.

Alex knew that Lorna wanted the same and Clarice was inclined for an alliance. John and Marcos were the complications.

Being cunning and manipulative wasn't him, but the thought of Rachel tortured in some lab, his last living relative, was more than unpleasant. It wasn't like convincing was manipulation. He was just trying to point them in the right direction.

From his time with the X-men, Alex had learned that sometimes you have to work with your enemies for the greater good. Working with the Brotherhood was never something he had liked, but it was necessary for a couple of missions. It definitely was hard to swallow all the piled up anger and hate.

He just had to tell them all of that. They will have a better winning chance with the Frosts by their side. Alex put the last box in the safe, which they used as larder.

"Good job" Clarice entered and looked at the ordered boxes.

"Thanks" Alex said "Anything else I can do?" He asked

"I don't believe there is anything" Clarice said "Anyways, thanks for the help"

She turned to leave, but Alex's voice stopped her in midstep.

"You don't trust me, do you?" He asked

Clarice turned around and narrowed her eyes.

"No, I don't" She said with a calm voice.

"Can I ask why? " He said

"You just come here claiming to be an X-man, which you think will make everyone undoubtedly trust you. You had immediately recognized Lorna, one of the leaders, which gives the others more reasons to believe you. I find it shady, that you come around the time of the Frosts crisis."

"I assure you, I don't have any background intentions Clarice." Alex answered with the same calm tone. "It is understandable that you are suspicious to people after all you have been through"

"How do you know what we have been through?" Clarice asked a little hostility in her voice.

"The X-men went through the same shit trying to make peacefull coexistence possible. In time you became more careful with people. If I were you I would be suspicious too."

"Right" Clarice nodded still looking unconvinced.

"I am not telling you to trust me, I am telling you that you can" Alex said with a small smile.

"Lorna and Johnny think highly of you. Maybe you are worth trusting, but I will have to see for myself." She said with a little hesitation.

"Yes, you should." He agreed.

"You sound like you are telling me to be careful with you" She noted crosing her arms over her chest.

"Nope, but you can't trust someone over the words of other people. Not truly. You have to see for yourself." He said maintaining eye contact.

"Okay then" Clarice said "We will see"

She turned on her heel and left the room without looking back. Alex followed Clarice with his gaze, until he lost her.

He could tell that she was passionate about the Mutant Underground's cause and cared about her friends. Maybe after the Frosts betrayal, she had started to be more cautious, or maybe she had been like this from before. Alex didn't know and finding something as simple as that out wasn't a priority even if he was curious.

He had eventually came up with a simple plan of how to proceed with the Rachel situation.

Convincing the Mutant Underground wasn't expected to be a hard part as Lorna approved, Clarice seemed on the edge and Johnny would listen to reason.

Marcos was the wild card. He didn't approved of the Frosts tactics and wouldn't trust them. Probably Lorna could have a shot in convincing him to at least think about it.

Sophie said that resources were for allies. Once the alliance was complete, he could ask what they knew about Rachel and track her down. He would need to explain to Lorna though. It was possible that he would have to go away for some time to find search.

Alex didn't think that he would have a huge problem with that.

Suddenly he felt a little tickle in the back of his head. The familiar tickle of a telepath trying to sneak into his mind. As much as he was aware they weren't any telepaths in the Underground. That left only one option and it wasn't pleasing.

The tickle was becoming more insistent and Alex began to struggle with pushing it away. The determination, with which it was trying to get into his mind was admirable, but it also had something familiar about it.

"Oh Emma" Alex sighed sadly, as he connected the pieces.

He lowered his defenses letting the sidekick in. There was no point in keeping them up. She was going to get in eventually. Emma was an Omega level telepath after all. Alex also wanted to know what she wanted. It was a long time ago since he had last seen her.

"Emma" He thought.

"Hello to you too" Emma though back.

Alex could feel her smile, whenever she was. A cold shiver crawled up his spine.

"What do you want?" He said cutting straight.

He didn't have time for her stupid games.

"You have always preferred the direct approach." Emma's thought echoed in his mind.

"Not everything changes" He thought back

"If you were only right"

"Should I be worried about the sound of that?" He thought

"Maybe, maybe not"

"Emma, I don't feel like playing your games right now." Alex thought making sure it sounded angry.

"I understand, but I have something for you. Something concerning our dear little Rachel.

The thought felt numb in his mind, but clear as the sky. It left him stunned, but he quickly got hold of himself.

"Which is?" The though was impatient, desperate.

Alex hated how weak it sounded, but he couldn't help feeling that way.

"I know where she is... what she is"

Emma's thought arrives with an unfamiliar feeling of sympathy.

"Just spill it" Alex snapped.

"They had turned her into a hound Alexander."

For a second time, Alex felt completely frozen in his place. His mind went into the darkest places, with hundred scenarios, how this could end. None of them were good.

"Alexander, calm your mind."

He took a deep breath and then another. Alex needed to keep it together, but he couldn't lose Rachel so soon after he found out she was okay. There was still hope, for her rescuing. She could still be saved, but only if he kept himself together long enough to be able to help her.

"I don't get it." He thought.

"What?"

"Your daughters, The resemblance is uncanny by the way. Sophie told me that she knows of Rachel, but refused to share information, because their resources are only for allies. Why are you telling me this now. The Underground are not allies to the Hellfire club yet." He thought

"Why do you think I am working with the girls? They can do whatever they want without me." Emma thought, but Alex already knew the answer.

She was probably asking just out of sheer curiosity.

"You were in the Hellfire club before. It seemed logical for you to start reforming it again after everything that had happened with the X-men. Also, I am sure that where your daughters are, you are there as well. "

"If by 'everything that had happened', you mean Charles's plans for peaceful coexistence collapsing over all is us, then yes"

"Let's get back to the point. Why now?"

"I believe we will have to talk throught this face to face." Emma's reply came almost immediately.

"I don't believe you tell me how to find you, probably next time I won't be coming as a guest."

"It is early for threats Alexander."

"It is never early to make sure someone wouldn't screw with you. "

"Of course. There is a big building near to the underground base. Glass windows, white panels, hard to miss. Go inside to the elevator and press the button for the 12th floor. "

"And where is that building exactly? "

"Go to the main road and left, continue straight ahead and you will see it"

"You became tired of the telepathic communication?" Alex though with a small smile.

"Well, business is better discussed face to face"

"Fair enough. I will be there soon. "

The telepathic link was cut and Alex walked out of the room. He had to sneak away somehow, before the meeting about the Frosts situation.

The sky was dark as clouds hid the sun from view. The atmosphere just felt dead and unwelcoming.

Alex walked on the road, as Emma instructed him and soon found himself in front of the tall white building.

Sneaking out wasn't practically hard. He had avoided Lorna and the other leaders, especially Clarice as much as he could for the rest of the day. If they haven't seen him for a long time, they won't notice if he was gone. It looked as simple as that, even if it wasn't.

He entered the lobby, walking straight to the elevator, ignoring the receptionist starring at him.

His scars had attracted some attention before, but it had been nothing he couldn't explain or handle. Yeah, people's occasional glances were annoying him to a new level, but there was nothing he could do to stop them.

Alex went in the elevator and pushed and pushed the button for the 12the floor as instructed.

This whole situation with Emma seemed shady. She had openly admitted to have involvement in the Hellfire Club. Emma was a manipulative and resourceful woman. What she was planning couldn't be good.

Alex stepped in as the elevator opened directly into the living room. Emma was standing in front of him, just a few metres away.

She gave him a small smile.

"You may not believe me Alexander, but it is good to see you" She said

"It is good to see a familiar face." Alex replied and took a few steps further. "Nice place you got here."

"It is one of the many facilities the Hellfire Club uses. Anyways, we are here for bussines, aren't we."

"I believe that means you will get right to the point." Alex said

"You asked why I am telling you this now, instead of waiting for the Mutant Underground to ally with my girls. Correct? "

"Correct" Alex nodded feeling his patience slipping away.

"I told you this from a good intention. To show you that I actually know what had happened to Rachel. "

"So, you told me to manipulate me even more into convincing the Underground?" Alex asked rising his eyebrow. "If that is the case, you are losing your time, I was going to do it anyway."

"This is what I called you about." Emma said, the smile disappearing from her face, moved out by a serious look. "I need you with me in the Hellfire Club."

"You know my answer." Alex said clenching his fists.

"I knew you will react like this" Emma sighed.

"React like this?! You expect me to ditch my adult life's work to play Brotherhood with you? Well you really overestimated yourself with your convincing abilities this time, Emma." Alex snapped

" I am just offering you a chance to do something helpful for mutants." Emma said

"So, Charles's dream wasn't helpful? " Alex asked sharp.

"It was a nice dream, but unfortunately a unsuccessful one. I tried to achieve it alongside you, but it failed time and time again. We need a new approach. "

"So killing people like Magneto did. It didn't turned out good for him either, did it?"

"Innocent people won't be hurt in our mission, just our enemies: Sentinel Services, The Purifiers and the other, unknown ones." Emma said, taking a seat on the coach.

"I am not going to kill people." Alex shook his head.

"You wanted to kill that Purifier, who shot Scott, didn't you? Of course, little miss goody-two-shoes, Jean Grey, stopped you from doing so."

"Don't you dare use Scott against me." His voice was a growl.

"Aren't you tired of using the same tactic and failing again and again, losing more every time. I am exhausted Alexander. Exhausted of playing good with people, who only wants to see us dead or locked up. You know I am right, deep down you want this, but Charles's old teachings are stopping you from acting on your instincts."

"I am tired Emma, I really am, but if I fail the X-men's dream, I am failing myself as well. Everything I believe in, will be ruined as soon as I kill someone in cold blood. Do you get that?"

Emma's words struck him in the chest. He felt like she had some right, but he couldn't fail the X-men. It should be unthinkable, but here he was thinking about it, considering it.

So many years ago, he had helped stopping Shaw and the Hellfire Club from starting World War III and now Emma was asking him to join the same organisation. Times really had changed a lot.

"I get it, but the X-men had failed Alexander, if you keep clinging to your old morals, to your old approaches, you will die. You either adapt like everyone else or die." Emma said her chin raised up.

"Are you using the old 'the survival of the fittest' philosophy now? I thought it died with Apocalypse so many years ago." Alex laughed, the sound coming out bitter.

"No, I am using the ends justify the means" Emma smiled "The peaceful times have ended Summers, Sentinel Services want war, they will get war."

"Emma, I am not joining you, I am not going to help you slaughter people" Alex said

"Suit yourself. You can go back to being useless in the Mutant Underground. "

"We are calling names now? "Alex asked crossing his hands over his chest.

"You are a trained fighter, a good leader and tactician with an extreme power level, being wasted with these people. They are just helping mutants find a place to stay, nothing long term, nothing to help stop the abuse and mistreatment of mutants. So yes, I am calling you useless." Emma said

"I want to know where is Rachel, Emma. This is what I care about right now." Alex replied changing the subject completely.

"Very well. Rachel is located somewhere in a facility in Virginia." Emma said getting up from the coach.

"And?" Alex urged her to continue

"You don't think I will tell you everything, do you? I am just showing you that I have the information you need. I will tell you the rest when the alliance is set. This was just to drive you on." She smirked and Alex clenched his fists.

"So that is it?" He asked irritated.

"No, I have a little deal for you. I will tell you where Rachel is and help you rescue her. In return, you will help me with the Hellfire Club, when the time comes. You know you can't save her alone."

"You really are a manipulating bitch Emma Frost" Alex said "I think I will do it without your help. The Mutant Underground will be enough."

"They are untrained and not that well organized to infiltrate that lab. You will need more experienced people." Emma noted and a smirk slid onto her face.

"I see you have someone in mind."

"Fortunately, for you, I kept some of my old contacts intact and tracked down some of the X-men, with who I have lost touch with. Being in the Hellfire club has it's perks as you know." Emma said

"So, you have contact with some of the remaining X-men?" Alex asked

"Exactly" Emma replied "I will gather a small team and rescue Rachel. I will arrange treatment for her, so we can try to change her back to normal, but you will have to join the Hellfire Club."

"Why do you want me there so badly?" Alex asked leaning against the wall.

"You need me as I need you" Emma said, the smile still playing on her lips.

"Deal?"

What should he do? Alex couldn't rescue Rachel on his own and Emma was right, the Underground weren't that well trained, except for John. Also there was no guarantee, that they would agree to help him with Rachel. If he refused, she could decline even telling him the location. Emma had all of the cards.

The White Queen had caught him crammed for room in the worst time possible. He was probably making a mistake, but he couldn't see any other way. There probably was one, but he couldn't find it now. There was no time to search for it. His niece was in danger and she could die any moment. His moral high ground didn't mean anything if he let his last living relative die in the hands of her tormentors. If he had let that happen, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He made his choice.

A wave of determination and anger rushed at him and he let it in. The dark part, he was suppressing for so long came kicking in and he let it consume him. It was time to act.

"Deal" He shook Emma's stretched hand, all of his hesitation gone.

When Scott had still been a child, Alex had been sure that he would do anything to get back to him. He had swore he wouldn't let Scott lose another part of his family. Even if it turned him into a monster. Now, Rachel was the one that needed him and he knew, he would do everything to get to her, to help her.

"I knew I could count on you to make the right choice." Emma smirked and let go of his hand. "We are not that different, you and I. You may pretend, you are better than me, but at the end of the day we will both do what we have to, to get what we want."

"The difference is that you set the whole world on fire to do it. I know where to draw the line." Alex said thought gritted teeth.

"We will see." Emma said walking towards the elevator.

She pushed the only silver button on the panel and faced Alex again.

"You better go, don't let them get suspicious."

Alex turned to face the silver doors, which opened in front of him, and entered without looking back, leaving the smiling face of Emma Frost behind.

He felt like he was being torn apart. The Mutant Underground were continuing the X-men's cause and it was all he wanted, but leaving Rachel behind was unthinkable. Alex knew, he had made the right choice, but it was still eating him from inside. Would Charles approve of what he has done or he would shake his head in disappointment? Alex preferred to believe the latter.

On the other hand, Emma was right about certain stuff. The dream had failed again and again, every time leaving the corpses of his friends and family burning.

He returned to the headquarters shortly and it was like he hasn't left. Nobody had seemed to noticed his absence. Everyone was too occupied with their own tasks.

He spotted Lorna at the stairs and took a few steps forward.

"I am changing. Everything's changing. "

She couldn't say it any better.

All of his scattered thoughts, came together, united by this one sentence. Lorna was right. Everything was changing. He wasn't sure for better or worse.

"I know." Marcos said

A few silent seconds passed between them.

"Johnny needs to see us." He continued.

They both stood up and their gazes fell on Alex.

"You look zoned out" Lorna noted and Alex gave her a smile.

"I guess I was just distracted." He shrugged.

"Come, we will discuss the Frost situation." Lorna said motioning him to follow her.

She gave a quick look to Marcos, who nodded.

The three of them entered the small room, where John was already waiting. Lorna sat on the chair and Marcos stood near the desk. Alex leaned at the wall.

"The Frost sisters will be here soon" Johnny spoke. "We need to decide what to do. "

"As far as I concern, the sidekicks are not a starter." Marcos said

"Because their tactics make you uncomfortable." Lorna argued

"Uncomfortable? They murdered a dozen of people without even blinking. We don't know a first thing about them." Marcos argued back.

"We do know one thing about them. They saved our asses." Clarice said entering the room as well.

"They saved themselves and pulled us right in the front row in a war with Sentinel Services" Marcos said

"The Congress could declare Marshall Law." Johnny said

"So? They didn't need Marshall Law, when they killed the foster parents." Clarice said

"Exactly." Lorna stood up "Why should we fight with one hand tied behind our backs. We need all the allies we can get." She turned to Marcos and continued "Do you want to cling to your ideals or do you want to survive."

"We can't just throw away our principles, because it's convenient, no. The X-men choose us for a reason and it's not because we can kill. If we wanted to kill people we would have done it a dozen times already, but we didn't. We have to be better than need to take out the hounding program and we will, Lorna, but we have to do it our way."

He spoke passionately and for a moment Alex forgot what his role was, which side he was actually on.

"Why don't you ask him, why the X-men choose us?" Clarice asked nodding towards him.

Suddenly all eyes fell on Alex. It had felt like the old times, when he had been just about to brief the team on some new mission along with the Professor. He cleared his throat and canculayed his words.

"No, we didn't choose any of you because you can kill. We choose you, because we knew who you are capable of being. We believed that you can make the tough choices...even if it meant that you have to kill. Sometimes you can't escape it." He said, his tone even.

"What is your opinion on the matter?" Lorna asked meeting his eyes.

She was probably recalling their conversation from the previous day, when he had told her how to win this debate. In her eyes could be read only sheer determination.

"Against a common enemy, the better choice is to make allies. Even if they are your enemies by definition. The X-men have allied themselves with the Brotherhood a couple of times in need. I believe you should do the same." He said and looked at the faces of the people around him.

Lorna raised her chin up. He could tell she liked his answer. Johnny looked thoughtful, his brow furrowed and Marcos looked frustrated, but tried to hide it. It wasn't a very good try.

Alex looked up at Clarice. She looked pleased as Lorna was. Blink wanted this alliance to happen too. He remember their earlier interaction. He hoped Clarice didn't start believing him just yet. After all, he was about to stand on the opposite side.

Taking a breath, Alex had realized, that he would have to abandon Lorna as soon as he joins the Hellfire club. He knew he was forgetting something, but the image of his niece, being beaten and drugged had taken his mindscape at that time, leaving no room for anything else. Now, his mind was clean and he could think freely. How could he forget about Lorna? Alex felt like punching himself for it, but there was no point. He had already taken Emma's offer. Even with Lorna in the equation, he still had to help Rachel. Lorna would understand. She always does.

"Hey listen up. I just caught word of the police radio, something big is about to go down." Sage said peeping into the room.

"Where?" Johnny asked

Sage looked at Johnny "Fairburn station"

It took him a few second to connect the pieces. He turned to them.

"We have to go. The Struckers and everyone else are in danger" He said and everyone suddenly seemed on edge.

Lorna had told Alex that this Strucker family was leaving the previous day. It didn't took him long to realize it was the same family.

Things were about to get heated up.

A/N:

Hello people from all around the world. I am back. Sorry it took me so long to post the new chapter, but in my defense, school has started. I will try to update every one or two weeks from now on, but that means that I will have to update "The Beginning of a Legacy" more rarely as people don't read it as much as this one.

I have some other news to share. I am planning a new story. An X-men and Teen Wolf crossover, which will be called "The Mutant Pack". The first chapter is already started and I will probably post it in a week.

I believe this is all for now. Don't hesitate to leave a review of my work and tell me what you think. See ya!