White Queen

The Frost sisters would always feel like they could be doing more. They wanted to be doing more or maybe it was because the organisation was just moving too slowly. They, however, did understand the value of being patient. Being reckless would only lead to trouble. They all wore soft smiles as Emma joined them at the table. “All work and no play makes for a sad telepath,” Sophie teases, her smile growing. “No hello or how are you? It’s nice to see you too Miss Frost.” Esme sat up a little straighter, placing her glass of water down. “Getting in was easy but we didn’t have very long with him,” she starts only to be interrupted by Phoebe. “He’s not exactly the smartest player in the game.”

Emma didn’t say anything until her drink came and she took a sip. There had been a lot gone on, a lot of pressures and fights which left her civil mood at the door a few days before. “All work makes for an overworked telepath,” she said rubbing her temples before she looked at the three other women. “I haven’t had time for pleasantries. I trust you three don’t need much time to get what you want or what is needed. Anything of worth?”

Starter for @frostedmind​

Sat around a table meant for four, the frosts were enjoying a spot of breakfast and a moment of peace. Helping to start a revolution truly was a tiring endeavor. They had been given the task of collecting information. An easy task for three telepaths but sometimes they could use the full extent of their powers. There was so much more to them than just reading minds. The target had been Homelander but while the interaction had been short, the three sisters knew better than to come back empty-handed. Any information was better than nothing after all and they were less worried when it came to relaying things to Emma than Magneto. Esme sat between her sisters, Phoebe to her left while Sophie was on her right. They were communicating but mostly within the confines of their minds; some things were better kept amongst themselves. “Violence isn’t always the answer Phoebe,” Esme huffed as she fell back in her seat. Picking up a glass of water to take a sip. “I’m just saying we could have at least left him with a headache or something,” Phoebe pouted, biting into a strawberry. “Care to join?” Sophie asked, her eyes had been watching the door waiting for the white queen herself.  

Every time Emma had a meeting with Magento over the Brotherhood, progress or anything else she would always come out of it frustrated, angry and feeling like there was more they all could be doing. Vought was the main target for them all but with some of the Brotherhood being reckless, it wasn’t helpful. Her Frost sisters weren’t like that. They did what was needed and didn’t need to be reckless or rush. “I wouldn’t mind one bit,” she mentioned as she sat down with them and ordered herself a drink. “What have you found out?”

Erik didn’t believe in excuses. Not in his family and certainly not within his brotherhood and it looked as if Emma did not share the same sentiments. “I can condone a few little mistakes but not on a frequence occurrence.” Erik was frustrated. He had his daughters back and now he was ready to make a move on vought. “You succeeded in one thing I asked of you, against a weak mind. I thought I already gave you my thanks.” His voice oozed in harsh sarcasm as he addressed on his few success stories on a weak-willed mutant and his human relatives. 

"And what mistakes do you think I’ve made? I can promise you I haven’t made any. I found out where your granddaughter is, I found what gives the supes their abilities and the Frost sisters found the identity of Homelanders child. I’ve infiltrated Vought many times. What makes them mistakes and what have you done?” She was getting infuriated with the insinuations. “I’m not doing any of this for thanks.”

Alex hated to admit it but the telepathic mutant was right. The X-Men had dedicated their lives to help people, both mutant and human and look where it got them? They weren’t branded terrorists like the brotherhood. “And you and Erik do nothing to help that.” Mutants were hated but that was mostly because of the actions of the brotherhood. “How do you plan on turning the world in a mutant-accepting way?” She was a great telepath but no one could change the minds of billions.

"It is beyond help. For too long our kind have been trying to appease humans and help them but they want us to be a villain or to suffer so they can have movies of their supes going against us. Let’s face it, we’ve tried the X-Men thing, join us at the Brotherhood.” She kept her face neutral. “You’ll find out if you join us.”

“Exactly, Emma, I don’t personally work with Vought but I can drop a few words in the right places,” Warren said, wrinkling his nose a little. “I attend a few events with them but it never really goes any deeper than that. I don’t think Vought really cares about even Worthington Industries.”

The blond sighed a little and shook his head. “I can’t show you here, I’m in my office and there’s definitely CCTV in here.”

"Is there a right place over there? I’ve sneaked around a little and I haven’t seen one part of that company that is decent, good or working for anything else that isn’t their own profits.” She agreed with him about what cares about. “They only care for their supes and what they bring in. Mutants are being used to further the money in their pockets.” Emma looked around the office and back to Warren. “There’s nobody here. Show me.”

Nathaniel smiled at her response. Many people had suspected it was false information or fake news as the trend was to say, but they needed heroes so they believed whatever they needed to. “Compound V is nothing but a solution to help our heroes. Normal medicine doesn’t work so this is just a pain killer but for supes.” It was all bullshit but he wasn’t going to admit anything. 

“That is close to what I’ve heard but not the entirety of it.” She watched him close, still unable to get into his mind which as as impressive as it was alarming if she was the type of person to get alarmed. “What I’ve heard is that Compound V is the reason for your superheroes. Artificial and doping. That won’t sell if it gets out.”

“Can’t you count?” He laughed. “Translucent retired and we are down to six, well, until Stormfront joins.” It was a shame that Translucent met his end, he was a creep but he wasn’t terrible plus his movies were actually kinda cool. “We’re born with it as well but we train and learn. If mutants didn’t train, tell that to the ones that drowned a few weeks ago.” He smirked. That was one of the only things The Deep had done recently to get praise from Vought and head office.

"I was at his wake, I know he isn’t in the Seven anymore.” The mind of a few Vought higher ups gave her that little bit of information but she had to give it to them, they could cover up. “I also know Homelander has a kid. Add him in that makes Seven and they’ll get rid of the weakest link.” She wanted to hurt him for his comments but knew she couldn’t risk exposure.

Emma was almost right. Alex wasn’t ashamed of his mutation, in fact, it was the thing that had brought Lorna into his life and in turn, Katie. “My safety and my daughters is what keeps me hiding it or haven’t you seen the news recently?” There wasn’t any shame but there was a lot of fear. Unlike Emma and the stepford cuckoo’s, Alex didn’t have control over his powers and even with his containment suit, sometimes he powers needed to unleash it and that was the worst times.  “But you haven’t made it any better.” Alex replied quickly. “You;ve fuelled their hatred and fear so every mutant death, that’s on you lot.” The brotherhood was a product of hate but while Xavier had tried to fix things, The Brotherhood wanted the exact opposite. 

"Of course I have. I’ve seen it since I was kid and how they make us the villains even when we aren’t. Look at the X-Men, they never got as much respect or anything like these supes do. All mutants get is hated no matter what group.” She snickered. “Nobody is making anything any better. They hate us and they always will no matter what we do.”

   There was and air of smugness now that Nathaniel could see had done the almost impossible; impressing the white queen herself. As much as he wanted to take full credit for the supes, Nathaniel’s research would be nothing without Vougelbaum and the next batch of Supes, well, improvements would be made. “Supes are given their powers from god or did you miss that briefing?” Honestly, Nathaniel hated that spin but it had already been put out there and changing it now was impossible. “Why prove them when I can improve mutants?” He asked. He could guess her answer already but compound v could intensify their powers.

"I saw the briefing, I just have an intolerance for bullshit.” The whole religion part of Vought was the least believable thing they spun but the most obvious lie yet people ate it up and begged for more and more. “To prove it to them. I’ve been inside Vought,” inside the minds of Vought, “I know about Compound V and that your supes are nothing without it. Mutants are born with abilities and don’t need the genetic manipulation of V.”

“Emma, I know you’re not stupid enough to believe that I have a hand in the day to day running of the newspapers that I own.” She knew how businesses worked and the papers had all been running before his company owned them; he couldn’t just force editors to change their viewpoints when their viewpoints were what was making them all money.

“Who says I’m not proud of them? You can be proud of things not everyone gets to see.” Not that he was as happy with his wings as he’d always been, after the trauma of losing them for a while.

"I know that even when people own businesses they don’t run them. I’m similar in that sense.” She used to be more hands on with her businesses but lately she had put all her energy and time into the Brotherhood. “That doesn’t mean you don’t have influence.” She’d made certain her company worked for mutants rather than against them even if it was discreet. “I’ve never seen them but I’m almost certain they look beautiful. Will you show me?”

The more his mutants waited for their chance to attack Vought the more of their own kind was at risk. The Frost Sisters needed to hurry up, if not Emma would have to take control. “We have made many mistakes already. I can’t keep waiting around for other people to do their jobs!” A metal frame had crumbled into a ball with Magneto’s anger.  Vought was full of mysteries but if they were now breeding their mutts and having them with powers, mutants could be at risk of extinction. “And what have you found or have you been distracted lately?”

Emma watched as the mental frame turned into a ball. Magento was obviously angry but she didn’t think it fair his anger directed at her. “We have. And we’ll make more. We have to admit that mistakes will happen but how we react to them is what we can control. Waiting around? Everyone is doing their job. If you don’t like it, do something about it or tell people what you want. I’m never distracted. I found the information that you wanted that got your grandkid back.”

The smile was one The Deep had seen on almost every face. It had the right amount of disgust and hatred all mixed into some sort of polite mask. “Vought is a company but they sell hope and who’s the biggest source? The Supes.” The Deep was a mass-market machine. Anything with his face on it would sell and Vought couldn’t lose that.  “A-Train is out, Stormfront is probably in so they can’t get rid of me.” Yet was the word that hung in his mind, the uncertainty was killing him with just that one simple word. “We train because we are the best.” The Deep scoffed. “You don’t get to be the best by sitting around like mutants. No, we embrace it and train.”

"Selling hope,” she scoffed while fighting the urge to roll her eyes at him. “What is your logic in that? If Stormfront is in, why does that ensure your place? I would have thought that risked it even more since it shows they are able to change members up.” Emma was sick of mutants getting insulted. “Mutants don’t have to train, they are born that way without the need of help.”

   “But an educated mind isn’t enough these days.” They had been for many years. No, science, if done right, was an art. It needed that creativity to see the potential in something and Emma Frost was one of the mutants with the most potential, especially since her dalliance with a certain mutant that Nathaniel had his eye on. “You brag and boast about being the future, the next phase in evolution but that is all nature, what I have done with these supes is something beyond the chance of nature.”

"Correct,” she agreed sounding slightly impressed by him for the first time. At the start, she had him down as just another cogg in the Vought machine that created and worshipped supes, validating them while persecuting others. “”Beyond the chance of nature isn’t evolution and what you’ve done with the supes isn’t natural. It’s transhumanism when mutants are post-human. Better, stronger and not because someone manipulated our structure for it. You want to prove your creations against us? Let’s see how they are without their abilities. That is, if you have anything that could do something like that.”

Alex shuddered. The thought of Scott and Emma together in her twisted version of therapy was not a mental he wanted or needed.  “I don’t have any ill feelings towards being a mutant, only for the ones who kill innocent people.” Magneto was the main mutant he had an issue with and that was due to the bloodshed and not the genetics he had. “The people who hate mutants is mostly out of fear that the brotherhood has caused. Katie won’t ever hate what she is but she won’t hate humans either.”

The shudder made her smirk. So prudish. Scott was the more fun Summers and she did miss him, even though they argued a bit before she left. “I think you do. It might be deep down but I think it’s their and it eats you up. You have shame with it, I think. A shame that keeps you hiding what you are from everyone. People hated our kind before the Brotherhood even existed and you know it. Try as hard as you can to blame the Brotherhood and Magneto for everything but we are the reaction from what people have done to our kind.”

“It’s cute when outsides think they know the company I’ve spent the better half of my life in.” She was partly right. It was all about what a hero brought to the table and for The Deep it was his social media and all the branding and endorsements he got. “Stormfront has her own powers and Starlight can shoot pretty lights out of her hands, she’s hardly Lamplighter.” The Deep had to stop himself from shuddering. It was his turn to clean out Lamplighter’s cell and he fucking hated every time it was his turn. “I can fight, we train harder than Olympic athletes because we are the best.”

She smiled. Polite but as cold as ice that was matched by the glare behind her eyes. “It’s cute when people with no idea of how business works try and think they know anything about it. Vought is a company first and foremost. They’re profits are worth more than your well-being. The instant you have no value to their profit margin you’ll be gone. PR stunts dry up and get old quick. Power doesn’t.” And you don’t have any power, she thought but the glare said it for her. “Stormfront and Starlight have more appealing powers than you. Powers they can market without needed water. You can fight?” she chuckled. “If you are so strong you shouldn’t need to train harder than Olympic athletes.”

Jean and Emma were so different, they were both telepaths and mutants but from what Alex could see, that was where the similarities ended. The X-Men always had their suspicions about Emma and they were all confirmed the minute she betrayed them and joined Magneto. “I’d say you’re reaching but it was a good effort.” Things with his adoptive parents had grown complicated with his mutation and even now he went weeks without speaking to them. “I lived with Lorna for a year after Katie was born. I could see how Magneto was, always talking about humans being the enemy and I don’t want my daughter thinking like that.” That first year was one of the greatest and craziest years of his life. He was adjusting to a newborn and having Magneto as a permanent fixture to his life.

"Hardly reaching. Any therapist worth their salt would come to the same conclusion I did and I don’t mean the kind of therapist I was. The disdain you have for your own kind and yourself is something you should see someone about instead of hiding and projecting.” Emma was being firm with him, civil but her tone was teetering on sharp. “I already know all that. You only see what you want to with him, you haven’t given him a real chance. They aren’t? What would you call people that hunt your kind and persecute them and force you to keep what you are from daughter and what she is from herself?”

   “You and I have two very different definitions of the words.” Vought did not share in his thoughts and while they thought they had the control, without him they had to depend on Vougelbaum and he wasn’t in the best frame of mind currently. “They were asked to step in before my time in charge and the contracts were signed. They can’t see the potential in mutants but I do.” 

"An educated mind on the most basic of levels would know that there are different types of educated and most show value.” Some didn’t. She had learnt that from observing the minds of many educated people only to find them stupid but educated. “What potential is that?”