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The Hellhouse stank of beer, sweat and smoke. So did the clientele. The men were loud and drunk. They had grabbing hands and leering looks to go along with their lewd comments. The women were barely dressed. The looser ones went from table to table, enticing some of the men to spend some of their cash.E & E VS. P written by Echo
This was hardly the place you would find a leading industrialist. Someone who had created her kingdom by sheer will and stubbornness. No, this was not the type of place one expected to find Emma Frost. How ironic then that she was sitting at a table with a dry Martini in front of her, trying to avoid the eyes of a particularly disgusting looking man.
Emma looked at her watch again. Ten p.m. She'd been here for two hours and no sign of Echo.
"Hey Trixie, want me to get you a re-fill?" Emma stared at the portly man that everyone called C.F. He'd asked her the first day, what her name was and she gave it as Trixie Thom.
C.F. was a nice enough guy and if she talked to him, maybe the freak across the room would stop staring.
"Sure C.F. That's really nice, but maybe I should finish the drink I have first."
He blushed and stared at the floor. "Gosh, you're right."
She grinned widely and decided to weed out some information from him. "C.F., your in here a lot aren't ya?"
"Um... ya, I guess you could say that."
She smiled even wider. "Then you'd know everyone who came in here, wouldn't you?"
C.F. became cautious now, women didn't smile that widely at him unless they wanted something. "Yes... why?"
Emma could read his mind like a children's story and instantly toned down her smile. "I need to hire someone. A woman, for a special burglary job. Do you know any of the girls who work here?"
C.F. nodded his head and sat down. "Sure, there's at least ten who do some mercenary jobs for Patch once in awhile."
"Good. Can you tell me their names?"
"Sure. Is there anything special you need them equipped with? Any skills or special weaponry?"
Emma could tell that this man was an expert at selling potential workers. She decided to play along.
"I need someone who can get in and out of a building without leaving a trace, or being caught."
C.F. nodded. "That will knock two from the list. Paisley and Reckon tend to blow up the places they've been to. Go on."
"They need to know some martial arts or something like that."
C.F. shook his head. "All or most merc's have had some serious training in some kind of eastern fighting. What else?"
Emma shook her head. "I can't think of anything else."
C.F. nodded again. "Alright then, I'll ask you some questions. What kind of death rate do you want?"
"Excuse me?" Emma was utterly confused.
"Death rate. Do you want any opposition killed to make the job go faster or do you want them beat up to unconsciousness?"
Emma was about to ask for a low death rate when she realized that this was a subtle test. Any employer, who wanted to hire a professional mercenary wouldn't get squeamish over a few dead bodies. It was time to use the ruthlessness that had made Emma Frost a millionaire.
"Which is cheaper?"
C.F. smiled, oh yea, she was definitely a legitimate client. "Killing anyone is always more expensive, but it's quicker and cleaner."
"I don't care about the time. The low death rate is more economically sound. Please, keep going."
"Alright that will knock out three more girls. "Desei, Jasmin and Chantel like client's that are willing to spend more money. This leaves five. What do you want them to steal?"
"It's really nothing. "Emma waved her hand to dismiss it as trivial. "A small gem, that's all."
"Ok, that leaves only three girls. Duchess and Janesa only deal in armory or people. That leaves you with Domino, Mary Jane and Echo."
Emma was able to contain her excitement as she planned how to weed Echo out of the group. "How do I decide between them?"
"Well, Domino's the veteran. She's a pro through and through but she's a mutant. That doesn't bother you does it?"
Emma smiled slowly. "Not at all."
"Echo's a mutant too. She's young but she does a good job on item missions. She doesn't interact well with people. Especially opposition. She tends to panic." He looked at his finger and went on. "Mary Jane is intense. She'll finish a job but leave a high body count. At no extra charge," he finished quickly.
"Is she a mutant?"
"Not that I'm aware of. She had some multipul personality problem but it seems to be under control."
"I don't want to hire her if she's not a mutant."
"Ok." C.F. looked up surprised them. "I completely forgot. Domino took off awhile ago. You won't be able to hire her."
Emma kept her smile small, "I guess that means I'll hire Echo. If you can tell me where to find her, that would be helpful."
C.F. stood up quickly. "I'll tell Patch that you want to hire her. He'll tell Echo and she'll get into contact with you." At Emma's disappointed face he shrugged. "That's the way it works. She may pass up the job. It's always a risk but Patch will find someone to take it who'll do a good job."
Emma nodded her head and leaned back in her chair. "I'll have that drink now C.F."
Echo listened to the message on her voice mail again. "New client. Want's you for job. Female." That's what Patch had said. Echo hated new clients. They were idiot's who tried to take back the money they had paid. They usually ended up dead after a few months.
Still.... if it was a chick who was doing the hiring, it might be different circumstances.
The first thing Echo noticed when she walked in the room was the different atmosphere. Deadpool's leaving had been a breath of fresh air. Echo felt safe walking into the building. When T-Ray took off it was an open invitation for all merc's to come back.
T-Ray was evil, but Deadpool was psychotic. Of all the merc's Echo knew, Deadpool scared her.
The second thing Echo noticed was C.F. He was sitting at a table talking to a pretty blond. Echo smiled to herself, C.F. always fell for a pretty face. She saw Patch's nod from across the room and realized that this was the new client.
"Excuse me," she interupted. "I'm Echo, Patch said you wanted to hire me."
The blonde smiled but didn't take her outstreched hand. Instead she motioned for Echo to take the remaining chair.
"I'm Ms. Thom but you can call me Trixie. I'm in need of a theif and C.F. tells me your one of the best."
Echo smiled smugly. "C.F. brags a bit to much. What is it you want me to steal?"
Emma sighed heavily. "I had a diamond that was stolen from me several years ago. I trusted a man and he stole my diamond and saphire necklace. My fiance had given it to me. Once he discovered it missing, he bacame convinced that I had sold it. In order to marry him, I need my necklace back. I can't tell him who stole it and without that information it's imposible to get back."
"Why did he steal it?"
"Jealousy." She shrugged dismissivly. "He was my lover but I was marrying for money and refused to see him again. Did I mention he was an excelent theif. I suppose it was a challenging revenge."
Echo nodded, "you wanted a female theif because you thought she'd be more sympathetic?"
"Yes, that's exactly right."
"Who is your master theif and where can I find him?"
Emma took a deep breath. This was the kicker. "His name is Remy Le'Beau. I don't know where to find him. I thought he was in Massachusett's but then my spies lost him. I was hoping you would be able to find him."
Echo was speechless as she stared at the other woman. "Can I have a sip of your Martini? My throat seems to be a little dry."
"Of course, how thoughtless of me. C.F. run and get her something to drink. Here," she handed Echo her glass. "Drink this while we wait."
As soon as Echo touched the glass she knew who this woman was. All the ambition and secretiveness. Emma Frost was laying a trap, and Echo had almost walked right into it. She smiled and handed the glass back.
"Thank you. Trixie wasn't it? I think I like your idea. I'll assemble my equipment and be ready by the end of the week." She stood up and threw Emma a bussiness card. "Meet me in front of that address tomorrow morning at nine. We'll discuss my price."
With that she left and in the next few minutes, the blond woman called Trixie left in the same direction.
The wind bit through Emma's light coat causing her to shiver. "That's what you get for dressing like a prostitute," she mumbled to herself.
Emma had been following Echo's Psi patern for th last few blocks. The trail lept over fences and in the darker alleys of Chicago. Then suddenly the trail stopped.
The trail had entered a dark alley and went to the back where it bumped into a wall. That's where it stopped, there was no trail over the wall. She didn't fly away or go through the wall or in a secret door, she just vanished.
Then realization kicked in. Emma swore in the dead silence. A transporter. That was the only way she could have gotten out of that alley without leaving a Psi pattern. But why hadn't she used it just outside the door?
Emma swore again. Echo must have realized that she was being followed. So much for the quick ninja lesson Wolverine had given her.
She sighed and turned around to leave but was stopped before she got the chance. A masculine arm pinned her arms to her side while wraping around her waist. The other hand came up and clamped over her mouth, stopping her scream.
"Hello Emma," a voice whispered in her ear. He took his hand off her mouth long enough for her to be able to whisper, "but your dead!" He clamped his hand over her mouth again and grinned.
"Not anymore."
Echo stared at her watch for the third time in an hour. 9:30. Emma Frost had just seemed like the punctual type.
Echo had awoken to a gray dreary sky. She had quickly dressed and gone to meet Emma. At 9:01 Echo had tleported to the meetining spot, trying to make a grand entrance, only to find no one there. Even the streets were empty. The dark sky and smog managed to block out most of the sun, making the city look dark and full of shadows.
Echo shivered and pulled her coat closer as one of the shadows moved. She had been able to buy a new image induceer and was able to changer her multicolored green, blue and purple hair into a subtle brown. Her eyes were masked with sunglasses. The image inducer was an older model and was unable to mask the details of her eyes. If only it wasn't her entire eye that changed color, then she could have worn colored contacts.
She sighed and looked at her watch again. Maybe Emma had decided to forgo her little sting operation. She couldn't have gotten lost. The address was right on the card, plus she was the only brown-haired, purple-eyed girl on the street with green boomerang shaped eye tatoo's. Emma had given up.
"That's probably what happened," she muttered to herself. She punched the coordinated for the transport in but heard a noise behind her and stopped just short of pushing the 'activate' button.
She turned around slowly to face a short man that was leaning against the wall. He smiled at her and lit a cigerett.
"Your Echo, right?" He asked smoothly.
"That depends on who's asking." The man just smiled and pulled his coat closer around him.
"I represent the woman you know as Trixie Thom. She'd like to speak with you." He took a small step towards her.
Echo smiled and took a small step back. "Funny how you use that phrase 'the woman you know as.' Meaning that Trixie wasn't her real name."
"Very perceptive Miss Beaule." He smiled and advanced a few more steps. "I beleive we've underestimated you." She retreated a few more steps to counter the ones he was taking towards her. This made him smile wider.
"Do I make you nervous Miss Beaule?"
She took another step back. "What makes me nervous is the fact that you know my last name." And you haven't said Le'Beau which means you aren't connected to the X-Men, she thought to herself. "I never told Emma Frost my real name."
The man's eyes grew huge as he noticed her slip. She cursed inwardly as she realized her own mistake. Now he knew that she knew that Trixie Thom was Emma Frost.
She turned to run but someone came up behind her, pinning her arms to her side's. She felt the tight grip and realized that the second man was wearing a metal suit, letting his mutant power be blocked. Kicking and twisting didn't relieve the pressure of his grip.
The first man smiled and took her transporter from her pocket. "I wouldn't want you to leave before the boss has a nice chat with you."
Realization dawned on her. "You work for him don't you?"
He grinned evily. "You screwed up on a job. Did you think he'd let you off the hook?" He clicked his tongue and shook his head. He pulled out a small silver object that looked like a gun.
"Hold still, it will only hurt for a minute." He pointed it at her and pulled the trigger. Then Echo's world went black.
Emma couldn't open her eyes. She could smell smoke and feel the restraints that were binding her hands. She could hear someone moving around but couldn't sense them psionically. She still couldn't open her eyes.
There was a groan from somewhere to the left of her. Footsteps came from across the room and the groaning abruptly stoped. The footsteps retreated.
//Emma?//
Emma fought against the voice in her head. She couldn't recongnize the psi-signature at first but then she realized it was Echo's. She stopped struggiling.
//Emma can you hear me?//
//Echo? Is that you? How do you know- I mean how did you-//
//I figured out who you were at the Hellhouse and you had been tied up on this table. You left your mutant imprint which is lucky for me. That's how I've been able to contact you. Can you open your eyes?//
Emma tried to open them but she didn't have the power for such a simple job. //I can't open them.//
//Alright. I had the same problem when I first woke up. They must have given you too much to keep you unconsious. I'm going to help you. Try as hard as you can.//
Together they were able to open Emma's eyes psionically but Emma was panting from the strain. She quickly absorbed her suroundings.
Emma was laying on a silver examination table. Her arms were shackled to her side and her legs were shackled together and then to the table. There was a wide metal restraint across her waist. Emma was dressed in whilte leggings and a matching silk shirt.
On the table next to her, Echo was tied up in much the same way. She was also wearing the same outfit. The simplicity of the outfit made her hair, eyes and facial tatoo look comedic.
//Don't make any sudden movements. The drugs have dulled your mutant power you can't fight. Everytime I make a sound that 'doctor' comes over and gives me an injection. We need to be alert if we want to get out of hear.//
//Do you know who kidnapped us?//
Echo chuckled softly. //Oh, yea. I know why he wan't me, but what about you?//
//I refuse to think about it. The person I saw is dead, so it must have been an ilusion. I have no idea who would kidnap me.//
//Well you'll get your answeres. Here he comes.// She went completely stiff. //Play dead.//
Emma watched as a cloaked figure entered the room. She had thought that he was someone else. Perhaps it was an old enemy that she had forgotten about. It couldn't be Donald though. He was dead.
The cloaked figure walked towards the women, carefully keeping his face hidden in the shadows. The girl, Echo, was regulating her breathing but she was awake. Emma was desperately trying to use her psi powers to discover his identity. It was better to reveal it to both women at the same time.
"Good morning ladies, I trust you slept well."
"Who are you?" Emma demanded in her commanding voice, trying to recognize him in the shadows.
He laughed candidly. "Emma, you already know who I am, and Echo knows too." He stepped out of the shadows and pulled off his hood, revealing what Echo already knew.
Donald Pierce was not dead. He was standing infront of her and she was his prisoner.
"What do you want from us Pierce?" He laughed again at his prisoners. "I thought that would have been obvious. Miss Beaule I kidnapped for revenge, and you, my dear Miss Frost, for an economic oportunity."
He motioned around him at the technology in the room. "Look at this Emma. Think of all I have acomplished on my own and think of all that we could acomplish together as the White King and Queen of the Hellfire club!"
It was Emma's turn to laugh and she did so with a hysterical edge to the sound. "Your mad Pierce. I don't want to be the White Queen. Besides you would have to get past Shaw, and I wish you luck with that!"
His smile faded as he absorbed her scorn and laughter. His face turned dark and cold. Echo was able to read the danger in his look thatwas focused at Emma and quickly drew his attention.
"Why did you want Banshee killed?"
He smiled at her question and changed his focus. He punched a few buttons on a computer terminal that was between the two tables. "If Banshee was out of the way then Emma would have no reason to keep teaching those brat's of hers. She would have had no real reason to not rejoin the Hellfire club." He shrugged dismissly "It was a beautiful plan. It's to bad I had an idiot working for me who was unable to kill her target." He punched a few more buttons and their table raised at a more vertical angle, also revealing a third table, ready for it's prisoner.
"Since Emma is clearly not interested in the job, I'll have to kill her." He smiled at her. "Sorry Emma, but it's all or nothing." He turned and regarded Echo closely. "I'll offer the position to you though. You may have no experience but your quite powerful. How would you like to be the new White Queen?" Before you answer, your only other choice is death."
She seemed to weigh the matter criticaly before answering him. "Ya know, death is sounding pretty good compared to what you want."
He grinned at her again. "I thought you'd say something like that. Both of you are so predictable." He motioned at someone behind him. "Emma has no one that she truly cares about, but you seem to have an abundance of close family. Like this young man."
What Echo saw made her blood turn cold. She only cared about a few people. Her brother Paul was one of those lucky few. Only he might argue the point. He'd been grabbed in the school parking lot at lunch. For the past 48 hours he's been kept gagged and tied up in a small dark room. Seeing his sister calms him down but seeing her in the same kind of helpless circumstance only made the knot in his stomach grow tighter.
Jade is that you? he mouthed. For four years he had been unable to make a sound. A fact that broke his sister's heart.
She smiled at him trying not to look completely defeted. "Hey Pauli. Don't worry this isn't as bad as it seems."
"How touching." Pierce motioned for his guards to attach the boy to a table next to Echo. "I'll give you some time to think it over. After all, your life isn't the only one that will be affected by your decision." He left the threat unfinished but he looked pointedly at her little brother. Pierce's laughter echo'd along the wall and the room as he and his goons left.
As soon as the door shut Echo began to struggle against her restraints. She was cursing the whole time too. She twisted her wrists and ankles while holding back her tears as she realized her struggle was hopeless. Her brother just stared at her.
Jade are we going to get out of this?
"She looked at him with complete honesty. "I don't know Paul. I seriously don't know."
Emma was struggling against her restraints while listening to the conversation. "If I only had all of my telpathic abilities back, I might be able to do something!"
Echo suddenly realized what she could do. "Emma, I need you to scrape together enough telepathic power to protect yourself and paul from a telepathic blast. Can you do that?"
Emma nodded her head. "I think so, but why?"
"Just do it." Without a second thought Echo absorbed Emma's mutant signature from her restraints. She had absorbed part of it leaving only the smallest trace. Echo absorbed it over and over again, trying to trick her mutant power into storing it.
An electric feeling flowed through her. She amplified the feeling as high as she could. Her body was glowing as she kept absorbing the power. It was almost to much. The pain was unbearable and she felt like she was about to explode. Then she released it. It was as if an atom bomb had been detonated on her head. The telepathic burst caused the computer pad to explode along with all of the monitors in the room. A guard rushed in but the telepathic power was to much for him, causing his brain to melt down. The light's and all the monitors continued to explode as Echo heard someone screaming out in anguish.
She gasped as she fell to the floor completely eghausted, but their restraints had come loose. The screaming had been coming from her and she gasped in air as it reverberated along the walls. She could feel the energy as Emma tried to help her up.
"No, don't touch me!" She coughed and shook her head. "Get Paul out of here, I'll find Pierce." She pulled herself up to a standing position using a table.
She shot a quick grin at Emma. "Call the X-Squad, or whoever it is that rescues kidnapped mutants." She turned to face her brother. "You do what she says, otherwise I'll kick your butt." He nodded and took off his necklace stuffing it in her hands as Emma guided him out.
Emma could sense the rage that was coursing through Echo. Pierce had mad a mistake in threatening this young girls family. There was no way Emma would have even tried to stop her.
"Pierce!" There was a shocked silence as Donald Pierce suddenly found himself guardless and completely alone. Save for the young woman aiming a pistol at his head.
He smiled at her and set down his spoon. "Won't you join me for brunch?" He gestured to the plates of food in front of him.
The pistol didn't move, she didn't even blink. "Do you think it's funny to kidnap a fifteen year old boy and threaten his life?"
"Your brother served his purpose. Didn't he enjoy his stay with us?"
"Let's just say he won't be returning anytime soon and neither will I." She cocked the gun slowly and removed the safety.
He just smiled at her and lit a cigar. "First off Miss Beaule, I'm a cyborg."
"I'm sure there's some part of you that's organic."
He continued on, ignoring her. "Second off, you don't hae the gut's to pull the triger so you'll excuse me if I don't tremble with fear."
She uncocked the gun slowly and backed to the door. "You could be right about something Pierce. Just know that if you screw with my family again, I'll kill you."
He grinned as she backed out the door. "You can count on it," he called after her retreating footsteps.
Suddenly the footsteps stopped and she was standing at the door again, her gun at her side. "Excuse me? What was that?"
He grinned at her again. "I said that you can count on it!" He was laughing as he finished repeating it.
Then time stopped. Echo looked at the floor and then at the man who had threatened her brother's life. She raised the gun and watched as laughter turned to fear. Then she pulled the trigger and ended the threat.
It was a beautiful day in Montana. There was a light sprinkiling of snow but the temperature hadn't dropped below zero yet. Emma walked out of the house and waved at Paul and his mother. Mrs. Le'Beau was very understanding and was just happy to get her son back. Emma had seen the hidden question in her eyes but couldn't answer it. Echo had sworn Paul to secrecy. He had promised not to tell their mother that he had seen her.
Emma crawled into the passenger seat of the minivan and stared at the girl behind the wheel. "What are you going to do now?"
Echo shrugged. "I have no idea. Go back to the Hellhouse probably. Find some simple bodyguarding job or somthin'."
"You could come to the school. I've talked to the X-Men and Banshee and they would like it if you were on the good guy side for awhile. We would teach you about your powers plus you'd meet some of the students. You could become a member of Generation X and then a member of the X-men. The kids need someone with your experience. I don't see how you can say no."
Echo looked at the steering wheel and then at Emma with a smile on her face. "Who said anything about saying no?"
