Ghosts of the Past [CLOSED]

[herald_the_dream]

WHO: Professor Xavier and Emma Frost
WHAT: The true reason Emma suddenly returned...
WHERE: The Cerebro Chamber
WHEN: Late evening
WARNING(S): Plot details ahoy.



Xavier pulled off the helmet apparatus that was used to control Cerebro, setting it on the console desk and letting out a heavy sigh. No matter how hard he looked, he could find nothing. Not what he was specifically searching for, at least. The only logical conclusion is that whatever shadows were lurking in the corners of the world, pulling the puppet strings of the players introduced so far, were well aware of Xavier's capabilities and had gone well out of their way to obstruct his far reaching sight.

"You may come in, Emma," he projected to her, having sensed her beyond the chamber door. It was time to finally discuss at length their next move... and he only hoped that Emma had brought him some good news.

Comments

[diamonds_forever]

Emma's footsteps along the catwalk created an eerie echo within the gigantic circular chamber, but it was a sound she'd long since gotten used to. She and Jean both had to be trained in how to use the device after all... and soon she'd need to train Martha in its functions as well. It was almost a comforting warmth to be in the chamber once more, in spite of its cold appearance. And any comfort she could get was welcome at this point.

"Fury's findings on Shaw were, admittedly, as much a shock to me as anyone. In all the time I had spent with Shaw, rebuilding the Hellfire Club from the ground up, I had never once heard him mention this mark, or even heard of him visiting Egypt. So you'll have to forgive me if my findings aren't as useful as you hoped they would be."

[herald_the_dream]

"Emma, at this point, I don't have the position to be picky over the quality of information. I am, essentially, flying blind. Anything you have will help, no matter how small..." Charles reassured her, honestly not surprised Shaw would keep this a secret even from his most trusted partner...

[diamonds_forever]

"Well...," Emma sighed, clearing her mind and beginning her mental projections...

"I didn't keep going down the Egypt path because other than a series of hieroglyphics that mean 'The First One', I had no leads, so instead I investigated Shaw's buyers. His connections with Trask, the MLF, etc. And that's where things started to get interesting."

"The Hellfire Club, as you know, existed for a long time before Shaw and I took it over. Names of members reads like a who's who of nobles and industrialists in American, British, and Irish history. There was even some crossover with the Royal Society... who had a somewhat infamous outcast by the name of Nathaniel Essex."

"Now, this isn't on public record and only recorded in the annals of the Hellfire Club's own secret history, which unbeknownst to Shaw I had maintained locked away when we took over, but this Nathaniel Essex had also made mention of 'The First One' in his work. The guy was a biologist, a student of Charles Darwin, and a hell of a brainer. However, his work got increasingly amoral for the Royal Society's taste, so they kicked him to the curb. Being huge social Darwinists, of course the Hellfire Club offers to continue funding his research."

[herald_the_dream]

Nathaniel Essex... It was a name he recognized. He was one of the first biologists to study the Mutant phenomenon. His notes were part of Xavier's own research, though he had to admit it was entirely possible he did more work after his ejection from the Royal Society... and this seemed to confirm it.

"So Nathaniel Essex had notes on 'The First One', a name shared by the mark on Shaw... Are these connected, and what do they have to do with his buyers?"

[diamonds_forever]

"As for the connection, I'm honestly not sure. Other than that name being recorded in the minutes of a Hellfire Club meeting in relation to Essex, all of his research was apparently destroyed..." Emma shook her head, sighing.

And then she projected an image in Xavier's mind. From a file reading, a young half-Japanese woman.

"However... his bloodline kept on. This is Claudine Renko, a descendent of Nathaniel Essex on her mother's side. At least that's what her birth records tell us, to a degree. Nathaniel's only son, Adam, died a long time ago, so the genealogy reports are fuzzy, at best, on exactly how they're related. But even that slim connection makes this next bit interesting."

"Her buyer's records were tucked away in secret in Shaw's personal documents, off the books and off the records, implying it was completely illegal. What's more, her name also comes up in encoded documents traded between MLF community leaders, which you can thank Martha for decoding them."

[herald_the_dream]

"So she's the buyer, this Claudine Renko?" and apparently a name of interest among the Mutant Liberation Front...

"Do you think she was the middle-person between Shaw and the Friends of Humanity?"

[diamonds_forever]

"More than that. Not only did she arrange the purchases by the Friends of Humanity, she's pretty much the founder of the Mutant Liberation Front. If Shaw is the Black King and I'm the White Queen, we just found the Black Bishop. She did so completely anonymously, but she's the actual brain behind the MLF, and I don't doubt she sold weapons to the FoH in order to jumpstart their street war. She had an agenda, and I think her connection with Nathaniel Essex is worth looking into."

[herald_the_dream]

"It's a place to start, at least. Finally... Where is Claudine Renko now?" If she was a mutant, he could just trace her, but he had a feeling he'd meet the same resistance as usual. Even if she wasn't part of the conspiracy, anyone starting a movement like that in earnest would want to keep Xavier's mind well away from them. Learning from Magneto's mistakes...

[diamonds_forever]

And finally, a smile.

"We struck gold, Charlie. You know that rally the MLF is going to have in District X? Claudine Renko is going to be there. It's just a rumor for now, but it sounds like she's ready to show her face to the world now that Shaw is out of the picture. We should send an infiltration unite in. All I'll need is five good people."

[herald_the_dream]

Charles thought on the matter carefully, going over the options as best he could... but finally shook his head.

"No. I want to speak to this Claudine Renko personally. I don't want to show them violent resistance. I want to understand her perspective and why she's acting as she is. I don't want to make the same mistake twice, Emma..."

"I want a peacekeeping team ready. An attempt to bridge the gap between ourselves and the Mutant Liberation Front. You will still have your team, if talks break down, but I want to do this right. We cannot afford to have another case like Erik's..."

[diamonds_forever]

...

Emma shook her head, shoulders slumping. She couldn't argue with that. She knew, deeply, how Charles felt about the situation. About the climate their conflict with the Brotherhood had created, and the chain of events it had set in motion. Raven assassinating the president... Jean's death...

"Alright. I'm here to follow your orders, Charlie. We'll start the briefing in a few days while Martha and I tie up some loose ends on the intelligence front."