Grey Frost

Grey Frost
Chapter 17: Desperate Calls

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Selene’s session with Jean went on until she passed out in a sweaty, naked heap. She fucked even more guards than last time. The drug worked to perfection. She even got into it much to the surprise of the Inner Circle. After Selene gave the guards the order to go easier on her, she went to town on them and even wore a few of them out. She was giving into the pleasure, which was a good sign that she would soon be in Hellfire’s grasp.

Emma was a different story. Watching her friend get fucked while being violated by a machine like that really messed with her. It added to her feelings of helplessness and despair. It was physical and psychological torture of the worst kind. Eventually Emma just shut herself out, showing signs of mental weakness that Hellfire were certain to exploit.

After the show was over, Emma put her clothes back on and the guards took the two girls back to their cells while other members of the Inner Circle met to discuss their progress.

“So Emma’s giving in, you say?” said Harry Leland, “Are you sure she’s ready for the next step?”

“Positive,” affirmed Shaw, “I know the signs of a defeated will. Emma’s resolve is admirable, but even she can’t hold out forever. It only requires the proper incentive.”

“Still, I’m skeptical that mere physical and mental torture is enough to break Emma Frost,” said Donald Pierce, “Need I remind you she had a ruthless side herself.”

“Indeed,” conceded Shaw, “But she’s still human and has a sense of compassion. Her time away from us has turned it into a weakness. Rest assured her anguish is real. Even she cannot fake that.”

“I hope you’re right,” said Leland, still showing a hint of concern, “But I’ll feel much better once we wipe her mind.”

“That, my friend, is already in the works,” grinned Shaw, “Isn’t that right, Mastermind?”

The Inner Circle turned their attention to the cloaked figure sitting in the corner. He was not yet privileged enough to be within their ranks. He had to prove himself with the task Shaw recruited him for. Only then would he be worthy of being at their level.

“As long as she is mentally and physically weak, I will be able to wipe her mind and mold it,” he said, “Although I must warn you, this kind of mental tampering carries certain risks. She may end up a mere shell of a human with no free will or personality.”

“Still a step up in my opinion,” laughed Pierce.

“An acceptable risk,” said Shaw, “While I want her loyalty and her business sense, I would just as willingly accept a mindless slave. Either way, her talents will be under our control.”

“And all we had to do was invest a little extra time and money to bring her back,” said Leland, “I still think it would have been easier if you hadn’t gotten so hung up about having this woman as the White Queen.”

“Be that as it may, we all still benefit,” said Shaw snidely, “So let’s just leave it at that.”

The other members of the Inner Circle still had reservations about Shaw’s plan. It turned out to be a lot more work than any of them anticipated. It wasn’t enough that he had been so blind not to see Emma’s betrayal the first time. Now he had to bring her back and spend all this time turning her. It would have been much easier to kill her.

“Well she better be worth the investment,” said Selene as she casually lofted about, “But look on the bright side. We got another recruit out of her.”

“Yes, the redhead,” said Leland, “How goes her training?”

“Better than I anticipated,” said Selene proudly, “She appears to have stopped resisting. And only after two doses of my little wonder drug, no less.”

“Not bad,” said Pierce as he poured himself some wine, “But what do you plan to do with her? Send her to the club like we did Emma?”

“Heavens no,” said Selene with a sinister grin, “This girl is beautiful, smart, and powerful. But most importantly, she’s in a vulnerable state. She has a weakness for sex and a hunger for pleasure. A little more time and she’ll be ready for our middle ranks.”

“A little soon, don’t you think?” scoffed Shaw.

“You have your companion why can’t I have mine?” she justified, “Besides, I’ve been looking for a protégé to train in my image. I believe this girl will fit in nicely.”

“Great, just what we need. Another Selene,” said Leland under his breath.

“I heard that!” barked the Black Queen, “And my decision is final. As Black Queen, I can ordain anybody to be my understudy so long as she pledges her loyalty to us.”

“Then I suggest you make sure she’s trustworthy before you commit to her,” said Pierce, “We don’t want the same thing happening with her that we had happen with Emma.”

That earned him a scold from Shaw. Even when he fixed everything as he promised, they continued to undermine his power. The sooner he got Emma to their side the better. Then he could prove beyond all doubts that he was the Black King and nobody would question him.

“This meeting is over,” said Shaw sternly, “Come Mastermind. We must make preparations.”

“Of course,” said the cloaked mutant, “The sooner we get this over with the better. You promised me a place in Hellfire and you had best keep that promise.”

Shaw left with Mastermind following close behind, leaving the rest of the Inner Circle to finish their drinks and contemplate further recourse. Allowing Emma to become White Queen after she ran away went against so many of their organization’s tenants. Even if she was trained by Shaw, she didn’t have the true guts to be in the Inner Circle. But Mastermind’s mind games promised to do a way with her petty resistance.

Bitterness still lingered. Emma’s re-capture was all Shaw’s doing because he just wanted a pretty queen by his side. He even went so far as to allow an outsider like Mastermind to join the Hellfire Club just for his talents. Even if it was useful, it was an elaborate measure for what should have been a simple task.

“I still say we should have killed her,” muttered Leland.

“That’s your solution to everything,” said Selene.

“So says the woman who fancy’s torture,” quipped Pierce.

“I’m no fan of Shaw’s actions either, but I’m willing to overlook some of the details seeing as how it brought Miss Grey to our glorious organization.”

“Yes, of course,” said Leland, rolling his eyes, “Do you really think she’ll prove loyal enough?”

“From what I’ve seen, her spirit is weak,” said Selene confidently, “As we speak, I’m preparing a little test. If she passes then she’ll be a powerful asset to the Hellfire Club and perhaps one worthy of learning my talents.”

There was still reservation, but Hellfire was sure to come out on top either way. For all they cared Emma could be rendered catatonic and it would be all the same. And with training from Selene, Jean Grey had a world of potential. As long as everything went smoothly, both girls would be under Hellfire’s control very soon.

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Emma Frost was on the brink. Having come from a broken home and forced to work her way up from the streets, she didn’t give in easily. But this was a situation she may not be strong enough to pull through.

Being strapped to a chair naked and forced to watch Jean turn into a drugged up sex object while a machine fucked her struck her hard. Aside from the lingering pain in her private areas, Jean was her friend and didn’t deserve this kind of treatment. She was suffering simply because she had been with her when they were captured. Now looking at her as she washed her off in the shower, it looked as though she was giving in.

It would have been easier if it was only her being tortured. She wasn’t afraid and had endured it before. But Shaw was as smart as he was sadistic. Putting Jean in Selene’s hands was adding insult to injury on top of what he did to her. Now Jean was probably disconnected from her true self, falling further into Hellfire’s domain. It wouldn’t be long now before they started molding her. Then she would be lost forever.

“I’m so sorry, Jean,” she said in a strained tone, “I should be the one enduring this, not you.”

It was a difficult sight. Jean was sitting on the floor of the shower while the water poured over her naked body, washing away the sweat and semen. She was even more messed up than before. Her eyes were closed and she hadn’t said a word since the guards threw them back in the room. All that sex must have finally gotten to her. There was only so much pleasure a human being could take.

“I don’t know if you’re still all there, but I need to get this off my chest,” Emma went on, “Even though we’ve had our differences you’re still a great friend. I’m sorry for yelling at you and for causing so much strife between you and Scott. You’re a great person who just had the misfortune of getting caught up in my miserable life. Please forgive me.”

Emma held back a sob. It was no use hiding weakness now. Hellfire was winning. There was no escaping it. Suddenly, a voice broke her from her thoughts.

“I forgive you, Emma.”

She looked up at Jean, seeing that she had opened her eyes. She didn’t see the same dazed look she saw earlier. If anything, she saw the same Jean she always knew.

“Huh? What the…”

“Is this room bugged? Can I drop the façade?” she asked in a lucid tone.

At first Emma was confused, but when she saw Jean turn off the water and breathe normally she knew it wasn’t an act. Then it hit her.

“What the? You’re not…”

“Mindless?” said Jean, “No, I’m still me. I just did what you said and showed everybody what they wanted to see.”

The look on Emma’s face was priceless. Even sitting naked soak and wet, Jean laughed at her reaction. She must have been really convincing. It was harder than she thought. The drug was pretty intense and all that sex did get to her. But she managed to stay mentally clear and remembered not to give in.

“But how?!” exclaimed Emma, “She gave you a double dose! You’re mind should be chicken soup!”

“I know,” sighed Jean, “But a drug can only do so much. I just thought back to Scott, my friends, and my family to help me remember. My body did the rest.”

Emma clenched her temples, feeling both relief and anger. She thought she had failed her, but it was just an act. Jean was a lot stronger than she thought. Then again she had a lot more to hold onto. At least they were still intact on some levels.

“You’re a real bitch!” yelled Emma, “You scared the shit out of me! I thought you had slipped away!”

“Well I didn’t,” said Jean strongly, “But we have to act soon. I don’t know how much longer I can hold out if Selene keeps upping the dosage. We’ve got to find a way to contact the others.”

“Oh for crying out loud, didn’t you hear me before?!” exclaimed Emma, “Hellfire leaves nothing to chance! Even if we had our powers we couldn’t break the shielding around the building!”

“We won’t know until we try,” said Jean, grabbing Emma’s cape and drying herself off.

“Of course, that’s the answer. Just try,” said Emma sarcastically, “Let’s use the powers these damn collars are holding back!”

“Correction, were holding back,” said Jean.

Emma looked at Jean with a confused look. Then she showed her neck briefly and revealed something she hadn’t expected. Her power dampening collar had been damaged. The little red light in the front that was on when it was active was flickering. Then it hit her.

“Wait, you mean to tell me…”

“That I used Selene’s sadistic nature against her?” finished Jean, “She said it herself, the mind gets clouded during sex. I was hoping she’d miss with the whip and hit it, but when she grabbed me I kind of had to improvise. Turns out that bitch doesn’t know her own strength.”

Emma smiled approvingly at her friend. Jean was more resourceful than she thought, not to mention kinky. Even with the drug, it took a sexual persona to go through something like that.

“You ate Selene out for that?”

“Good thing I was drugged,” muttered Jean, “And you better swear on all that is holy you won’t tell anybody!”

“Oh my lips are sealed,” assured Emma, “So how much of your power do you think you can muster?”

“Only one way to find out,” said Jean, “Hold still. Let’s see if I can short circuit your collar.”

Placing her fate in Jean’s hands, Emma sat back against the bathroom wall. One slip up here and Emma could be shocked to death. They came this far. It would be a shame to have it all come crashing down now.

Taking a deep breath, Jean focused her telekinesis on the complex device. She placed both hands on the side of Emma’s neck, turning to every lesson of control Professor Xavier ever taught her. She didn’t have to remove the collar. She just had to short it out.

Emma braced herself just in case something went wrong. She could feel the collar moving. Jean was warping the insides, careful not to set off the defense mechanism. The red light in front started flickering. The device started heating up, almost to the point of discomfort. For a moment Emma thought it was going to go off. Then she heard a spark and the light went dim.

‘Can you hear me?’ sent Jean via telepathy.

‘Loud and clear,’ replied Emma, ‘So what now?’

‘We could try and fight our way out.’

‘Fat chance. I slipped out by the skin of my teeth last time. There’s no way they’ll let us get that far this time around.’

‘Then our only hope is to signal the others.’

‘I told you, we can’t! Not with all this shielding in the building!’

‘Shielding meant to keep telepaths out. They never said anything about telepaths who are already inside.’

Emma saw where Jean was going with this. Her reasoning seemed sound, but she knew Hellfire better. There was no way they’d leave something like that to chance even if it was unlikely.

‘I see what you mean. But it still may not be strong enough.’

‘Maybe not alone, but if we work together we just might be able to get a message out. The X-men will do the rest.’

‘You mean combine our telepathy? Has that ever been done before?’

‘Does it really matter?’

It was risky, if not foolhardy. But they didn’t have a lot of options. Hellfire had no patience when it came to turning prisoners and every minute they delayed was another minute they were giving their enemies.

‘Okay Jean…let’s do it,’ sent Emma, taking a deep breath to prepare herself, ‘I hope this works.’

‘You and me both,’ replied Jean, ‘I’ve reached out before I can do it again. Just focus your mind and pray we get through.’

The two girls placed their hands on each others’ temples and began concentrating. Jean’s mind minced with Emma’s and Emma’s mind minced with Jean’s. It was a strange feeling, but it gave them a rush of psychic energy greater than anything they felt before. With this power, they reached out beyond the walls of their prison for help. But as was expected, the Hellfire mansion was shielded tough.

They kept calling out, mentally yelling for the Professor or anybody else on the team. But Hellfire had some of the best psychic shielding money could buy. Undeterred, Jean and Emma tried harder. Sweat started forming on their faces as they pushed their minds to the limit. They tried reaching anybody back at the mansion. But no matter what they tried they couldn’t get through.

On the brink of giving up, they came to Scott. Then Jean then did something unexpected. Just as she had done during her power surge, she reached out to the one person she treasured most and felt him through a bond that had begun that fateful day. It was not like traditional psychic communication. It was much deeper and couldn’t be blocked by Hellfire shielding. And through this bond she and Emma got out one message.

‘Help…me.’

Emma and Jean let out a tired gasp. Their heads throbbing, the two girls sat back in the bathroom and caught their breath. Jean was smiling, knowing she got through. Emma, on the other hand, was conflicted. She felt Jean reach out as well and the connection she managed with Scott was unlike anything she ever felt before.

“We…we did it,” said Jean in exhaustion, “I reached Scott.”

“Yes…” said Emma distantly, “You certainly did.”

Jean cast her friend a curious gaze. She should have been happy. Now that Scott knew, he and the X-men wouldn’t be far behind. And since Hellfire didn’t know their collars had been busted, they stood a fighting chance. Yet for some reason, she seemed distraught.

“Is something wrong, Emma?”

“No…nothing’s wrong,” she replied unconvincingly, “Let’s just rest up and get ready. Hellfire’s going to pull out all the stops now. We’ll need our strength.”

Jean believed her about Hellfire, but not about anything being wrong. Something happened when they combined their mental powers. And whatever it was it disturbed her. While she was curious, this was not the time to cause further drama. They’d have plenty of time for that after they were rescued.

Emma got up and returned to their room so Jean could dry off. She needed some alone time. Under normal circumstances she would call Jean out for having such a close bond with her boyfriend. She promised her that there was nothing between them. But after what she felt, she knew that was not the case. However, this was neither the time nor place to bring that matter up. They had an escape to plan.

‘Keep your collar on. Don’t let anybody know it’s broken. We’ll make our move when the others arrive.’

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Not far from Hellfire Mansion, Scott and Logan were intensifying their search. After getting the Professor to pay Deadpool’s hefty salary, he gave them what he said was the general location of the Hellfire Club. He couldn’t give them the exact coordinates. Shaw never trusted him or anyone else for that matter with information that sensitive. But at least they were on the right track for once.

This side of Manhattan was anything if not ordinary. All they saw were rows of faceless buildings. They weren’t run down or overly provocative, at least on the outside. It seemed like the perfect place for a secret organization like Hellfire to run. It was just a matter of sifting through all these buildings.

“So where do you want to start looking?” said Logan as they stopped their bikes near the edge of the street.

“Beats me,” said Scott, “Guess we start up north and work our way down. That is, of course, if the information that Deadpool gave wasn’t a total load.”

“For what Chuck paid it better be worth it,” grunted Logan, “Now let’s get going. We got a lot of ground to cover.”

“Right behind you,” said Scott, “We’ll head over…”

Suddenly, Scott froze. His head started throbbing and a series of flashes surged through his mind. And within the recesses of his psyche he heard Jean’s unmistakable voice.

‘Help…me.’

It was deep, desperate, and powerful. He heard it before, but not since Jean’s power surge. It not only showed him she was okay, but the strength of the voice acted like a beacon. It offered a faint echo that pointed him in the right direction for the first time.

“Cyke? Cyke, you still with me over there?” exclaimed Logan.

“Call the Professor and get in touch with Fury,” said Scott, “I know where they are!”

“Huh? What are you talkin’ about?!”

“Jean just called out to me. I heard her in my mind. I can feel it!” he said with great determination, “I can trace where it came from here.”

“Are you sure you’re not losin’ it bub?” said Logan skeptically.

“You got a better plan?” quipped Scott, “Just trust me!”

Scott didn’t give Logan another chance to argue. He kicked his bike into high gear and sped back out onto the road. His actions were brash and unsupported, something Logan understood all too well. But Scott Summers was anything but irrational. He didn’t follow his gut unless he was one hundred percent sure.

Trusting the instincts of his student, Logan activated the radio on the bike to get in touch with Xavier. If Scott’s hunch did lead them to Jean, Emma, and the Hellfire Club they were going to need plenty of backup.

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Up next: Hellfire makes a move and so do the X-men.